Excerpt from A Letter of John McDonogh, on African Colonization, 1842: Addressed to the Editors of the New-Orleans Commercial Bulletin

Regard, friendship and esteem for him, there would be no use in saying a word more about it, or in attempting to carry out the plan 1 have to propose to you, for I notify you before hand, it cannot succeed, if the most un limited confidence and esteem does not mutually exist, as well on the side of the master as of the servant, ) and will from this day and hour, change the whole course of your lives, (though I acknowledge in justice to you all, that I have no particular charge, to make against the morality of your past lives, ) and walk in the love and fear of god. If you and your children will be faithful, honest, true, sober, economical, industrious, (not eye ser vants, ) labouring day and night, considering the affairs and interest of your master as the affairs, concerns and interest of each, and every one of you individually, and all this, with a fixed determination to persevere in well doing to the end, under every temptation that may assail you, and over every obstacle that may fall in your way, and will in every thing be ruled, directed and guided by me, I will then in that case, and under this full agreement and understanding between us, undertake so to manage your affairs, (by becoming your banker, the keeper of your gains, and of your accounts, ) as to insure your freedom, and that of your children, with the blessing of the Most High, (viz: your freedom in Liberia, in the land of your fathers, a great and glorious land; for let it be understood between us, it is your freedom in Liberia that I contract for, for I would never consent to give freedom to a single individual among you, to remain on the same soil with the white man, ) within the term, (according to my estimate and calculation.) of fifteen or sixteen years, or thereabouts, say a year or two sooner, or a year or two later. This will be effected in conformity to my plan and estimate, in the following manner, viz: The one-half of Saturday being already your own, (in consequence of my agreement with you, that no labour shall be done on the Sabbath-day, your first object Will lie to gain a sufficient sum of money to purchase the other half of Saturday, which is, the one-eleventh part of the time you have to labour for your master, and of consequence, the one-eleventh part of the value your master has put upon you, and which you have to pay him for your freedom. This I notify you will be the most difficult part of your undertaking, and take the longest time to accomplish, and is to be effected by labouring for me on Saturday after noons, and leaving the amount of your labour in my hands to be husbanded up for you. By foregoing every thing yourselves, and drawing as little money as possible out of my hands, I calculate you will be able to accomplish it in about seven years; that once accomplished, and one whole day out of six your own, you will go on more easy and rapidly; indeed, that once effect ed, your success is certain; proceeding then on in your good work, you will be enabled easily, by your earnings on one entire day in each week to effect the purchase of another day of your time, in about four years Now master and owner of two days in each week, you will be able in two years more to purchase another day, so that three days, or the one-half of your time.

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