part14-第11章

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expression　of　your　willingness　to　act　in　any　office　for　which　you

were　qualified；　could　not　be　imputed　to　you　as　blame。　　It　would　not

readily　occur　that　a　person　qualified　for　office　ought　to　be　rejected

merely　because　he　was　related　to　the　President；　and　the　then　more

recent　examples　favored　the　other　opinion。　　In　this　light　I

considered　the　case　as　presenting　itself　to　your　mind；　and　that　the

application　might　be　perfectly　justifiable　on　your　part；　while；　for

reasons　occurring　to　none　perhaps；　but　the　person　in　my　situation；

the　public　interest　might　render　it　unadvisable。　　Of　this；　however；

be　assured　that　I　consider　the　proposition　as　innocent　on　your　part；

and　that　it　never　lessened　my　esteem　for　you；　or　the　interest　I　felt

in　your　welfare。




　　　　　　　　My　stay　in　Amelia　was　too　short；　（only　twenty…four　hours；）　to

expect　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　there。　　It　would　be　a　happiness　to

me　any　where；　but　especially　here；　from　whence　I　am　rarely　absent。　　I

am　leading　a　life　of　considerable　activity　as　a　farmer；　reading

little　and　writing　less。　　Something　pursued　with　ardor　is　necessary

to　guard　us　from　the　_tedium…vitae；_　and　the　active　pursuits　lessen

most　our　sense　of　the　infirmities　of　age。　　That　to　the　health　of

youth　you　may　add　an　old　age　of　vigor；　is　the　sincere　prayer　of




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours；　affectionately。







　　　　　　　　PROSTRATION　OF　REASON




　　　　　　　　_To　Caesar　A。　Rodney_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　February　10；　1810_




