IF YOU DOUBT ME

Jefferson stopped to take a drink of water and wiped a wet cloth across his brilliant face and, still standing said, “God's providence is best expressed by the great thinkers of our time. John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Francis Bacon, Ben Franklin, Rene Descartes and Adam Smith, as each expressed in their great works. Where you and your Friends claim to not dwell on sin but God's spirit or Inner Light as you call it, you make exception and when you acclaim that all men have inherent worth, that women are equal to men and that tolerance, peace and justice are all the ultimate pantheon for your beliefs, I see as pathos.” Theo responded, “we are talking about slavery, as a Deist, it seems you would share that all people have the right to life, liberty and property. Do not all people have the same inalienable rights to equality and freedom? As a Deist do you not accept that slavery goes against the natural law? Is not one’s freedom absolute to you? To me and the Friends, slavery is repugnant, and it is morally wrong. It appears to me that natural rights are convoluted to anyone who subscribes to Deism and in fact, they have no law but their own and no end but themselves. I agree you are a sect unto yourself, but one with a shallow, self-serving view of the rights of individuals and the natural equality of all people. As a Friend I should not make these judgments but as a man, you have given me no other choice”. Jefferson was taken aback at the rebuke from the little man, and even though he was angered, he knew there was truth in Theo’s words. Jefferson shared his thoughts, “I regret that I am ambivalent about being a slave owner myself but every day I see the lack of intellect among my slaves and their families that I know is necessary and which would enable them to endure the world in which they now find themselves. Based on your beliefs, I do not expect you to understand the complexities of our society and people. The Quaker beliefs are an aberration to the prevailing beliefs of our time, and you will never be able to accept that the slave races, Indian and black alike, are inferior to all other races, especially regarding intelligence”. Theo was thoroughly confused by Jefferson’s outburst. To Theo, while the Colonists and many of their leaders fought to free themselves from the British, they relied on no less tyranny themselves when it came to their thoughts and actions about slave ownership. Theo knew it made no sense, but he thought the colonists saw slave ownership as separate and distinct from their fight against being “deprived of their benefits of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, as Jefferson had said. This troubled Theo greatly.