Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-09-09


| I'd me with terror. considered it at once a.Ahe
knell ofthe Union. II is hushed indeed for the mo-
ment-but this is a reprleve only, not final SEN
| ence. A geograp phical line, coincdng with mark
ed principle, moral and political, once conceived
and held up to the angry passions fmen, will
ne obiterated; and every new irritation will mark
deeper and deeper"
This sentence, and il is the which Mr.. Holmes
evidently considers his "shieLf his defence and has
strong to,cer," is subject to the construction any
man may be pleased to place upon IT, but it does
appear to US, that Mr. Holnes. has construed it az
it should not be, and placed upon it meaning that
| Mr.. Jefferson never could have anticipated.
1t is evident with US aud il undoubtedly will be
equally evident TO every impartial reader, that Mr..
Jefferson meant by his letter to soy to Mr.. Holmes,
Sir. consider the right ofholding slaves to be
sva with the country, and Congress have not right
TO interdict the admission Of any state with her
slaves; consider your conduct on this occasion to
be magnaninous and wise, and by advocating the
| admission of Missouri on the terms she contended
Tor you, did your duty, and by advocating the cause
of domestic slavery, you hushed for moment the
knell which threatened to dissolve the Union.
We are not at all disposed to dispute the conclu
sion which Mr.. jefferson pleased to draw
lative to this momentous affair, and however much
he might have trembled for the safety of the coun-
| try, at that period, and howevefohighly he might
have applauded the conduct Of the Hon. john
Holmes Of Mane,for the part he played in the game,
we cannot well discover that any thing he could say,
did say in his Letter, went to exculpate the Hon.
Senator, from The charge of advocating Dome site
Slavery.
This Letter with Mr. Holmes permission, we
shall rest upon our "sHIELp, DEFFNcE, AND
OUR STRONG TOWER" since the whole of IT goes no
further, than to prove, that the venerable Jefferson
approved of the conduct Of the Senator when he
very; and fully and completely substantiates the
| charges we have preferred against him.
Is is not little singular, that John Holmes Of
Maine. did not iu the year "l8.l, April TO-" pro-
duce this letter. il he supposed it would in the least
reconcile his offended constituents and if he consid-
ers it his "sHIELD, HIS DEFENCE, AND HIS STRONG
TOWER" he Is respectfully solicited to say, why he
did not publish itprevious the demise of its ven-
| Grated author.
The fact is, he dared not to do So 1T the ,irs he
was called upon to account for his conduct, by his
constituent, for he knew too well, that every sem
ence and every word Of it, would be proof against
hir--that it would satisfy the people Of Maine he
had advocated domestic slavery because he belle, ed
in :he right ofis sxisterce;anI because would
firm them in the opinion that he voted for the pro-
position of Missouri not because he cared n rush
about the interest of Maine, the rights of justice
and humanity, but because he fishing for popu-
larity among the slave holding siserhood.
We would be the last. as we have before said, to
| speak irreverenty of the venerated dead we
would be the last to disturb the ashes Of the illus
trious and the wise--we would rather retire from
this unwecome controversy, covered with contume-
ly and Disgrace than utter aught that could justly
be considered dsrespectful towards the immortal
Jefferson. Although we admired him whilst living
the ablest of stesmen, the wise.t Of men, and
as the first Of scholars and philosophers, yet ere
in bis code Of opinions, and parts of his
political creed, particles which we never could wor-
ship, and which we never could recommend. Ed
cation and the peculiar habits of the people with
whom he had associated from his infancy to man.
hood, had taught him lessons, which more mature
liie or the force of after education, never could
eradicate, and his philosophical and metaphysical
speculations, founded series OF abst use reason
ing, If lot on false theory, had impressed hum
with belief that a negro, not man and
brother, that the untutored and unsophisticated
African. was only the connecting link between the
brute creation and mankind.
lfthe writings ofMr. Jefferson, which in a few
moments we shall procede to quote, GO not sanction
the assertion in its broadest sense, they certainly go
far enough to prove that he did not place upon the
negro that high estimation, TO which he is somewhat
entitled; and that he places him in the scale OF
human merit, some degrees below the white man.
In reply to the Queries of Mons. de Marbos, who
resided in this country in the year 1891 in the ca
pacty OF Secretary ofthe French Legation, and who
was particularly curious to learn the nature of
public institutions, poty, manners and different
species Of population. Mr.. Jefferson speaks Of the
negro, as will be lound in the annexed extracts
The first difference utieh strikes w is that of color
Whether the black ofihe negro resides in The recticu
lar membrane bel tteen The skin and scarf skin, in
The scaJski itself; phether proeeeds from the col
ora aff fbs bIoad of he b,Ie o/of