“ proposition they had meditated; from which people, who do not give themselves the trouble to reflect or enquire, might conclude hastily that their absence was the cause why the proposition was not made; & of course that there were not in the assembly persons of virtue & firmness enough to propose the clause for emancipation. this supposition would not be true. there were persons there who wanted neither the virtue to propose nor talents to enforce the proposition had they seen that the disposition of the legislature was ripe for it. these worthy characters would feel themselves wounded, degraded, & discouraged by this idea. m ( ^~ r) Jefferson would therefore be obliged to M. de Meusnier to mention it in some such manner as this. ‘of the two commissioners who had concerted the amendatory clause for the gradual emancipation of slaves, m ( ^~ r) Wythe could not be present as being a member of the judiciary department, and m( ^~ r) Jefferson was absent on the legation to France. but there wanted not in that assembly men of virtue enough to propose, & talents to vindicate this clause. but they saw that the moment of doing it with success was not yet arrived and that an unsuccesful effort, as too often happens, would only rivet still closer the chains of bondage, and retard the moment of delivery to this oppressed description of men. What a stupendous, what an incomprehensible machine is man! who can endure toil, famine, stripes, imprisonment & death itself in vindication of his own liberty, and the next moment be deaf to all those motives whose power supported him thro’ his trial, and inflict on his fellow men a bondage, one hour of which is fraught with more misery than ages of that which he rose in rebellion to oppose. but we must wait with patience the workings of an over-ruling providence, & hope that that is preparing the deliverance of these our suffering brethren. when the measure of their tears shall be full, when their groans shall have involved heaven itself in darkness, doubtless a god of justice will awaken to their distress, and by diffusing light & liberality among their oppressors, or at length by his exterminating thunder, manifest his attention to the things of this world, and that they are not left to the guidance of a blind fatality. ”

The “additional questions” answered by Jefferson were probably those that arose when Démeunier sent Jefferson his manuscript, with his letter dated April 9, 1786: “Après avoir eu L’extrême complaisance de m’instruire de vive voix et par ecrit de ce qui a rapport aux nouvelles republiques d’Amerique, vous avés bien voulu me proposer de revoir en detail, Le Morceau, ou J’ai profité des instructions que vous avés eu La bonté de ne donner. J’ai L’honneur de vous envoyer ce Morceau, Monsieur, et Je vous supplie d’y faire ou d’y indiquier Les Corrections que vous Jugerés necessaires.

"Je suis Confus, Monsieur, de La peine que cette revision va vous causer. Je desire que La Maniere dont J’ai traité Le Sujet, puisse vous desennuyer un peu, dans ce Facheux travail, et que vous y retrouviés Le Zele dont Je suis animé pour La gloire et La prospérité des etats unis.

"Vous pouvés, Monsieur, omettre Les trois premieres Sections: il a Fallu mettre dans l’Encyclopedie, Les details qu’elles renferment; et elles offrent bien peu de chose de moi.

"J’ai Marqué d’une croix à la marge (+) tout ce qui peut être inexact, où avoir besoin d’eclaircissemens, et J’ai pris La Liberté, de vous faire, Monsieur, aussi à La Marge, de petites questions, Auxquelles Je vous prie de ne pas me repondre par ecrit. Il suffira que nous Les revoyions ensemble, et Je vous demande pour cela, Monsieur, Le Moment qui vous derangera Le Moins.

"Il y a des erreurs dans Les etats de Finances, que m’ont Fourni Le Journal du Congrès, et vos notes, Monsieur. J’ai Mis dans ces endroits Les Feuilles de votre Main que vous avés eu La bonté de m’envoyer.

"M. Le M ^is de La Fayette que J’ai eu L’honneur de rencontrer, chez Mr. Le Colonel Humphryes, m’a demandé comment Je traitois L’Article des Cincinnati. Je Lui ai expliqué Les Faits que vous avés eu La bonté de m’apprendre, Monsieur; Il y en a quelques uns, qu’il ne trouve pas exacts, et J’aurai L’honneur de vous soumettre ses remarques. C’est à La page 240 du Manuscrit que Je parle de L’ordre des Cincinnati. Je n’y ai encore rien changé depuis Les remarques de Mr. ”