The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-30

PHILADELPHIA, June ,, 1873
Mn Dear Sir: Under the impression that us
at this time will promote your
Jews. be gratifying 10 the people Of Kentucky
md be of general utility, am induced 10 take
he liberty to enclose you copy oil q letter
rom Mr.. Jefferson to me on the subject Oh
,lavery.
avail myself Of the occasion to tender my
compliments TO Mrs. Clay, and re-
raw 10 YOU assurances of my high respect and
..nc.ra regaYd. EDWARD COLES.
To Hon. HEsRY CLAY, Lexington, KY.
MosrrcrLLo. August IS, lel4.
Dear Sir: Your favor of July 3lst, was duly
r,csivsd and was read with peculiar pleasure
The sentiments breathed through the whole 90
honor 10 both the head and heart of the writer
Mine on the subject of the slavery OF negroes
has 10 no since been in possession Of the public
and time has only served to give them stronger
root.
The love Of justice and the love OF country
Mead equally the cause Of these people, ano "
il a moral reproach to US that they should nave
pleaded it so Icing in vain, and should have pro
duced not a single effort, nay, l fear not much
serious willingness TO relieve them and our,
,elves from our present condition OF moral ano
political reprobation. From those OF the ior-
me, generation who were in ths fulness OF age
when / came int public life, which was while
onr controversy with England was on paper
onlv. soon saw that nothing was to be hoped
Nufsed and educated in the daily habit OF see
ing the degraded condition, both bodily ana
mental, of those unfortunate beings, not re-
fiecting that that degradation was very much
the work of themselves and their fathers, lew
minds had vet doubted but that they were as
Legitimate subjects 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 on their
own, IL was not easy to carry them the whole
length Of the principles which they invoked
for themselves. In the first or second session
of the Legislature after / became member,
drew TO this subject the attention Of Colone
Bland, one Of the Oldest, ablsst, and most re-
spected members, and he undertook TO move FOL
certain moderate extensions Of the protection o
the laws to these people. seconded his mo
ton, and, as a younger member, was NOR
spared In the debate; but he was denounced a
an enemy to his country, and was treated wiz
the greatest indecorum-
From an early stage Of our revolution othe
and more distant duties were assigned me- q
that from that time till my return from EuroP
Ia 1883, aud I may say till returned to resid
at home In 1909, l had little opportunity o
knowing the progress Of public sentiment her
on this subject. | had always hoped that In
younger generation, receiving their early i'm
pressions after the flame Of liberty had bee
kindled In every breast; and had become as
were the vital spirit Of every American, tina
the generous temperament Of youth, analogou
| to the motion Of their blood, and above th
suggestions of avarice, would have symPathise
with oppression wherever found, and prove
their love of liberty beyond their own share O
il. But my intercourse with them, since m
return, has not been sufficient to ascertain tina
they had made towards this point the progress
had hoped. Your solitary but welcome voic
is the first which has brought this sound to m
ear: and have considered the general silenc
which prevails on this subject as indicating a
apathy unfavorabls to our hopes. Yet IN
hour Of emancipation il advancing in the marc
Of time. 1t will come; and whether brougt
, on by the generous energy Of our own mind
. or by the bloody process Of St Domingo, e,
cited and conducted by the power of our pre-
, sent enemy, il once stationed permanently will
in our country. offering asylum and arms |
, the oppressed, is a leaf Of our history not "
turned over.
As TO the method by which this difficult wOr
Is 10 be effected. if permitted 10 be done b
, ourselves, have seen no proposition 50 exPs
dent on the whole, as that Of emancipation
1 W
cation aud expatristion at proper age. Til
: would give time for gradual extinction Of ths
species Of labor and substitution of anothe
and lessen the severity Of the shock which a
operation 80 fundamental cannot fail to pro
duce. The idea Of emanciPating the whole 9
: once, the old as well as the young, and retain
ing them here, 10 Of those only who have nc
| the guide Of either knowledge or experience o
the subject. For men, probably Of any color
but OF this color we know, brought up fror
their infancy without necessity for thought o
forecast, are by their habits rendsSed as inca
psble as children of taking care of themselves
and are extinguished promptly wherever indus
try is necessary for raising the young. In IN
} mean time they are pests in society by thel
idlsness. and the depredations for which thi
leads them. Their amalgamation with III
other color produces degradation to which n
lover Of his country, no lover Of excellene
in the human character can innocently con
sent.
/ am sensible Of the partialities with whic
you have looked towards me as the person VII
should undertake this salutary and arduou
workout this, my dear sir, is like bidding oil
"tre0mtbus aovo humeris ct inutle ferrums
ingi" No, l have 0verlivsd the generation
with which mutual labors and perils begs
mutual confidence and influence. This enter
prise IL for the young; for those who can follow
1t up, and bear il through to its eonsummation
II shall have all my prayers, and these are tn
only weapons Of an old man. But in the mean
time, are you right in abandoning this property
and your country with i'll l think not. M,
opinisn has ever been that, until more can b,
done for them, we should endeavor with thos,
whom fortune has thrown on our hands, to fec
and clothe them well, protect them from II
tr~a .n4 ~ -
performed voluntarily by freemen, and be lee
by no rspugnancss to sbdicate them, and oul
duties to them. The laws do not permit US &c
turn them loose, II that were for their good, and
to commute them for ether property Ia to CON-
nit them to those whose usage Of them we can
not control. hope then, my dear sir, you
| will reconcile yourself to your country and its
unfortunate condition; that on the contrary YOU
will come forward in the public councils, be-
come the missionary Of this doctrine, truly
christian, insinuats and inculcate It softly but
steadily through the medium Of writing and
conversation, associate others in your labors
and when the phalsnx 10 formed, bring on and
press the proposition perseverinQly until its ac-
complainant. II 10 an encouraging observa-
ton that no good measure was ever proposed
which, II daily pursued, failed to prevail in the
end. We have proof Of this In the history OF
the endeavors in the British Parliament TO sup
press that very trade which brought this evil on
US. And you will be supported by the religi-
Gus precept, "be not wearied In well doing -
That your success may be a. speedy aud CON-
plete, rs II will be honorable and immortal con-
ISOLATION to yourself, shall as fervently and sim
cerely pray a. l assure you of my great friend
ship and respect
THO'S. JEFFERSON.
EpwARD Coils. ESQ.
AWFUL ACCIDENT AT rkSsAcoLA.-Ihe Florida