{"id":1514,"date":"2017-07-11T02:45:47","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T02:45:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ushistory1os\/chapter\/primary-source-letter-of-cato-and-petition-by-freed-slaves-1781\/"},"modified":"2017-07-11T02:45:47","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T02:45:47","slug":"primary-source-letter-of-cato-and-petition-by-freed-slaves-1781","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-tc3-ushistory1os\/chapter\/primary-source-letter-of-cato-and-petition-by-freed-slaves-1781\/","title":{"raw":"Primary Source: Letter of Cato and Petition by Freed Slaves, 1781","rendered":"Primary Source: Letter of Cato and Petition by Freed Slaves, 1781"},"content":{"raw":"The elimination of slavery in northern states like Pennsylvania was slow and hard-fought. A bill passed in 1780 began the slow process of eroding slavery in the state, but a proposal just one year later would have erased that bill and furthered the distance between slavery and freedom. The action of black Philadelphians and others succeeded in defeating this measure. In this letter to the black newspaper, <\/em>Philadelphia Freedom\u2019s Journal, a formerly enslaved man uses the rhetoric of the American Revolution to attack American slavery. <\/em>\n\nMr. PRINTER.\n\nI AM a poor negro, who with myself and children have had the good fortune to get my freedom, by means of an act of assembly passed on the first of March 1780, and should now with my family be as happy a set of people as any on the face of the earth, but I am told the assembly are going to pass a law to send us all back to our masters. Why dear Mr. Printer, this would be the cruelest act that ever a sett of worthy good gentlemen could be guilty of. To make a law to hang us all, would be merciful<\/em>, when compared with this law; for many of our masters would treat us with unheard of barbarity, for daring to take the advantage (as we have done) of the law made in our favor.\u2014Our lots in slavery<\/em> were hard enough to bear: but having tasted the sweets of freedom<\/em>, we should now be miserable indeed.\u2014Surely no Christian gentlemen can be so cruel! I cannot believe they will pass such a law.\u2014I have read the act which made me free, and I always read it with joy\u2014and I always dwell with particular pleasure on the following words, spoken by the assembly in the top of the said law. \u201cWe esteem it a particular blessing granted to us, that we are enabled this day to add one more step to universal civilization, by removing as much as possible the sorrows of those, who have lived in undeserved<\/em> bondage, and from which, by the assumed authority of the kings of Great-Britain, no effectual legal relief could be obtained.\u201c See it was the king of Great- Britain that kept us in slavery before.\u2014Now surely, after saying so, it cannot be possible for them to make slaves of us again\u2014nobody, but the king of England can do it\u2014and I sincerely pray, that he may never have it in his power.\u2014It cannot be, that the assembly will take from us the liberty they have given, because a little further they go on and say, \u201dwe conceive ourselves, at this particular period, extraordinarily called upon, by the blessings which we<\/em> have received, to make manifest the sincerity of our professions and to give a substantial proof of our gratitude.\u201d If after all this, we<\/em>, who by virtue of this very law (which has those very words in it which I have copied,) are now enjoying the sweets of that \u201csubstantial proof of gratitude\u201d I say if we should be plunged back into slavery, what must we think of the meaning of all those words in the beginning of the said law, which seem to be a kind of creed respecting slavery? But what is most serious than all, what will our great father think of such doings? But I pray that he may be pleased to tern the hearts of the honorable assembly from this cruel law; and that he will be pleased to make us poor blacks deserving of his mercies.\n\nCATO\n\nLetter of Cato and Petition by \u201cthe negroes who obtained freedom by the late act,\u201d Postscript to the Freeman\u2019s Journal<\/em>, September 21, 1781 in Library Company of Philadelphia, \u201cBlack Founders: The Free Black Community in the Early Republic.\u201d\n\nAvailable through the Library Company of Philadelphia<\/a>","rendered":"

The elimination of slavery in northern states like Pennsylvania was slow and hard-fought. A bill passed in 1780 began the slow process of eroding slavery in the state, but a proposal just one year later would have erased that bill and furthered the distance between slavery and freedom. The action of black Philadelphians and others succeeded in defeating this measure. In this letter to the black newspaper, <\/em>Philadelphia Freedom\u2019s Journal, a formerly enslaved man uses the rhetoric of the American Revolution to attack American slavery. <\/em><\/p>\n

Mr. PRINTER.<\/p>\n

I AM a poor negro, who with myself and children have had the good fortune to get my freedom, by means of an act of assembly passed on the first of March 1780, and should now with my family be as happy a set of people as any on the face of the earth, but I am told the assembly are going to pass a law to send us all back to our masters. Why dear Mr. Printer, this would be the cruelest act that ever a sett of worthy good gentlemen could be guilty of. To make a law to hang us all, would be merciful<\/em>, when compared with this law; for many of our masters would treat us with unheard of barbarity, for daring to take the advantage (as we have done) of the law made in our favor.\u2014Our lots in slavery<\/em> were hard enough to bear: but having tasted the sweets of freedom<\/em>, we should now be miserable indeed.\u2014Surely no Christian gentlemen can be so cruel! I cannot believe they will pass such a law.\u2014I have read the act which made me free, and I always read it with joy\u2014and I always dwell with particular pleasure on the following words, spoken by the assembly in the top of the said law. \u201cWe esteem it a particular blessing granted to us, that we are enabled this day to add one more step to universal civilization, by removing as much as possible the sorrows of those, who have lived in undeserved<\/em> bondage, and from which, by the assumed authority of the kings of Great-Britain, no effectual legal relief could be obtained.\u201c See it was the king of Great- Britain that kept us in slavery before.\u2014Now surely, after saying so, it cannot be possible for them to make slaves of us again\u2014nobody, but the king of England can do it\u2014and I sincerely pray, that he may never have it in his power.\u2014It cannot be, that the assembly will take from us the liberty they have given, because a little further they go on and say, \u201dwe conceive ourselves, at this particular period, extraordinarily called upon, by the blessings which we<\/em> have received, to make manifest the sincerity of our professions and to give a substantial proof of our gratitude.\u201d If after all this, we<\/em>, who by virtue of this very law (which has those very words in it which I have copied,) are now enjoying the sweets of that \u201csubstantial proof of gratitude\u201d I say if we should be plunged back into slavery, what must we think of the meaning of all those words in the beginning of the said law, which seem to be a kind of creed respecting slavery? But what is most serious than all, what will our great father think of such doings? But I pray that he may be pleased to tern the hearts of the honorable assembly from this cruel law; and that he will be pleased to make us poor blacks deserving of his mercies.<\/p>\n

CATO<\/p>\n

Letter of Cato and Petition by \u201cthe negroes who obtained freedom by the late act,\u201d Postscript to the Freeman\u2019s Journal<\/em>, September 21, 1781 in Library Company of Philadelphia, \u201cBlack Founders: The Free Black Community in the Early Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Available through the Library Company of Philadelphia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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