Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-12-20
Mr.. Jefferson's Abolitionism.

The Editor of the Enquirer accuses us
of having called Mr.. Jefferson an Abolition.
ist. He should have gone further, and
charged us with proving him to be SO. He
cannot deny that Mr. jefferson was the
author of the Virginia ordinance Of 1884,
which provided that involuntary servilude
except for the punishment of crime, should
not exist in the Territories of the Union
after the year 1900. II this was not. first,
ABOLITION of the slavery that shoud not
exist in lS0o and secondly, its PROHIBITION
for all fatare ti*ne.-ws bag our neighbor
to tell US distinctly by what name it shall
be called. We are now particular in the
matter of terminology; bot il Mr. Jefferson
was not an Abolitionist, what was he!
Suppose ue should venture 'to say that
"the abolition of domestic slavery is the
greatest object of desire in these States"
would not the editor of the Enquirer feel
justified in accusing us of having given
ut:erenca TO sentiments of rank abolition
ISM! Yet in his letter to the Convention
holden at Wlliamsburgh, Virginia, Aug.
r, l774, MIR. Jefferson wrote as follows:
"The abolition of domestic slavery is the
greatest object of desire in these colonies
where it was unhappily introduced in
their infant state. But previous to the en-
franchselnent Of the slaves, it is necessary
to exclude all further importalions from
Africa. Yet our repeated attempted
to effect this by prohibition, and by to
imposing duties which might amoun
prohibition, have been heretofore defeated
by his Majesil's negative. Thus preferring
the immediate advantages of a few African
corsairs TO the lasting interest of the Ame-
rica9 States, anl to the rights Of human
nature, deeply wounded by this Infamous
practlse
Not merely the dissolution of the ser
vile tenure, but the "ewranch,@msnt' of
the slave--his admission to the rights of
citizenship-ormeo, as appears by the fore.
going quotation, part OF the political sys-
TEN OF Mr.. Jefferson. We might multiply
extracts almost unimitedly to the same ell
feet, but have only room for part of his
bitter denunciation of the institution con-
tanned in his "Notes on Virginia" He
first speaks Of the effect of slavery upon
the morals of the people where it exists;
continuing. he says:
with the morals of the people, their
industry also is destroyed. For, iii a warm
climate, no man will labor for himself " ho
can make another labor for him. This is
so true, that Of the propretors of slaves, a
very small proportion, indeed, are ever seen
to labor. And can the liberties of the nd
ton oe thought secure when we have re-
moved their only firm bass-a conviction in
the minds of the people that these liberties
are the gift of God! That they are not
violated but with His wrath! Indeed,
treInble for my country, when reflect
that God is just-that his justice cannot
sleep forever; that, considering nu uhbers,
nature and natural means only, revolution
of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of
situation is among possible events: that it
may become probable by supernatural in.
reference. The Almighty has no attribute
which can take sides with US in such a
contest"
Such testimony to the industrial, polti-
cal and moral evils Of slavery-such de-
claration if its sinfulness in the eyes of a
God of Infinite justice-sueh a recognition
Of the invariabie relation which exists be-
tween crime and punishment, and such a
prediction of the descent of the wrath of
Jehovah upon the heads of a...people guilty Of
oppression, would, nad it fallen from he lips
of Theodore Parker, Wendell Phillips or Will
liam Lloyd Garrison, instead of gliding from
the pen Of the Sage Of Monticello, ,besn greet.