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Platonisms　engrafted　on　them：　and　for　this　obvious　reason　that

nonsense　can　never　be　explained。　　Their　purposes　however　are

answered。　　Plato　is　canonized；　and　it　is　now　deemed　as　impious　to

question　his　merits　as　those　of　an　Apostle　of　Jesus。　　He　is

peculiarly　appealed　to　as　an　advocate　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul；

and　yet　I　will　venture　to　say　that　were　there　no　better　arguments

than　his　in　proof　of　it；　not　a　man　in　the　world　would　believe　it。　　It

is　fortunate　for　us　that　Platonic　republicanism　has　not　obtained　the

same　favor　as　Platonic　Christianity；　or　we　should　now　have　been　all

living；　men；　women　and　children；　pell　mell　together；　like　beasts　of

the　field　or　forest。　　Yet　‘Plato　is　a　great　Philosopher；'　said　La

Fontaine。　　But　says　Fontenelle　‘do　you　find　his　ideas　very　clear'？

‘Oh　no！　he　is　of　an　obscurity　impenetrable。'　‘Do　you　not　find　him

full　of　contradictions？'　　‘Certainly；'　replied　La　Fontaine；　‘he　is

but　a　Sophist。'　Yet　immediately　after；　he　exclaims　again；　‘Oh　Plato

was　a　great　Philosopher。'　Socrates　had　reason　indeed　to　complain　of

the　misrepresentations　of　Plato；　for　in　truth　his　dialogues　are

libels　on　Socrates。




　　　　　　　　But　why　am　I　dosing　you　with　these　Ante…diluvian　topics？

Because　I　am　glad　to　have　some　one　to　whom　they　are　familiar；　and　who

will　not　recieve　them　as　if　dropped　from　the　moon。　　Our

post…revolutionary　youth　are　born　under　happier　stars　than　you　and　I

were。　　They　acquire　all　learning　in　their　mothers'　womb；　and　bring　it

into　the　world　ready…made。　　The　information　of　books　is　no　longer

necessary；　and　all　knolege　which　is　not　innate；　is　in　contempt；　or

neglect　at　least。　　Every　folly　must　run　it's　round；　and　so；　I

suppose；　must　that　of　self…learning；　and　self　sufficiency；　of

rejecting　the　knolege　acquired　in　past　ages；　and　starting　on　the　new

ground　of　intuition。　　When　sobered　by　experience　I　hope　our

successors　will　turn　their　attention　to　the　advantages　of　education。

I　mean　of　education　on　the　broad　scale；　and　not　that　of　the　petty

_academies_；　as　they　call　themselves；　which　are　starting　up　in　every

neighborhood；　and　where　one　or　two　men；　possessing　Latin；　and

sometimes　Greek；　a　knolege　of　the　globes；　and　the　first　six　books　of

Euclid；　imagine　and　communicate　this　as　the　sum　of　science。　　They

commit　their　pupils　to　the　theatre　of　the　world　with　just　taste

enough　of　learning　to　be　alienated　from　industrious　pursuits；　and　not

enough　to　do　service　in　the　ranks　of　science。　　We　have　some

exceptions　indeed。　　I　presented　one　to　you　lately；　and　we　have　some

others。　　But　the　terms　I　use　are　general　truths。　　I　hope　the

necessity　will　at　length　be　seen　of　establishing　institutions；　here

as　in　Europe；　where　every　branch　of　science；　useful　at　this　day；　may

be　taught　in　it's　highest　degrees。　　Have　you　ever　turned　your

thoughts　to　the　plan　of　such　an　institution？　　I　mean　to　a

specification　of　the　particular　sciences　of　real　use　in　human

affairs；　and　how　they　might　be　so　grouped　as　to　require　so　many

professors　only　as　might　bring　them　within　the　views　of　a　just　but

enlightened　economy？　　I　should　be　happy　in　a　communication　of　your

ideas　on　this　problem；　either　loose　or　digested。　　But　to　avoid　my

being　run　away　with　by　another　subject；　and　adding　to　the　length　and

ennui　of　the　present　letter；　I　will　here　present　to　Mrs。　Adams　and

yourself　the　assurance　of　my　constant　and　sincere　friendship　and

respect。







　　　　　　　　EMANCIPATION　AND　THE　YOUNGER　GENERATION




　　　　　　　　_To　Edward　Coles_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　August　25；　1814_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favour　of　July　31；　was　duly　received；　and　was

read　with　peculiar　pleasure。　　The　sentiments　breathed　through　the

whole　do　honor　to　both　the　head　and　heart　of　the　writer。　　Mine　on　the

subject　of　slavery　of　negroes　have　long　since　been　in　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　a　moral　reproach　to　us　that　they　should　have

pleaded　it　so　long　in　vain；　and　should　have　produced　not　a　single

effort；　nay　I　fear　not　much　serious　willingness　to　relieve　them　&

ourselves　from　our　present　condition　of　moral　&　political

reprobation。　　From　those　of　the　former　generation　who　were　in　the

fulness　of　age　when　I　came　into　public　life；　which　was　while　our

controversy　with　England　was　on　paper　only；　I　soon　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；　not　reflecting　that　that　degradation　was　very　much　the　work

