第112章
加入书架 A- A+

  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。

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