Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-08-04
To Hon. Henry Clay, Lexington, Ky
MosTIcELLo, August 25th, 1914.


DEAR SIR Your favor of July 3lst
was duly received and was read with pecu-
liar pleasure. The sentiments breathed
ihrou gh the whole do honor to both the
head and heart of the writer. Mine on the
subject of the slavery of negroes have long
since been in possession Of the public, and
time has only served 10 give them stronger
root.
The love Of justice and the love of coun.
try plead equally the cause of these people.
and it is moral reProach to US that they
should have pleaded ii so long in vain, and
should have produced not q single effort
nay fear, not much serious willingness
TO relieve them and ourselves from our
present condition Of moral and political
repIobation. From those of the former
generation who were in the fulness of age
when | came into public life, which was
while our controversy with England was
on paper only, | saw nothing was to be
hoped. Nursed and educated 10 the daily
habit of seeing the degraded condition, both
bodily and mentally, OF those unfortunate
beings. not refleeting that that degradation
was very much the work of themselves
and their fathers, few minds had yet doubt
ed but that they were as legitimate sub
Jects Of property as their horses or cattle.
The quiet and monotonous course of
colonial life had been disturbed by no
alarm and little reflection on the value of
liberty and, when alarm was taken at an
enterprise OF their own, II was not easy TO
carry out the whole length of the princi.
pies which they invoked for themselves
In the first or second session of the Legis.
Tature after | was a member, | drew 10
this subject the attention of Colonel Bland.
one of the Oldest ablest, and most respected
members, and he undertook 10 move for
certain moderate extensions of the protec.
ton OF the laws to these people. second
ed his motion, and, as younger member
was spared more in the debate ;but he was
denounced as an enemy 10 his country, and
was treated with the greatest indecorum.
From an early stage of our Revolution
other and more distant duties were assign.
ed me, so that from that time till my re-
turn from Europe in 1889, and may say,
Sill | returned TO reside at home in 1909,
had little opportunity of knowing The pro-
gress of public sentiment here On this SUBJ
er generation, receiving their early impress
sions after the flame of liberty had been
kindled in every breast, and had become
rs It were the vital spirit OF every Ameri-
can, that the generous temperament of
youth, analogous TO the motion of their
blood, and above the suggestions of ava.
rice, would have sympathised with oppres-
sion wherever found, and proved their love
of liberty beyond their own share of il.
But my intercourse with them since nv
return has not been sufficient 10 ascertain
that they had made towards this point the
progress | had hoped. Your solitary but
welcome voice is the first which has
brought this sound 10 my ear, and have
considered the silence which prevails on
this subject as indicating an apathy unfa.
vorable to our hopes. Yet the hour of
emancipation is advancing in the march of
time. 1t will come land, whether brought
on by the generous energy Of our own
minds or by the bloody process Of ST. Do
mingo, excited and conducted by the power
OF our present enemy, if once stationed
permanently within our country, offering
asylum and arms 10 the oppressed, is a
ANoi Vi Sdt iiot SSt over.
As to the method by which this difficult
work Is to be effected, if permitted to be
done by ourselves, have seen no PROPOSE
tion so expedient on the whole, as that of
emancipation OF those born after a given
day, and of their education and expatrlation
at proper age. This would give time
TOR a gradual extinction o: that species of
labor, and substitution of another, and les
sen the severity OF the shock, which an
operation so fundamental cannot fail to
produce. The idea of emancipatinp the
whole at once, the old as we'll as the Young.
and retaining them here, is OF those only
who have not the guide of either know.
ledge or experience on this subject.
For men, probably of any color, but OF
this color we kaow, brought up from their
infancy without necessity for thought or
forecast, are by their habits, rendered as
incapable as children of taking care ol
themselves, and are extinguished prompt.
iy wherever Industry ls necessary for rails
ing the young. In the meaHtime they are
pests IN sociviy by their Idleness, and the
dePredations to which this leads them -
Iheu amaigama,inn with the other color
produces degradation To which nc lover
OF his country, no lover of excellence IN the
human character, can innocenty consent.
! am sensible Of the parlialities with
which you looked toward me as he person
who should undertaae ibis salntary and ar.
duous work hut this, nv dear sir, is like
bidding old PriaD to buckle on the armor
Of Hector, 'fremenfibus Gpo hunleris et in.
ssSzzss-rA.e forum cingi.' No. | have over