The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-28
which have the honor to be, sir, your most
obedient, humble servant tn. JEFFERSON.

which L have the honor 70 De, sur, your most
obedent. humble servant tn. JEFFERSON.
Pages 26S, 269.
NJ de Meusnier, where he mentions that the
slave law has been passed in Virginia without
the clause of emancipation, is pleased to men
ton that neither Mr.. Wythe nor Mr.. Jefferson
was present to make the proposition they had
meditated from which, people who do not give
themselves the trouble to reflect or inquire,
might conclude, hastily, that their absence was
the cause why the proposition was not made,
and, of course, that there were not in the AS
sembly persons of virtue and frmness enough
TO propose the clause for emancipation. This
superstition would not be true. There were per-
sons there who wanted neither the virtue to
propose nor talents TO enforce the proposition,
had they seen that the disposition OF the Legs
lature was ripe for it, These worthy charac-
tiers would feel themselves wounded, degraded,
and discouraged, by this idea. Mr.. Jefferson
would therefore be obliged to M. de Meusner
to mention it in some such manner as this
"Of the two commissioners who had concerted
the amendatory clause for the gradual emanci-
patton of slaves, Mr.. Wythe could not be pres
emit he being member of the judiciary de-
partment, and MIR. Jefferson was absent on the
legation to France But there were not want
ing in that Assembly men Of virtue enough to
propose and talents 10 vindicate this clause.
But they saw that the moment OF doing 1t with
success was not yet arrived, and that an I'M
successful effort as too often happens, would
only rivet still closer the chains of bondage,
and retard the moment of delivery to this OPP
pressed description of men. What stupeD-
dous, what an incomprehenabe machine If
man! who can endure toll, famine, stripes i'm
prisonment and death ITSELF in vjndication OF
his own liberty, and, the next moment be deaf
TO all those motives whose power supported
him through his trial, and infiiot on his fellow
men bondage one hour of which is fraught
with more misery than ages OF that which he
rose in rebellion to oppose. But we must await,
with patience, the workings of an overriding
Providence, and hope that that is preparing
the deliverence Of these our suffering brethren.
When the measure of their tears shall be full,
when their groans shall have involved Heaven
itself in darkness, doubtless God of Justice
will awaken 10 their distress, and, by diffusing
light and liberality among their oppressors, or,
at length, by his exterminating thunder, mani
fest his attention to the things of this world,
and that they are not left to the guidance Of a
blind fatality.-Pages 427, 42S.
VOL. III.
To DR. Gordon. E1tract
Lord CORVALLIS then proceeded to the Point
of Fork, and encamped his army from thence
all along the main James river, to seat of
mine, called Elk-hill, opposite to Elk island,
and little below the mouth of the Byrd creek
(You will see all these places exactly laid down
in the map annexed to my Notes on Virginia,
printed by Stockdale.) He remained in this posi-
ton ten days his own headquarters being in my
house at that place. had time to remove most
of the effects out Of the house. He DESTROYED
all my growing crops of corn and tobacco; be.
burned ell my barns containing the same ar
ticles of the last year, having first taken what
corn he wanted he used, az was to be expected,
all my stock Of cattle, sheep and hogs, for the
sustenance Of his army, and carried of all the
horses capable Of service of those too young
for service he out the throats and he burned
all the fences on the plantation, so as to leave
it an absolute waste. He carried of, also, about
thirty slaves Had this been to give them free
dom, he would have done right but it was to
consign them 10 inevitable death from the
smallpox and putrid fever, then raging in his
camp. This knew afterwards to be the fate
of twenty-seven of them. | never had news Of
the remaining three, but presume they shared
the same fate. When say that Lord Corn |
wallis did all this do not mean that he car |
red about the torch in his own hands, but that |
it was all done under his eye--the situation of
the house in which he was, commanding a view |
Of every part of the plantation, 80 that he must |
have seen every fire. | relate these things on
my own knowledge, in great degree, as was
On the ground soon after he left it. He treat
ed the rest Of the neighborhood somewhat in |
the same style, but not with that spirit of total
determination with which he seemed to rage
over my possessions. Wherever he went the |
dwelling houses were plundered Of everything |
which could M carried off Lord Corvallis |
character in England would forbid the belief
that he shared in the plumber; but that his
table was served with the plate thus pilaged
from private houses can be proved by many
hundred eye-witnesses. From an estimate
made at that time, on the best information
could collect, supposed the State of Virginia
lost under Lord Cornwallis's hands, that year,
about thirty thousand slaves; and that of these,
about twenty-seven thousand died of the small
pox and camp fever, and the rest were partly
sent to the West Indies, and exchanged for
rum, sugar. coffee, and fruit, and partly sent to
New York. from whence they went at the |
peace either to Nova Scotia or England. From |
this last place believe they have been lately |
sent to Africa. History will never relate the |
horrors committed by the British army in the |
Southern States of America. They ragged in |
Virginia six months only-from the middle of
April to the middle Of October, l7sl-when |
they were all taken prisoners; and give you |
faithful specimen Of their transactions for ten |
days of that time, and ON one spot only. En- |
pede Hercuiem. suppose their whole devasta-
tons during those six months amounted to about |
three millions sterling. The copiousness of |
this subject has only left me space to assure |
you Of the sentiments of esteem and respect |
with which am, sir, your most obedent hum |
Die servant, III. JEFFERSON.
Page 334.
To John Jay Extract
The emancipation of their French islands |
is an idea prevailing in the minds OF several
members of the National Assembly, particular
ly those most enlightened and most liberal in
their views. Such a step by this country would
lead to other emancipatons or revolutions in
the same quarter-Page 81.
TO BIZ CONTINUED.
THE MINISTER HUNTING HIS SLAVE
About fifteen years ago there came to In.
dianapolis, Indiana, colored man named John
Freeman. He brought with him some few hun
dred dollars, a part Of which he invested in real
estate. He was q painter, white washer, and
man Of all work. He married young woman