part12-第3章

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On　our　western　&　southern　frontiers；　Spain　holds　an　immense　country；

the　occupancy　of　which；　however；　is　in　the　Indian　natives；　except　a

few　insulated　spots　possessed　by　Spanish　subjects。　　It　is　very

questionable；　indeed；　whether　the　Indians　would　sell？　whether　Spain

would　be　willing　to　receive　these　people？　and　nearly　certain　that　she

would　not　alienate　the　sovereignty。　　The　same　question　to　ourselves

would　recur　here　also；　as　did　in　the　first　case：　should　we　be　willing

to　have　such　a　colony　in　contact　with　us？　　However　our　present

interests　may　restrain　us　within　our　own　limits；　it　is　impossible　not

to　look　forward　to　distant　times；　when　our　rapid　multiplication　will

expand　itself　beyond　those　limits；　&　cover　the　whole　northern；　if　not

the　southern　continent；　with　a　people　speaking　the　same　language；

governed　in　similar　forms；　&　by　similar　laws；　nor　can　we　contemplate

with　satisfaction　either　blot　or　mixture　on　that　surface。　　Spain；

France；　and　Portugal　hold　possessions　on　the　southern　continent；　as

to　which　I　am　not　well　enough　informed　to　say　how　far　they　might　meet

our　views。　　But　either　there　or　in　the　northern　continent；　should　the

constituted　authorities　of　Virginia　fix　their　attention；　of

preference；　I　will　have　the　dispositions　of　those　powers　sounded　in

the　first　instance。




　　　　　　　　The　West　Indies　offer　a　more　probable　&　practicable　retreat　for

them。　　Inhabited　already　by　a　people　of　their　own　race　&　color；

climates　congenial　with　their　natural　constitution；　insulated　from

the　other　descriptions　of　men；　nature　seems　to　have　formed　these

islands　to　become　the　receptacle　of　the　blacks　transplanted　into　this

hemisphere。　　Whether　we　could　obtain　from　the　European　sovereigns　of

those　islands　leave　to　send　thither　the　persons　under　consideration；

I　cannot　say；　but　I　think　it　more　probable　than　the　former

propositions；　because　of　their　being　already　inhabited　more　or　less

by　the　same　race。　　The　most　promising　portion　of　them　is　the　island

of　St。　Domingo；　where　the　blacks　are　established　into　a　sovereignty

_de　facto_；　&　have　organized　themselves　under　regular　laws　&

government。　　I　should　conjecture　that　their　present　ruler　might　be

willing；　on　many　considerations；　to　receive　even　that　description

which　would　be　exiled　for　acts　deemed　criminal　by　us；　but

meritorious；　perhaps；　by　him。　　The　possibility　that　these　exiles

might　stimulate　&　conduct　vindicative　or　predatory　descents　on　our

coasts；　&　facilitate　concert　with　their　brethren　remaining　here；

looks　to　a　state　of　things　between　that　island　&　us　not　probable　on　a

contemplation　of　our　relative　strength；　and　of　the　disproportion

daily　growing；　and　it　is　overweighed　by　the　humanity　of　the　measures

proposed；　&　the　advantages　of　disembarrassing　ourselves　of　such

dangerous　characters。　　Africa　would　offer　a　last　&　undoubted　resort；

if　all　others　more　desirable　should　fail　us。　　Whenever　the

Legislature　of　Virginia　shall　have　brought　it's　mind　to　a　point；　so

that　I　may　know　exactly　what　to　propose　to　foreign　authorities；　I

will　execute　their　wishes　with　fidelity　&　zeal。　　I　hope；　however；

they　will　pardon　me　for　suggesting　a　single　question　for　their　own

consideration。　　When　we　contemplate　the　variety　of　countries　&　of

sovereigns　towards　which　we　may　direct　our　views；　the　vast

revolutions　&　changes　of　circumstances　which　are　now　in　a　course　of

progression；　the　possibilities　that　arrangements　now　to　be　made；　with

a　view　to　any　particular　plan；　may；　at　no　great　distance　of　time；　be

totally　deranged　by　a　change　of　sovereignty；　of　government；　or　of

other　circumstances；　it　will　be　for　the　Legislature　to　consider

whether；　after　they　shall　have　made　all　those　general　provisions

which　may　be　fixed　by　legislative　authority；　it　would　be　reposing　too

much　confidence　in　their　Executive　to　leave　the　place　of　relegation

to　be　decided　on　by　_them_。　　They　could　accommodate　their

arrangements　to　the　actual　state　of　things；　in　which　countries　or

powers　may　be　found　to　exist　at　the　day；　and　may　prevent　the　effect

of　the　law　from　being　defeated　by　intervening　changes。　　This；

however；　is　for　them　to　decide。　　Our　duty　will　be　to　respect　their

decision。







　　　　　　　　LIMITS　OF　THE　PRACTICABLE




　　　　　　　　_To　P。　S。　Dupont　de　Nemours_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Jan。　18；　1802_