of　themselves　&　their　fathers；　few　minds　have　yet　doubted　but　that

they　were　as　legitimate　subjects　of　property　as　their　horses　and

cattle。　　The　quiet　and　monotonous　course　of　colonial　life　has　been

disturbed　by　no　alarm；　and　little　reflection　on　the　value　of　liberty。

And　when　alarm　was　taken　at　an　enterprize　on　their　own；　it　was　not

easy　to　carry　them　to　the　whole　length　of　the　principles　which　they

invoked　for　themselves。　　In　the　first　or　second　session　of　the

Legislature　after　I　became　a　member；　I　drew　to　this　subject　the

attention　of　Col。　Bland；　one　of　the　oldest；　ablest；　&　most　respected

members；　and　he　undertook　to　move　for　certain　moderate　extensions　of

the　protection　of　the　laws　to　these　people。　　I　seconded　his　motion；

and；　as　a　younger　member；　was　more　spared　in　the　debate；　but　he　was

denounced　as　an　enemy　of　his　country；　&　was　treated　with　the　grossest

indecorum。　　From　an　early　stage　of　our　revolution　other　&　more

distant　duties　were　assigned　to　me；　so　that　from　that　time　till　my

return　from　Europe　in　1789；　and　I　may　say　till　I　returned　to　reside

at　home　in　1809；　I　had　little　opportunity　of　knowing　the　progress　of

public　sentiment　here　on　this　subject。　　I　had　always　hoped　that　the

younger　generation　receiving　their　early　impressions　after　the　flame

of　liberty　had　been　kindled　in　every　breast；　&　had　become　as　it　were

the　vital　spirit　of　every　American；　that　the　generous　temperament　of

youth；　analogous　to　the　motion　of　their　blood；　and　above　the

suggestions　of　avarice；　would　have　sympathized　with　oppression

wherever　found；　and　proved　their　love　of　liberty　beyond　their　own

share　of　it。　　But　my　intercourse　with　them；　since　my　return　has　not

been　sufficient　to　ascertain　that　they　had　made　towards　this　point

the　progress　I　had　hoped。　　Your　solitary　but　welcome　voice　is　the

first　which　has　brought　this　sound　to　my　ear；　and　I　have　considered

the　general　silence　which　prevails　on　this　subject　as　indicating　an

apathy　unfavorable　to　every　hope。　　Yet　the　hour　of　emancipation　is

advancing；　in　the　march　of　time。　　It　will　come；　and　whether　brought

on　by　the　generous　energy　of　our　own　minds；　or　by　the　bloody　process

of　St　Domingo；　excited　and　conducted　by　the　power　of　our　present

enemy；　if　once　stationed　permanently　within　our　Country；　and　offering

asylum　&　arms　to　the　oppressed；　is　a　leaf　of　our　history　not　yet

turned　over。　　As　to　the　method　by　which　this　difficult　work　is　to　be

effected；　if　permitted　to　be　done　by　ourselves；　I　have　seen　no

proposition　so　expedient　on　the　whole；　as　that　as　emancipation　of

those　born　after　a　given　day；　and　of　their　education　and　expatriation

after　a　given　age。　　This　would　give　time　for　a　gradual　extinction　of

that　species　of　labour　&　substitution　of　another；　and　lessen　the

severity　of　the　shock　which　an　operation　so　fundamental　cannot　fail

to　produce。　　For　men　probably　of　any　color；　but　of　this　color　we

know；　brought　from　their　infancy　without　necessity　for　thought　or

forecast；　are　by　their　habits　rendered　as　incapable　as　children　of

taking　care　of　themselves；　and　are　extinguished　promptly　wherever

industry　is　necessary　for　raising　young。　　In　the　mean　time　they　are

pests　in　society　by　their　idleness；　and　the　depredations　to　which

this　leads　them。　　Their　amalgamation　with　the　other　color　produces　a

degradation　to　which　no　lover　of　his　country；　no　lover　of　excellence

in　the　human　character　can　innocently　consent。　　I　am　sensible　of　the

partialities　with　which　you　have　looked　towards　me　as　the　person　who

should　undertake　this　salutary　but　arduous　work。　　But　this；　my　dear

sir；　is　like　bidding　old　Priam　to　buckle　the　armour　of　Hector

〃trementibus　aequo　humeris　et　inutile　ferruncingi。〃　No；　I　have

overlived　the　generation　with　which　mutual　labors　&　perils　begat

mutual　confidence　and　influence。　　This　enterprise　is　for　the　young；

for　those　who　can　follow　it　up；　and　bear　it　through　to　its

consummation。　　It　shall　have　all　my　prayers；　&　these　are　the　only

weapons　of　an　old　man。　　But　in　the　mean　time　are　you　right　in

abandoning　this　property；　and　your　country　with　it？　　I　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　well；　protect　them　from　all　ill　usage；　require

such　reasonable　labor　only　as　is　performed　voluntarily　by　freemen；　&

be　led　by　no　repugnancies　to　abdicate　them；　and　our　duties　to　them。

The　laws　do　not　permit　us　to　turn　them　loose；　if　that　were　for　their

good：　and　to　commute　them　for　other　property　is　to　commit　them　to

those　whose　usage　of　them　we　cannot　control。　　I　hope　then；　my　dear

sir；　you　will　reconcile　yourself　to　your　country　and　its　unfortunate

condition；　that　you　will　not　lessen　its　stock　of　sound　disposition　by

withdrawing　your　portion　from　the　mass。　　That；　on　the　contrary　you

will　come　forward　in　the　public　councils；　become　the　missionary　of

this　doctrine　truly　christian；　insinuate　&　inculcate　it　softly　but

steadily；　through　the　medium　of　writing　and　conversation；　associate

others　in　your　labors；　and　when　the　phalanx　is　formed；　bring　on　and

press　the　proposition　perseveringly　until　its　accomplishment。　　It　is

an　encouraging　observation　that　no　good　measure　was　ever　proposed；

which；　if　duly　pursued；　failed　to　prevail　in　the　end。　　We　have　pro