ee soil, but as the white man by
his pioneering efforts so rapidly pushed the frontier to the west as
to convince the country of the need of that territory for expansion,
Madison soon receded from this position and advocated along with most
of the leading men of his time the colonization of the Negroes in
Africa.

Madison did not feel that there was any sure ground upon which
Congress might participate in the emancipation and the colonization of
the Negroes. He suggested that the constitution be amended. He even
doubted that the Ordinance of 1787, enacted without authority, had the
effect of the emancipation of the slaves and was finally of the
opinion that the right of Congress to prohibit slavery in any
territory during its territorial period, "depends on the clause in the
constitution specially providing for the management of these
subordinate establishments."[4] He was rather of the opinion that the
restriction was not within the true scope of the constitution. Like
Jefferson, therefore, during the later years of his life, Madison saw
many difficulties in the way of abolishing slavery. He gave a
sympathetic ear to the experiences of the Moravians, Hermonites, and
the Shakers, but although he had to concede that slavery impaired the
influence of the political example of the United States and was a blot
on our republican character, he never became what we could call an
abolitionist for the reason that he found it difficult to remove the
Negroes from the country when freed. That being the case, he noted
with some interest the increase of the slave population, the increase
in voluntary emancipation, and the progress of the Colonization
Society, to the presidency of which he was elected.[4]

TO ROBERT PLEASANTS

PHILADELPHIA, October 30, 1791

_Sir_,--The delay in acknowledging your letter of the 6th June
last proceeded from the cause you conjectured. I did not receive
it till a few days ago, when it was put into my hands by Mr.
James Pemberton, along with your subsequent letter of the 8th
August.

The petition relating to the Militia bill contains nothing that
makes it improper for me to present it. I shall, therefore,
readily comply with your desire on that subject. I am not
satisfied that I am equally at liberty with respect to the other
petition. Animadversions such as it contains, and which the