The Delaware abolitionist. (Wilmington, Del.) 1847-18??, 1848-12-31
From the DaiIq Globe.
From the Dailq Globe.
THE OPINIONS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
ON SLAVERY. HIS LETTER TO Gov
ERNOR COLES OF ILLINOIS.


ERNOR COLES OF ILLINOIS.
No man ever lived in this country whose
opinions upon political question: command
greater respect, or more profound attention
than those of Thomas Jefferson. He has been
truly denominated the father of our political
institutions; and never spoke or wrote upon a
subject without fully understanding il in all its
bearings. The bitterness of party spirit for
long time prevented full justice being done
him, but at last his fame has become the
brightest gem in the casket of human liberty
and his opinions are now universally respected
His determined opposition TO slavery, may
be Judged of by an extract from the original
draft Of the Declaration of Independence,
which was stricken out at the suggestion of the
delegates from South Carolina and Georgia.
because those colonies at that time permitted
the importation of slaves. This extract reads
as follow
"He (the King) has waged cruel war against
human nature itself, violating its most sacred
rights OF life and liberty in the persons of
distant people, who never offended him-cap-
tivatng and carrying them into Slavery-in
another hemisphere, or to incur miserable
death in their transportation thiher. This pi-
ratlcal warfare, the opprobrium of In6del
powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of
Great Britain. Determined to keep open
market where men should be bought and sold,
he has prostituted his negative for suppressng
every legitimate attempt 10 prohibit or TO re-
strain this execrabe commerce."
From that day TO the day of his death, the
great apostle of liberty was, on every proper
occasion, the opponent of African Slavery. In
the Assembly Of Virginia, during The revolu-
iionary war, a proposition was made TO revise
the code OF laws which related to monarchy,
so as TO make it more consistent with the
spirit of Republicanism. One of the aliera-
tons sought TO be effected, was that of emanci-
patlng all slaves born after certain day. In
relation TO this proposition, we find, in Jeffer.
sons " Notes on Virginia" an able and pho-
sophcal dissertation, arguing in favor OF the
proposed alteration:
But our object now is 10 lay before our
readers the letter Of jefferson 10 Governor Coles
OF Illinois. 1t was written AT time when eff
forts were made TO convert Illinois from nont
saveholdng to slaveholding State Thes}
efforts were mainly defeated by the exercisa
of his influence in favor of freedom by the adj
vice of Mr.. JefIerson:-
MONTICELLO, August %, 1914
DEAR SIR Your favor of July 81 was duly
received. and was read with necnlar plea sure
The sentiments breaihed through the whole do
honor both 10 the head and heart OF the writer.
Mine, on the subject OF the Slavery of negroes,
have long since been in possession of the pub.
lie, and time has only served to give them
stronger root. The love of Justice and the
love of country plead equally the cause of these
people, and il is mortal reproach TO us thai
they should have pleaded il so long in vain,
and, should have produced not a single effort
nay, fear not much serious willingness 10 re.
lIeve them and ourselves from our present con.
dll on of moral and political reprobaion From
these in former generation, who were in full.
ness of age when | came into public life
which was while our controversy with England
was on paper only, soon saw that nothing
was to be hoped. Nursed and educated in the
daily habit of seeing The de- lded condition
both bodily and mental, of no Re unfortunate
beings, not rejecting that thai degradation was
very much the work of themselves and their
fathers, lew minds had yet doubted but thai
they were as legitimate subjects Of property
as their horses or cattle. The quiet and mo
notous course of colonial life had been distur
bed by no alarm, and little reflection on the
valne OF liberty. And when an alarm was
taken at an enterprise of their own, il was no
easy to carry them the whole length of the
principles which they invoked for themselves
after became member, drew 10 this sub
lect the attention Of Colonel Bland, one of the
Oldest, ablest, and most respected members
and he undertook to move for certain moderate
extensions of the protection of the laws II
these people, | seconded his motion, and, a
a younger member, was more spared in tn,
debate but he was denounced as an enem,
TO his country, and was treated with the great
est lndecorum. From an early stage Cf GU
Revolution, other and more distant duties wer
assigned TO me, so that from that time tai m
return tom Europe in 1898, and may say
I'LL | returned TO reside at home in 1909, ha
little opportunity of knowing the progress Z
public sentiment here on this subject. ha
always hoped that the younger generation, re
cevng their esrlyimpression after the fam
OF liberty had been kindled in every breas
and had become, as it were, the vital spirit {
every American, that the generous temper;
ment OF youth analogous 10 the motion of the
blood, and above the suggestions of ayarc,
would have sympathised with oppresso
wherever found, and proved their love of iii
erty beyond their own share of it, But m
intercourse with them, since my return, ha
not been sufficient TO ascertain that thew ba
made towards this point the progress ha
hoped. Your solitary but welcome voice is tn
hrst which has brought this sound to my ear
and | have considered the general slenc