The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-07
NO 257

Views Of the Author Of the Decla-
ration Of Indepence on African
Slavery.
The following passage is extract
ed from THOMAS JRrFERsoN's Notes
on Virginia. 1t was with refer,
ence to the views herein expressed
that Yice-President STEPHENS, of
the African Confederacy, said that
the 'ideas of the founders of the
Federal Union were radically
toroag."
These were the deliberate and
we'll matured opinions ofone Of the
greatest intellects Of the American
Revelation, of one who had made
craftsmanship the study of a useful
and glorious lifetime. They were
the views subsequently adopted
and eloquently urged by Mr.. CLAY,
and yet strange to say, if these
views should be presented in a po-
litical journal at the present day,
or by the President, or a member
of the Cabinet or Congress, such
bastard Democratic papers as the
Cincinnati Enquirer, and New
York journal Of Commerce, would
exhaust the lexicon of billingsgate
in branding them as incendiary
and radical, Had Jefferson's ad-
vice on the slavery question
been followed by Virginia add
the Carolinas, the Union would
not now be erent in twain, and flow
ing with fraternal blood. Listen
to Jefferson
There must doubtless 10 an unhappy irvla-
etoe on The manners Of Our people, produced
By the eristenee Of slavery among u.s. Tho
whole commerce between master and
slave is q perpetual existence Of the most
boisterous passions, the most unremitting
despotism on the one part, and degrading
submissions on the other. Our children
see tbis, and ledr1l 10 initiate Il, for man is an
initiative animal. This quality is the
| germ of all education in him. From his
cradle to his grave he is learning 20 do
what he sees others do If n parent
could find no motive either in his philan-
thropy or in his selflove, for restraining
the intemperance of passion towards his
slaves, it should always be a sufficient
one that his child is present But gener.
ally ID is not sufficient The parent
storms, the child looks on, catches the
lineaments of wrath, puts on the same
airs in the circle of smaller slaves, oives a
loose 10 the i0o,st ofpassions, and thus nursed,
educated and daily exercised ia tyranny.
cannot but be stamped by it wilh
odious peculiarities. The man must be
a prodigy who can retain his morals and
manner undepraved by such circumstan-
ces. And toih whdt Srecration should The
statesmen Be loaded, 0ho permitting one. half
tIs oitiiEens thus 10 tremple on hs rtghis
Of l's others, transform them into dsspots, and
these into enemies, destroys the morals Of
one the part, and the amor patri@ of the
other ? For IL slave can have a coun-
try in this world, il must be any other
in preference TO that in which he is born
to live and labor for another, in which
he must lock up the faculties Of his ma
ture, contribute, as for as depends on his
individual sndeavors to the envanish-
ment Of the human race, or entail his
own miserable condition ON the endless
generations proceeding from him. VIII
The morals Of The people their industry is also
destroyed. For in a warm climate, no
man will labor for himself who can make
anothor labor for him. This is so true.
that Of the proprielors of slaves a very
small proportion indeed are ever seen TO
labor. AHd can The hbsrtiss Of nation Be
thought secure i0hen ps have removed Heir
amy firm basis, oonViction in hs mids ofAe
people THAT THESE LIBERTIES ARE THE
GIFT OF GoD? That they are not 10 b,
violated but with His wrath INDEED
TREMBLE FOR MY COUNTRY wHEs | REFLEoT
THAT Con Is JUST THAT Hrs JUSTICE oAN
NOT sLEEP FOREVER; that considering
numbers, nature, and natural means only,
a revolution OF the wheel Of fortune, an
exchange Of situation IS among possible eve1l,s;
THAT 1T MAY BECOME PROBABLE BY SUPER.
NATURAL INTERFERENCE THK ALMIGHTY
HAS NO ATTRIBUTE winch CAN TAKE SIDE
WITH Us IN SUCH CONTEST but IL is inn
possible TO be temperate and 10 pursue
this subject through the various consid.
erations Of policy, Of morals, Of history
natural and civil. We must be con.
tented to hope they will force their way
into every ones mind. think q change
already perceptible, since the origin Of
thepresent fevolution The spiritof the
master is abating--that Of the slave
rising from the dust, his condition molli-
Tying, Sis 'Sayi Ihope, preparing, tllaa n.
auspices Of Heaven, Jor totql emancipation
and that this is disposed, in the order Of
events, to be 0ih The consent Of he masters,
rather than By Their erti,Patioa."
A physician, examining his student az
, TO his progress in medicine and surgery,
asked him
'lf man should fall into we'll foity