Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-02-28

ry, with the remark that no enters ths world viii; mi.
cradle notions OF selimporance, and under the govern
ment OF an unbridled emper"-upon which I observed
was afraid too many young men, every trhere enter
the world with miserable notions of selEimportance
Jefferson maniestly understanding this Observable, "a
sarcasm upon his friend, Mr. Summers, and designing
reort upon asks, whether might not have added
mat there were at least likely carry the same no.
TONS to the grave BY this unhappy attempt at
ana se'o,t he has made general remark Of mine per-
sona reflection, and applied il 10 Mr. Summers GER
ainy shall not quarrel with that application oit but in
ruth meant than TO suggest that the prcsump
uon oil youth (of which, by the way, am very tocranD
was nowise peculiar to slave holding country and so
lar from thinking OF any personal reflection on Mr. Sum
mers never occurred to that he could be re gared
as yoig man just entering into The ,corH or t6at he
had not been Bred as UeH born, in Eastern Virginia
so thaths case was by omean my own opinion am
ample TO my purpose.
Jefferson ALSO by way of reortinc tho c,,.e or ,,;
Ism against me, which he supposes DESTROYS of fix
ing upon another, intimates that all my sentiments
my whole political creed, and, especially NV CIV
camation about overturning the Christian R.iyio =;
france, have been borrowed from Edmund B,ykes WORT
lettcr upon the French Revolution; and he even insn
aes Qi understand him that have borrowed from the
speeches, in the House of Delegates ON INV side o tho
question: Ii matter Of no importance TO the only ma
!e,a question: whether my opinions right or wrong
should have borrowed whatever suited nv purpose and
myself approvcdas right, without the least hesitation
put has been near twenty years since read the work o
Burke, TO which he audes and n very short iu,e San.
read some OF the specches-and may safely defy him
to fix the charge OF plagiarism upon me- cannot helm
suspecung that Jefferson very conversant with the
writings oil BWke Would to Heaven that diIiYent SIN,
ny oil them could transsc into his readers his
knowledge and profound political sagacity! have often
wondered at the hatred which still pursues his memory
Know nothing so remarkable i'm his writings as the pre-
cson with which he pointed the false steps taken by
the French relormers in their first revolution and predict
ed the consequences which their subsequent hi sorv 10
veoped My political principles and opinions however
are reerrible only TO the peculiar circumstances of nv
own country and have been gathered almost exclusively
IN the school OF American politicians. As to the nations
of Europe, have long ago given them I'M To hcir c
or rather to their govcrnance-beng conscious of INV
own utter incompetcncy TO make mend to preserve
aoos reorm construct their political institutions
am not indeed, Indifferent TO their weliare-I canno, be
but have anxiety their account that ever affects
my appetite my sleep.
When said, that Mr.. Randolph (tbe movcr If ,ho
pan Tor abolition and deportation, commence i'm lslO)
recommended that plan in debate, chiefly by the author
and repeated what had heard, but with the most eau.
dous delicacy TO avoid wounding him. sincerely re-,
spectcd his feelings, tho could approve his opinions
vi his mofire for referring TO Mr. Jeersons authority
mad heard nothing, and therefore, said nothing Whether
or no that authority the chief Recommendation of the
plan, is, after all, matter Of opinion
When disclamed the influence of that authority, ond
SAID (as consequence deduced from the view had inst
before exhibited oil its inevitable operation eects that
was 4nwe ana npracucable pernicious, unjust and
cruel, anticipated the charge of presumption il would
bring against me; and, did fear i'm prospect so
neither am appalled, by it that it is made Mr. JEFF
fersons character must long be unversv rcgorod
as belonging to impartial history soegarit now Con-
siderng how much he had been engaged in real and i'm
porant business and his undoubted capacity he was sim
guary addicted TO speculaons merely PHILOSOPHICAL and
entertained some odd opinions. For Instance he has
somewhere, gravcly maintained the opinion that no con
Try ought to be long without rebellion. 1t was more re-
markabe oil him than, perhaps of any other man known
to history that his opinions formed were adhered IN
under all circumstances, without the least change or mo-
dication. can call TO mind only single instance ofany
such change, in the Of his long life spent in t
view OF the public; and that his change opinion
on inc question oil the consttuonaty Of incorporating
tho I1pnn halo l.
