7947. SLAVERY, Moral reproach of.—
My sentiments 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 and ourselves from our present
condition of moral and political reprobation.
* * * I had always hoped that the younger
generation receiving their early impressions
after the flame of liberty had been kindled in
every breast, and had become, as it were, the
vital spirit of every American, that the generous
temperament of youth, analogous to the
motion of the 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
[from Europe] has not been sufficient to ascertain
that they had made towards this point the
progress I had hoped.—
To Edward Coles.
Ford ed., ix, 477.
(M.
1814)
