The Nevada Democrat., 1856-10-29
Tl,ga. Jefferson and black RspublieanlsIA.

In our last issue we not Only httempeeu wv
proved incontestably from the history and sta
tistics of our country that the charge of "south-
ern aggression" so industriously made by the
Black Republicans is one of the most egregious
wrongs ever perpetrased amongst any people,
We have seen many men of northern birth who
at home looked down with mingled feelings of
pity and scorn upon the deluded or wicked enc
mics of the Union and the Constitution, religion
and laws Yet we have seen many of these
men of honest purpose carried away by the in
sdous appeals which are daily made to their
pride and prejudices Bad men, who could ney-
er rise from obscurity except amid the wild
disorders which they create, have found pro-
pitious avenue to power, and have paved it with
falsehoods as black as the walks Of fPandmonium.
To detect these black and damning falsehoods
it is only necessary to examine the records of
our country and reflect That labor is duty
which every man owes to his country, and in
this hour, the act of omission which fosters ig-
norance is as culpable as the decd of Catallne.
You stand not by guiltless when the torch OF the
incendiary is approaching the great temple OF
the Union. You shall not escape from condem-
nation if you open your ears willingly to those
who bear false witness. Amonst others who
are appealed to in support of the dogmas of this
miscalled republcanism, the name of Mr. Jeher-
son has been invoked and perversion and gar
bled extracts from his writings, resorted to for
the purpose of imposing upon the popular ere
dulty How strikingly similar is the aspect of
our country at this time to what it was when
the following was written by the sage of Month
cello. 'I.7...a
On the 18th day of April, 1920, he wrote to
VIM, Short
The old schsm of federal and republican
threatened nothing, because ii eristed in erery
State and united them together by the traterTdtism Of
party. But the coincidence Of a marked principle,
moral and political, ,e geographical line, once
conceived feared would never more be oblit-
Grated from the mind; that it would be recur-
ring on every occasion, and renewing irrita-
tions, until it would kindle such mutual mortal
hatred as to render separation preferable 10
eternal discord. have been among the most
sanguine in believing that our Union would be
of long duration. l now doubt it much, and
see that event at no great distance, and the di-
rect consequence of this question; not by the
| line which has been so confidently counted Off
the laws of nature control this--but by the Po-
tomac, the Ohio and Missouri, or more probably
the Mississippi upwards TO our northern boun-
dary. My only comfort and confidence is, that
shall not live to see this; and / envy not the
present generation the glory of throwing away
the fruits of their fathers sacrifices of life and
fortune, and of rendering desperate the expert
ment which was to decide ultimately whether
man is capable of self government. This trea-
son against human hope will signalize their
epoch in future history, as the counterpart of
the model Of their predecessors. "a. t..
THOS. JEFFERSON.
Mr.. Holmes, of Maine, member of Congress,
addressed jefferson a letter, which drew from
him the following remarkable reply:
MONTICELLO, April 20, 1920.
| | thank YOU, dear sir, for the copy you have
been so kind as to send me of the letter to your
constituents on the Missouri question. 1t is u
perfect justification to them. taG
| had for u long time ceased to read newspa-
aers, or pay any attention to public affairs
confident they were in good hands, and content
to be q passenger in our bark TO the shore from
which am not far distant. BIT this momentOus
question, like a fire bell in the night, acakeaed and
flLed me svith terror. considered at once the knell
| of the Union 1t is hushcd, indeed for the mo-
ment, but this is repreve only, not final
sentence. A geographical line, cOaaciding riM
marked principle, moral and POLITICAL once conceived
and held up TO the angry passions Of men, ,CU
be oJhterated; and every new irritation will mark
| il deeper and deeper. / can say, with conscious
truth, that there is no man on earth, who would
sacrifice more than / would to relieve us from
this heavy reproach, in any practicable way
The cession of that kind of property (for it is so
ms-named) is a bagatelle which would not
cause me o second thought, if, in that way, a
|
| be effected, and gradually, and with due sacri-
| fees, | think it might be. But as it is. we have
| the wolf by the ears, and can neither hold him
nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale
and self-preservation in the other. OF one
/ thing | am certain, that as the passage of the
slaves from one State to another would not
make a slave Of human being who would not
be so without it, so their diffusion over greater
snrface would make them individually happier,
and proportionalIy facilitate the accomplish
ment of their emancipation, by dividing the
burthen on q greater number of coadutors
An abstinence, too, from this act of power
would remove the jealousy excited by the un-
dertaking of Congress to regulate the condition
of the different descriptions of men composing
State. This certainty is the exclusive right Of the
State, ,ohich nothing in The Constitution has taken
from them and gipen TO the General Gouernment.--
Gould Congress for example, say, that the non reemen
Of Connecticut shall be freemen. or that they shall no
enligrate TO any other State?
regret that am not to die in the belief tha
the useless sacrifice of themselves by the gen.
Grafton of l776, to acquire selfgoyernment and
happiness to their country, is to be thrown away
by the unwise and unworthy passions of their
sons, and that my consolation is to be, that
live not to weep over it. If they would but
dispassionately weigh the blessings they will
throw away, against an abstract principle more
| likely to be effected by union than secession,
they would pause before they perpetrate this
dreadful act of suicide on themselves, and of
treason against the hopes Of the world.
To yourself, as the faithful advocate of the
Union, tender the offer of my high esteem and
respect. THOS. JEFFERSON.
He wrote Dec. 20. 1929.
Nothing has erer presented so threatening an aspect
os ,obot ;s ced iLe MSS,,ri 07le1iOn The federal