mitigate or regulate it, did not authorise it ; and, on some
occasions, the plea was, that though the slavery of the parents
be admitted, yet no disability of that kind could descend to
children.

During the revolution-war, the publick opinion was so
strongly in favour of the abolition of slavery, that in some of
the country towns, votes were passed in town-meetings, that
they would have no slaves among them ; and that they
would not exact of masters, any bonds for the maintenance of
liberated blacks, if they should become incapable of support-
ing themselves.

In New-Hampshire, (where I then resided), those blacks
enlisted into the army for three years, were entitled to
the same bounty as the whites. This bounty their masters
received as the price of their liberty, and then delivered up
their bills of sale, and gave them a certificate of manumission.
Several of these bills and certificates were deposited in my
hands ; and those who survived the three years' service, were
free.

The present constitution of Massachusetts was established
in 1780. The first article of the declaration of rights asserts,
that "all men are born free and equal." This was inserted
not merely as a moral or political truth, but with a particular
view to establish the liberation of the negroes on a general
principle, and so it was understood by the people at large ;
but some doubted whether this was sufficient.

Many of the blacks, taking advantage of the publick opinion
and of this general assertion in the bill of rights, asked their
freedom, and obtained it. Others took it without leave.
Some of the aged and infirm thought it most prudent to con-
tinue in the families where they had always been well used,
and experience has proved that they acted right.

In 1781, at the court in Worcester county, an indictment
was found against a white man for assaulting, beating, and
imprisoning a black. He was tried at the Supreme Judicial
Court in 1783. His defence was, that the black was
his slave, and that the beating, &c. was the necessary re-
straint and correction of the master. This was answered
by citing the aforesaid clause in the declaration of rights.
The judges and jury were of opinion that he had no right to
beat or imprison the negro. He was found guilty, and fined
forty shillings. This decision was a mortal wound to slavery
in Massachusetts.