part15-第3章

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day　of　his　political　power；　the　last　hours；　and　even　beyond　the

midnight；　were　employed　in　filling　all　offices；　and　especially

permanent　ones；　with　the　bitterest　federalists；　and　providing　for　me

the　alternative；　either　to　execute　the　government　by　my　enemies；

whose　study　it　would　be　to　thwart　and　defeat　all　my　measures；　or　to

incur　the　odium　of　such　numerous　removals　from　office；　as　might　bear

me　down。　　A　little　time　and　reflection　effaced　in　my　mind　this

temporary　dissatisfaction　with　Mr。　Adams；　and　restored　me　to　that

just　estimate　of　his　virtues　and　passions；　which　a　long　acquaintance

had　enabled　me　to　fix。　　And　my　first　wish　became　that　of　making　his

retirement　easy　by　any　means　in　my　power；　for　it　was　understood　he

was　not　rich。　　I　suggested　to　some　republican　members　of　the

delegation　from　his　State；　the　giving　him；　either　directly　or

indirectly；　an　office；　the　most　lucrative　in　that　State；　and　then

offered　to　be　resigned；　if　they　thought　he　would　not　deem　it

affrontive。　　They　were　of　opinion　he　would　take　great　offence　at　the

offer；　and　moreover；　that　the　body　of　republicans　would　consider　such

a　step　in　the　outset　as　arguing　very　ill　of　the　course　I　meant　to

pursue。　　I　dropped　the　idea；　therefore；　but　did　not　cease　to　wish　for

some　opportunity　of　renewing　our　friendly　understanding。




　　　　　　　　Two　or　three　years　after；　having　had　the　misfortune　to　lose　a

daughter；　between　whom　and　Mrs。　Adams　there　had　been　a　considerable

attachment；　she　made　it　the　occasion　of　writing　me　a　letter；　in

which；　with　the　tenderest　expressions　of　concern　at　this　event；　she

carefully　avoided　a　single　one　of　friendship　towards　myself；　and　even

concluded　it　with　the　wishes　〃of　her　who　_once_　took　pleasure　in

subscribing　herself　your　friend；　Abigail　Adams。〃　Unpromising　as　was

the　complexion　of　this　letter；　I　determined　to　make　an　effort　towards

removing　the　cloud　from　between　us。　　This　brought　on　a　correspondence

which　I　now　enclose　for　your　perusal；　after　which　be　so　good　as　to

return　it　to　me；　as　I　have　never　communicated　it　to　any　mortal

breathing；　before。　　I　send　it　to　you；　to　convince　you　I　have　not　been

wanting　either　in　the　desire；　or　the　endeavor　to　remove　this

misunderstanding。　　Indeed；　I　thoughtit　highly　disgraceful　to　us　both；

as　indicating　minds　notsufficiently　elevated　to　prevent　a　public

competition　fromaffecting　our　personal　friendship。　　I　soon　found　from

thecorrespondence　that　conciliation　was　desperate；　and　yielding　to　an

intimation　in　her　last　letter；　I　ceased　from　further　explanation。　　I

have　the　same　good　opinion　of　Mr。　Adams　which　I　ever　had。　　I　know　him

to　be　an　honest　man；　an　able　one　with　his　pen；　and　he　was　a　powerful

advocate　on　the　floor　of　Congress。　　He　has　been　alienated　from　me；　by

belief　in　the　lying　suggestions　contrived　for　electioneering

purposes；　that　I　perhaps　mixed　in　the　activity　and　intrigues　of　the

occasion。　　My　most　intimate　friends　can　testify　that　I　was　perfectly

passive。　　They　would　sometimes；　indeed；　tell　me　what　was　going　on；

but　no　man　ever　heard　me　take　part　in　such　conversations；　and　none

ever　misrepresented　Mr。　Adams　in　my　presence；　without　my　asserting

his　just　character。　　With　very　confidential　persons　I　have　doubtless

disapproved　of　the　principles　and　practices　of　his　administration。

This　was　unavoidable。　　But　never　with　those　with　whom　it　could　do　him

any　injury。　　Decency　would　have　required　this　conduct　from　me；　if

disposition　had　not；　and　I　am　satisfied　Mr。　　Adams'　conduct　was

equally　honorable　towards　me。　　But　I　think　it　part　of　his　character

to　suspect　foul　play　in　those　of　whom　he　is　jealous；　and　not　easily

to　relinquish　his　suspicions。




　　　　　　　　I　have　gone；　my　dear　friend；　into　these　details；　that　you　might

know　everything　which　had　passed　between　us；　might　be　fully　possessed

of　the　state　of　facts　and　dispositions；　and　judge　for　yourself

whether　they　admit　a　revival　of　that　friendly　intercourse　for　which

you　are　so　kindly　solicitous。　　I　shall　certainly　not　be　wanting　in

