tho't proper to take advantage of the ferment
and
bring good out of evil, by attempting the total abo-
lition of the slave trade; Accordingly in the associa-
tion of the Boston Clergy originated a Petition to ye
Legislature
to prohibit praying for an act to Prohibit the
owning, equipping & insuring Vessels bound to
Africa for slaves & providing agst the carrying
ino blacks from hence this
Petn was circulated & signed by a great
No of the most respectable Citizens. The
Neg Blacks were
also p urged to present a similar Petn, which
they did & fortunately another of the same
[?]
kind from the society of Quakers, presented
at a former session was then lying on the Table
All these were bro't up together & ye effect
was
an act passed on
March 26, 1788 "to Prevent the
"slave trade & for granting relief the to the families
"of such unhappy Persons as may be kid-
"napped or decoyed away from this Commonwealth."
[Written in left margin: "Abstract of the Act."]
The originating of The Petition wh
occasioned this act in
Massts was
been frequently ascribed to me -- & I had sour looks &
hard words bestowed on me by some Persons; but
I never had the least reluctance to avow ing nor the
least occasion inclination to repent ye Share I had in the
matter.