Twelve "owners of certain slaves who have been lately executed in consequence of their conviction of the crime of attempting an insurrection in this State" seek relief. They insist that "they neither pretend that their slaves were innocent, or that they had an impartial trial, but the foundation on which they rest their expectations" grows out of a principle established "both in law and morality." The petitioners declare that "if one man take the property of another he should give him in return the value of said property" whereby "every person has an unqualified right to his own property and an absolute controul over the same." They therefore ask "why then should they suffer -- the State has taken away their property to answer the ends of public justice with which they are satisfied." The petitioners seek from "your Honorable body" reasonable and just indemnification for the loss of their property as occurs when "the State has taken away their property for public purposes of justice (the same as if the State had taken several lots of land for public use.)"
Result: Referred to special committee.
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Repository: South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina
