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their　transfer　to　any　power　by　conquest；　cession；　or　acquisition　in

any　other　way。　　I　should　think　it；　therefore；　advisable；　that　the

Executive　should　encourage　the　British　government　to　a　continuance　in

the　dispositions　expressed　in　these　letters；　by　an　assurance　of　his

concurrence　with　them　as　far　as　his　authority　goes；　and　that　as　it

may　lead　to　war；　the　declaration　of　which　requires　an　act　of

Congress；　the　case　shall　be　laid　before　them　for　consideration　at

their　first　meeting；　and　under　the　reasonable　aspect　in　which　it　is

seen　by　himself。




　　　　　　　　I　have　been　so　long　weaned　from　political　subjects；　and　have　so

long　ceased　to　take　any　interest　in　them；　that　I　am　sensible　I　am　not

qualified　to　offer　opinions　on　them　worthy　of　any　attention。　　But　the

question　now　proposed　involves　consequences　so　lasting；　and　effects

so　decisive　of　our　future　destinies；　as　to　rekindle　all　the　interest

I　have　heretofore　felt　on　such　occasions；　and　to　induce　me　to　the

hazard　of　opinions；　which　will　prove　only　my　wish　to　contribute　still

my　mite　towards　anything　which　may　be　useful　to　our　country。　　And

praying　you　to　accept　it　at　only　what　it　is　worth；　I　add　the

assurance　of　my　constant　and　affectionate　friendship　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　A　PLAN　OF　EMANCIPATION




　　　　　　　　_To　Jared　Sparks_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　February　4；　1824_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　duly　received　your　favor　of　the　13th；　and　with

it；　the　last　number　of　the　North　American　Review。　　This　has

anticipated　the　one　I　should　receive　in　course；　but　have　not　yet

received；　under　my　subscription　to　the　new　series。　　The　article　on

the　African　colonization　of　the　people　of　color；　to　which　you　invite

my　attention；　I　have　read　with　great　consideration。　　It　is；　indeed；　a

fine　one；　and　will　do　much　good。　　I　learn　from　it　more；　too；　than　I

had　before　known；　of　the　degree　of　success　and　promise　of　that

colony。




　　　　　　　　In　the　disposition　of　these　unfortunate　people；　there　are　two

rational　objects　to　be　distinctly　kept　in　view。　　First。　The

establishment　of　a　colony　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　which　may　introduce

among　the　aborigines　the　arts　of　cultivated　life；　and　the　blessings

of　civilization　and　science。　　By　doing　this；　we　may　make　to　them　some

retribution　for　the　long　course　of　injuries　we　have　been　committing

on　their　population。　　And　considering　that　these　blessings　will

descend　to　the　_〃nati　natorum；　et　qui　nascentur　ab　illis；〃_　we　shall

in　the　long　run　have　rendered　them　perhaps　more　good　than　evil。　　To

fulfil　this　object；　the　colony　of　Sierra　Leone　promises　well；　and

that　of　Mesurado　adds　to　our　prospect　of　success。　　Under　this　view；

the　colonization　society　is　to　be　considered　as　a　missionary　society；

having　in　view；　however；　objects　more　humane；　more　justifiable；　and

less　aggressive　on　the　peace　of　other　nations；　than　the　others　of

that　appellation。




　　　　　　　　The　subject　object；　and　the　most　interesting　to　us；　as　coming

home　to　our　physical　and　moral　characters；　to　our　happiness　and

safety；　is　to　provide　an　asylum　to　which　we　can；　by　degrees；　send　the

whole　of　that　population　from　among　us；　and　establish　them　under　our

patronage　and　protection；　as　a　separate；　free　and　independent　people；

in　some　country　and　climate　friendly　to　human　life　and　happiness。

That　any　place　on　the　coast　of　Africa　should　answer　the　latter

purpose；　I　have　ever　deemed　entirely　impossible。　　And　without

repeating　the　other　arguments　which　have　been　urged　by　others；　I　will

appeal　to　figures　only；　which　admit　no　controversy。　　I　shall　speak　in

round　numbers；　not　absolutely　accurate；　yet　not　so　wide　from　truth　as

to　vary　the　result　materially。　　There　are　in　the　United　States　a

million　and　a　half　of　people　of　color　in　slavery。　　To　send　off　the

whole　of　these　at　once；　nobody　conceives　to　be　practicable　for　us；　or

expedient　for　them。　　Let　us　take　twenty…five　years　for　its

accomplishment；　within　which　time　they　will　be　doubled。　　Their

estimated　value　as　property；　in　the　first　place；　（for　actual　property

has　been　lawfully　vested　in　that　form；　and　who　can　lawfully　take　it

from　the　possessors？）　at　an　average　of　two　hundred　dollars　each；

young　and　old；　would　amount　to　six　hundred　millions　of　dollars；　which

must　be　paid　or　lost　by　somebody。　　To　this；　add　the　cost　of　their

transportation　by　land　and　sea　to　Mesurado；　a　year's　provision　of

food　and　clothing；　implements　of　husbandry　and　of　their　trades；　which

will　amount　to　three　hundred　millions　more；　making　thirty…six

millions　of　dollars　a　year　for　twenty…five　years；　with　insurance　of

peace　all　that　time；　and　it　is　impossible　to　look　at　the　question　a

second　time。　　I　am　aware　that　at　the　end　of　about　sixteen　years；　a

gradual　detraction　from　this　sum　will　commence；　from　the　gradual

diminution　of　breeders；　and　go　on　during　the　remaining　nine　years。

Calculate　this　deduction；　and　it　is　still　impossible　to　look　at　the

enterprise　a　second　time。　　I　do　not　say　this　to　induce　an　inference

that　the　getting　rid　of　them　is　forever　impossible。　　For　that　is

neither　my　opinion　nor　my　hope。　　But　only　that　it　cannot　be　done　in

this　way。　　There　is；　I　think；　a　way　in　which　it　can　be　done；　that　is；

by　emancipating　the　after…born；　leaving　them；　on　due　compensation；

with　their　mothers；　until　their　services　are　worth　their　maintenance；

and　then　putting　them　to　industrious　occupations；　until　a　proper　age

for　deportation。　　This　was　the　result　of　my　reflections　on　the

subject　five　and　forty　years　ago；　and　I　have　never　yet　been　able　to

conceive　any　other　practicable　plan。　　It　was　sketched　in　the　Notes　on

Virginia；　under　the　fourteenth　query。　　The　estimated　value　of　the

new…born　infant　is　so　low；　（say　twelve　dollars　and　fifty　cents；）　that

it　would　probably　be　yielded　by　the　owner　gratis；　and　would　thus

reduce　the　six　hundred　millions　of　dollars；　the　first　head　of

expense；　to　thirty…seven　millions　and　a　half；　leaving　only　the

expense　of　nourishment　while　with　the　mother；　and　of　transportation。

And　from　what　fund　are　these　expenses　to　be　furnished？　　Why　not　from

that　of　the　lands　which　have　been　ceded　by　the　very　States　now

needing　this　relief？　　And　ceded　on　no　consideration；　for　the　most

part；　but　that　of　the　general　good　of　the　whole。　　These　cessions

already　constitute　one　fourth　of　the　States　of　the　Union。　　It　may　be

said　that　these　lands　have　been　sold；　are　now　the　property　of　the

citizens　composing　those　States；　and　the　money　long　ago　received　and

expended。　　But　an　equivalent　of　lands　in　the　territories　since

acquired；　may　be　appropriated　to　that　object；　or　so　much；　at　least；

as　may　be　sufficient；　and　the　object；　although　more　important　to　the

slave　States；　is　highly　so　to　the　others　also；　if　they　were　serious

in　their　arguments　on　the　Missouri　question。　　The　slave　States；　too；

if　more　interested；　would　also　contribute　more　by　their　gratuitous

liberation；　thus　taking　on　themselves　alone　the　first　and　heaviest

item　of　expense。




　　　　　　　　In　the　plan　sketched　in　the　Notes　on　Virginia；　no　particular

place　of　asylum　was　specified；　because　it　was　thought　possible；　that

in　the　revolutionary　state　of　America；　then　commenced；　events　might

open　to　us　some　one　within　practicable　distance。　　This　has　now

happened。　　St。　Domingo　has　become　independent；　and　with　a　population

of　that　color　only；　and　if　the　public　papers　are　to　be　credited；

their　Chief　offers　to　pay　their　passage；　to　receive　them　as　free

citizens；　and　to　provide　them　employment。　　This　leaves；　then；　for　the

general　confederacy；　no　expense　but　of　nurture　with　the　mother　a　few

years；　and　would　call；　of　course；　for　a　very　moderate　appropriation

of　the　vacant　lands。　　Suppose　the　whole　annual　increase　to　be　of

sixty　thousand　effective　births；　fifty　vessels；　of　four　hundred　tons

burthen　each；　constantly　employed　in　that　short　run；　would　carry　off

the　increase　of　every　year；　and　the　old　stock　would　die　off　in　the

ordinary　course　of　nature；　lessening　from　the　commencement　until　its

final　disappearance。　　In　this　way　no　violation　of　private　right　is

proposed。　　Voluntary　surrenders　would　probably　come　in　as　fast　as　the

means　to　be　provided　for　their　care　would　be　competent　to　it。

Looking　at　my　own　State　only；　and　I　presume　not　to　speak　for　the

others；　I　verily　believe　that　this　surrender　of　property　would　not

amount　to　more；　annually；　than　half　our　present　direct　taxes；　to　be

continued　fully　about　twenty　or　twenty…five　years；　and　then　gradually

diminishing　for　as　many　more　until　their　final　extinction；　and　even

this　half　tax　would　not　be　paid　in　cash；　but　by　the　delivery　of　an

object　which　they　have　never　yet　known　or　counted　as　part　of　their

property；　and　those　not　possessing　the　object　will　be　called　on　for

nothing。　　I　do　not　go　into　all　the　details　of　the　burthens　and

benefits　of　this　operation。　　And　who　could　estimate　its　blessed

effects？　　I　leave　this　to　those　who　will　live　to　see　their

accomplishment；　and　to　enjoy　a　beatitude　forbidden　to　my　age。　　But　I

leave　it　with　this　admonition；　to　rise　and　be　doing。　　A　million　and　a

half　are　within　their　control；　but　six　millions；　（which　a　majority　of

those　now　living　will　see　them　attain；）　and　one　million　of　these

fighting　men；　will　say；　〃we　will　not　go。〃




　　　　　　　　I　am　aware　that　this　subject　involves　some　constitutional

scruples。　　But　a　liberal　construction；　justified　by　the　object；　may

go　far；　and　an　amendment　of　the　constitution；　the　whole　length

necessary。　　The　separation　of　infants　from　their　mothers；　too；　would

produce　some　scruples　of　humanity。　　But　this　would　be　straining　at　a

gnat；　and　swallowing　a　camel。




　　　　　　　　I　am　much　pleased　to　see　that　you　have　taken　up　the　subject　of

the　duty　on　imported　books。　　I　hope　a　crusade　will　be　kept　up　against

it；　until　those　in　power　shall　become　sensible　of　this　stain　on　our

legislation；　and　shall　wipe　it　from　their　code；　and　from　the

remembrance　of　man；　if　possible。




　　　　　　　　I　salute　you　with　assur