“I should really free my slaves, all two hundred of them. How could I not do that, when I deeply believe, and wrote, that slavery is the worst offence against human nature? Am I really such a hypocrite, as the British accuse all of us of being? But how can I take this step by myself, on my own, individually? Perhaps black slaves are not inferior to us Whites, I'm not sure. But certainly they are not ready to independently manage their own life. Don't we need, first, to set up institutions to educate them, and to support them in the life of free people? Who will take care of them? And, then, more seriously, what would be the consequences of my decision for the other legitimate owners, for my Commonwealth and for the new Republic? It's bound to create dissension, animosity, among us, and instability in our still fragile Union. There will be discontent among the other slaves, and perhaps rebellions. And what about the health of our economy? No, the abolition of slavery is a decision that no individual can take on his own; it needs to be discussed, legislated, and regulated by each state… Is this really what's stopping me from taking what I consider to be a morally necessary step? Are my real motives the welfare of the slaves themselves, and the harmony and stability of our republic? Or isn't, rather, my own interest, the value of my property and my precarious financial situation, the fear of being unable to repay my heavy debts? […]