The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-01
FOR THE MADlSoNiAN.
WHAT ARE NEGROES 2-WHO ARE "PEO-
PLE";-WHO ARE INHABITANTS OF
THE UNITED STATES
FOR THE MADlSoNIAN.

Fellow CITIZENS: The accurate Verusal of
the Declaration Of Rights OF the Continental
Congress 10 IVA, VIII, doubtless, have salts
fed all dspassionate minds that, on the day of
that celebrated declaration, no human being,
black or white, ever supposed that the terms
"Peopie" and "Inhabitants" signifed negroes.
And an attentive perusal Of the various Colonial
laws from 1920 up 10 June12, l776,must have fully
shown you hat the negro race were not deem
ed "Peopie,n in constitutional or social sense
and that these terms, People" and inhabitants
did not mean Negroes" from 1920 to June IL.
l776 And again, thai in This celebrated State
paper of The 18th June l776, the terms "Peopis"
and Negroes" are used in senses entirely diff
ferent, and sgnifed, on that day, things totally
different from each other. deem it unn,ces .
sary To lay before YOU the Declaration of indie
ted manifesto, written with pen Of iron, with
the POM, Of diamond is in the hands Of all /:
and the terms there have the same fixed and
universal meaning on that day, which they had
in the State papers of IVA aud 18th June, l776.
shall most assuredly have an Affirmative re-
Spouse TO this declaration from all seriously in
search Of truth.
Waen the Telescope was first invented, tie
Professors Of Astronomy at Bologna refused to
look through 1t. It's folly rank folly, TO en-
deavor TO make any impression on those who
give themselves up 10 strong illusion to believe
lie. There are such in the world of faction.
For those who seriously desire to come TO the
light Of truth, have endcavored to show, in wha,
sense the terms People and Negroes have been
used in the celebrated State papers Of our be-
loved country, at the most interesting epocbs
/ in the progress oI American liberty in the thir.
teen English mot Negro) Colonies and for this
purpose have laid before you copious extracts
\ from the papers themselves. These extracts
! hope you will compare with the originals, or
| entire papers, themselves because you will, |
trust, see that in making these extracts, moth.
). ing has been suppressed material to the proper
determination OF the meaning affixed TO the
terms "Peopie" and 'Negroes" at those epochs
And although ! am thoroughly persuaded thai
the terms Negroes" aud "People, - in all honor.
able minds, after this investigation, must apply
to things mos essentially different, yet. in mat
ter IN which none are so blind as those who
will not see, | beg leave to give you the exposi.
ton and meaning as understood by Jefferson
himself, who is universally acknowledged to
have been the Author Of the Declaration Of In
depence of 18th June, l776.
All conversant with the march and prog Sc
of American liberty, will readily acknowledge
that OF all the distinguished men of that illus
irious epoch there was not one who more firm.
ly relied upon the good sense and intelligence
Of the People al large 10 carry out into practice
the great principles Of The American Revolu-
lion. And IT is lesrlessly asserted that, had il
been possible TO have viewed the neproe, as
People" and practicable to have incorporated
them politically and socially into the People OF
the United Stairs, there IS none that would
have gone greater lengths TO have done So
/ But this great philosopher and statesman knew
/ this to be impossible. To show his meaning
attached to the words People and "Negrocs. -
/ in constitutional sense, and TO show what this
I philanhropist thought on this vital subject. |
shall present you, fel'ow-cilizens, with extracts
E ON his celebrated Notes on Virginia, drawn UP
in 1891 and 1882.
The STATE OF Virgins had requested him and
two other gentlemen, to draw pps code of avs