Dissertation on Slavery With a Proposal for the Gradual Abolition of it, in the State of Virginia By: St. George Tucker (1828-1862)
First Page: Transcriber's note: Original spelling has been maintained and not standardized. The numerous short bibliographical reference notes that were originally printed as sidenotes have been set in brackets here and included directly into the text; the longer text footnotes have been renumbered for consistency. To indicate text in italic font, underscores have been used. Words without italics inside longer italic sentences are indicated by =equal signs=. A DISSERTATION ON SLAVERY : WITH A PROPOSAL FOR THE GRADUAL ABOLITION OF IT, IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA . BY ST. GEORGE TUCKER, PROFESSOR OF LAW IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WILLIAM AND MARY, AND ONE OF THE JUDGES OF THE GENERAL COURT, IN VIRGINIA . Slavery not only violates the Laws of Nature, and of civil Society, it also wounds the best Forms of Government: in a Democracy, where all Men are equal, Slavery is contrary to the Spirit of the Constitution. MONTESQUIEU. PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED FOR MATHEW CAREY, No. 118, MARKET STREET. 1796. TO THE General Assembly of Virginia , To whom it belongs to decide upon the expediency and practicability of a plan for the gradual abolition of Slavery in this commonwealth, The following pages are most respectfully submitted and inscribed, BY THE AUTHOR. Williamsburg, in Virginia, May 20, 1796. TO THE READER. The following pages form a part of a course of Lectures on Law and Police, delivered in the University of William and Mary, in this commonwealth. The Author considering the Abolition of Slavery in this State, as an object of the first importance, not only to our moral character and domestic peace, but even to our political salvation; and being persuaded that the accomplishment of so momentous and desirable an undertaking will in great measure depend upon the early adoption of some plan for that purpose, with diffidence submits to the consideration of his countrymen his ideas on a subject of such consequence. He flatters himself that the plan he ventures to suggest, is liable to fewer objections than most others that have been submitted to the consideration of the public, as it will be attended with a gradual change of condition in the blacks, and cannot possibly affect the interest either of =creditors=, or any other description of persons of the =present generation=: and posterity he makes no doubt will feel themselves relieved from a perilous and grievous burden by the timely adoption of a plan, whose operation may be felt by them, before they are borne down by a weight which threatens destruction to our happiness both public and private. ====>The following ADDITIONAL NOTES have been received from the Author since the body of this work was printed off. In page 20, after the word =arms=, in line 5, read this note: This was the case under the laws of the state; but the Act of 2. Cong. c. 33. for establishing an uniform militia throughout the United States, seems to have excluded all but free white men from bearing arms in the militia. To the word =slave=, page 47, line 14, add the following note: It may not be improper here to note, that the first congress of the United States, at their third session, Dec. 1793, passed an act to prohibit the carrying on the slave trade from the United States to any foreign place or country; the provisions of which seem well calculated to restrain the citizens of united America from embarking in so infamous a traffick. ON THE STATE OF SLAVERY IN VIRGINIA. In the preceding Enquiry[1] into the absolute rights of the citizens of united America, we must not be understood as if those rights were equally and universally the privilege of all the inhabitants of the United States, or even of all those, who may challenge this land of freedom as their native country. Among the blessings which the Almighty hath showered down on these states, there is a large portion of the bitterest draught that ever flowed from the cup of affliction. Whilst America hath been the land of promise to Europeans, and their descendants, it hath been the vale of death to millions of the wretched sons of Africa... Continue reading book >>

Dissertation on Slavery With a Proposal for the Gradual Abolition of it, in the State of Virginia By: St. George Tucker (1828-1862)

First Page:

Transcriber's note: Original spelling has been maintained and not standardized. The numerous short bibliographical reference notes that were originally printed as sidenotes have been set in brackets here and included directly into the text; the longer text footnotes have been renumbered for consistency. To indicate text in italic font, underscores have been used. Words without italics inside longer italic sentences are indicated by =equal signs=.

A DISSERTATION ON SLAVERY : WITH A PROPOSAL FOR THE GRADUAL ABOLITION OF IT, IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA .

BY ST. GEORGE TUCKER, PROFESSOR OF LAW IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WILLIAM AND MARY, AND ONE OF THE JUDGES OF THE GENERAL COURT, IN VIRGINIA .

Slavery not only violates the Laws of Nature, and of civil Society, it also wounds the best Forms of Government: in a Democracy, where all Men are equal, Slavery is contrary to the Spirit of the Constitution. MONTESQUIEU.

PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED FOR MATHEW CAREY, No. 118, MARKET STREET. 1796.

TO THE

General Assembly of Virginia ,

To whom it belongs to decide upon the expediency and practicability of a plan for the gradual abolition of Slavery in this commonwealth,

The following pages are most respectfully submitted and inscribed,

BY THE AUTHOR.

Williamsburg, in Virginia, May 20, 1796.

TO THE READER.

The following pages form a part of a course of Lectures on Law and Police, delivered in the University of William and Mary, in this commonwealth. The Author considering the Abolition of Slavery in this State, as an object of the first importance, not only to our moral character and domestic peace, but even to our political salvation; and being persuaded that the accomplishment of so momentous and desirable an undertaking will in great measure depend upon the early adoption of some plan for that purpose, with diffidence submits to the consideration of his countrymen his ideas on a subject of such consequence. He flatters himself that the plan he ventures to suggest, is liable to fewer objections than most others that have been submitted to the consideration of the public, as it will be attended with a gradual change of condition in the blacks, and cannot possibly affect the interest either of =creditors=, or any other description of persons of the =present generation=: and posterity he makes no doubt will feel themselves relieved from a perilous and grievous burden by the timely adoption of a plan, whose operation may be felt by them, before they are borne down by a weight which threatens destruction to our happiness both public and private.

====>The following ADDITIONAL NOTES have been received from the Author since the body of this work was printed off.

In page 20, after the word =arms=, in line 5, read this note:

This was the case under the laws of the state; but the Act of 2. Cong. c. 33. for establishing an uniform militia throughout the United States, seems to have excluded all but free white men from bearing arms in the militia.

To the word =slave=, page 47, line 14, add the following note:

It may not be improper here to note, that the first congress of the United States, at their third session, Dec. 1793, passed an act to prohibit the carrying on the slave trade from the United States to any foreign place or country; the provisions of which seem well calculated to restrain the citizens of united America from embarking in so infamous a traffick.

ON THE STATE OF SLAVERY IN VIRGINIA.

In the preceding Enquiry[1] into the absolute rights of the citizens of united America, we must not be understood as if those rights were equally and universally the privilege of all the inhabitants of the United States, or even of all those, who may challenge this land of freedom as their native country. Among the blessings which the Almighty hath showered down on these states, there is a large portion of the bitterest draught that ever flowed from the cup of affliction. Whilst America hath been the land of promise to Europeans, and their descendants, it hath been the vale of death to millions of the wretched sons of Africa... Continue reading book >>

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