I shall now take out my cudgel and accuse Mr. Dixon of George
Washington-bashing! (Kidding.)  I have great respect for Mr. Dixon's
knowledge of the law but here he is in error: "One post asserted that
Washington waived this requirement that the slave leave Virginia after one
year, which Washington had no authority to do."  Washington died in 1799,
the act requiring exile was passed in 1806.  His other points about GW, the
dower slaves, etc., are half right at best.  For the third time I will now
urge a list member to look at my book on GW and slavery: "An Imperfect God."
 I turned up a lot of new information, primary material never published
before.  GW's manumission seems to irritate Jefferson partisans because they
can't explain it away and it DOES make TJ look bad by comparison.  I was
compelled to share a stage with the redoubtable Alf Mapp, who spluttered in
genteel scholarly rage at the GW/TJ comparison.  Facts are facts.  Sorry!

Henry Wiencek
Charlottesville

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