The broad ax., 1914-11-07
THOMAS JEFFERSON THE FIRST
ABoLITIoNIsT

Il Ihe great NIEiuidh1 AhoAhaS JNueE
son, shortly after the American Revolu
tiOn war, uttered some words concern,
ing the Negro and the White man, that
ought 10 be read and re-read, in these
present times. And, it must be remem.
bered that these noble words, in order
o appreciate their true worth and value
should be read in the light of the con.
ditions as existing then. If, then, we
read them with such conditions in mind,
we shall be forced to exelaim in the
light of the advance of the Negro race,
since that time, under tremendous odds,
"What hath God wrought"
Thomas Jefferson was the father of
4" Abolitionists as certainly appears
from his brave and fearless pleading for
Justice" on behalf of the oppressed.
But We shall let the words of Mr.. JEFF
ferson speak for themselves.
Says Thomas Jefferson:
"There must doubtless be an unhappy
influence on the manners of our people
produced by the existence of slavery
among u.s. The whole commerce be-
tween master and slave is a perpetual
exercise of the most boisterous passions,
the most unremitting despotism on the
one part, and degrading submission on
the other. Our children see this, and
learn to initiate il, for man is an imita-
tive animal. This quality is the germ
IF all education in him. From his cradle
to his grave he is learning to do what
he sees other do. If parent could find
no motive, either in his philanthropy or
his self-love, for restraining the in
temperance of passion towards his
slave, it should always be a sufficient
one that his child is present. But gen.
orally it 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, gives
a loose TO the wort of passions, and thus
nursed, educated, and daily exercised in
tyranny, cannot but be stamped by it
with odious Peculiarities. The man
must be a prodigy who can retain his
manners and morals undepraved by such
circumstances. And with what execra-
tion should the statesman be loaded,
who, permitting one-half the citizens
thus to trample on the rights of the
other, transform those into despots, and
these into enemies, destroys the morals
of the one part, and the amor patriae
of the other.
'For if a slave can have a country
in this world, it must be any other in
preference to that in which he is born
to live and labor for another; in which
be must lock mp the faculties of his
nature, contribute as far as depends on
his individual endeavors to the advance
ment of the human race, or entail his
own miserable condition on the endless
generations proceeding from him.
"With the morals of the people, their
industry is also destroyed. For in a
warm climate, no man will labor for
himself who can make another labor
for him. This is so true, that of the
proprietors of slaves 9 very small pro
portion indeed are ever seen to labor
And can the liberties Of q nation be
thought secure when We have removed
their only firm basis, conviction in the |
minds Of the people that these liberties
are of the gift of Godf That they are
not to be violated but with His WRATH
"Inded, tremble for my country
when reflect that God is Just; that His
justice can not sleep forever; that con-
numbers, nature and natural
means only, a revolution Of the wheel
of fortune, an exchange Of situation is
among possible events; that it may be-
come probable by supernatural inter
ference.
The Almighty has no attribute which
can take side with us in such a contest.
But it is impossible to be temperate and
to pursue this subject through the var
iOus considerations of policy, of morals,
Of history, natural and civil. We must
be eontented to hope they win force
their way into every ones mind. I
think a change already pereeptible,
since the origin Of the present revolu-
ton. The spirit of the master is abat-
ing, that Of the slave rising from the
dust, his condition modifying, the way
l hope preparing, a total emancipation,
and that this is disposed, in the prder
Of events, under the auspices of heaven,
for to be with the consent of the mas
ters, rather than by their extirpation. 4"