of the doubts he himself had entertained and expressed on the grade of understanding allotted to them by nature and to find that in this respect they are on a par with white men.  These doubts, he said, were the result of personal observations in the limited sphere of his own State where “the opportunities for the development of their genius were not favorable, and those of exercising it still less so.”  He said that he had expressed them with great hesitation; but “whatever be the degree of their talent, it is no measure of their rights.  Because Sir Isaac Newton was superior to others in understanding, he was not therefore lord of the person or property of others.”  In this respect he believed they were gaining daily in the opinions of nations, and hopeful advances were being made toward their reestablishment on an equal footing with other colors of the human family.  He prayed, therefore, that God might accept his thanks for enabling him to observe the “many instances of respectable intelligence in that race of men, which could not fail to have effect in hastening the day of their relief.”  Yet a few days later when writing to Joel Barlow, Jefferson referred to Bishop Gregoire’s essay and expressed his doubt that this pamphlet was weighty evidence of the intellect of the Negro.  He said that the whole did not amount in point of evidence to what they themselves knew of Banneker.  He conceded that Banneker had spherical knowledge enough to make almanacs, but not without the suspicion of aid from Ellicott who was his neighbor and friend, and never missed an opportunity of puffing him.  Referring to the letter he received from Banneker, he said it showed the writer to have a mind of very common stature indeed.  See Washington, Works of Jefferson, vol. v., pp. 429 and 503.]

So much progress in the improvement of slaves was effected with all of these workers in the field that conservative southerners in the midst of the antislavery agitation contented themselves with the thought that radical action was not necessary, as the institution would of itself soon pass away.  Legislatures passed laws facilitating manumission,[1] many southerners emancipated their slaves to give them a better chance to improve their condition, regulations unfavorable to the assembly of Negroes for the dissemination of information almost fell into desuetude, a larger number of masters began to instruct their bondmen, and persons especially interested in these unfortunates found the objects of their piety more accessible.[2]

[Footnote 1:  Locke, Anti-slavery, etc., p. 14.]

[Footnote 2:  Brissot de Warville, New Travels, vol. i., p. 220; Johann Schoepf, Travels in the Confederation, p. 149.]