[HandyDandy]

Gentlemen, while we debate whether or not the phrase “domestic insurrection” is a euphemism for “Slave insurrection”, I think that we can all agree that the stricken passage of T. Jefferson’s was most certainly about slavery. It is readily apparent that in that particular grievance he certainly was unequivocal in his referencing of black slaves. We therefore all agree that Jefferson was ready, willing and able to reference slaves without resorting to euphemisms. Now we must as well admit that the part of grievance #27 that reads, “he has excited domestic insurrection.......” was not a part of Jefferson’s draft, but was added. Was it added by the same person who wrote the first drafts (Jefferson)? We know that the stricken grievance of Jefferson’s was stricken by others. Did these same others add the “domestics” to the merciless savages grievance? Or did they condense the stricken grievance and splice it in along with the merciless savages? Not one of us knows who authored, “excited domestic insurrection” or what is meant by it.

[jeffersondem]

“Gentlemen, while we debate whether or not the phrase “domestic insurrection” is a euphemism for “Slave insurrection”, I think that we can all agree that the stricken passage of T. Jefferson’s was most certainly about slavery.”

Let me agree and build on what you have said.

When Jefferson combined the references “very people”, “rise in arms”, and “murder(ing)” into a single sentence he was speaking about slaves taking up arms and murdering their masters.

Many slave owners - Jefferson was one - may have, at the time, considered slaves taking arms to murder their masters as slave revolts, or slave rebellions, or slave insurrections.

Whether Jefferson, or someone, later restyled slave revolts/rebellions/insurrections into “domestic insurrections” is being debated here. I would like to continue to study that question and discuss it further.