anything　on　my　part　which　may　second　your　efforts；　which　will　be　the

easier　with　me；　inasmuch　as　I　do　not　entertain　a　sentiment　of　Mr。

Adams；　the　expression　of　which　could　give　him　reasonable　offence。

And　I　submit　the　whole　to　yourself；　with　the　assurance；　that　whatever

be　the　issue；　my　friendship　and　respect　for　yourself　will　remain

unaltered　and　unalterable。







　　　　　　　　〃THE　SEEDS　OF　CIVILIZATION〃




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Lynch_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　January　21；　1811_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　You　have　asked　my　opinion　on　the　proposition　of　Mrs。

Mifflin；　to　take　measures　for　procuring；　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　an

establishment　to　which　the　people　of　color　of　these　States　might；

from　time　to　time；　be　colonized；　under　the　auspices　of　different

governments。　　Having　long　ago　made　up　my　mind　on　this　subject；　I　have

no　hesitation　in　saying　that　I　have　ever　thought　it　the　most

desirable　measure　which　could　be　adopted；　for　gradually　drawing　off

this　part　of　our　population；　most　advantageously　for　themselves　as

well　as　for　us。　　Going　from　a　country　possessing　all　the　useful　arts；

they　might　be　the　means　of　transplanting　them　among　the　inhabitants

of　Africa；　and　would　thus　carry　back　to　the　country　of　their　origin；

the　seeds　of　civilization　which　might　render　their　sojournment　and

sufferings　here　a　blessing　in　the　end　to　that　country。




　　　　　　　　I　received；　in　the　first　year　of　my　coming　into　the

administration　of　the　General　Government；　a　letter　from　the　Governor

of　Virginia；　（Colonel　Monroe；）　consulting　me；　at　the　request　of　the

Legislature　of　the　State；　on　the　means　of　procuring　some　such　asylum；

to　which　these　people　might　be　occasionally　sent。　　I　proposed　to　him

the　establishment　of　Sierra　Leone；　to　which　a　private　company　in

England　had　already　colonized　a　number　of　negroes；　and　particularly

the　fugitives　from　these　States　during　the　Revolutionary　War；　and　at

the　same　time　suggested；　if　this　could　not　be　obtained；　some　of　the

Portuguese　possessions　in　South　America；　as　next　most　desirable。　　The

subsequent　Legislature　approving　these　ideas；　I　wrote；　the　ensuing

year；　1802；　to　Mr。　King；　our　Minister　in　London；　to　endeavor　to

negotiate　with　the　Sierra　Leone　company　a　reception　of　such　of　these

people　as　might　be　colonized　thither。　　He　opened　a　correspondence

with　Mr。　Wedderburne　and　Mr。　Thornton；　secretaries　of　the　company；　on

the　subject；　and　in　1803　I　received　through　Mr。　King　the　result；

which　was　that　the　colony　was　going　on；　but　in　a　languishing

condition；　that　the　funds　of　the　company　were　likely　to　fail；　as　they

received　no　returns　of　profit　to　keep　them　up；　that　they　were

therefore　in　treaty　with　their　government　to　take　the　establishment

off　their　hands；　but　that　in　no　event　should　they　be　willing　to

receive　more　of　these　people　from　the　United　States；　as　it　was

exactly　that　portion　of　their　settlers　which　had　gone　from　hence；

which；　by　their　idleness　and　turbulence；　had　kept　the　settlement　in

constant　danger　of　dissolution；　which　could　not　have　been　prevented

but　for　the　aid　of　the　Maroon　negroes　from　the　West　Indies；　who　were

more　industrious　and　orderly　than　the　others；　and　supported　the

authority　of　the　government　and　its　laws。　　I　think　I　learned

afterwards　that　the　British　Government　had　taken　the　colony　into　its

own　hands；　and　I　believe　it　still　exists。　　The　effort　which　I　made

with　Portugal；　to　obtain　an　establishment　for　them　within　their

claims　in　South　America；　proved　also　abortive。




　　　　　　　　You　inquire　further；　whether　I　would　use　my　endeavors　to

procure　for　such　an　establishment　security　against　violence　from

other　powers；　and　particularly　from　France？　　Certainly；　I　shall　be

willing　to　do　anything　I　can　to　give　it　effect　and　safety。　　But　I　am

but　a　private　individual；　and　could　only　use　endeavors　with　private

individuals；　whereas；　the　National　Government　can　address　themselves

at　once　to　those　of　Europe　to　obtain　the　desired　security；　and　will