“Well I'm happy for you that you've found yourself another little nugget of fools gold. I know you are quite pleased with yourself, however . . .”
I have been thinking and wondering why you did not mention Jefferson's quote about northern involvement in deleting the slave trade condemnation. This one:
“The clause too, reprobating the enslaving the inhabitants of Africa, was struck out in complaisance to South Carolina and Georgia, who had never attempted to restrain the importation of slaves, and who on the contrary still wished to continue it. Our Northern brethren also I believe felt a little tender under those censures; for tho’ their people have very few slaves themselves yet they had been pretty considerable carriers of them to others.”
Was it because you did not want word to get around?
Honestly, I'd never read the full quote that included the Northern brethren part. I'd just stumbled on someone else paraphrasing the quote and they didn't include the Northern Brethren part. I just copied and pasted what they said. I should have known better. Happy now? If I had read, for myself, the Northern Brethren part I would have done my best to track down their names. Of course we know the big monied shipbuilders/owners were northerners. Have you come up with their names? Have you determined how many Southerners opened up shop up North to ply the trade (so to speak) and so on and so forth......I think that you are running a bit far with your interpretation of Northern Brethren. I have no doubt that Jefferson is referring to specific State delegates. No doubt he knew them by name. The general masses were not party to the congressional discussions. It was the same old 50 to 100 wealthy American who were always the "delegates". Whereas you take it to condemn the whole North.
I have now lost count of how many questions I have asked you that you have ignored. The latest one is 'who was Jefferson referring to, who made the legislative attempts to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce'? I even gave you a hint.