With much respect for your personal character & with such freedom, as I may presume to take with your official character as President of the Colonization Society, I now address you.

I have been for some time past, meditating the practicability & advantage of seeking a less distant & expensive transportation for our contemplated Colonies. I have thought the West Indies had been unduly overlooked: Because they have appeared to me as presenting many natural & civil advantages, not to be equalled elsewhere— I have thought of the possibility of procuring from the patronage of Great Britain their Bahama Islands— They do not value them much (except as keeping them from the use of their enemies in time of War) and the little fixed property in them could be purchased even by the Wealth of the Free blacks we already have in our Country. But I have much higher expectations from the practibility of colonizing Hayti— To this great Island, I have directed chief of my hopes¹ affections & Views.

On this subject I had intended to have addressed your honourable Society at their next General Meeting at much more length & enlarged views than I can now be expected, in this present letter. This therefore is to be considered as immature, & written at the special request of two Friends, John James of the Society of Friends & of Prince Sanders, a worthy coloured man from Hayti. Having before spoken freely of these things to the latter, soon after his arrival, I found he was greatly gratified with them & wished me to fulfil my purposes. These conversations led Mr Sanders to speak of my views to others; & lately to the venerable Mr Boudinot— The general concurrence of sentiment, has now induced those two friends to visit me to day & to urge me to give you my views, while you are in the City, & thus give you, an early opportunity as you travel through the Country to amplify & strengthen them by conversation with other liberal minded men.

My views are these: Hayti, in the Povidence of God, seems at this time peculiarly adapted to answer all the views of all the christian philanthropists, who have in these days, so honourably & devotedly, attached themselves to the amelioration & future civil & religious happiness of the Blacks— Hayti, has every advantage of nature. The soil & climate are both peculiarly adapted to their nature & wants— It is free— Has abundant room & requires & desires population— Even their transportation might be paid by the present authorities of the Island. A present general coloured population, makes it more congenial to themselves & much more desireable to us. Already they have there matured a system of Civil government & shown their ability in very considerable wisdom to govern themselves— Prince Sanders' publication of "State Papers" which he assures me are exclusively indited by Blacks, show much vigour & intelligence of mind. But to some, the division & hostility of the Islanders against each other, under the banners of Christophe & Boyer, may seem an insurmountable impediment & barrier. But Sir, these like other evils of life, may be subdued by the Wisdom & enterprise of men— I believe, it is quite possible, & even easy to reconcile these Chiefs; & to get their quiet & willing submission to one general government: & thus in addition to the glory of procuring a happy assylum for a neglected & afflicted Race, procure for them, the greater glory of giving them perpetual Peace! These thoughts tho' cheering to the christian & the philanthropist is not altogether a fanciful scheme of Utopian felicity— It has much promise of sober reality! If our Colonization Society here, under the full weight & influence of their distinguished character, aided by the direct or indirect (as may be deemed most politick) influence of our Government, will use special means to procure the direct aid & countenance of all these abolitionists in England, the Duke of Gloucester, Lord Feinmouth, Wilberforce, Clarkson, Wm Allen, Stephen, Harrison &c... These active & enlightened men, whose influence extends to the Throne & throughout Europe, could engage the weight & aid of the British Government & the countenance of the Emperors of Russia² & of Germany &ca so as to give all their ascendant influence in bringing about the surrender of all French & Spanish pretention in the Island, & so leave an entire Island to the government of the Blacks. The French claim, now is but nominal; & the Spanish is but little valued: but even if this last, could not be extinguished it would not frustrate our views. The Powers of Europe, in combination with the U. States, should form a compact reciprocally binding each other, to support & guarantee the Island of Hayti free & independant— They should also under their joint influence negotiate with the present authorities of Hayti, so as with their consent, to form a system of government (probably a limited monarchy) by which the whole dominion, might be one: promising them, in case of mutual agreement to this thing, to support & forever defend them, against any aggression from any of the Allied Powers. The arrangement with Christophe & Boyer might be settled by most amicable intermarriages & mutual divison of the authorities among their several Connexions. Under the contemplated pacification & unity of Interests we behold a chance for that long desired state of Society when men shall no longer War against each other! Because, if Hayti be guaranteed by all the Powers of Christendom, against encroachment, it can have no reason to continue its belligerent character. It may therefore dismiss its navy & its wasting military Expenditures— No individual naval power (and no other, can assail) will presume to make attack on an Island, where she perceives that all others are of command obligation Combined against her. Hayti, being thus freed from the fear of external violence & guaranteed to be protected in lawful rights against internal revolt, will present the happy picture of men living free from rapine of War & bloodshed. Then may we requite injured Africans, with the peculiar blessings of being the freest inhabitants of the Globe! ... and then may we see exemplified in them, who before was most wasted, what the Arts of peace can do for the human race, aided by all the benevolent lights of civilization, religion & education! Under such a circumstance the soil may become better cultivated, & such a region be capable of sustaining a thicker population than China itself! If no nation may possess Fortifications there, then no other nation may be anxious to guard against their influence: & if all her Ports be free to all the World, none can be reasonably jealous— Neither, can there be longer any motive to any European nation to Waste its treasure as heretofore to support for purposes of exclusive Commerce, any part of any Island, constituted upon principles like the present plan— A nation so exempt as these Island-blacks might thus be, from all the waste & expenditure of War & Defence, would be surprisingly exempt from taxation— Such small forces as might be essential to guard cities & towns from piratical aggression, might be tolerated, but nothing more.

I hope there can be no reasonable doubt that the authorities of Hayti, themselves, if fully persuaded of the upright views of disinterested & benevolent men, in all these things, would themselves frankly avow their willingness to constitute such other form of Government, as would afford all the necessary Securities for such a new State of Society— At present, Christophe's is too arbitrary— He has no immediate Representative of the People— The Great Council is noble; & himself chooses the Council— All his officers account to him. And his nobility are "above all proof." His Lieutenants of Parishes exercise the prerogatives of Magistrates, & the taxes are equal to one fourth of all the produce— But in extenuation of these Evils, it is to be considered that the Government is almost altogether martial— & the proximity of a gallant Enemy, makes it necessary now to possess arbitrary & summary laws.

Such a Chief, if wise, might even desire more salutary laws, under a better state of Society. The free toleration of Religion, giving no preference in establishment to any, & the universal support of Lancasterian Schools, the encouragement of marriage, & the punishment of every vice, would readily change the character of the People for the better.

These views Sir, are written in more hurry & interruption that I could wish: but imperfect & hasty as they are, they may afford the outline which your better judgement & those of your worthy & enlightened Compeers, may more ably fill up at your leisure. I am sir—very respectfy