Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

As soon as I arrived at home from Varina, about the middle of this month, I wrote to thank you for your very acceptable favor of the 27. Oct., but through some accident my letter was not carried to the P.O., and made its appearance on my table this morning, upon my removing some papers. I do not lose a moment to repeat my thanks, and to assure you that nothing can be more desirable to the whole family here, even when your Grandmother does not make part of it, which is the case at present, than to have regular intelligence from you. She is with Mrs Higinbotham, whose husband has been long abroad on business, and the hour of Child birth daily expected by her, for many weeks now, with much apprehension to herself and friends from the very extraordinary delay of it, as well as some ground for uneasiness from many appearances indicating bad health. An accident happened there some days since which caused great distress to both the Ladies. The overseer for next year had just taken place with great unwillingness on the part of the Negroes who were attached to the old one, and their Master would gladly have kept him at any Salary in reason, but he had resolved on quiting business to go to his own farm. Several of the negroes gave so much displeasure that they received punishment in the first days, from the new commander. Among others a very sensible, lively, and likely young mulatto man, who it seems had seriously formed the resolution never to incurr the punishment of stripes, by any minor deed, and had, in consequence, become the most trust-worthy among them; according to the testimony of the neighbourhood; being the one chosen to go on the road with the Waggon allways, to haul off grain and bring back supplies. The new overseer however could not understand the value of character in a slave, and concluded that fear would be safer security for good conduct, than any determination to do right, no matter how deliberately made or how long persisted in; and near becoming a fixed habit. Power seldom reasons well. The young fellow received a few lashes, on his bare back, for some trifling misdea misdemeanour; leaving his tools in the field, it is said. He hung himself, 30 feet from the ground, in a tree near his Masters door, the same night, having first taken leave of all his companions, who did not think seriously enough of his threat to give the alarm; and who perhaps felt pleasure at the idea of his runing away, because the las lost time would be an appeal to interest with the Master and overseer on future occasions, manifestly in their favor. The bravery of this fellow seems to have left no room in his mind for such a thought. He had made a resolution, and he marched intrepidly forward in the execution of it, despising pain, and not knowing fear.—What a hideous monster, among the various phaenomena of the social state is our Southern system. Tyranny in the army is mitigated by the reflexion that the brave have to submit to the brave only. But the greatest Dastard might possibly have the feelings, moral and physical, as well as the comforts, of many brave man, entirely in his power, and dependent upon his caprice. In this particular case both Master and overseer are humane men, and the latter is of proven fortitude, as well as moral worth. The former you know and respect. [. . .] Long ago I have dismissed the man-Whip from my slave manége.¹ I find however that the Cane of a Corporal must be tolerated yet. But I allways scrupulously distinguish, and exempt, manly and moral character, when it shews itself with any steadiness of ray in the sooty atmosphere of our slave discipline. And such exempts never suffer from me any other punishment than privations for little obliquities of [. . .] conduct. I find use for all my thirty years experience, with whatever ingenuity it may have given rise to in the time, to keep up sufficient authority, without recurrence to the old mode of government. My only resource is to bring the culprit, if he be a man grown, and had ever displayed moral character at any time, before a magistrate, by some contrivance, and to get punishments inflicted by a Constable under legal forms. I have found confinement in the county-jail to have an admirable effect on my high tempered men. And by magnifying a troublesome contumacy into incipient revolt, reasonably detected in the misconduct of an individual; I have allways succeeded, without any d[iffi]culty, in lodging my own there. It convinces them that I do not regard the loss of their time: which consideration, by gratifying their ill humour, makes them often run away from many masters: very rarely from me; perhaps on account of what I have just mentioned. They know the jail to be the sure fate of runaways, and it is not amiss that they should have a proper distaste for it. I am certain that I have not in 30 years lost one months work alltogether by their runing away. Pray let us hear from you often. I shall endeavour to find a better theme for another answer.