Abolition Would Be The Ultimate Test Of Leadership Of George Washington

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Who would have thought that the issue of abolition would be the ultimate test of leadership for George Washington? On April 12, 1786, Washington wrote a letter to Robert Morris expressing both his political and personal stance on the issue of abolition. Washington condemns the Society of Quakers for attempting to liberate the slave of Mr. Dalby by claiming they lacked the legal authority to do so. While putting his personal stance aside, Washington makes a practical argument claiming that the only true authority that can abolish slavery was the national legislature. In order to preserve the newly formed nation, Washington provides a valid argument condemning Philadelphia’s freedom law by respecting the rights of the slave owners while making strides towards the legitimacy of the national legislature. Consider the case where the Pennsylvania’s freedom laws were indirectly making strides against the national abolition of slavery. “It should seem that this Society is not only acting repugnant to justice so far as its conduct concerns strangers...and without being able to accomplish their own ends” (George Washington to Morris). Washington argued that the enforcement of gradual emancipation laws is acts of tyranny and oppression because they were endorsed by the Society of Quakers, a private society with an …show more content…

“When slaves are tampered with and seduced to leave them…it introduces more evils than it can cure” (To Robert Morris). Consequently, Pennsylvania’s freedom laws infringed upon the sovereignty of the state and property of its citizens from other states. In addition, salve owners might not even be able to afford legal representation and will not always succeed. If it were to continue down this path, it would breed discontent among the colonies dividing them, which is what Washington needed to avoid at all

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