　　　　　　　　MY　DEAR　SIR；　　I　have　to　thank　you　for　your　favor　of　the　31st

ultimo；　which　is　just　now　received。　　It　has　been　peculiarly

unfortunate　for　us；　personally；　that　the　portion　in　the　history　of

mankind；　at　which　we　were　called　to　take　a　share　in　the　direction　of

their　affairs；　was　such　an　one　as　history　has　never　before　presented。

At　any　other　period；　the　even…handed　justice　we　have　observed　towards

all　nations；　the　efforts　we　have　made　to　merit　their　esteem　by　every

act　which　candor　or　liberality　could　exercise；　would　have　preserved

our　peace；　and　secured　the　unqualified　confidence　of　all　other

nations　in　our　faith　and　probity。　　But　the　hurricane　which　is　now

blasting　the　world；　physical　and　moral；　has　prostrated　all　the　mounds

of　reason　as　well　as　right。　　All　those　calculations　which；　at　any

other　period；　would　have　been　deemed　honorable；　of　the　existence　of　a

moral　sense　in　man；　individually　or　associated；　of　the　connection

which　the　laws　of　nature　have　established　between　his　duties　and　his

interests；　of　a　regard　for　honest　fame　and　the　esteem　of　our　fellow

men；　have　been　a　matter　of　reproach　on　us；　as　evidences　of

imbecility。　　As　if　it　could　be　a　folly　for　an　honest　man　to　suppose

that　others　could　be　honest　also；　when　it　is　their　interest　to　be　so。

And　when　is　this　state　of　things　to　end？　　The　death　of　Bonaparte

would；　to　be　sure；　remove　the　first　and　chiefest　apostle　of　the

desolation　of　men　and　morals；　and　might　withdraw　the　scourge　of　the

land。　　But　what　is　to　restore　order　and　safety　on　the　ocean？　　The

death　of　George　III？　　Not　at　all。　　He　is　only　stupid；　and　his

ministers；　however　weak　and　profligate　in　morals；　are　ephemeral。　　But

his　nation　is　permanent；　and　it　is　that　which　is　the　tyrant　of　the

ocean。　　The　principle　that　force　is　right；　is　become　the　principle　of

the　nation　itself。　　They　would　not　permit　an　honest　minister；　were

accident　to　bring　such　an　one　into　power；　to　relax　their　system　of

lawless　piracy。　　These　were　the　difficulties　when　I　was　with　you。　　I

know　they　are　not　lessened；　and　I　pity　you。




　　　　　　　　It　is　a　blessing；　however；　that　our　people　are　reasonable；　that

they　are　kept　so　well　informed　of　the　state　of　things　as　to　judge　for

themselves；　to　see　the　true　sources　of　their　difficulties；　and　to

maintain　their　confidence　undiminished　in　the　wisdom　and　integrity　of

their　functionaries。　　_Macte　virtute_　therefore。　　Continue　to　go

straight　forward；　pursuing　always　that　which　is　right；　as　the　only

clue　which　can　lead　us　out　of　the　labyrinth。　　Let　nothing　be　spared

of　either　reason　or　passion；　to　preserve　the　public　confidence

entire；　as　the　only　rock　of　our　safety。　　In　times　of　peace　the　people

look　most　to　their　representatives；　but　in　war；　to　the　executive

solely。　　It　is　visible　that　their　confidence　is　even　now　veering　in

that　direction；　that　they　are　looking　to　the　executive　to　give　the

proper　direction　to　their　affairs；　with　a　confidence　as　auspicious　as

it　is　well　founded。




　　　　　　　　I　avail　myself　of　this；　the　first　occasion　of　writing　to　you；

to　express　all　the　depth　of　my　affection　for　you；　the　sense　I

entertain　of　your　faithful　co…operation　in　my　late　labors；　and　the

debt　I　owe　for　the　valuable　aid　I　received　from　you。　　Though

separated　from　my　fellow　laborers　in　place　and　pursuit；　my　affections

are　with　you　all；　and　I　offer　daily　prayers　that　ye　love　one　another；

as　I　love　you。　　God　bless　you。







　　　　　　　　〃THE　BOOK　OF　KINGS〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Governor　John　Langdon_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　March　5；　1810_




　　　　　　　　Your　letter；　my　dear　friend；　of　the　18th　ultimo；　comes　like　the

refreshing　dews　of　the　evening　on　a　thirsty　soil。　　It　recalls　antient

as　well　as　recent　recollections；　very　dear　to　my　heart。　　For　five　and

thirty　years　we　have　walked　together　through　a　land　of　tribulations。

Yet　these　have　passed　away；　and　so；　I　trust；　will　those　of　the

present　day。　　The　toryism　with　which　we　struggled　in　'77；　differed

but　in　name　from　the　federalism　of　'99；　with　which　we　struggled　also；

and　the　Anglicism　of　1808；　against　which　we　are　now　struggling；　is

but　the　same　thing　still；　in　another　form。　　It　is　a　longing　for　a

King；　and　an　English　King　rather　than　any　other。　　This　is　the　true

source　of　their　sorrows　and　wailings。




　　　　　　　　The　fear　that　Buonaparte　will　come　over　to　us　and　conquer　us

also；　is　too　chimerical　to　be　genuine。　　Supposing　him　to　have

finished　Spain　and　Portugal；　he　has　yet　England　and　Russia　to　subdue。

The　maxim　of　war　was　never　sounder　than　in　this　case；　not　to　leave　an

enemy　in　the　rear；　and　especially　where　an　insurrectionary　flame　is

known　to　be　under　the　embers；　merely　smothered；　and　ready　to　burst　at

every　point。　　These　two　subdued；　（and　surely　the　Anglomen　will　not

think　the　conquest　of　England　alone　a　short　work）　antient　Greece　and

Macedonia；　the　cradle　of　Alexander；　his　prototype；　and

Constantinople；　the　seat　of　empire　for　the　world；　would　glitter　more

in　his　eye　than　our　bleak　mountains　and　rugged　forests。　　Egypt；　too；

and　the　golden　apples　of　Mauritania；　have　for　more　than　half　a

century　fixed　the　longing　eyes　of　France；　and　with　Syria；　you　know；

he　has　an　old　affront　to　wipe　out。　　Then　come　‘Pontus　and　Galatia；

Cappadocia；　Asia　and　Bithynia；'　the　fine　countries　on　the　Euphrates

and　Tigris；　the　Oxus　and　Indus；　and　all　beyond　the　Hyphasis；　which

bounded　the　glories　of　his　Macedonian　rival；　with　the　invitations　of

his　new　British　subjects　on　the　banks　of　the　Ganges；　whom；　after

receiving　under　his　protection　the　mother　country；　he　cannot　refuse

to　visit。　　When　all　this　is　done　and　settled；　and　nothing　of　the　old

world　remains　unsubdued；　he　may　turn　to　the　new　one。　　But　will　he

attack　us　first；　from　whom　he　will　get　but　hard　knocks　and　no　money？

Or　will　he　first　lay　hold　of　the　gold　and　silver　of　Mexico　and　Peru；

and　the　diamonds　of　Brazil？　　A　_republican_　Emperor；　from　his

affection　to　republics；　independent　of　motives　of　expediency；　must

grant　to　ours　the　Cyclop's　boon　of　being　the　last　devoured。　　While

all　this　is　doing；　we　are　to　suppose　the　chapter　of　accidents　read

out；　and　that　nothing　can　happen　to　cut　short　or　to　disturb　his

enterprises。




　　　　　　　　But　the　Anglomen；　it　seems；　have　found　out　a　much　safer

dependance；　than　all　these　chances　of　death　or　disappointment。　　That

is；　that　we　should　first　let　England　plunder　us；　as　she　has　been

doing　for　years；　for　fear　Buonaparte　should　do　it；　and　then　ally

ourselves　with　her；　and