O.K., Robert Carter is a great example. Paul Finkelman says Ben Franklin,
but I would like to see how many slaves and under what circumstances. I
don't think James Madison and James Monroe meet the test which Jefferson
supposedly fails, nor did Washington: emancipate the slaves, give up the
farm, go to work. Many decried against slavery, as did George Mason, and
many probably supported anti-slavery societies, without emancipating their
slaves. So, why is there a bull's eye on Jefferson?
Richard E. Dixon
Clifton, VA 20124-2115
703-830-8177
fax 703-691-0978
> [Original Message]
> From: John Maass <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 12/6/2005 3:48:50 PM
> Subject: Re: "common-sense Jeffersonian conservative principles"
>
> Other prominent Founding Fathers who were members of societies for ending
slavery included Richard Bassett, James Madison, James Monroe, Bushrod
Washington, Charles Carroll, William Few, John Marshall, though I don;t
think all of these men freed their slaves. Robert Carter did so--a new
book about him is:
> The First Emancipator : The Forgotten Story of Robert Carter, the
Founding Father Who Freed His Slaves, by
> Andrew Levy.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Paul Finkelman
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 3:41 PM
> Subject: Re: "common-sense Jeffersonian conservative principles"
>
>
> Mr. Dixon writes: "None of the founding fathers in the slaves states
> freed their slaves."
>
> I guess that Washington was no a founding father? Or Henry Laurens in
> South Carolina? Or Ben Franklin (Pa. was a slave state when he freed his
> slaves).
> Also, even Jefferson freed a few (8 in all);
>
> Yes, TJ was in debt, but that is how he chose to live is life. Just as
> Henry Wiencek refers you to his book on Washington, I urge you to read
> the last two chapters of my book Slavery and the Founders: Race and
> Liberty in the Age of Jefferson where I deal with some of the issues set
> out below.
>
> Richard Dixon wrote:
>
> >Your query on the antipathy to Jefferson among many slave study
academics
> >should elicit some interesting responses. In the posts, much is made of
> >Washington freeing his slaves. All credit to what he did, but what he
did
> >was provide for their manumission after the death of his wife. He
benefited
> >from the system during his entire life and intended that Martha also
retain
> >the slaves until her death. As it turned out, she emancipated them
early,
> >possibly as one post notes, because of the fear that she would be
> >assassinated. It should also be noted that this did not include the
dower
> >slaves Martha brought to the marriage, who were passed to the heirs of
her
> >first husband and continued in slavery. Not that Washington could have
done
> >anything to prevent that, but during his life, he was largely silent on
> >slavery, while Jefferson was vocal on the evils of the system,
contrary to
> >one post that essentially claimed Jefferson did nothing during his
life to
> >reject this institution. None of the founding fathers in the slaves
states
> >freed their slaves. There is anecdotal evidence that some planters
did, but
> >because Jefferson did not, he alone is branded as immoral. Under
Virginia
> >law, slaves were personal property, and no slaves could be freed unless
> >released by the creditors of the owner. Jefferson, continuously in debt
> >from the time he left the presidency, could never have secured release
of
> >the slaves as collateral for his debts. Again, under Virginia law, the
> >owner was responsible for the upkeep of the freed slave for one year
when
> >the slave could remain in Virginia, a financial obligation Jefferson
could
> >not meet. One post asserted that Washington waived this requirement
that
> >the slave leave Virginia after one year, which Washington had no
authority
> >to do. Jefferson was condemned in one post for sitting on the mountain
at
> >Monticello, spending his money on wine rather than arranging his
finances
> >to free his slaves. Possibly, he could have been a better money
manager.
> >Maybe this poster has done research not yet made public, but the
depression
> >in Virginia in 1819 made all planters land poor and locked into the
chattel
> >slavery system. And to further batter the Jefferson image, he is
depicted
> >as the father of children by his slave Sally Hemings, all of whom he
kept
> >in slavery without acknowledgment or favor. This on evidence so thin
that
> >no contemporary observer has ever surfaced to testify, even though two
of
> >the children were born after the claim by Callender in the press, while
> >Jefferson was president, and in the public eye. Jefferson was worse
than
> >that however. One poster claims that "no one disputes" that Hemings
was the
> >half-sister to Martha Jefferson. Well, there is absolutely no proof of
> >this, but this provides another basis for condemnation, because if
> >Jefferson is not the father, but another Jefferson is, the children
are his
> >nieces and nephews and he holds them as slaves. An so on.
> >
> >Richard E. Dixon
> >Attorney at Law
> >4122 Leonard Drive
> >Fairfax, VA 22030
> >703-691-0770
> >fax 703-691-0978
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>[Original Message]
> >>From: Bland Whitley <[log in to unmask]>
> >>To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >>Date: 12/6/2005 12:32:29 PM
> >>Subject: Re: "common-sense Jeffersonian conservative principles"
> >>
> >>
> >>Apropos to this current debate over the relative sins/merits of
> >>Jefferson and Washington: what accounts for the central importance
> >>members of this list have placed on the personal character of these
> >>founders? The argument that seems to be developing places Jefferson at
> >>one end of the political and cultural spectrum of Revolutionary-era
> >>Virginia and Washington at the other. Whereas Jefferson becomes the
> >>original sinner, the source of scientific racism, parochial
> >>states-rights ideology, and opportunistic governance, Washington
shines
> >>forth as the far-sighted, anti-racist model for a fair-minded
republic.
> >>Are there not more complicated, incisive ways of analyzing this
> >>material? Or does the health of our republic and our view of history
> >>depend on knocking down one straw man and elevating another?
> >>
> >>I ask these questions not in defense of Jefferson. As most of his
recent
> >>biographers have shown, he grows more personally repellant the closer
> >>one gets to him. But the recent campaigns against him seem to adopt an
> >>attitude that America will suddenly be sanitized by expunging his
> >>influence over our political culture. If only we follow in the
footsteps
> >>of those with sterling character (like Adams and Washington), the
> >>argument goes, we can finally overcome the knotty contradictions that
> >>bedevil us. Well, sorry, I don't buy it. I may find inspiration in the
> >>leadership and character of Washington and in the words and ideals of
> >>Jefferson (some of them anyway), but it seems folly to reduce our
study
> >>of the past to a search for appropriate models.
> >>
> >>Washington, as Henry Wiencek has shown, did in some respects transcend
> >>the political culture that produced him, while Jefferson seems to have
> >>been consumed by it, but both ultimately shared more similarities than
> >>differences. Somewhere in there may lie a more fruitful discussion. Or
> >>maybe not.
> >>
> >>Bland Whitley
> >>
> >>To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
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> >>
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> >>
> >
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> >
> >
>
> --
> Paul Finkelman
> Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law
> University of Tulsa College of Law
> 3120 East 4th Place
> Tulsa, OK 74104-3189
>
> 918-631-3706 (office)
> 918-631-2194 (fax)
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
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