.. ..

.
.
' . I
J
"
'
. '
,.
..


1...-:-
..
.
- g
..
t
':;.

.

..
:

'"-;-
'\
-
/
"'
..
.. ' .. - r,
.;. ;. , . ., / .
--r:. I' <#
,-oF THIS LETIER-P.RESS EDIT{ON
.. 0 ..... '
I
"
0
. . ' "' .
750 tofiES. lfA ve BEEN' PRI/ITED FOR SALE
. . .. :
,\.
..
0 i.
. i
..
" .
.'J, :
- : : i;
' .
\ .
' .':. ... . . -
o o J
-.;,: ... : Dtcmwir, 'r892
:. ... .
,.
'
.
s.:
...
. . -
" .:'
.- "
...
r

.. ..
-. :-1.
tGJ

.
/
.
..
.. .
.
-
..
I
'
,
..
THE WRITINGS
I
I

c
OF
. ';
)
THOMAS .JEFFERSON

'I
/
' . .
.
EDITED
.
llV
J I .
PAUL LEic;E:ST,ER -FORD
..
V OLUME' I :
0
.
..
'
G. P. SONS
. . NSW YO.RK ,. ,. LONDOl\0
27 W&ST STRSK;I' :l4 BllDFOillf STlltET, STRAII:>
J niclurbocku 1Juu
..
.
.
1892
--.....
I
/
l
.:f.
54 . . . . :i:.{fE WR{fN_G_s OF

. .
. .
THOMAS JEFFERSON. 55
altho', from their natural temperaments, they were
more- disposed\. generally to acquiesce ir:t 'things as
than to ris.k innovations, yet the
will had once decided, were more fatthful
or exact in their obedience to it.
The seat of our government had been originally
fixed in the of J amestown, the first settle-
ment of the colonists; and had been afterwax:ds re:
moved Lew miles inland to .\Villiamsburg. But this
was at a-time when had not extended'.
beyond ti4e water. Now they crossed the
Alleghany; and the center. of populatiOn
far removed from wha-r it had been. Yet \V tlhams-
. burg was still the depository of our archives, the
hab"itual residence- of the & many other of
the public the
sessions of the legislature, and tlu!. our
'stores: and it's situation .was so
it micrht be taken at in ,war, and, at .thts
time an enemY, night run t!P
either of the rivers between whtch1tt ltes, l,.and a force
a
bove .and take possession of the . witho';lt the
' . . . h' (y I had
possibility of savmg etther persons or t tnl:>s. . .
propqsed it's removal so as Octo,b. 76.' but It
not prevail untirthe seSsiOn of May. 79
. 'Early in the)session of May 79 I prepared,
obtained leave to bring i:n a bill
be citizens, asse-rting the natural ng.ht o
\
. I moved a.s early I76I, ami only ailed by .a vote of A
o: r
10
r
1111
HoUJc o.1 urgusu.
second attempt was made Feb. 10, 1772.- na '.1
Cf. Jllsi, Oct. q, I n6 .
. "
/
r
. .. -,: \;
. ' . )
,. . . :.\ .THE QF : [q76 . .,
. j the inode of eXercising
... . . l . 1t. Thts, from the house on the
:; : 1st of June foll0wing, I left in. the hands of George
: ' it on the 26th of tna_t month.'
.. Ingtvmg thts ace unt of the laws of _whtch I was
'r :._, myseif . the mover .'& draughtsman, I by no means
.' .. :.. claim to myself\ the merit of obtain.in.g their
.. . passage. I had occasional and strenuous
... in and \ one most steadfast, able,
. and zeal<>:us; who elf a h6st. This was
. ...
. .
George Mai;on, a man of .the first order of wisdom
among who .acte_d on .the of the re.volu-
expartsive mind, profound\uagrrient, cogent in
argl!ment, learned in theI9re of former constitu-
tiQQ,- for the republican on demo-
crati_c principles: His elocution was neither ,flowing
. nor .. his language was strong, his manner
. most and strengthened by a dash of bit-
ing_ cynicism when; provocation it
. Mr. w_hlle sp_eaker in the two of
I 777 between hts return f_rGm ahd his ap-
to the Chancery, an able and constant
associate in :whatever was before' a committee of the (
pure integrity: judgment and re-asoning
-:- .gave him great'weight. Of him see m0re in
- in my letter of August 31. 1821,,
: ... ' . M J h S .
. to .. _r. <;> n aunderson.
. th.e .House in I 776: a new:
f*L :j_. . .- and_ yoUJlg ; whtch ctrcumstances concurring
.- :_ '. extreme prevented his venturing
: .. .. .. ... .. . . .
: 7. I in D/IAI C4mmiltu of P 41.
-"'-- ,; . . . . . . .
;It : :-
. . . , ........
.
..J..
,,
...
. .
. .
- _ - -- . ----- , --------
THOJJf1S JE(FERS01\'. 57
71 .
.. himself in deba,te his removal t6 the Council
of State in 77 From thence he went to Con-
. gress, then consisting of few Train'ed ir.
: . these successive schools, he acquired a habit. of self-
which placed _at ready command .the rich
resources of his luminous and discriminating mind, &
of his extensi ve jnformation, and nim the
. first of every assembly of he became
.a member. Never wandering from hi s subject into
vajn declamation, but pursuing it closely in language
: pure: classical, and copious,\oothing always the feel-
ina-s of . his adversaries by civilities and s0ftness .o(
he rose .. t o the eminent station which _he
held in the great National conventi on of i 87.
it1 that of .Virginia which followed, he sustained the
new constitution in all its parts, bearin-g off the palm
aga,inst logic of George Mason, _and fervid
declamation of l\-Ir. Henry. \Vith these
powers were united a pure and' spotl ess virtu_e which
no calumny has ever to sul_l y. . the
powers and polish of his pen, and of the wtsdo":' Qf
his administration in the highest office of the
I .need ' say nothing. They have spoken, and w1ll
foiever for themselves. . .
. . . So 'car proceeding in the detatls of refor-
"mation only ; s'clecting points of
in character & px:ipciple, urgent, and of
strength of the general pulse of reformauon:_
_I left Congress, in 76. it was the that
i : "our whole code must be reviewed, to our
government, and, now that W7 had