perceived the impolcy and ineicency ofhis Embark
and Restrictive System-though it entirely failed TO ac
compish the purpose for which it Observation-Disclosures
1t was the principal and obvious of all the embar-
easements that perplexed the Government and distressed
the nation, during the which followed -and though
it affected nurousy every part of the Union more Or
less and especially the prime cause and origin Of that
decline as it cae of the Southern Atlantic States and
particularly Virginia, which seem to take a
sort OF melancholy pleasure in dscoursing and exag
geraung. i wen remember, how foreign trade and
capital took wing from our shores, upon the first
bhgnt OF the Embargo, as the disappear IN
on the first hard fros-a long, severe and To ne,
still continuing winter followed-but whenever ,yo
shall again experience natural climate the birds will
DO sure 10 return unless pursuing Mr. Jecrsons advice
for abolition and deportation, we shall with our own
hands, wilfuly destroy the food they feed on thought
till very lately, that il known 10 every bodv ho
during the revolution and for many wears after tbc ohol
ton OF slavery avoritc topic with MANY of our
abest men, who entertained with respect all the schemes
which wisdom or ingenuity could suggest for accomplish
ing the object Mr. Jciersons plan was generally nown
but never regarded practicable; Mr. Wyhe to the dav
oil MS DEATH was Tor SIMPLE abolition considering the OH
lection to color founded in prejudice; by degrees all
projects OF the kind abandoned hopeless by almost
every body but Mr. Jeerson he retained his opinion and
now we have these projects revived. And il is REGARDED
as presumpuous and dictatoral i'm mc-ater HAVING ex
amined the principle of Mr.. Jefersons plan and stated
lew OF the arguments against its praccability which
had heard in my youth, but those few Cn nv opinion o
ieasD quite irreiragabe-to express my conviction that
emo plan for the abolition Of slduery and the deportfon
Of The SLAVES" (Which Mr. Jefersons obiec0 sis pos
sble 10 speak OF this a simple annunciadon of mn
opinion, without any effort TO support by reasoning on
evnces either that the terms of the proposition are not
understood or that the whole of my letter has not been
read-wich is very probable shall be perfectly un-
dcrstood by those whom it most concerns
Your Jefferson q must dstnguish) thinks il n line
mdrreouS that who consider the speeches made in the
House of Delegates by the advocates of abolition as of
dangerous and incendiary character and who recommend
TO the people TO discontinue their subscription 10 the news
Papers, SIN order to precet those speeches from ciyc
iGtng among them, should he guilty Of the earing alb
surdity and contradiction OF collecting what myself
considered the most exccptonable passages from those
speeches. and OF publishing them in paper TO be sent
TO every quarter OF the country Mn letter was calcula
ted Tor the meridian Of the free Cte citizens ofthe Com
monwcah, and am quite the negroes will find in il
no encouragement TO rebeiop the contrary the adj
wee 1T contains If attended will cXtinguish every spark
oil rebellion in spite of the breeze that may otherwise fan
II into ilames And entertain opinion, which Jeer-
son viii probably regard ve1y marvellous: have no
doubt, that the u.hd,nmutOry matter contained in the
speeches., had been communicated long before the publ
cation OF my letter. TO all the negroes in this town and in
the surrounding counties. The peculiar interest thev
must take in the subject he may be sure, makes their
hearing very acute Ii is the most combustible matter
that takes fire the sooncst it is among combustibles that
inc ame spreads the most rapidly and the frhest And
entertain another opinion, which Jefferson will think vet
more noTreHous that The speeches had not been read by