Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins
The one man with the political position and clout to destroy slavery at the birth of our nation was the one who most evilly exploited the slave system for his own profit.
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At least he felt guilty about it...or said he did.
Quote:
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His own neighbor released his slaves and willed Jefferson an extraordinary sum of money (enough to buy all Jefferson's slaves and leave a good living) on the condition that Jefferson free his slaves. Jefferson refused the inheritance.
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In that regard Madison was no better. Little Jemmy had a friend who chastised him for not freeing his slaves. This friend (could he be the same fellow?) sold his plantation, bought a big piece of land in Kentucky and moved the entire group there, freeing his slaves and dividing up his wealth equally among all, then working the land the same as the rest of his newly-freed fellow citizens.
James Madison, by Ralph Ketcham