John Dillon Letter to Thomas Rotch

              [Page 1]

[corresponds to page 1 of letter from John Dillon to Thomas Rotch]

                                                                Zanesville  9 mo 3d  1817              
Thomas  Rotche

                         Esteemed friend

        Thine dated 14th 7 mo past came
              
duly  to hand,  that part which required a reply respecting the

              
Blacks, being a subject of no inconsiderable importance, and
              
requireing some thought is the only appology  I have to offer
              
for my long silence.-
                            
	I have [carrot mark] made [above carrot mark] some attempts to collect the opinion
             
of friends in this neighbourhood on this very interesting
              
subject, without satisfactorily effecting it- they being very
              
different  one from the other.
                                  
Therefore I only say for myself that I feel
              
a very great delicacy in soliciting the legislature for
              
any mitigation of past acts, fearing a convention
              
might grow out of it, that possible might terminate
              
in the admission of Slavery in this State-
                     
	I am convinced that the objectionable part of the law
              
respecting the people of colour was not intended to be enforced
              
indiscriminately, neither has it been done in a single instance