The "Virginia Society for the Abolition of Slavery," organized in 1791, addressed Congress in these words:

"Your memorialists, fully aware that righteousness exalteth a nation, and that slavery is not only an odious degradation, but an outrageous violation of one of the most essential rights of human nature, and utterly repugnant to the precepts of the gospel, which breathes peace on earth and good will to men,' lament that a practice so inconsistent with true policy and the inalienable rights of men, should subsist in so enlightened an age, and among a people professing that all mankind are, by nature, equally entitled to freedom."

If the question, slavery or no slavery, could be fairly presented for the decision of the legal voters of North Carolina at the next popular election, we believe at least two

thirds of them would deposite the no slavery ticket. Perhaps one-fourth of the slaveholders themselves would vote it, for the slaveholders in this State are more moderate, decent, sensible, and honorable, than the slaveholders in either of the adjoining States, or the States further South; and we know that many of them are heartily ashamed of the vile occupations of slaveholding and slave-breeding in which they are engaged, for we have the assurance from their own lips. As a matter of course, all the non-slaveholders, who are so greatly in the majority, would vote to suppress the degrading institution which has kept them so long in poverty and ignorance, with the exception of those who are complete automatons to the beck and call of their imperious lords and masters, the major-generals of the oligarchy.

How long shall it be before the citizens of North Carolina shall have the privilege of expressing, at the ballotbox, their true sentiments with regard to this vexed question? Why not decide it at the next general election? Sooner or later, it must and will be decided-decided correctly, too-and the sooner the better. The first Southern State that abolishes slavery will do herself an immortal honor. God grant that North Carolina may be that State, and soon! There is at least one plausible reason why this good old State should be the first to move in this important matter, and we will state it. On the 20th of May, 1775, just one year one month and fourteen days prior to the adoption of the Jeffersonian Declaration of Independence, by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, July 4, 1776, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, the

authorship of which is generally attributed to Ephraim
Brevard, was proclaimed in Charlotte, Mecklenburg county,
North Carolina, and fully ratified in a second Convention
of the people of said county, held on the 31st of the same
month. And here, by the way, we may remark, that it is
supposed Mr. Jefferson made use of this last-mentioned
document as the basis of his draft of the indestructible
title-deed of our liberties. There is certainly an identical-
ness of language between the two papers that is well cal-
culated to strengthen this hypothesis. This, however, is
a controversy about which we are but little concerned.
For present purposes, it is, perhaps, enough for us to
know, that on the 20th of May, 1775, when transatlantic
tyranny and oppression could no longer be endured, North
Carolina set her sister colonies a most valorous and praise-
worthy example, and that they followed it. To her infa-
mous slaveholding sisters of the South, it is now meet that
she should set another noble example of decency, virtue,
and independence. Let her at once inaugurate a policy
of common justice and humanity-enact a system of
equitable laws, having due regard to the rights and inter-
ests of all classes of persons, poor whites, negroes, and
nabobs, and the surrounding States will ere long applaud
her measures, and adopt similar ones for the governance
of themselves.

Another reason, and a cogent one, why North Carolina' should aspire to become the first free State of the South is this: The first slave State that makes herself respectable by casting out" the mother of harlots," and by rendering enterprise and industry honorable, will immediately receive

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a large accession of most worthy citizens from other States in the Union, and thus lay a broad foundation of permanent political power and prosperity. Intelligent white farmers from the Middle and New England States will flock to our more congenial clime, eager to give thirty dollars per acre for the same lands that are now a drug in the market because nobody wants them at the rate of five dollars per acre; an immediate and powerful impetus will be given to commerce, manufactures, and all the industrial arts; science and literature will be revived, and every part of the State will reverberate with the triumphs of manual and intellectual labor.

At this present time, we of North Carolina are worth less than either of the four adjoining States; let us abolish slavery at the beginning of the next regular decade of years, and if our example is not speedily followed, we shall, on or before the first day of January, 1870, be enabled to purchase the whole of Virginia and South Carolina, including, perhaps, the greater part of Georgia. An exclusive lease of liberty for ten years would unquestionably make us the Empire State of the South. But we have no dispo sition to debar others from the enjoyment of liberty or any other inalienable right; we ask no special favors; what we demand for ourselves we are willing to concede to our neighbors. Hereby we make application for a lease of freedom for ten years; shall we have it? May God enable us to secure it, as we believe He will. We give fair notice, however, that if we get it for ten years, we shall, with the approbation of Heaven, keep it twenty-fortya thousand-forever!

We transcribe the Mecklenburg Resolutions, which, it will be observed, acknowledge the "inherent and inalienable rights of man," and "declare ourselves a free and independent people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing association, under the control of no power other than that of our God, and the general government of the Congress."

MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,

As proclaimed in the town of Charlotte, North Carolina,
May 20th, 1775, and ratified by the County of Mecklen-
burg, in Convention, May 31st, 1775.

"I. Resolved-That whosoever, directly or indirectly, abetted, or in any way, form or manner, countenanced the unchartered and dangerous invasion of our rights as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy to this country, to America, and to the inherent and inalienable rights of man.

"II. Resolved-That we the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us to the mother country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown, and abjure all political connection, contract or association with that nation, who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties, and inhumanly shed the blood of American patriots at Lexington.

"III. Resolved-That we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing association, under the control of no power other than that of our God, and the general government of the Congress; to the maintenance of which independence, we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual co-operation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor.

"IV. Resolved-That as we now acknowledge the existence and control of no law or legal officer, civil or military, within this county, we do hereby ordain and adopt, as a rule of life, all, each,