who would make any sacrifices to effect it, many
equally virtuous who persuade themselves either that the thing is
not wrong, or that it cannot be remedied, and very many with whom
interest is morality. The older we grow, the larger we are
disposed to believe the last party to be. But interest is really
going over to the side of morality. The value of the slave is
every day lessening; his burden on his master daily increasing.
Interest is, therefore, preparing the disposition to be just; and
this will be goaded from time to time by the insurrectionary
spirit of the slaves. This is easily quelled in its first
efforts; but from being local it will become general, and
whenever it does, it will rise more formidable after every
defeat, until we shall be forced, after dreadful scenes and
sufferings, to release them in their own way, which, without such
sufferings we might now model after our own convenience.[114]

VIII

Because of frequent insurrections in this country and the West Indies
there was much talk of establishing a penal colony to which the
leaders of such uprisings could be sent. With Gabriel's insurrection
in Virginia in 1800 in mind, James Monroe, then Governor of Virginia,
wrote Jefferson, asking him to support such a project, a resolution on
which had already passed the Virginia House of Delegates. Jefferson
wrote him the following:

Questions would arise whether the establishment of a (negro
penal) colony within our limits, and to become a part of our
Union, would be desirable to the State of Virginia itself, or to
other States--especially those who would be in its vicinity.
Could we procure lands beyond the limits of the United States to
form a receptacle for these people? On our northern boundary, the
country not occupied by British subjects, is the property of
Indian nations, whose title would have to be extinguished, with
the consent of Great Britain; and the new settlers would be
British subjects. It is hardly to be believed that either Great
Britain or the Indian proprietors have so disinterested a regard
for us, as to be willing to relieve us, by receiving such a
colony themselves.... On our western and southern frontiers,
Spain holds an immense country, the occupancy of which, however,
is in the Indian natives, except a few insulated spots possessed