Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-12-29
An Opinion From Thos Jefferson.

Thos. jefferson, in his memoir, treating of
the course pursued by the Revsers of the laws
of Virginia, of whom he was one, respecting the
laws on Slavery, says:
The bill on the subject of slaves was mere
digest OF the existing laws respecting them,
without any intimaton of II plan for II future
general emancipation 1t was thought better
that this should be kept back. and attempted
only by way of amendment, whenever the bill
should be brought on. The principles, how
ever were agreed on, that is to say, the freedom
of all born after certain day. and deportation at
proper age but it was thought that the pub
lie mind would not yet bear the proposition, nor
will it bear tt at the preeent day. Yet the day
is not distant when il must bear and adopt IL,
or lcorSe wM follolo. Nothing is more certainly
crjtten in The book of fate than that these people
are TO be free nor is it less certain that the two
races, equally free, cannot live in the came gov
eminent.
Mature habit, opinion have drawn indelible
lines Of distinction between them. 1t is still
in our power TO direct the process of emancipa-
ton and deportation, peac ably and in such
slow degree, as that the cril will wear off in
scnsibly, and their pl.Ge be, pari passu, filled
up with free white lnborers, on The contrary
ii is left to force itself in, human nature must
shudder at The prospect held up. We should in
vain look for ap example in theSpanish deport-
alton or the deletion of the movers. THIS pre-
cedent would fall far short of our case"
The Committee of Revision, who had agreed
to the amendment allude1 to in the above ex-
tract, consisted of Thomas jefferson, Edmund
Pendleton, George Wythe, George Mason, and
Thomas Ludwell Lee. They were all of them
ardent friends Of American Liberty, and leaders
of the revolutionary sentiment in Virginia;
and the amendment proposed shows very con-
vincingly that Slavery was considered an evil
that the State could not be in too much haste
to be rid of, rs long ago as III, by the lead
ing Southern patriots os the Revolution.
But the extract we have quoted still further
shows what was Jeferson's private opinion Of
the evil of Slavery, nearly forty years after
the Revolution, wh,n writing Lis own memoir
He held that the prosperity of his native State
demanded that African Slavery be abolished on
worse would follow He believed unless this
were done by the active agencies Of the State,
the event would {" force itself on and TRACE
dies would there be acted, at which human ma
turc would shudder. To our mind this is full
as rank Anti-Savery doctrine, as can be found
anywhere in the Republican party. Weshould
admire to see some modern Jenersonian Demo-
crat, claiming to be either "a Buchanan or
a Douglas Democrat as well, brought to the
scratch of voting on a resolution, or platform.
in which that extract was incorporated.
Does not the extract also smack very decided
ly of the " irrepressible conflict will some
good Northern Sham Democrat, taking JeGer-
son views, as above set FORTH as text, please
expound, how it happens that the muddy
stream of the pro slavery party of to day, looks
and tastes 50 much different from the pure, fair
waters of the fountain whence it is SAID to flow.