第112章

IntheplansketchedintheNotesonVirginia，noparticularplaceofasylumwasspecified；becauseitwasthoughtpossible，thatintherevolutionarystateofAmerica，thencommenced，eventsmightopentoussomeonewithinpracticabledistance。Thishasnowhappened。St。Domingohasbecomeindependent，andwithapopulationofthatcoloronly；andifthepublicpapersaretobecredited，theirChiefofferstopaytheirpassage，toreceivethemasfreecitizens，andtoprovidethememployment。Thisleaves，then，forthegeneralconfederacy，noexpensebutofnurturewiththemotherafewyears，andwouldcall，ofcourse，foraverymoderateappropriationofthevacantlands。Supposethewholeannualincreasetobeofsixtythousandeffectivebirths，fiftyvessels，offourhundredtonsburtheneach，constantlyemployedinthatshortrun，wouldcarryofftheincreaseofeveryyear，andtheoldstockwoulddieoffintheordinarycourseofnature，lesseningfromthecommencementuntilitsfinaldisappearance。Inthiswaynoviolationofprivaterightisproposed。Voluntarysurrenderswouldprobablycomeinasfastasthemeanstobeprovidedfortheircarewouldbecompetenttoit。

LookingatmyownStateonly，andIpresumenottospeakfortheothers，Iverilybelievethatthissurrenderofpropertywouldnotamounttomore，annually，thanhalfourpresentdirecttaxes，tobecontinuedfullyabouttwentyortwenty-fiveyears，andthengraduallydiminishingforasmanymoreuntiltheirfinalextinction；andeventhishalftaxwouldnotbepaidincash，butbythedeliveryofanobjectwhichtheyhaveneveryetknownorcountedaspartoftheirproperty；andthosenotpossessingtheobjectwillbecalledonfornothing。Idonotgointoallthedetailsoftheburthensandbenefitsofthisoperation。Andwhocouldestimateitsblessedeffects?Ileavethistothosewhowilllivetoseetheiraccomplishment，andtoenjoyabeatitudeforbiddentomyage。ButI

leaveitwiththisadmonition，toriseandbedoing。Amillionandahalfarewithintheircontrol；butsixmillions，(whichamajorityofthosenowlivingwillseethemattain，)andonemillionofthesefightingmen，willsay，”wewillnotgo。”

Iamawarethatthissubjectinvolvessomeconstitutionalscruples。Butaliberalconstruction，justifiedbytheobject，maygofar，andanamendmentoftheconstitution，thewholelengthnecessary。Theseparationofinfantsfromtheirmothers，too，wouldproducesomescruplesofhumanity。Butthiswouldbestrainingatagnat，andswallowingacamel。

Iammuchpleasedtoseethatyouhavetakenupthesubjectofthedutyonimportedbooks。Ihopeacrusadewillbekeptupagainstit，untilthoseinpowershallbecomesensibleofthisstainonourlegislation，andshallwipeitfromtheircode，andfromtheremembranceofman，ifpossible。

Isaluteyouwithassurancesofhighrespectandesteem。

PROFESSORSFROMABROAD

_ToDugaldStewart_

_MonticelloinVirginia，Apr。26，1824_

DEARSIR，——Itisnow35yearssinceIhadthegreatpleasureofbecomingacquaintedwithyouinParis，andsincewesawtogetherLouisXVI。ledintriumphbyhispeoplethro’thestreetsofhiscapital；theseyearstoohavebeenlikeagesintheeventstheyhaveengenderedwithoutseemingatalltohavebetteredthecondnofsufferingman。Yethismindhasbeenopeningandadvancing，asentimentofhiswrongshasbeenspreading，anditwillendintheultimateestablishmentofhisrights。Toeffectthisnothingiswantingbutageneralconcurrenceofwill，andsomefortunateaccidentwillproducethat。AtasubsequentperiodyouweresokindastorecallmetoyourrecollectiononthepublicnofyourinvaluablebookonthePhilosophyoftheHumanMind，acopyofwhichyousentme，andIhavebeenhappytoseeitbecomethetextbookofmostofourcolleges&academies，andpassthro’severalreimpressionsintheU。S。Anoccurrenceofacharacterdeartousbothleadsagaintoarenewalofourrecollectionsandassociatesusinanoccasionofstillrenderingsomeservicetothoseweareabouttoleave。TheStateofVirga，ofwhichIamanativeandresident，isestablishinganuniversityonascaleasextensiveandliberalascircumstancespermitorcallfor。Wehavebeen4or5yearsinpreparingourbuildings，whicharenowreadytorecievetheirtenants。Weproceed，therefore，totheengagingprofessors，andanxioustorecievenonebutofthehighestgradeofscienceintheirrespectivelines，wefindwemusthaverecoursetoEurope，wherealonethatgradeistobefound，andtoGr。Br。ofpreference，asthelandofourownlanguage，morals，manners，andhabits。Tomaketheselectionwesendaspecialagent，M’rFrancisW。Gilmer，whowillhavethehonorofdeliveringyouthisletter。Heiswelleducatedhimselfinmostofthebranchesofscience，ofcorrectmoralsandhabits，anenlargedmind，andadiscretionmeritingentireconfidence。FromtheuniversitiesofOxfordandCambridge，whereweexpecthewillfindpersonsdulyqualifiedintheparticularbranchesinwhichtheseseminariesarerespectivelyeminent，hewillpassontoEdinburg，distinguishedforit’sschoolofMedicineaswellasofothersciences，butwhenarrivedtherehewillbeaperfectstranger，andwouldhavetogropehiswayindarknessanduncertainty；youcanlightenhispath，andtobeseechyoutodosoistheobjectofthisletter。Yourknolegeofpersonsandcharacterstherecanguardhimagainstbeingmisledandleadhimtotheconsummationofourwishes