The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-04-17
FIR ON the Washington Chronicle.
Jefferson sOss slavery.

The following letter from Thomas Jetfsr
son has been sent us BY a valued CORES
pon lent. who informs Us that 1t has never
before been published. A more complete
rsfulation of those sophists who have en-
deavored to enlist the words aud writings
of oas Of the greatest fathers of the Rspub-
lie in the cause Of slavery could scarcely be
found. The terseness aud vigor of the style,
the prompt and unequivocal testimony in
favor of freedom ara characteristics of the
great framer of the Declaration of In !epsn-
dence. and his thoughts are singularly ap-
plicable to the present time.
MONTICELLO. August Is. 1914.
DEAR SIR:
Your favor of July 31st was duly re.
ceived, and was read with peculiar pleasure.
The sentiments breathed throughout the
whole do honor to both the head aud heart
of the writer. Mine on the subject of the
slavery of negroes have long since been in
the possession OF the public. and time has
only served to give them stronger root
The love Of justice and the love of country
plead equally the cause of these people.
and it is moral reproach to US that they
should have pleaded SO long in vain. and
should have produced not single effect.
nay, fear, not much serious willingness to
relieve them and ourselves from our present
condition Of moral and political reproba-
ton.
From those of the former generation who
were in the fullness of age when l came
into public life. which was while our contro.
versy with England was on paper only. |
saw that nothing was to be hoped. Nursed
and educated in the daily habit of seeing the
degraded condition. both bodily and mental,
of those unfortunate beings, but rejecting
that that degradation was very much the
work of themselves and their fathers, few
minds had yet doubted but that they were
as legitimate subjects of property as their
horses or cattle. The quiet and monotonous
course of colonial lie had been disturbed by
no alarm, and little reflection on the value
of liberty. And when alarm was taken At
40 enterprise of their own. 1t was not easy
to carry them the whole length of the prin-
ciples which they had invoked for them
selves. In the first or second session of the
LEGISLATURE, after l became a member, I
drew to this subject the tention of Colonel
Bland, one of the oldest, able>t and most
rssnec,sd members, and he undertook to
move for certain moderate extensions of the
laws of the people seconded his motion,
and as a Younger member WAS no more
spared io the debate. but he vas denoun-
ced as an enemy to his country. and was
treated with the greatest indecoron.
From ar early stage of our revolution
other and more distant duties were assigned
to me. so that from that time TIL nv return
frosn Europe in 1889, aud may say till I
returned to reside at home, In 1879, / had
little opportunity OF knowing the progress
of public sentiment here on this subjeci.
had always hoped that the younger genera
ton. receiving their early Impressions after
the flame of liberty had been kindled in ev.
ery breast, and hsd become Is it were the
vital spirit OF every American, that the gen.
erous temperament of youth, analogous to
the motion of their blood. and above the
suggestions of avarice. ronld haze svmoa-
tAised nitI oppresssos rhererer fonnd. a.d
.cosld ha,e prored their lore of Liberty be-
vond their osss share Of Il. Bu, nv inter
course With them since my return has not
been sufficient to ascertain that thev made
towards this point the progress had hoped.
Your solitary but welcome voice Is the first