[9] - ibiblio.org

1 [9]REPORl'OftheCommittee,towhomzapreferr edthemnemorialofthePresidentandBoardofsl anagersoft/e' , , ,towhomwasreferredthememorialofthe" ,"have,accordingtoorder, , ,tothe14thcongress,yourcommitteebegleave toadd,thatanewinteresthasbeenrecentlyimp arted-tothebenevolententerpriseofthememo rialists, ,whichhasbeensolongthecrimeofEurope,thes courgeofAfrica, ,concurredinthatjustandhumanepolicyofthe UnitedStatesiwhichGreatBritainwasthefirs ttoimitate,andwhichbyherliberalandunre-m ittingseal, ,thevictimofthisinhumantraffic,isembrace damongtheviewsofthemomorialists,theremov alofthisformidableimpedimenttotheirsucce ss,iscalculatedtoele-vatethehopesoftheph ilanthropist, ,barbarism,andsuperitition,acontinentofv astextent,spreadoutbeneatheveryclimate,e mbracingeveryvarietyofsoil, ' ,fromconsiderationspecu-liartotheUnit( ,andtheydeemitunnecessarytherefore, ,however,forbeartoremark,thattimeisuncea singlyaggravatingallthosedomesticevils,f or%whichtheme-norialistsaproptosetheunlv competentrenmedY, ; ,afterpissingthroughawarofunprecedentede xtentanc!)

2 Ealailitv, ,andwhich,forthehonoro4houmanity,itmayhe hoI)cd,hewillbedisposedtosignaliscbsr)! ,mirelv,beconteatwithamereforbearanceoff artherinjustice; 'ThcpeopleofthleUnite(Stateshaveretiredf romthesamecotlict,ton'jvaprosrit*whichha snever1) ,the),pos:iessabundance,tranq;, \olfiuchblessings,naturallyinspiresasent iment,theexisteniet( ,1thismecmorialproceeds;asocietyembracin gindi-vidoasofeLtrxreligiouandpoliticale nomination, )rCadunion,butbythealmostunanimousprocee dingsoftheILes:slaturesof'Virgginia,Mary land,Tennessee( ;' '.edthattheliberalandenlightenedpolicy,w hichdictatedthelre7solutioLnsanZtdacLsof thoseparticularstates, , ,inrelationtOqucstionls, ,butintheirreimotebearing, ,inotherquartersofthtUniteedStates,evinc e,thatifthefeelingsWhichanimatethem,wver elocalinthteirorigin,theyrequiredonlytob emanifested, ,ifitsoughttoimpair,intheslightestdegree ,therightsofprivateproperty,ortheyetmore sacredrightsofpersonalliberty, ,thesubsequentactsanddeclarations,aswell asthehighcharacterofthememorial-Iststhem selves,addedtothemostobviousinterestofth estates,whohaverecentlysanctionedthepurp ose,orrecognisetheexistenceoftheAmerican ColonizationSociety, , ,andinanticipationoftheactsofthegovernme nt,theyhave,atconsiderableexpense.

3 SentoutagentstoexplorethecoastofAfrica, , ,wereasfavorable,ascouldhavebeenanticipa ted, ,however,cannotbecomplete,untiltheobject ofthememorialistsshallhavereceivedthesan ction,andthe! ,intheirbehalf,itappearstoyourcommittee, thattheresolutionofVirginia,whichtheybeg leavetosubjointothisreport,subsequentlys ustainedbyasimilarresolu-tionofMarylanda ndTennessee, ,orwiththeEuropeangov-ernmentswhichclaim certainportionsoftheshoresofthatcontinen t,itisbytheauthorityoftheUnitedStatesalo ne, ,having,bytheiradoptionofthefederalcon-s titutionsurrenderedthepowerofnegotiation ,tothegeneralgovern-ment,haveanundoubted righttoclaimtheexerciseofthatsovereignau thorityfortheirbenefit,wheneveritcanbeex ertedconsistentl' ,tothemaverysolenmnconsideration, ,andsubjectsthccitizensoftheUnitedStates whoengageinitsprosecu-tion,tomeritedpuni shment,haslefttheunfortunatebeings.

