eased hearing his wise words.]

MY DEAREST HARRIET,

... There is one interest and occupation of an essentially practical
nature, such as would give full scope to the most active energies and
intellect, in which I am becoming passionately interested,--I mean the
cause of the Southern negroes.

We live by their labor; and though the estate is not yet ours (elder
members of the family having a life interest in it), it will be our
property one day, and a large portion of our income is now derived from
it.

I was told the other day, that the cotton lands in Georgia, where our
plantation is situated, were exhausted; but that in Alabama there now
exist wild lands along the Mississippi, where any one possessing the
negroes necessary to cultivate them, might, in the course of a few
years, realize an enormous fortune; and asked, jestingly, if I should be
willing to go thither. I replied, in most solemn earnest, that I would
go with delight, if we might take that opportunity of at once placing
our slaves upon a more humane and Christian footing. Oh, H----! I can
not tell you with what joy it would fill me, if we could only have the
energy and courage, the humanity and justice, to do this: and I believe
it might be done.

Though the blacks may not be taught to read and write, there is no law
which can prevent one from living amongst them, from teaching them
all--and how much that is!--that personal example and incessant personal
influence can teach. I would take them there, and I would at once
explain to them my principles and my purpose: I would tell them that in
so many years I expected to be able to free them, but that those only
should be liberated whose conduct I perceived during that time would
render their freedom prosperous to themselves, and safe to the
community. In the mean time I would allot each a profit on his labor; I
would allow them leisure and property of their own; I would establish a
Savings Bank for them, so that at the end of their probation, those into
whom I had been able to instill industrious and economical habits should
be possessed of a small fund wherewith to begin the world; I would
remain there myself always, and, with God's assistance and blessing, I
do believe a great good might be done. How I wish--oh, how I wish we
might but make the experiment! I believe in my soul that this is our
peculiar duty in life. We all have some appointed task, and assuredly it
can never be that we, or any other