Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-06-24
THOMAS JEFFERSON ON SLAVERY.
BY REN, }. Il. nAuANY

At tha present crisis in the history Of Ameti-
can slavery, when il stands ~ n geim power,
sworn to destroy free instiuuops il will assure
the public mind, now pretty well dj4eu-te with
the whole system, in hear nfresl what jefferson
tho lght of il. As thousands have perlnps never
heard OF his " Nai on lIgiaii" we shall my
before our readers, Wori tor word, the calm
iudlment Of the gIcai patriot ON The greatest Of
human wrongs. No nholIioniti has over saii
harder tbings of slavery tlan- cont tiurd in his
Ntte book. And l,st these extra IT, might br
pronounced "A wle abolition forgery, We relcr ie
reader to the hook itself copy Of which may
he found IN the Astur Library. Tam 10 the
chapter ON &" NHNfsy," nnd there Ieni Ns fol e
llNs;
=" There muat doubtless be IN luhappy inilu
ence on the manners ol our p,oplr, produced by
the existence Of slavery among us
1t thu fen er iuclines t. ask how that influence
operates, the following is the answer;
" The whole commerce hetween master and
slave is perfect exercise Of the most huisternus
pissiuus-the most unremiltng despotsm ON
the one part, and degrading submission on the
other"
When every word il thus emphatic, the sen
tencc can gun M ailiti0upl force by tile use Of
italics The evil propagaics itself:
"Our children se this and learn To initiate it :
ior man IS an initiative animal This quality il
the germ Of I'LL education in him, From his
cradle to his grave he is learning u do what he
sees others do. 1t parent sould find no motive,
either in his Ihilaulhr0py or seli-love, for res
training the inteuseness of passion toward his
slave, it should always he sulii icient one that
his child i'd present But generally it is nut
sufficient. The parent storms The child looks
on, catches the linenmeuts Of wrath, puts on the
same air 10 the Circle of smaller slaves, gives a
loose to his worst of passions; and thus nursed,
educated, and laily exercted in tyranny, cannot
but he stamped by it with odous peculiarities.
The man must be prodigy who can retain his
manners and morals undepraved by such cir
cumsinnces."
And this is he language Of the great Virginia
nb1litiouisl, the author Of the Declaration of
Independence, and father Of the once great
Democratic party. Here it stands, full clear,
aud satisfactory account 0f that dcpravity of
southern manners and morais," which slavery
fosters from the cradle upward, producing i'm.
patience OF control, irrilabity under eontratlic-
ton, aud making political controversies and per.
sonAl disputes to end in bloody assaults, and
what Webster facetiou-ly called The natural death
OF Sontherner, by b'udge0n, pistol, or dirk
Who doubts for "A moment that for writing thus
Thomas Jefferson, II still alive, would hase to
ny from Virginia. or share the fate of John
Brown? What, then, shall We think of the men
who Just eighty years after these words were
written, are trying to lay the foundations Of IL
new contederacy with slavery fer its " chief
corner stone?' Jefferson answers:
" And with what frfcratioa should the states
man be loaded, who, permitting one-half of the
cd-ees thus to lranpe on the rights of the o.her,
transforms those into despots. and these into
enemies-desroys the morals Of the one part and
the love Of country of the other"
Hear you that, Jefferson Davis? Hear you
TINT, Alexander Stephens II is the voice of
Thomas Jefferson cursing you and your rebel
lion from his.ysry grave And you Roger b.
Thney, see yon not that word "cdi;sAs" applied
equally 10 master aud slave, against your uu-
righteous decision that the black mnn s no cit-
zen, aud has no Iighis which white men are
bound 10 respect? And MI yc Of the South see
that word " tntmi,a'" DO ye not prove your
tears Of them by doubly boiling your doors, and
Sleeping unquietly with swords by your sides and
pistols uuiler your pillows? Has not the present
war shown the slave your foe Witness the
fugitive host fleeing to our lines wherever the
sound of onr cannon has gone Ienr the great
Nirgman again;
" For If ii slave can have u country il this
world, il must be any other in preference 10 that
ID which he is born TO live aud labor for another
in which be must lock up the faculties of his
nature, contribute, as far rs depends On his n-
diyidaal endeavors, to the evnnshmout ot the
human race, or entail his own miserable cunli-
-" va 'A't NHHN07 E'hNihh"h9 proceeding from
him."
And this is the choice you leave to the black
man: either no posterity or progeny of slaves I!
ljnt If the morals of the people are corrupted by
slavery, what of their industry.
with the morals OF the people, their indus
try is also destroyed for in a wurm climate no
man will labor for himself who can make another
labor for HIM This is 10 true, that of the pro-
prietors of slaves, very small proportion indeed
are ever seen to labor"
Labor indeed Slavery makes il disgraeeful,
| which added TO the natural indolence Of men,
made laAer still by hot climate, molifes the
oil curse into new version; " In the sweat of
other mems brows shalt thou eat aud drirk thy
luxnries, in idleness aud ease, until by duel or
btawl thou return to the dust from whence
thou vast taken" Meanwhile, how must God
regard the foul injustice Of this state of things
'Aud can the liberties OF n nation be thought
secure, when we have removed their only firm
basis--a conviction in the minds Of the people
that these liberties are the gilt OF God, that they
are not to be violated (by ensaving the blacks }
but with his wrath ?"
The question reminds us Of that terrible ras.
sage in the history OF lsrael's emancipation {:
" Aud their cry came up uuto God by Tenson Of
the bondage and God heard their gioauipg. aud
God had respect unto them" MIR Jefferson was
not over burdehed either with Christian faith or
tear-certainly not supersttious-ye here he
becomes dreadfully emphatie in the oft-quoted
| passage:
Indeed, | Temble for my country when |
reflect that God is just that his justice cannot
sleep forever that considering numbers, nature,
and natural means only revolution Of the