ADDRESS.

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slaves. T h e strongest a n d most frequent a r g u m e n t i n the m o u t h o f the a d v o c a t e o f s l a v e r y is, the worthlessness o f t he free b l a c k s . T h i s a r g u m e n t i s , it is t r u e , s o p h i s t i c a l ; b ut its f orce i s a c c u m u l a t e d b y e v e r y c ase o f e m a n c i p a t i o n , w h e n the subsequent c o n d u c t o f the b l a c k is at w a r w i t h h is o w n interest, a n d the w e l f a r e o f the c o m m u n i t y . I f, t h e n , w e do not use a r e a s o n a b l e p r u d e n c e , a n d s e c u r e , a s f a r as m a y be possible, the future g o o d c o n d u c t o f t hose w h o m w e m a k e free, w o m a y be found a m o n g the n u m b e r o f those w h o s e w e l l - m e a n t but m i s g u i d e d z e a l r e tards t he w o r k t h e y a i m to a d v a n c e . W e h a v e thus s k e t c h e d a g e n e r a l o u t l i n e o f the p l a n w h i c h w e p ropose f or y o u r a d o p t i o n ; a n d h a v e e n d e a v o r e d to s h o w , that the p r i n c i p l e s on w h i c h it is based a r e t he p r i n c i p l e s o f t r u t h a n d righteousness. W e have no h esitation i n s a y i n g , that this p l a n , i n its g e n e r a l features, s h o u l d b e adopted a n d a c t e d o n b y a l l . I n c a r r y i n g out i n t o i ts m i n u t e d e t a i l s , m a n y c ases o f doubt a n d d i f f i c u l t y w i l l a r i s e , both as to the p r e c i s e p e r i o d for e m a n c i p a t i n g p a r t i c u l a r s l a v e s , a n d as to the means to be u s e d for t h e i r a dequate p r e p a r a t i o n . B u t e v e r y one w h o c h e r i s h e s C h r i s t i a n b e n e v o l e n c e , and s t r i v e s to k e e p a n honest c o n s c i e n c e , w i l l b e a b l e , b y a p p l y i n g the p r i n c i p l e s l a i d d o w n , t o a s c e r t a i n the specific course w h i c h is d u t y , i n his o w n i n d i v i d u a l c ase. T h e s e c ases o f d i f f i c u l t y c a n , h o w e v e r , o n l y o c c u r i n respect to the slaves w h o a r e a l r e a d y a d vanced i n y e a r s , and whose habits are f i x e d : i n relation t o the y o u n g , o u r c o u r s e is p l a i n a n d u n e m b a r r a s s e d . In v i e w , t h e n , o f these c i r c u m s t a n c e s , w e leave m a n y things t o p r i v a t e j u d g m e n t , a n d confine o u r s e l v e s to a few s p e c i fications, as e x h i b i t i n g w h a t is the c l e a r a n d u n q u e s t i o n a b l e d u t y o f all. 1 . W e w o u l d r e c o m m e n d that a l l slaves n o w u n d e r t w e n t y y e a r s o f a g e , a n d a l l those y e t to be b o r n i n o u r p ossession, be e m a n c i p a t e d as t h e y s e v e r a l l y r e a c h t h e i r twenty-fifth year. 2 . W e r e c o m m e n d that d eeds o f e m a n c i p a t i o n be n o w d r a w n u p , a n d r e c o r d e d i n o u r respective c o u n t y c o u r t s , s p e c i f y i n g the s l a v e s w e a r e about to e m a n c i p a t e , a n d the a ge at w h i c h e a c h is to b e c o m e f ree. T h i s m e a s u r e is h i g h l y n e c e s s a r y , as it w i l l f u r n i s h to