Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-09
OUR MAIL POUCH.
Jefrsrson,. slarery Atti.ude.

To the Editor of The Dispatch:
IF your Wampun and New Brighton cor
respondents would but enter upon the work
OF investigation, they would soon adjust
their little unpleasan tness, and also pre-
serve the honored name of Jefferson from
the charge OF Inconsistency on the one hand
ana from being the victim of environment
on the other. believe that to every intel
ngent, unprejudiced mind, the attitude of
Ihomas Jefferson on the slavery question
was not inconsistent with the immortal sem
tlment expressed in that first sentence of
the Declaration of Independence. Through
OUT ms whole career Mr.. Jefferson was op-
posed to human slavery as the following.
gathered from reliable sources and within
the reach Of your correspondent, will show:
In l'os he was chosen to q seat in the Legis-
iature OF Virginia. During the session he in
troouceo bill empowering shareholders
10 manumt their slaves If they wished
to do so. Slavery advocates caught the
alarm, and the proposition was rejected by
an OVerwnelmlng vote.
Again in the Provincial Convention of his
colony, and two years before the Declaration
OF independence was signed. paper was
presented from Tn tomas Jefferson in which
he said: 1.-The abolition OF domestic slavery
IS the great object of desire in those colon
les, whersb 1t was unhappily introduced in
their Infant state; yet our repeated at
hitherto defeated by His Maiesty;s negative,
thus preferring the immediate advantage of
few British corsairs to the lasting interests
of the American States and to the rights of
human nature, deeply wounded by the in
famous practice"
During the war for independence Mr. JEFF
ferson was Governor of Virginia. The Brit
ish Colonel .Tarleton, with savage terocity
WAS sweeping the State in every direction
He conceived the idea of capturing the
Governor. So he sent secret expedition
to Monticello. Mr.. Jefferson escaped.
The foe destroyed his crops. burnt his barns.
drove Off his cattle and horses and left the
whole plantation a smouldering waste.
Twenty-seven slaves were also carried off.
When Mr. Jefferson heard of his loss, he said
with characteristic magnanimity: "IIad he
carried off the slaves to give them freedom,
he would have done right"
In March. 1854, Mr.. Jefferson wasappointed
on committee to draught plan for the
government of that immense region called
the Northwestern Territory. The draught is
still preserved i'm his handwriting in WASH
ington. True to his unwavering principle
of devotion to the rights of humanity, he
fnclosed i'll the ordinance the provision,
THAT after the year $500 OF the Christian
era there shall neither be slavery nof invol-
untary servitude in any Of the said States,
otherwise than in punishment OF crimes
whereof the party shall have been duly con-
yIcted to have been personally guilty"
This clause was stricken out on motion OF
Mr.. Spaight, of North Carolina. seconded by
Mr. Reed, of South Carolina. These extracts
from the public life of Thomas Jefferson go
to show that the charge Of inconsistency
cannot be proved against him. Let us now
turn to his private life.
In F72, Mr.. jefferson was married to Mrs.
Martha Skelton. She brought to him as her
dowry 40 900 acres of land and 1876 slaves.
Over these slaves Mr.. jefferson had no con-
troll. He could not, under the law, give
them their liberty. And though he labored
with all his energies for the abolition of
slavery, declaring it to be "a curse TO the
master, a curse to the slave and an offense
in the sight of God" he was powerless to do
that which every act of his life warrants us
in believing he would gladly do, viz: liber
ate his slaves. 1t Is our firm conviction that
had Jefferson lived in the days of Lincoln
he would have stood side by side with the
great emnncipator. pleading for the rights
Of man, and no pen would have been more
powerful and eloquent in its pleadings of
the cause of the slave than would that of the
immortal author of that immortal docu-
ment, "The Declaration of Independence"
EAST BRADY, PA. 8.