Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-08-13
tyrom shs National In..lllE.nesr o. AuKa.. 81

We received yesterday, from a gentleman In
Maryland, the letter which we give below. II
was written nearly ten years ago, and was first
published in the Danville (Virginia) Reporter,
and thence transferred to the Maryland Colo
nization Journal" from which journal it is now
copied. Our correspondent is of opinion that
General Scott's views on the delicate question oil
slavery have been misrepresented, and therefore
desires to this letter, In which they are fully
and automatically set forth, inserted in the Intel
ligencer,
The views expressed by the General appear to
us to evince a wise and comprehensive statesman.
ship, as well as characteristic philanthropy,
and we therefore, with pleasure give the letter a
place In our columns:
WASHINGTON, February 8, l843
Ny DEAR SIR: | have been waiting for an
evenings leisure to answer your letter before me,
and, after an unreasonable delay, am at last
obliged to reply in the midst of official occupations
That ever have been named in connection
with the Presidency of the United States has not,
can assure you, the son of an ancient neighbor
and friend, been by any continuance or desire
of mine and certainly shall never be in the
field for that high Office unless placed there By a
regular nomination. Not, then, being candi-
date, and seeing no near prospect of being made
one, ought. perhaps, to decline troubling you
or others with my humble opinions on great
principles Of State rights and federal admins
tration but as cannot plead ignorance of the
Partially of n few friends, in several parts of
the Union, who may by possibility, in certain
event, succeed in bringing me within the field
from which Wing candidate is to be selected,
prefer to err on the side Of frankness and can
dor, rather than, by silence, to allow any stran-
ger unwittingly to commit himselfto my support.
Your inquiries open the whole question Of do
nestle slavery, which has in different forms, for
a number of years, agitated Congress and the
country.
Promising that you are the first person who has
Intercepted me on the subject, | give you the
basis Of what would be my reply in greater de-
tail, if time allowed and the contingency alluded
to above were less remote.
In boyhood, at William and Mary College, and
in common with most, if not all, of my compan-
ions, became deeply impressed with the views
given by Mr.. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virgin
ia, and by Judge Tucker, in the Appendix to
his edition Of Blackstone's Commentaries, in ia
.yor of q gradual emancipation Of slaves That
Appendix l have not seen in thirty odd years,
and, in the same period, have read scarcely any
thing on the subject; but my early impressions
are fresh and unchanged. Hence, if had had
the honor Of seat in the Virginia legislature in
the winter of 1922, when a bill was brought
forward to carry out those views, should GER
tainly have given it my hearty support.
| suppose | scarcely need say that, in my
opinion, Congress has no color Of authority under
the constitution for touching the relation of mas
ter and slave in q State.
hold the opposite opinion in relation to the
District of Columbia. Here, with the consent of
the owners, or on the payment of "jast compen-
sation," Congress may legisate at its discretion.
But my conviction is equally strong that, unless
it be step by step with the legislatures of Virginia
and Mopu md vp,,lA No 70 hail
races in those States to touch the relation be-
tween master and slave in this District.
have from the first been Of opinion that Con.
gress was bound by the constitution to receive,
to REFER and to report upon petitions relating to
domestic slavery, as in the case of oil petitions
but have not failed to see and to regret the I'M
avoidabe irritation which the former have pro-
duced in the Southern States, with the conse-
quent peril to the two colors, whereby the adop-
ton Of any plan of emancipation has everywhere
among us been greatly retarded.
l own, myself no slave; but never have at
tached blame to masters for not liberating their
slaves, we'll knowing that liberation, without the
means of sending them in comfort to some posi-
ton favorable to "the pursuit of happiness, y
would in most cases be highly injurious to all
around, as well as to the manumitted families
themselves, unless the operation were general,
and under the auspices Of prudent legislation.
But am persuaded that il is high moral obi
cation of masters and slavehodng States to
employ all means, not incompatible with the
safety of both coors, to meorate slavery to exter-
mination.
1t is gratifying to know that general melora-
ton has been great, and is still progressing not
withstanding the disturbing causes alluded to
above. The more direct process of emancipation
may, no doubt, be earlier commenced and quick
ened in some communities than in others Each,
| do not question, has the right to Judge for
itself, both as to time and MEANS and consider
interference or aid from without, except on in
vitaton from authority within, to be as hurtful
to the sure progress Of melioration as it may be
fatal to the lives OF vast multitudes of all ages,
sexes and colors. The work Of Liberation cannot
be forced without such horrid results Christian
philanthropy is ever mild and considerable. Hence
all violence ought to be deprecated by the friends
Of religion and humanity. Their persuasions
cannot fail Mt the right time to free the master
from the slave, and the slave from the master ;
perhaps before the latter shall have found out
and acknowledged that the relation between the
parties had long been mutually prejudicial to
their worldly interests.
There is, IN the order Of Providence no evil with.
ont some compensdtng benefit The BLEEDING Ain.
can ,cas torn from his savage home By hi, erocous
neighbors, sold in slavery, and cast upon this CONT
nent Here IN the mild South, the race has Uonder-
fully multiplied, compared wiM anything euer hnown
IN barbarous life. The descendants of few
thousands have become many millions; and all,
from the first, made acquainted with the arts Of
civilization, and, above oil, brought under the
light of the Gospel.
From the promise made to Abraham, some two
thousand years elapsed before the advent of our
Saviour; and the Israelites, the chosen people Of
God, were for wise purposes suffered to remain
i'm bnnI fhap fr;n hau
our shores. This race has already experienced
the resulting compensation alluded to /; and ms
the white missionary has never been able to PEN
citrate the dark regions Of Africa, or to establish
himself in its interior, it may be within the
scheme Of Providence that the great work of