4 Whomtheviolationsofthislawaredailycastin gupontheAmericanshore, [93 Tosaynothingoftheabstractproprietyottran sferringsuchanauthorityoverthepersonsand libertyoftheseforeignersfromthenational, tothestatelegislatures;entertainingnoapp rehensionthatCongresswillberendered,ther eby,accessarytoanyactofcrueltyorinhumani ty;itmustbeyetapparent,thattheindividual stateshavearighttorequiretheaidnowsought tobeobtainedfromthegeneralgovernment,ino rdertoenablethemselvestodischargethetrus treposedinthem,withoutaviolationoftheirl ocalpolicy, ,placedattheirdisposal, ,twootherresolutionsoftheHousetoiiquirei ntotheexpediencyofnmakingmoreelfectualpr o-vilionbylaw,forpreventingtneparticipat ionofthecitizensoftheUnitedStatesintheAf iicanslavetrade, )]

5 StULItiyoriginatedintheotherbranchotthen ationallegisla-ture, , ,toremark,thatthebtntficialefcuttobetexp ectedfromanyImproveenintofthepre-existin glaws,inrelationtotheformerspeciesoftral lic,whichcornmnencesitsenterpriseagallLS thumnanityandforeign,andremotetoat,andma turesitonthatofAmerica, , ,inrelationtothisbranchoftheinquirycharg eduponthem,thantointimatetheiropiniontha tnoactoflegislationwhatever,wouldbesolik elytoputdownthisiniquitoustraffic, , ,andtheemploymento!sudipartofthenavyaswo uldbebeitadaptedtosuchservice,inoccasion alvisitstotheAfricancoast, , ,andbegleavetorecommendtotheHouse,inrela tiontothefirst,theadoptionofthefollowing resolution:Resolved,ThatthePresidentofth eUrlitedStates,be,andheishere,rquestedto takesuchmeasuresashemaydeempropertoascer tain*whetherasuitableterritorycanbeprocu redonthecoasrofAfrica,forcolonizingsucho fthefieepeopleofcoloroftheUnitedStatesas maybewillingtoavailthemselvesofsuchanasy -lum, [9]Jrica,orwithoneormoreofthegovernments ofEuropeasmaybenecessarytoobtainsuchterr itory, "WhereastheGeneralAssemblyofVirginiahave repeatedlysoughttoobtainanasylum,beyondt helimitsoftheUnitedStates,forsuchpersons ofcolor,ashadbeen,ormightbeemancipatedun -derthelawsofthiscommonwealth,buthavehit hertofoundalltheireffortsfrustrated,eith erbythedisturbedstateofothernationsordom esticcausesequallyunpropitioustotheirsuc cess.

6 Theynowavailthemselvesofaperiodwhenpeace hashealedthewoundsofhumanity,andtheprinc ipalnationsofEuropehaveconcurredwiththeg overnmentoftheUnitedStates,inabolishingt heAfricanslavetrade(atrafficwhichthiscom monwealth,bothbe-foreandsincetherevoluti on,zealouslysoughttoterminate)tore-newth iseffort,anddothereforeResolve,Thattheex ecutivebere-questedtocorrespondwiththePr esidentoftheUnitedStates,forthepurposeof obtainingaterritoryuponthecoastofAfrica, oratsomeotherplace,notwithinanyofthestat esorterritorialgovernmentsoftheUnitedSta tes,toserveasanasylumforsuchpersonsofcol or,asarenowfree,andmaydesirethesame,andf orthosewhomaybehereafteremancipatedwithi nthiscommonwealth;andthattheSen-atorsand RepresentativesofthisStateintheCongresso ftheUnit-edStatesberequestedtoexerttheir bestefforts,toaidthePresidentoftheUnited Statesintheattainmentoftheaboveobject:Pr ovided,Thatnocontractorarrangementrespec tingsuchterritoryshallbeobligatoryonthis commonwealthuntilratifiedbythelegislatur e.

7 "PassedbytheHouseofDelegates,December15t h-bytheSen-atewithanamendment,December20 th-concurredinbytheHounrofDelegates,Dece mber21st,181G.