A Petition for Equity in 1790
Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter asking Congress to eliminate American Slavery. John Adams brought the subject as an agenda item in the first Congress in 1790, but the topic was dismissed. The petition occurred immediately after the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified.
The elimination of the double standard for Africans (Deut 25:13-16) is the essence of Ben Franklin’s argument at the end of his letter. The handwritten closing paragraphs are shown in the image above.
There is a valuable lesson about impartiality that should be taught as American History by looking at Ben Franklin’s letter.
We also can see the negative effects of procrastination that occurred when no action was taken on the Ben Franklin’s petition just before he died.
There is a remarkable coincidence of dates evident from Ben Franklin’s document . The petition for the abolition of Africans was introduced to the House of Representatives on February 12, 1790.
Both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on February 12, 1809. See this link for more information.
Modern Science would have taken a different turn if Christians related the moral laws of Deuteronomy to the physical laws introduced in Genesis (Romans 1:20). The phrase “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” points to this correlation. See the “Light and Good” article for more information. Darwinism would have been easily snuffed.
Historians have typically described America’s origins as the product of the genius of the Founding Fathers.
We will see below how Franklin’s request to Congress “…to devise a means for removing the Inconsistency in the Character of the American people…” demonstrates how mixing biblical ideas with prevailing opinions of men formed a graven image of THE CREATOR.
We have a wonderful opportunity to show ourselves as “Sons of God” as mentioned in Matthew 5:9, even after so many years have passed.
Deuteronomy 25:13-16 states that double standard is an abomination to the Lord.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
(Mat 5:9)
Peacemakers make peace between quarreling parties. We have a lack of peace because underlying principles of Societal Order have been dismissed as not relevant for far too long. These principles of Societal Order are from phrase from the Declaration of Independence “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” . Below, we discuss how a man-made substitute is used in its place.
Matt 5:43-48 describes sons of God as impartial.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
(Mat 5:43-48)
The full text of Benjamin Franklin’s letter can be found at this link.
Here is some background information about Benjamin Franklin and the events leading to the petition to the first Congressional session from this link:
https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/franklin
“During his life, Franklin had many careers including service as a diplomat, a printer, a writer, an inventor, a scientist, a lawmaker, and a postmaster, among others. In his later years he became vocal as an abolitionist and in 1787 began to serve as President of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. The Society was originally formed April 14, 1775, in Philadelphia, as The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage; it was reorganized in 1784 and again in 1787, and then incorporated by the state of Pennsylvania in 1789. The Society not only advocated the abolition of slavery, but made efforts to integrate freed slaves into American society…”
Franklin did not publicly speak out against slavery until very late in his life. As a young man he owned slaves, and he carried advertisements for the sale of slaves in his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. At the same time, however, he published numerous Quaker pamphlets against slavery and condemned the practice of slavery in his private correspondence. It was after the ratification of the United States Constitution that he became an outspoken opponent of slavery. In 1789 he wrote and published several essays supporting the abolition of slavery and his last public act was to send to Congress a petition on behalf of the Society asking for the abolition of slavery and an end to the slave trade. The petition, signed on February 3, 1790, asked the first Congress, then meeting in New York City, to “devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People,” and to “promote mercy and justice toward this distressed Race.”
The petition was introduced to the House on February 12 and to the Senate on February 15, 1790. It was immediately denounced by pro-slavery congressmen and sparked a heated debate in both the House and the Senate. The Senate took no action on the petition, and the House referred it to a select committee for further consideration. The committee reported on March 5, 1790 claiming that the Constitution restrains Congress from prohibiting the importation or emancipation of slaves until 1808 and then tabled the petition. On April 17, 1790, just two months later, Franklin died in Philadelphia at the age of 84.
Here are my observations after reading the Abolition Letter for the first time in January, 2024:
It should be fairly clear that Ben Franklin’s argument is based upon the morality of Impartiality. Deuteronomy 25:13-16. There should be no double standard.
Impartiality is an attribute of the Son’s of God from the Beatitudes ( or the moral positives of the Ten Commandments, Matt 5:9, Matt 5:43-48)
“Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” in the Declaration of Independence compelled the separation from the despotic monarchy of England.
In the Declaration of Independence, Moral Laws where seen as a higher calling than tyrannical rule.
Unfortunately, we lost sight of the moral laws.
These links describe how the phrase “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” is related to the moral positives of the Ten Commandments (Beatitudes, Matt 5:3-12):
This link describes how the phrase “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” was commonly in use long before Thomas Jefferson used it in the Declaration of Independence:
Franklin makes a reference to “Mercy and Justice” in the letter. This appears to be a reference to both Micah 6:8 and Matt 23:23
(…the weightier matters of the word of God).
“that you will devise means for removing this [start underline in pencil] Inconsistency from the Character of the American People [end underline] – that you will promote Mercy and Justice towards this distressed Race, and that you will Step to the very verge of the Powers vested in you for discouraging every Species of Traffick in the Persons of our fellow Men.”
There is a glimmer of spiritual light here that should be part of American History classes taught by Christian Educators.
Somewhere I read that Benjamin Franklin was raised as a Puritan with Calvinist leanings. He later embraced Deism.
Congress ultimately dismissed Benjamin Franklin’s petition that was discussed on Feb 12, 1790:
“…the Senate decided to take no action on the petitions. The House referred them to a select committee for further consideration. The committee reported on March 5, 1790, stating that the Constitution restrained Congress from prohibiting the importation of enslaved people until 1808 and interfering with the emancipation of the enslaved. The House then tabled the petitions, effectively ending the debate on the issue of slavery in the First Congress.”
Some 60 years later, impartiality (Deut 25:13-16) should have been the basis of the Dred Scott case of the Supreme Court. Instead, those of African heritage were told they have no claims to citizenship in the United States.
Missouri Digital Heritage: Dred Scott Case, 1846-1857
The Civil War erupted as a consequence of the Dred Scott Decision of the Supreme Court.
There is more spiritual light that came from the Reformed Presbyterians who used Deuteronomy 23:15-16 as the basis for the Underground Railroad.
Broomall Reformed Presbyterian Church – Why Did the Reformed Presbyterian Church Oppose Slavery?
Instead of avoiding the discussion, or hanging our collective heads in shame, Christians should recognize the consequences of inaction in the past.
We should admit our failure to practice the impartiality that defines the Character of the Sons of God (in the Beatitudes, Matt 5:9)
Is Impartiality in Your DNA? – Wisdoms House
Benjamin Franklin requested that Congress “…devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People…”
The phrase “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God”, from the Declaration of Independence, points to the “Image of God” that is manifested by the moral positives of the Ten Commandments (Beatitudes, Rom 1:20).
The following link helps readers to understand the correlation between the phrase ” Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” and the Book of Deuteronomy, The Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12), The Gospel of John 1-12, Genesis 1 etc.
Laws of Nature and Nature’s God – Wisdoms House
The LIGHT from this image of the Creator cannot be devised. Otherwise, it would be a graven image.
Instead, we should just read and apply our Bibles.
This is something we should discuss in Christian institutions to avoid being overtaken by the Seven Headed Beast in our midst (Rev 12:17-13:1).
https://wisdoms-house.com/Warfare_Against_The_Seven_Headed_Beast.pdf
