The native American., 1839-01-12

is only one proper and etlectual mode by which
it be accomplished, and that is by Legislative
authority; and this, as far as my suffrage will
go, shall never be wanting. But when slaves,
who are happy and contened with their presen,
masters, are tampered and seduced to leave them;
when masters are .uEen unawares by these practi-
ces; when conduct Of this kind begets discomfort
on one side and resentment on the other; and
when il happens TO lali on man, whose purse
willenot measure with that of the society," and he
loses his property for want Of means TO defend it;
1t is oppression in such case, and not humanity
in any, because il introduces more evils than il
can cure.
will make no apology for writing to you on
the subject, for, Mr.. Dalby has not misconceived
the matter, evil exists which requires remedy;
if he has, my intentions have been good, though
may have been too precipatc in this address.
Mrs w ashngton jols me Ill every good and
kind wish for Mrs. Morris and your family, and !
am, &c.*
ltappears fom the foregoing letter that Washington
though stern opponent of The Aboonts OF his day.
decided in his hos fifty 10 slavery institution.
This hostility is nther manifested in othrr passages Of
his writingsI In letter to Mr. John F. Mercer dated
September9, 1885, he Gays" 81 mean unless some
particular circumstance should compel me to it to possess
another slave by purchase being among my first wishes
to plan adopted by which slavery in this country
may BE- abolished by aw.f
ne following extract IS letter to the MARQUIS
Lafayette, dated 10th May, 1856:
The henevoence Of your heart, my dear
Marquis, is so conspicuous upon all occasions,
that never wonder at any fresh proofs of it; but
your late purchase of an estate III the colony of
Cayenne, with view of emancpa,ing the slaves
on II, is a generous and noble proof of your hu-
manity. Would to God like spirit might diff
fuse itself generally into the minds Of the people
of this country. But | despair of seeing it,
Some petitions were presented to the Assembly.
at its last session, for the abolition of slavery,
but they could scarcely obtain reading.-'To set
the slaves atioat at would, / really believe,
be productive of much inconvenience and mis-
chief but by degrees it certainly might and assur-
edly ought to be effected and that too by egis-
lative authority.*
In letter 10 Sir John Sinclair dated Philadelphia 18th
December 1896 General Washington assigns several
sons why the prices OF lands in Pennsy ylvaa are higher
than in Maryland and Virginia, houg gh the lands are
notof superior quality One of the reasons is that tere
are laws here lie in nsyivania for the gradual abo
ion ofslavey, which neither of the States above men
toned have present but which nothing is more certain
than that they must have and at period not rcmotet
In letter to Charles P!nckney, Governor Of South Ca
rolna. dated Philadelphia II March, 1892, Gen. Wash
ington says:
II must say that lament the decision of your
Legislature upon the question of importing slaves
of policy as we'll other good reasons, supported
by the direful effects of slavery, which at this
moment presented would have operated to
produce total prohibition of the importation of
slaves whenever the question came to be agitated
in any State, that might be interested in the mea-
sure.'t
Extract from Washington's VIII, July 8, 1893:
"Upon the decease Of my wife, it is my will
and desire that all the slaves, whom hold by my
own right, shall receive their freedom. To eman-
cpa;e them during her life, would, though ear
nestly wished by me, be attended with such irsu-
perabe difficulties on account ofthcir ntermixture
by marriage with the dover negroes, as TO excite
the most painful sensations if not disagreeable
consequences to the latter, while both descriptions
are in the occupancy of the same proprietor; it
not being in my power. under the tenure by
which the dover negroes are held, to manumit
them. And whereas. among those who will re-
ceive freedom according to this devise, there may
be some, who, from old age or bodily infrmity,
and others who on account of their infancy, will
be unable to support themselves, it is my will
and desire that all who come under the first and
second descriptions shall be comfortably clothed
and fed by my heirs, while they live; and that
such of the latter description as have no parents
living, or, If living, are unable or unwilling to
provide for them, shall be bound by the Court
until they shall arrive at the age of twenty-five
years: and in cases where no record can be pro-
duced, whereby their ages can be ascer,aned, the
judgment of the court, upon its own view Of the
subject, shall be adequate and final. The negroes
shus bound, are (by their masters or mistresses)
to be taught to read and write, and to be brought
up to some useful occupation, agreeably to the
laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, providing
for the support Of orphan and other poor children.
And do hereby expressly forbid the sale or
transportation out Of the said Commonwealth, of
any slave may die possessed of, under any pre-
tence whatsoever. And do, moreover, most po-
sitively, and most solemny enjoin it upon my ex-
ecutors hereafter named or the survivors of them,
to see that this clause respecting slaves, and every
part thereof, be vigorously fulfilled at the epoch at
which il is directed to take place without evasion,
neglect, or delay, after the crops which may then
be in the ground are harvested, particularly as il
respects the aged and infrm, seeing that regular
and permanently fund be established for their support
as long there subjects requiring it, not trust
ing to the uncertain provision to be made by indi-
| yiuuas.''*
Sparks edit Of Washngtons writings. Vol. Q, p 15S
Sparks' edit Of Washingtons writings, Vol l59. n.