Trump Warned Us...

[Joe Guy]

[Burning Petard]

Trumps said it. So What? Today is a good time to meditate on the significance of political speech. {I vote none} Much reference to the Declaration of Independence today. Rights. Among them life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. Given by God, cannot be taken away. Yet Tom Jefferson had a very effective personal administrative assistant who also happened to be his slave. The PA went with Mr. Jefferson to Paris when he was America's ambassador to France. At that time France had complete abolition of slavery. Tom's PA had to be treated in public and in private, as a free human being, who happened to have a business connection with the Ambassador. The PA received competitive employment offers from other important individuals in Paris. When the ambassadorship ended, the PA chose to stay behind in Paris. Tom promised him continued employment as an emancipated person if he would go with Tom back to Virgiania,. He went. Tom 'forgot' the promise and the PA became human chattel again.

Our wonderful 14th amendment to the constitution plainly says its first section, the rights granted by the creator can be removed by simple application of human choice: due process of law. Bet you did not know The Supremes can over-rule God.

So Trump said it, So what?

Happy 4th of July. Snailgate

[MajGenl.Meade]

Yet Tom Jefferson had a very effective personal administrative assistant who also happened to be his slave. The PA went with Mr. Jefferson to Paris when he was America's ambassador to France. At that time France had complete abolition of slavery. Tom's PA had to be treated in public and in private, as a free human being, who happened to have a business connection with the Ambassador. The PA received competitive employment offers from other important individuals in Paris. When the ambassadorship ended, the PA chose to stay behind in Paris. Tom promised him continued employment as an emancipated person if he would go with Tom back to Virginia,. He went. Tom 'forgot' the promise and the PA became human chattel again

Today would be a good day to cite history rather than nonsense. In Paris, Jefferson's PA (actually 'secretary') was William Short, neither a slave nor black. The above probably refers to James Hemmings, a slave at Monticello, who was called to Paris by Jefferson (via Short) in order to be trained as a chef. Hemmings was not "required" to be treated as a free man but as with any slave brought there he did have an option to petition the French government for freedom. He did not petition. Nor it appears did anyone offer him a job for which Jefferson promised to allow him to go free. He also resided in Pennsylvania long enough to file for legal manumission there but did not do so. In neither place did Jefferson offer freedom and then withdraw the offer, as far as I can find. But I stand to be guided.

In 1793 Jefferson retired to Monticello and made a written agreement to free James Hemmings as soon as he trained a replacement chef (who turned out to be his brother Peter Hemmings). When that task was completed in February 1796, Jefferson kept the agreement and James Hemmings became a free man at last. Upon election as President, Jefferson tried to hire him as chef but Hemmings wasn't eager, although he did cook again at Monticello for some months in 1801.

None of this is to excuse or deny the charge of hypocrisy that may justly be leveled at our nation's founders who banned the slave trade but held on to their slaves, despite the apparent contradiction between Declaration and Constitution. That story of course is even more complicated than many get the chance to explore.

PS it's funny that Trump said it, given his own position some years later. Bet he's changed his mind!

[Burning Petard]

I was relying on my 84-year old memory to recall a synthetic conversation between a dead Thomas Jefferson and a living historian broadcast on college radio I heard while driving around Virginia Beach about 20 years ago. Still does not strike the contrast between the first section of the 14 amendment and the oft-quoted words of the Declaration of Independence. Thanks for responding, MajGenl

The words of Trump demonstrate a truth of politics: NOBODY in politics wants a level playing field. They always want it tilted to their advantage. A detail example of the general rule that it depends on whose ox is gored.

snailgate