Extract from "The Minutes Of The Twenty-First Biennial American Convention For Promoting The Abolition Of Slavery, And Improving The Condition Of The African Race Convened At The City Of Washington, December 8, A.D. 1829, and an appendix, containing the addresses from various Societies, together with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Convention."

"It is well known that the laws of some of the southern states, subject free coloured people, forced on board of our merchant vessels trading to their ports, to imprisonment as soon as they arrive in those ports, though they may be citizens of New-York or Pennsylvania. Such laws plainly contravene the provisions of the federal constitution, which declares, that the citizens of any state shall enjoy all the privileges of citizen in the several states. We have no doubt, if a case were brought in the highest judicial tribunal in our country. that these laws would be decided to be constitutional. We have, to this effect the written opinion of three of the first legal characters in our state. The same observations will apply with equal force to the imprisonment of free blacks from the Northern and Middle States, on suspicion of being runaways. When declared free, they are still subjected of being runaways. When declared free, they are still subjected, without redress, to the costs of imprisonment and trial. All laws, which sanctions such innovations of the rights of freemen, we have no doubt are unconstitutional. We hope the convention will deliberate upon the means proper to be resorted to, for the purpose of testing the constitutionality of those laws. Able council, of the first order for talents and legal knowledge, have voluntarily offered to argue such a cause, in the Supreme Court gratuitously. The funds necessary to defray the expense of bringing such a case to issue, we have no doubt, could be easily procured, without touching the funds of the convention.

We have appointed Jabez D. Hammond (other names removed for brevity) to the American Convention for promoting the Abolition of Slavery, &c. &c. to be held at Washington, D. C. on the Eight of next month. Gentlemen ,--We hail, with great satisfaction, the first assembling of the Convention at the seat of the National Government. It was indeed time to present to the eyes of the entire Union, in the most public and impressive manner, the concentrated and unwearied efforts of a large portion of their fellow-citizens--not confined to any particular state--not impelled by local interest, nor biased by local prejudices. to remove if possible the blot which has so long existed on our national character."

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Hammond, Jabez D. (Jabez Delano), 1778-1855 An oration delivered on the glorious tenth of June, 1809, in the court-house in the village of Otsego [microform] : at a celebration of the revocation of the British orders in council, and offers of ample reparation for British aggressions & insults, and in consequence thereof, the repeal of the non-intercourse law as it respects Great Britain / by Jabez D. Hammond. Otsego [N.Y.] : Printed by E. Phinney, 1809.

Hammond, Jabez D. (Jabez Delano), 1778-1855. The history of political parties in the state of New-York, from the ratification of the federal Constitution to December, 1840. By Jabez D. Hammond. Albany, C. Van Benthuysen, 1842.

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The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume V

HAMMOND, Jabez D., author, was born in New Bedford, Mass., Aug. 2, 1778; a descendant of Benjamin Hammond the emigrant, 1634. In 1793 he began to teach school, devoting his leisure time to the study of medicine, which profession he began to practise in Reading, Vt., in 1799. He left medicine for law, and was admitted to the bar in 1805, and removed to Cherry Valley, N.Y. He served as a representative in the 14th congress, 1815-17; was in the state senate, 1817-21, and removed to Albany, N.Y., in 1822, where he practised law till 1830. In 1825 he was appointed commissioner for the state of New York to settle claims against the U.S. government. In 1831 he went abroad for his health and returned to reside at Cherry Valley, where he was elected county judge in 1838. He was a regent of the University of the state of New York, 1845-55, and received the honorary degree of A.M. from Union in 1826 and that of LL.D. from Hamilton in 1845. He published The Politic History of New York to December, 1840 (1843); Life and Opinions of Julius Melbourn (1847); Life of Silas Wright (1848); and Evidence, Independent of Written Revelation, of the Immortality of the Soul (1851). He died in Cherry Valley, N.Y., Aug. 18, 1855.

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Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949

HAMMOND, Jabez Delano, a Representative from New York; born in New Bedford, Mass., August 2, 1778; attended preparatory schools; studied medicine; commenced practice in Reading, Vt., in 1799; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Cherry Valley, N.Y., in 1805; elected a trustee of the village of Cherry Valley in 1812; member of the council of appointment; elected as a Democrat to the Fourteenth Congress (March 4, 1815-March 3, 1817); resumed the practice of law in Cherry Valley; served in the State senate 1817- 1821; moved to Albany, N.Y., in 1822 and continued the practice of law; returned to Cherry Valley in 1838 and practiced law; also engaged in literary pursuits; elected judge of Otsego County, N.Y., in 1838 and served five years; served as county superintendent of schools; appointed a member of the State board of regents May 10, 1845, and served until his death; died in Cherry Valley, Otsego County, N.Y., August 18, 1855; interment in Cherry Valley Cemetery.

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Herringshaw's Encyclopedia of American Biography of the Nineteenth Century.

HAMMOND, JABEZ D., lawyer, jurist, state senator, congressman, author, was born Aug. 2, 1778, in New Bedford, Mass. He was a lawyer and popular political writer of New York. He was a representative in congress from New York from 1815 to 1817, and, on the expiration of his term, was elected to the state senate, of which he was a member until 1821. He was elected county judge in 1838, and he was elected a regent of the university of New York, and held the office until his death. He published works entitled Julius Melbourn; The Political History of New York; Life and Times of Silas Wright; and Evidence of the Immortality of the Soul. He died Aug. 18, 1855, in Cherry Valley, N.Y.