Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-09-09
PROVIDENCE.
HON. JOHN HOLMES, OF MAINE

been pleased to adduce, to prove that he has no,
been the unblushins advocate OF Domestic Slavery
and if our readers can behold in them nything
that does not go TO substantate the correctness o.
our charge, we will yield TO the Honorable gentle.
man, we will cry" Craren,' and concede that We
have charged to him that which is false. hat which
originated in malice, aud which like the phantom
| OF the air, has nothing for it, support.
The annexed Letter, said to be from the pen OF
| the lamented Jefferson, Mr.. Holmes has, with much
exultaton, and with more zeal than discretion or
ore-sight, laid before the public, and in doing so
has exclaimed, with a kind of assurance, which
proves him perfectly nsensble to its contents, and
incapable Of placing on language is proper con-
structon, rely upon it as my shield, my defence
and strong toscer." What there is in the Let
ter Of the venerated jefferson to justify these
strong expressions of exultaton, we cannot divine,
and we wait, with much impatience, for the Hon.
durable Mr. Holmes to make his explanation =
and we most sincerely assure him. that il will yield
Us Infinite satisfaction to fnd, that there is in it,
one expression, that goes TO disprove the charge
preferred against him, Of having been the unblush-
ing advocate of Domestic Slavery.
Before we copy the Letter, we beg leave to re-.
mark, tina, it gives satisfaction, to be compel
led to bring the name Of The venera, ed sage
'iceiio, into controversy Of no more consequence
than one which has been elected by the conluct of
such man as Mr.. John Holmes, of the United
States Senate delegated by the State OF Maine; and
we would gladly have spared ourselves the morti-
lying duty Of speaking irreverenty Of some Of the
doctrines of Mr.. Jefferson, had we not unexpected
~ and somewhat untimey, been compelled TO 1t.
We lament the necessity Of the case and far
rather would we pour the incense oil gratitude,
and the tribute of the falling tear on the ,omb,
which sepulchres the last remains Of the great and
good Jefferson, then say what would seem irreve-
rental towards his venerated dust.
Letter from him, has however been adduced
by MIR. Holmes, and in justice to him, to ourselves
and to the cause we engaged in. we must repub-
l'sh it, and in doing so, we must be allowed to Of
fer brief commentary.
Monticello, August %, 1890.
thsnK you' dear SIR, Tor the copy you have been
so KIND as 10 send me OF the letter to your constitu
ents on the Missouri Question It is perfect Jus-
tifcation to them. mad for a long time ceased TO
read newspapers or pay any attention to public al
fairs, confident that they were in good hands, ar
content to be passenger in barque to the shore
from which am not distant. But this momentous
quest on like Il fire bell IN the night awa wakened and
filled me with terror considered IT at once as the
knell OF the Union. Ii is hushed indeed for the
momenf-but this is a reprieve only, not final
sentence. a geographical line, coincidng with
marked principle, moral and political, once con-
ceived and held up to the angry passions of men,
will never be obiterated aud every new irrita.
tion will mark it deeper and deeper. | can say
with conscious truth, hat there is not man on
earth who would sacrifice more than would TO
lieve US from this heavy reproach in any practica-
Ole way The cession of that kind OF property, for
so it is misnamed, is a bagatelle, which would not
cost ME second thought, it, in that way, general
emancipation aud repatriation could be effected :
and gradually and with due sacrifices, | think it
might be- But as it s, we have the wolfby the ear,
and we can neither hold him let him go. JUS
tice Is in one scale and self preserv alton the 9th
err. OF one thing am certain, that, as the passage
ofsaves from one State to another, would not make
a slave OF a SIM lie human being who would not be
so without it, SO their diffusion greater sur
face would make them individually happier, and
proportionably facilitate the accomplishment o
their emancipation, by dividing the burden on a
greater number OF coddjut An abstinence
too from this act of power, would remove the jeal-
ousy excited by the undertaking Of Congress to reg
uate the condition of the different descriptions OF
men composing State. This certainly is the ex-
elusive right of every State, which nothin; in thu
Constitution has taken from and given to the gen
eral Government. Could Congress, for example,
say that the non-freemen of Connecticut shall be
reemen, or that they shall no; emgrate to any 9th
er State,
regret that am to die in the belief that the
useless sacrifice of themselves, by the generation OF
T6, to acquire velfgovernment and happiness to
their country, is to be thrown away by the unwise
and unworthy passions Of their sons, and that nv
only consolation is to be, that ! live not TO weep
over it. If they would but dispa.sionatelv weigh
the blessings they would throw away against an
abstract principle more likely to be effected by
ion than by session, they would pause before they
would perpetrate this act osuicdeon themselves and
of treason against the hopes Of the world To your
SELF as the faithful advocate Of union tender the
offering Of my high esteem and respect.
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
The Hon'bie JoHN HOLINESS
Of the State Of Maine, noD
in Congrs1 at Warrington.
The Letter. might, and il might not have boeu
written by Mr.. Jefferson, Of the fact, we have
no other assurance than that which Mr.. Holmes
word affords.
This letter Mr. John Holmes Of Maine, has sent
before the public 10 prove that he did not advocate
domestic slsvery,and fthero be a man ip this good
ly world who car by any species ofingenuity show,