第77章

SIR，——YouhaveaskedmyopiniononthepropositionofMrs。

Mifflin，totakemeasuresforprocuring，onthecoastofAfrica，anestablishmenttowhichthepeopleofcoloroftheseStatesmight，fromtimetotime，becolonized，undertheauspicesofdifferentgovernments。Havinglongagomadeupmymindonthissubject，IhavenohesitationinsayingthatIhaveeverthoughtitthemostdesirablemeasurewhichcouldbeadopted，forgraduallydrawingoffthispartofourpopulation，mostadvantageouslyforthemselvesaswellasforus。Goingfromacountrypossessingalltheusefularts，theymightbethemeansoftransplantingthemamongtheinhabitantsofAfrica，andwouldthuscarrybacktothecountryoftheirorigin，theseedsofcivilizationwhichmightrendertheirsojournmentandsufferingshereablessingintheendtothatcountry。

Ireceived，inthefirstyearofmycomingintotheadministrationoftheGeneralGovernment，aletterfromtheGovernorofVirginia，(ColonelMonroe，)consultingme，attherequestoftheLegislatureoftheState，onthemeansofprocuringsomesuchasylum，towhichthesepeoplemightbeoccasionallysent。IproposedtohimtheestablishmentofSierraLeone，towhichaprivatecompanyinEnglandhadalreadycolonizedanumberofnegroes，andparticularlythefugitivesfromtheseStatesduringtheRevolutionaryWar；andatthesametimesuggested，ifthiscouldnotbeobtained，someofthePortuguesepossessionsinSouthAmerica，asnextmostdesirable。ThesubsequentLegislatureapprovingtheseideas，Iwrote，theensuingyear，1802，toMr。King，ourMinisterinLondon，toendeavortonegotiatewiththeSierraLeonecompanyareceptionofsuchofthesepeopleasmightbecolonizedthither。HeopenedacorrespondencewithMr。WedderburneandMr。Thornton，secretariesofthecompany，onthesubject，andin1803IreceivedthroughMr。Kingtheresult，whichwasthatthecolonywasgoingon，butinalanguishingcondition；thatthefundsofthecompanywerelikelytofail，astheyreceivednoreturnsofprofittokeepthemup；thattheywerethereforeintreatywiththeirgovernmenttotaketheestablishmentofftheirhands；butthatinnoeventshouldtheybewillingtoreceivemoreofthesepeoplefromtheUnitedStates，asitwasexactlythatportionoftheirsettlerswhichhadgonefromhence，which，bytheiridlenessandturbulence，hadkeptthesettlementinconstantdangerofdissolution，whichcouldnothavebeenpreventedbutfortheaidoftheMaroonnegroesfromtheWestIndies，whoweremoreindustriousandorderlythantheothers，andsupportedtheauthorityofthegovernmentanditslaws。IthinkIlearnedafterwardsthattheBritishGovernmenthadtakenthecolonyintoitsownhands，andIbelieveitstillexists。TheeffortwhichImadewithPortugal，toobtainanestablishmentforthemwithintheirclaimsinSouthAmerica，provedalsoabortive。

Youinquirefurther，whetherIwouldusemyendeavorstoprocureforsuchanestablishmentsecurityagainstviolencefromotherpowers，andparticularlyfromFrance?Certainly，IshallbewillingtodoanythingIcantogiveiteffectandsafety。ButIambutaprivateindividual，andcouldonlyuseendeavorswithprivateindividuals；whereas，theNationalGovernmentcanaddressthemselvesatoncetothoseofEuropetoobtainthedesiredsecurity，andwillunquestionablybereadytoexertitsinfluencewiththosenationsforanobjectsobenevolentinitself，andsoimportanttoagreatportionofitsconstituents。Indeed，nothingismoretobewishedthanthattheUnitedStateswouldthemselvesundertaketomakesuchanestablishmentonthecoastofAfrica。Exclusiveofmotivesofhumanity，thecommercialadvantagestobederivedfromitmightrepayallitsexpenses。Butforthis，thenationalmindisnotyetprepared。Itmayperhapsbedoubtedwhethermanyofthesepeoplewouldvoluntarilyconsenttosuchanexchangeofsituation，andverycertainthatfewofthoseadvancedtoacertainageinhabitsofslavery，wouldbecapableofself-government。Thisshouldnot，however，discouragetheexperiment，northeearlytrialofit；andthepropositionshouldbemadewithalltheprudentcautionsandattentionsrequisitetoreconcileittotheinterests，thesafetyandtheprejudicesofallparties。

Accepttheassurancesofmyrespectandesteem。

THEEXECUTIVEOFFICE

_ToA。L。C。DestuttdeTracy_

_Monticello，January26，1811_

SIR，——ThelengthoftimeyourfavorofJunethe12th，1809，wasonitswaytome，andmyabsencefromhomethegreaterpartoftheautumn，delayedverymuchthepleasurewhichawaitedmeofreadingthepacketwhichaccompaniedit。IcannotexpresstoyouthesatisfactionwhichIreceivedfromitsperusal。Ihad，withtheworld，deemedMontesquieu’sworkofmuchmerit；butsawinit，witheverythinkingman，somuchofparadox，offalseprincipleandmisappliedfact，astorenderitsvalueequivocalonthewhole。

Williamsandothershadnibbledonlyatitserrors。Aradicalcorrectionofthem，therefore，wasagreatdesideratum。Thiswantisnowsupplied，andwithadepthofthought，precisionofidea，oflanguageandoflogic，whichwillforceconvictionint