. History of Oregon; the growth of an American state. second or third settler on land that could bebought for a mug of liquor, and himself an ardentagriculturist, he felt and knew the passion of theVirginians for life still westward, and saw in theprimitive wilderness the opportunity of new Statesarising not only free from the tyrannies of Europe,but free also from some of the blighting influencesthat had followed the American colonists from Eu-rope to America—especially that of slavery. For the problem of extirpating slavery was everin his mind, and whenever he had the opportunity hesought to
. History of Oregon; the growth of an American state. second or third settler on land that could bebought for a mug of liquor, and himself an ardentagriculturist, he felt and knew the passion of theVirginians for life still westward, and saw in theprimitive wilderness the opportunity of new Statesarising not only free from the tyrannies of Europe,but free also from some of the blighting influencesthat had followed the American colonists from Eu-rope to America—especially that of slavery. For the problem of extirpating slavery was everin his mind, and whenever he had the opportunity hesought to limit its spread, or to restrict its influence;he succeeded in inserting the clause that it should beprohibited in the Northwest Territory; he failed toretain in the Declaration of Independence a clausecondemnatory of the system; and in the VirginiaLegislature failed to carry a bill making manumissionof slaves by their masters legal. Perhaps he had aprescience that the movement of Americans west-ward, and the formation of new States, would result. THOMAS JEFFERSON AN AMERICAN STATE 109 in growth of the idea of freedom to all. What hedid not foresee, or if he had foreseen he would havehesitated to bring about, in the movement of Ameri-cans westward, was the prodigious growth of theNational Idea, giving the nation overwhelming im-portance in comparison with the States. In such pre-ponderance he feared that State rights and individualrights would be neglected, or overborne. Yet withterritorial expansion, which could be accomplishedonly under the patronage and action of the generalgovernment, the central authority must become para-mount. Jefferson did more than anyone to bringabout this growth; acting constantly under the pres-sure of a spirit and a necessity that no one could re-sist, and which could only be guided into lines of jus-tice and general good will. Every step he took wasproximate, the ultimate object being hidden to him,as well as to others. He acted, however, consc
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectoregonh, bookyear1903