　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　It　is　rare　I　can　indulge　myself　in　the　luxury　of

philosophy。　　Your　letters　give　me　a　few　of　those　delicious　moments。

Placed　as　you　are　in　a　great　commercial　town；　with　little　opportunity

of　discovering　the　dispositions　of　the　country　portions　of　our

citizens；　I　do　not　wonder　at　your　doubts　whether　they　will　generally

and　sincerely　concur　in　the　sentiments　and　measures　developed　in　my

message　of　the　7th　Jany。　　But　from　40。　years　of　intimate　conversation

with　the　agricultural　inhabitants　of　my　country；　I　can　pronounce　them

as　different　from　those　of　the　cities；　as　those　of　any　two　nations

known。　　The　sentiments　of　the　former　can　in　no　degree　be　inferred

from　those　of　the　latter。　　You　have　spoken　a　profound　truth　in　these

words；　〃Il　y　a　dans　les　etats　unis　un　bon　sens　silencieux；　un　esprit

de　justice　froide；　qui　lorsqu'il　est　question　d'emettre　un　_vote_

comme　les　bavardages　de　ceux　qui　font　les　habiles。〃　　A　plain　country

farmer　has　written　lately　a　pamphlet　on　our　public　affairs。　　His

testimony　of　the　sense　of　the　country　is　the　best　which　can　be

produced　of　the　justness　of　your　observation。　　His　words　are　〃The

tongue　of　man　is　not　his　whole　body。　　So；　in　this　case；　the　noisy

part　of　the　community　was　not　all　the　body　politic。　　During　the

career　of　fury　and　contention　（in　1800）　the　sedate；　grave　part　of　the

people　were　still；　hearing　all；　and　judging　for　themselves；　what

method　to　take；　when　the　constitutional　time　of　action　should　come；

the　exercise　of　the　right　of　suffrage。〃　　The　majority　of　the　present

legislature　are　in　unison　with　the　agricultural　part　of　our　citizens；

and　you　will　see　that　there　is　nothing　in　the　message；　to　which　they

do　not　accord。　　Some　things　may　perhaps　be　left　undone　from　motives

of　compromise　for　a　time；　and　not　to　alarm　by　too　sudden　a

reformation；　but　with　a　view　to　be　resumed　at　another　time。　　I　am

perfectly　satisfied　the　effect　of　the　proceedings　of　this　session　of

congress　will　be　to　consolidate　the　great　body　of　well　meaning

citizens　together；　whether　federal　or　republican；　heretofore　called。

I　do　not　mean　to　include　royalists　or　priests。　　Their　opposition　is

immovable。　　But　they　will　be　vox　et　preterea　nihil；　leaders　without

followers。　　I　am　satisfied　that　within　one　year　from　this　time　were

an　election　to　take　place　between　two　candidates　merely　republican

and　federal；　where　no　personal　opposition　existed　against　either；　the

federal　candidate　would　not　get　the　vote　of　a　single　elector　in　the

U。S。　　I　must　here　again　appeal　to　the　testimony　of　my　farmer；　who

says　〃The　great　body　of　the　people　are　one　in　sentiment。　　If　the

federal　party　and　the　republican　party；　should　each　of　them　choose　a

convention　to　frame　a　constitution　of　government　or　a　code　of　laws；

there　would　be　no　radical　difference　in　the　results　of　the　two

conventions。〃　　This　is　most　true。　　The　body　of　our　people；　tho'

divided　for　a　short　time　by　an　artificial　panic；　and　called　by

different　names；　have　ever　had　the　same　object　in　view；　to　wit；　the

maintenance　of　a　federal；　republican　government；　and　have　never

ceased　to　be　all　federalists；　all　republicans：　still　excepting　the

noisy　band　of　royalists　inhabiting　cities　chiefly；　and　priests　both

of　city　and　country。　　When　I　say　that　in　an　election　between　a

republican　and　federal　candidate；　free　from　personal　objection；　the

former　would　probably　get　every　vote；　I　must　not　be　understood　as

placing　myself　in　that　view。　　It　was　my　destiny　to　come　to　the

government　when　it　had　for　several　years　been　committed　to　a

particular　political　sect；　to　the　absolute　and　entire　exclusion　of

those　who　were　in　sentiment　w