Washington, April 27. 1850 My Dear Sir: I owe you many apologies for not having earlier acknowledged the receipt of the letter which you did me the favor to address me several months ago. In the first place, I must say to you that I have been so entirely absorbed, and so constantly engaged, with the agitating subjects of slavery before Congress, that I have had but little leisure for any correspondence, a great part of which I have been obliged to neglect. In the next place I have to say, that until those slavery questions are settled I am perfectly sure that the interesting subjects of which your letter treats, would command very little attention in Congress. You cannot feel a more lively and deep interest in the suppression of the slave trade, and in African Colonization, than I do. I believe we may regard as an entire failure the attempts which have been made to suppress the slave trade, by the employment [2] of a naval force on the coast of Africa. More effective means must be employed, and none more likely to succeed has occurred to me than that of extending and strengthening our colonies on that coast. Wherever they are now firmly established, they have succeeded in destroying and completely breaking up the slave trade within their jurisdiction. I believe, myself, that our African Colonies are intended by Providence, to effect much good. I believe they may be made instrumental not only to abolish the slave trade, but ultimately, after the lapse of a great length of time, to separate the two races in the United States. I shall be most happy to present your memorial to the Senate of the United States, and should be very happy to see you here if you should come on for that purpose: but I must repeat that I think you need hardly come till the slavery questions are amicably settled. I am, your friend and obt. servt. H. Clay Thomas R. Hazard, Esq.