The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-04-17

which has brought this sound 10 my ears
and have considered the general silenc.
which prevails on this subject, as indicatin,
an apathy unfavorable to every hope. Ye
the hour of emancipation is advancing i,
the march of time. II sciH come: ans
whether brought on by the generous ener
gy of our minds. or by the bloody process
of St. Domingo. excited and conducted b,
the power of our present enemy. if once sta
! toned permanently within our country. of
fer asylum and arms to the oppressed. is q
Leaf Of our history not get turned Oper. A.
} to the method BY which the difficult wori
\ is to be effected. il permitted TO be done
| by ourselves, hare seen no propositio,
so erpediest, on the ,cAole, as that of enaan
cipat,on Of those born after a given day ana
/ of their education and erporfafi0s at a
prope- age. This would give time for the
gradual extinction Of that species of labor
substitution of another. and lessen the Sc
verify Of the shock which an operation SO
fundamental would produce. The idea OF
emancipating the whole At once. the old as
well as the young, and retaining them here,
is of those only who have not the guide eli.
ther of knowledge or experience OF the sub.
ject. For men. probably of any color, but
of this color We know. brought up from in
fancy without necessity for thought or fore
cast. are by their habits rendered as incapa-
BILE as children of taking care of themselves.
10 the meantime they are pests in society
by their idleness and depradations to which
this leads them. Their smalgamation with
the other color produces a degradation to
which no lover Of his country, no lover of
excellence in human character. can limo.
Gently consent. am sensible of the par
tislities with which you have looked toward
me as the person who should undertake this
salutary but arduous work. But this, nv
dear sir. is like bidding old Priam to put on
the armor Of Hector. ..trementious aeoo hu-
nseris ct in4tile feryxm eresere." No. l have
outlived the generation with which mutual
labors and perils beget mutual influence
and confluence. This enterprise is for the
young; for those who can follow it up. and
bear 1t through " its consunmation. 1t shall
have all nv PRAYERS. and these are the only
weapons of an old man. But in the mean
time are you right in abandoning this prop
erty and your country with il? think not.
My opinion has ever been that. until more
can be done for them, We should endeavor
with those whom fortune has thrown on our
hands. to feed and clothe them we'll. protect
them from ill usage. require such reasonable
labor As is performed voluntarily by freemen
and be led by no repugnances to abdicate
them or our duties to them. The laws do
not permit US to turn them loose, if it were
for their good. and to commute them for
other property is to commit them to whose
usage we cannot control.
l hope. then, you will. my dear sir, rec
onc,e yourself TO your coun,ry and its un-
fortunate condition; that yau will not lessen
its stock of sound disposition by withdraw
ing your portion from the mass; that. on the
you will come for ward in the pub
lie councils. become the missionary of this
doctrine, truly Christian; insinuaie aud in-
culcate it softly. but steadily, through the
medium Of writing and conversation; asso
ciate others in your Iabors. and when the
phalanx is formed. bring on and press the
perssveringly until its accom-
plishment. 1t is an encouraging observa
tion that good measure was ever proposed
which, if duly pursued. failed to prevail in
the end. We have proof of this in the his
tory of the endeavors in the British Parlia-
ment to suppress the very trade which
brought the evil upon us. And you will be
by the religious precept. ''Be not
weary in well doing" That your success
may be as speedy and complete as it will
BE- honorable and immortal consolation to
yourself, shall as fsrvent!y and sincerely
pray, as | assure you Of my great friend
'hip and respect
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
EDWARD Coles. Esq.