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TO THE HONORABLE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MAINE

The undersigned inhabitants of the City of Portland respectfully represent that the District of Columbia, the territory ceded by the State of Maryland and Virginia to the United States, for the seat of its General Government, is the mart of a Slave-trade as atrocious as any which has ever disgraced human society. Notwithstanding Congress has the right, by Federal Con- stitution, to abolish Slavery and the slave-trade within said District; notwithstanding the people of the non-slave holding states have a common interest in the jurisdiction of said District, yet Slave Factories are established at the very seat of Government; where slaves are constantly collecting from the neigh- boring States, and therefore regularly shipped in cargoes, or sent in droves to the remote South. Thus the District of Columbia is made one of the greatest slave markets in the world.

The public prisons of the U.S., maintained by the people of Maine as truly as by those of any other State, are made use of by the Slave Dealer, to store the victims of the American slave-trade.

Tolerating these enormities rests upon the whole American people, and on every individual, who will not exert himself to remove them.

Although Congress has the power of legislation on this subject, yet it is impossible that it will ever exercise this power until the people, of the several States require it.

Your Petitioners do not consider it necessary to offer any considerations to show that slavery and the slave-trade are inhuman and unjust -- hostile to the natural and inalienable rights of man -- and inconsistent with permanent prosperity, and national honor; -- since your Honors are doubtless already fully aware, how the traffic in our fellow-men, is estimated by the Christian and civilized world.

Wherefore your petitioners pray that your honorable body would instruct the senators and request the Representatives, in Congress from the State of Maine, to use all proper means to effect the entire abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia; and as in duty bound will ever pray.

[2 columns of signatures divided by a central vertical line]

Samuel Fessenden Sam Gray Levi Weymouth Nathaniel Stevens Benjamin Ross Wm. H Stevens Edward McCarty Benj. A Weymouth [?] Townsend John Pearson Jonah Stevens Geo [Ropes?] Benjamin Larrabee Rufus Chase William Budd Charles Hayes P. Fox Varnum David N [Ropes?] Josiah Kimball John Pearson Jr John H Kimball

                                                                  Albion Crawford

Gardner Appleton Cyrus Thurlow

                                                                   Andrew Bean

P.M. Peal Wm Edwards Elisha W. Appleton J G Fernald

                                                                   Bailey Babb

S. H. Colesworthy Hollis Randall

                                                                   D H Cole

A Shirley Nath. Ross L. J. Barbour J Jones Daniel L. Colesworthy Oliver Dermott Josiah L. Thomas William Cobb Rufus Tukey Henry B Ham James Appleton Jr Joseph Ropes

                                                                   James M. Dodge

James Crie Franklin Manning Wm E Kimball H Goddard Edward Gray S. W. Cole D. H. [?] H. V. Byram

                                                                   A Merrill

Jacob Pearson Daniel Carr George Hayes Joseph R Carr Th. Tolman Stephen Lovell Daniel Sawyer Nathan Winslow A Hanson Pete W Morrell Sam F Hussey J Kingsbury B. Cushman Benj. Whitmore Sr Oliver Marston

                                                                   S. C. Millett

Charles Brown William Pidgin

The above signed by seventy-five in [line illegible cut off by fold]