New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-10
WAsBryGToN ON SLAVERY
To ns E5fo- Of Tie " u TrtSuee

To as ESise- Of Tie " y. Trtsuee
SIR: In compliance with your request, sal
happy TO communicate such facts as VIII rescue
your journal from the charge made against IL o.
"hsyns forged" an extract in relation to Slavery
purportipg to be taken from one Of Washinstous
letters TO Tobias Lear. Since my remarks puo-
Gshed in THE TRIBUNE Of the I'd Of September
concerning that extract, it has been ssceraioed
BY an inspection OF the original letter. no" IN the
possession Of Mrs. Lear, that the passage 10 q'es'
ton is no. contained in that letter, nor anything
else touching Slavery. Ia this particular, there
fore. the transcript in the Letter Book, from
which I printed. agrees with the original. The
extract is not found in either Of them.
Ihave likewise procured aud examined thecol-
lection of copies of letters from Washington to
Lear, which formerly belonged to his son. Ia
this collection is copy of the letter referretts
above. and it contains the passage on Slaveryn
precisely the same language as printed IN HE
TRIBUNE of July 81. 1t occurs in the body OF the
letter without any intimation that il did not make
part ofthe original, from which the copy is pre-
sumed to have been taken. How II came there"
mystery hard to explain, especially as the copies
were taken long ago, and apparently for private
use. and with no other object than that OF having
duplicates of letters that were interesting to the
family
But, however this mystery may be cleared up, II
would scarcely have been strange il the. sentence
interpolated in the copy had come from Washing
tons pen. Similar ideas are advanced In other
letters, as two or three examples will show. la
letter to Robert Morris, he writes
"fhope will not be conceived from those obser-
yatons that il is my wish TO hold the unhappy people
who are the subject of this letter in Slavery Icsn
only say that there is not man living who wishes
more sincerely than do TO plan adopted for the
abolition of il; but there is only one proper and
etfectual mode by which it can be accomplished and
that is by legislative authority and this, as far as my
suffrage will go, shall never be wanting
[washiD stous Writings, Vol *. p. is
Again, in letter to Lafayette
"The benevolence of your heart, my dear Marquis.
is so conspicuous upon all occasions, that never
wonder at any fresh proofs ofit but your late puf
chase Of an estate in the Colony Of Cayenne with
view Of emsncpating the slaves ON it, is generous
and noble proof of your humanity. Would to Coda
like spirit might dfuse itself generally into the minds
of the people of this country. 10 set
the slaves aaoat at would, really believe, DO
productive Of much inconvenience and mischief but
by degrees it certainly might and assuredly ought to
be effected and that too by legislative authority
lp 1853.
Again, he writes to John +. Mercer
81 never mean, unless some particular circum'
stances should compel me to it, to possess another
slave by purchase it being among my first wishes to
see some plan adopted by which Slavery in this
country may be abolished by law. lp l'9.
This language is sufficiently explicit in regard
to Wsshington's sentiments on the subject OF
Slavery He deprecated the evil, and desired
emancipation, but he wished it to be brought
about by legislative action, upon what he con-
.idered strict principles of justice to all parties,
in such manner as to make it the more effectual
and the more complete. In fact, his will, BY
which he emancipated his own slaves, is prsc-
teal commentary upon these sentiments, and
proves his consistency as we'll as his humanity.
Your obedient servant, JARED SPARKS.
CGmbyrdge, Oct s. iSti