Humane by nature, he conceived a great interest and pity for these helpless beings, and treated them with kindness and forethought.

In a word, he was a wise and good master, as well as a successful one, and the condition of his slaves was as happy, and their labor as profitable, as was possible to such a system.
[Footnote 1: _Tour in America_, 1798-1800.] So the years rolled by; the war came and then the making of the government, and Washington's thoughts were turned more and more, as was the case with all the men of his time in that era of change and of new ideas, to the consideration of human slavery in its moral, political, and social aspects.

To trace the course of his opinions in detail is needless.

It is sufficient to summarize them, for the results of his reflection and observation are more important than the processes by which they were reached.

Washington became convinced that the whole system was thoroughly bad, as well as utterly repugnant to the ideas upon which the Revolution was fought and the government of the United States founded.