IntheplansketchedintheNotesonVirginia，noparticularplaceofasylumwasspecified；becauseitwasthoughtpossible，thatintherevolutionarystateofAmerica，thencommenced，eventsmightopentoussomeonewithinpracticabledistance。Thishasnowhappened。St。Domingohasbecomeindependent，andwithapopulationofthatcoloronly；andifthepublicpapersaretobecredited，theirChiefofferstopaytheirpassage，toreceivethemasfreecitizens，andtoprovidethememployment。Thisleaves，then，forthegeneralconfederacy，noexpensebutofnurturewiththemotherafewyears，andwouldcall，ofcourse，foraverymoderateappropriationofthevacantlands。Supposethewholeannualincreasetobeofsixtythousandeffectivebirths，fiftyvessels，offourhundredtonsburtheneach，constantlyemployedinthatshortrun，wouldcarryofftheincreaseofeveryyear，andtheoldstockwoulddieoffintheordinarycourseofnature，lesseningfromthecommencementuntilitsfinaldisappearance。Inthiswaynoviolationofprivaterightisproposed。Voluntarysurrenderswouldprobablycomeinasfastasthemeanstobeprovidedfortheircarewouldbecompetenttoit。
LookingatmyownStateonly，andIpresumenottospeakfortheothers，Iverilybelievethatthissurrenderofpropertywouldnotamounttomore，annually，thanhalfourpresentdirecttaxes，tobecontinuedfullyabouttwentyortwenty-fiveyears，andthengraduallydiminishingforasmanymoreuntiltheirfinalextinction；andeventhishalftaxwouldnotbepaidincash，butbythedeliveryofanobjectwhichtheyhaveneveryetknownorcountedaspartoftheirproperty；andthosenotpossessingtheobjectwillbecalledonfornothing。Idonotgointoallthedetailsoftheburthensandbenefitsofthisoperation。Andwhocouldestimateitsblessedeffects?Ileavethistothosewhowilllivetoseetheiraccomplishment，andtoenjoyabeatitudeforbiddentomyage。ButI
leaveitwiththisadmonition，toriseandbedoing。Amillionandahalfarewithintheircontrol；butsixmillions，whichamajorityofthosenowlivingwillseethemattain，andonemillionofthesefightingmen，willsay，”wewillnotgo。”
Iamawarethatthissubjectinvolvessomeconstitutionalscruples。Butaliberalconstruction，justifiedbytheobject，maygofar，andanamendmentoftheconstitution，thewholelengthnecessary。Theseparationofinfantsfromtheirmothers，too，wouldproducesomescruplesofhumanity。Butthiswouldbestrainingatagnat，andswallowingacamel。
Iammuchpleasedtoseethatyouhavetakenupthesubjectofthedutyonimportedbooks。Ihopeacrusadewillbekeptupagainstit，untilthoseinpowershallbecomesensibleofthisstainonourlegislation，andshallwipeitfromtheircode，andfromtheremembranceofman，ifpossible。