the liberty I take, but
in justly appreciating my motives in doing so.

I will not enter on the _right_ which man has to enslave his
brother man, nor upon the moral and political effects of slavery
on individuals or on society; because these things are better
understood by you than by me. My object is to entreat and beseech
you to exert your knowledge and influence in devising and getting
into operation some plan for the gradual emancipation of slavery.
This difficult task could be less exceptionally and more
successfully performed by the revered fathers of all our
political and social blessings than by any succeeding statesmen;
and would seem to come with peculiar propriety and force from
those whose valor, wisdom and virtue have done so much in
ameliorating the condition of mankind. And it is a duty, as I
conceive, that devolves particularly on you, from your known
philosophical and enlarged view of subjects, and from the
principles you have professed and practiced through a long and
useful life, pre-eminently distinguished as well by being
foremost in establishing on the broadest basis the rights of man,
and the liberty and independence of your country, as in being
throughout honored with the most important trusts of your fellow
citizens, whose confidence and love you have carried with you
into the shades of old age and retirement. In the calm of this
retirement you might, most beneficially to society, and with much
addition to your own fame, avail yourself of that love and
confidence to put into complete practice those hallowed
principles contained in that renowned Declaration, of which you
were the immortal author, and on which we founded our right to
resist oppression and establish our freedom and independence.

I hope the fear of failing, at this time, will have no influence
in preventing you from employing your pen to eradicate this most
degrading feature of British Colonial policy, which is still
permitted to exist, notwithstanding its repugnance as well to the
principles of our revolution as to our free institutions. For
however prized and influential your opinions may now be, they
will still be much more so when you shall have been taken from us
by the course of nature. If, therefore, your attempt should now
fail to rectify