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Documentary Sources Database. American Multiculturalism Series. Unit One. Documenting the African American Experience.
Printed and sold by Daniel Lawrence, no. 33. North Fourth-Street, near Race. Philadelphia M.DCC.XCII. [1792]
Early American Imprints, 1st series, no. 24073 (filmed)
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Evans 24073. I suppose it is a truth too well attested to you, to need a
proof here, that we are a race of beings, who have long labored
under the abuse and censure of the world ; that we have long been
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looked upon with an eye of contempt ; and that we have long been
considered rather as brutish than human, and scarcely capable of
mental endowments.
Sir, I hope I may safely admit, in consequence of that report
which hath reached me, that you are a man far less inflexible in
sentiments of this nature, than many others ; that you are
measurably friendly, and well disposed towards us ; and that you
are willing and ready to lend your aid and assistance to our
relief, from those many distresses, and numerous calamities, to
which we are reduced. Now Sir, if this is founded in truth, I
apprehend you will embrace every opportunity, to eradicate that
train of absurd and false ideas and opinions, which so generally
prevails with respect to us ; and that your sentiments are
concurrent with mine, which are, that one universal Father hath
given being to us all ; and that he hath not only made us all of
one flesh, but that he hath also, without partiality, afforded us
all the same sensations and endowed us all with the same
faculties ; and that however variable we may be in society
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or religion, however diversified in situation or color, we are
all of the same family, and stand in the same relation to him.
Sir, if these are sentiments of which you are fully
persuaded, I hope you cannot but acknowledge, that it is the
indispensible duty of those, who maintain for themselves the
rights of human nature, and who possess the obligations of
Christianity, to extend their power and influence to the relief
of every part of the human race, from whatever burden or
oppression they may unjustly labor under ; and this, I apprehend,
a full conviction of the truth and obligation of these principles
should lead all to. Sir, I have long been convinced, that if your
love for yourselves, and for those inestimable laws, which
preserved to you the rights of human nature, was founded on
sincerity, you could not but be solicitous, that every
individual, of whatever rank or distinction, might with you
equally enjoy the blessings thereof ; neither could you rest
satisfied short of the most active effusion of your exertions, in
order to their promotion from any state
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of degradation, to which the unjustifiable cruelty and barbarism
of men may have reduced them.
Sir, I freely and cheerfully acknowledge, that I am of the African race, and in that color which is natural to them of the deepest dye ; and it is under a sense of the most profound gratitude to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, that I now confess to you, that I am not under that state of tyrannical thraldom, and inhuman captivity, to which too many of my brethren are doomed, but that I have abundantly tasted of the fruition of those blessings, which proceed from that free and unequalled liberty with which you are favored ; and which, I hope, you will willingly allow you have mercifully received, from the immediate hand of that Being, from whom proceedeth every good and perfect Gift.
Sir, suffer me to recal to your mind that time, in which the
arms and tyranny of the British crown were exerted, with every
powerful effort, in order to reduce you to a state of servitude :
look back, I entreat you, on the variety of dangers to which you
were exposed ; reflect on that time, in which every human aid
appeared unavailable, and
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in which even hope and fortitude wore the aspect of inability to
the conflict, and you cannot but be led to a serious and grateful
sense of your miraculous and providential preservation ; you
cannot but acknowledge, that the present freedom and tranquility
which you enjoy you have mercifully received, and that it is the
peculiar blessing of Heaven.
This, Sir, was a time when you cleary saw into the injustice
of a state of slavery, and in which you had just apprehensions of
the horrors of its condition. It was now that your abhorrence
thereof was so excited, that you publicly held forth this true
and invaluable doctrine, which is worthy to be recorded and
remembered in all succeeding ages : ``We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal ; that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and
that among these are, life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.'' Here was a time, in which your tender feelings for
yourselves had engaged you thus to declare, you were then
impressed with proper ideas of the great violation of liberty,
and the free
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possession of those blessings, to which you were entitled by
nature ; but, Sir, how pitiable is it to reflect, that although
you were so fully convinced of the benevolence of the Father of
Mankind, and of his equal and impartial distribution of these
rights and privileges, which he hath conferred upon them, that
you should at the same time counteract his mercies, in detaining
by fraud and violence so numerous a part of my brethren, under
groaning captivity and cruel oppression, that you should at the
same time be found guilty of that most criminal act, which you
professedly detested in others, with respect to yourselves.
I suppose that your knowledge of the situation of my
brethren, is too extensive to need a recital here ; neither shall
I presume to prescribe methods by which they may be relieved,
otherwise than by recommending to you and all others, to wean
yourselves from those narrow prejudices which you have imbibed
with respect to them, and as Job proposed to his friends, ``put
your soul in their souls' stead ;'' thus shall your hearts be
enlarged with kindness and benevolence towards them ; and thus
shall
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you need neither the direction of myself or others, in what
manner to proceed herein. And now, Sir, although my sympathy and
affection for my brethren hath caused my enlargement thus far, I
ardently hope, that your candor and generosity will plead with
you in my behalf, when I make known to you, that it was not
originally my design ; but having taken up my pen in order to
direct to you, as a present, a copy of an Almanac, which I have
calculated for the succeeding year, I was unexpectedly and
unavoidably led thereto.
This calculation is the production of my arduous study, in this my advanced stage of life ; for having long had unbounded desires to become acquainted with the secrets of nature, I have had to gratify my curiosity herein, through my own assiduous application to Astronomical Study, in which I need not recount to you the many difficulties and disadvantages, which I have had to encounter.
And although I had almost declined to make my calculation for
the ensuing year, in
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consequence of that time which I had allotted therefor, being
taken up at the Federal Territory, by the request of Mr. Andrew
Ellicott, yet finding myself under several engagements to
Printers of this state, to whom I had communicated my design, on
my return to my place of residence, I industriously applied
myself thereto, which I hope I have accomplished with correctness
and accuracy ; a copy of which I have taken the liberty to direct
to you, and which I humbly request you will favorably receive ;
and although you may have the opportunity of perusing it after
its publication, yet I choose to send it to you in manuscript
previous thereto, that thereby you might not only have an earlier
inspection, but that you might also view it in my own hand
writing.
And now, Sir, I shall conclude, and subscribe myself, with
the most profound respect,
Your most obedient humble servant,
I THANK you, sincerely, for your letter of the 19th instant, and for the Almanac it contained. No body wishes more than I do, to see such proofs as you exhibit, that nature has given to our black brethren talents equal to those of the other colors of men ; and that the appearance of the want of them, is owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in Africa and America. I can add with truth, that no body wishes more ardently to see a good system commenced, for raising the condition, both of their body and mind, to what it ought to be, as far as the imbecility of their present existence, and other circumstances, which cannot be neglected, will admit.
I have taken the liberty of sending your Almanac to Monsieur
de Condozett, Secretary of the
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Academy of Sciences at Paris, and Member of the Philanthropic
Society, because I considered it as a document, to which your
whole color had a right for their justification, against the
doubts which have been entertained of them.
I am with great esteem, Sir, Your most obedient Humble Servant,
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
