The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 2. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and EnglandConway, Moncure Daniel
History
The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. 2. (of 2): With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England
Conway, Moncure Daniel
Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809
"I find by the Captain [from New Orleans] above mentioned that several
Liverpool ships have been at New Orleans. It is chiefly the people
of Liverpool that employ themselves in the slave trade and they bring
cargoes of those unfortunate Negroes to take back in return the hard
money and the produce of the country. Had I the command of the elements
I would blast Liverpool with fire and brimstone. It is the Sodom and
Gomorrah of brutality....
"I recollect when in France that you spoke of a plan of making the
Negroes tenants on a plantation, that is, allotting each Negroe family
a quantity of land for which they were to pay to the owner a certain
quantity of produce. I think that numbers of our free negroes might be
provided for in this manner in Louisiana. The best way that occurs to me
is for Congress to give them their passage to New Orleans, then for them
to hire themselves out to the planters for one or two years; they would
by this means learn plantation business, after which to place them on a
tract of land as before mentioned. A great many good things may now be
done; and I please myself with the idea of suggesting my thoughts to
you.
"Old Captain Landais who lives at Brooklyn on Long Island opposite
New York calls sometimes to see me. I knew him in Paris. He is a very
respectable old man. I wish something had been done for him in Congress
on his petition; for I think something is due to him, nor do I see how
the Statute of limitation can consistently apply to him. The law in John
Adams's administration, which cut off all commerce and communication
with france, cut him off from the chance of coming to America to put
in his claim. I suppose that the claims of some of our merchants on
England, france and Spain is more than 6 or 7 years standing yet no
law of limitation, that I know of take place between nations or between
individuals of different nations. I consider a statute of limitation to
be a domestic law, and can only have a domestic operation. Dr. Miller,
one of the New York Senators in Congress, knows Landais and can give you
an account of him.
"Concerning my former letter, on Domingo, I intended had I come to
Washington to have talked with Pichon about it--if you had approved that
method, for it can only be brought forward in an indirect way. The two
Emperors are at too great a distance in objects and in colour to have
any intercourse but by Fire and Sword, yet something I think might be
done. It is time I should close this long epistle. Yours in friendship."
Paine made but a brief stay in New York (where he boarded with William
Carver). His next letter (April 22d) is from New Rochelle, written to
John Fellows, an auctioneer in New York City, one of his most faithful
friends.
"Citizen: I send this by the N. Rochelle boat and have desired the
boatman to call on you with it. He is to bring up Bebia and Thomas and I
will be obliged to you to see them safe on board. The boat will leave N.
Y. on friday.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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