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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: WTSherman who wrote (119763)	12/27/2000 9:02:03 PM
From: ManyMoose	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Nobody in their right mind condones slavery in this day and age, but George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were born into long-standing slave-holding. They couldn't help being born into slave-holding any more than the slaves could help being born into slavery. They deserve to be honored for creating a nation under a constitution that eventually abolished slavery. <<George Washington and Thomas Jefferson appeared to understand the very contradictory nature of owning slaves and having been such a big part of creating a new country that was built on a new principle. >>

To: WTSherman who wrote (119763)	12/28/2000 1:21:35 AM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 769667

Its interesting to note that both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson appeared to understand the very contradictory nature of owning slaves and having been such a big part of creating a new country that was built on a new principle. While neither could face the disapproval of their friends and family by freeing their slaves while they were alive, both men manumitted their slaves upon their deaths. George Washington manumitted his slaves but Thomas Jefferson did not. Thomas Jefferson died deep in debt and manumitted only seven slaves in his will: one old body servant, Sally Hemings, her brother and her four children. The other 100+ slaves were sold by executor of the estate.

To: WTSherman who wrote (119763)	12/28/2000 9:42:45 AM
From: Johannes Pilch	Respond to of 769667

Indeed yes. Not just Washington and Jefferson understood the contradiction. Many of the founders did. Ben Franklin actually made fun of the southern slave owners on this point. Southerners pushed hard for a Constitutional provision explicitly granting a right for negro slavery. None other than James Madison, a southern slave owner himself, rejected the request. Jefferson was a racist, no doubt about it. But he was and is honourable, one of the few honourable racists that has ever lived. Despite his racism he wrote that blacks yet have the inalienable rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. And he also seemed to hold his racism loosely. (gotta run)