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December 4, 1833
CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY
Whereas the Most High God "hath made of one blood all nations of men
to dwell on all the face of the earth," and hath commanded them to
love their neighbors as themselves; and whereas, our National
Existence is based upon this principle, as recognized in the
Declaration of Independence, "that all mankind are created equal,
and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness"; and whereas, after the lapse of nearly sixty years,
since the faith and honor of the American people were pledged to
this avowal, before Almighty God and the World, nearly one-sixth
part of the nation are held in bondage by their fellow citizens; and
whereas, Slavery is contrary to the principles of natural justice,
of our republican form of government, and of the Christian religion,
and is destructive of the prosperity of the country, while it is
endangering the peace, union, and liberties of the States; and
whereas, we believe it the duty and interest of the masters
immediately to emancipate their slaves, and that no scheme of
expatriation, either voluntary or by compulsion, can remove this
great and increasing evil; and whereas, we believe that it is
practicable, by appeals to the consciences, hearts, and interests of
the people, to awaken a public sentiment throughout the nation that
will be opposed to the continuance of Slavery in any part of the
Republic, and by effecting the speedy abolition of Slavery, prevent
a general convulsion; and whereas, we believe we owe it to the
oppressed, to our fellow citizens who hold slaves, to our whole
country, to posterity, and to God, to do all that is lawfully in our
power to bring about the extinction of Slavery, we do hereby agree,
with a prayerful reliance on the Divine aid, to form ourselves into
a society, to be governed by the following Constitution:—
ART. I. This Society shall be called the AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY
society.
ART. II. The object of this Society is the entire abolition of
Slavery in the United States. While it admits that each State, in
which Slavery exists, has, by the Constitution of the United States,
the exclusive right to legislate in regard to its abolition in said
State, it shall aim to convince all our fellow-citizens, by
arguments addressed to their understandings and consciences, that
Slaveholding is a heinous crime in the sight of God, and that the
duty, safety, and best interests of all concerned, require its
immediate abandonment, without expatriation. The Society will also
endeavor, in a constitutional way to influence Congress to put an
end to the domestic Slave trade, and to abolish Slavery in all those
portions of our common country which come under its control,
especially in the District of Columbia,—and likewise to prevent the
extension of it to any State that may be hereafter admitted to the
Union.
ART. III. This Society shall aim to elevate the character and
condition of the people of color, by encouraging their intellectual,
moral and religious improvement, and by removing public prejudice,
that thus they may, according to their intellectual and moral worth,
share an equality with the whites, of civil and religious
privileges; but this Society will never, in any way, countenance the
oppressed in vindicating their rights by resorting to physical
force.
ART. IV. Any person who consents to the principles of this
Constitution, who contributes to the funds of this Society, and is
not a Slaveholder, may be a member of this Society, and shall be
entitled to vote at the meetings. |
