part14-第13章

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friendly　to　study；　and　lessen　the　dangers　of　fire；　infection　and

tumult。　　Every　professor　would　be　the　police　officer　of　the　students

adjacent　to　his　own　lodge；　which　should　include　those　of　his　own

class　of　preference；　and　might　be　at　the　head　of　their　table；　if；　as

I　suppose；　it　can　be　reconciled　with　the　necessary　economy　to　dine

them　in　smaller　and　separate　parties；　rather　than　in　a　large　and

common　mess。　　These　separate　buildings；　too；　might　be　erected

successively　and　occasionally；　as　the　number　of　professorships　and

students　should　be　increased；　or　the　funds　become　competent。




　　　　　　　　I　pray　you　to　pardon　me　if　I　have　stepped　aside　into　the

province　of　counsel；　but　much　observation　and　reflection　on　these

institutions　have　long　convinced　me　that　the　large　and　crowded

buildings　in　which　youths　are　pent　up；　are　equally　unfriendly　to

health；　to　study；　to　manners；　morals　and　order；　and；　believing　the

plan　I　suggest　to　be　more　promotive　of　these；　and　peculiarly　adapted

to　the　slender　beginnings　and　progressive　growth　of　our　institutions；

I　hoped　you　would　pardon　the　presumption；　in　consideration　of　the

motive　which　was　suggested　by　the　difficulty　expressed　in　your

letter；　of　procuring　funds　for　erecting　the　building。　　But；　on

whatever　plan　you　proceed；　I　wish　it　every　possible　success；　and　to

yourselves　the　reward　of　esteem；　respect　and　gratitude　due　to　those

who　devote　their　time　and　efforts　to　render　the　youths　of　every

successive　age　fit　governors　for　the　next。　　To　these　accept；　in

addition；　the　assurances　of　mine。







　　　　　　　　A　PLAN　FOR　THE　MERINOS




　　　　　　　　_To　the　President　of　the　United　States_

　　　　　　　　（James　Madison）

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　13；　1810_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　thank　you　for　your　promised　attention　to　my

portion　of　the　Merinos；　and　if　there　be　any　expenses　of

transportation；　&c。；　and　you　will　be　so　good　as　to　advance　my　portion

of　them　with　yours　and　notify　the　amount；　it　shall　be　promptly

remitted。　　What　shall　we　do　with　them？　　I　have　been　so　disgusted　with

the　scandalous　extortions　lately　practised　in　the　sale　of　these

animals；　and　with　the　description　of　patriotism　and　praise　to　the

sellers；　as　if　the　thousands　of　dollars　apiece　they　have　not　been

ashamed　to　receive　were　not　reward　enough；　that　I　am　disposed　to

consider　as　right；　whatever　is　the　reverse　of　what　they　have　done。

Since　fortune　has　put　the　occasion　upon　us；　is　it　not　incumbent　upon

us　so　to　dispense　this　benefit　to　the　farmers　of　our　country；　as　to

put　to　shame　those　who；　forgetting　their　own　wealth　and　the　honest

simplicity　of　the　farmers；　have　thought　them　fit　objects　of　the

shaving　art；　and　to　excite；　by　a　better　example；　the　condemnation　due

to　theirs？　　No　sentiment　is　more　acknowledged　in　the　family　of

Agriculturists　than　that　the　few　who　can　afford　it　should　incur　the

risk　and　expense　of　all　new　improvements；　and　give　the　benefit　freely

to　the　many　of　more　restricted　circumstances。　　The　question　then

recurs；　What　are　we　to　do　with　them？　　I　shall　be　willing　to　concur

with　you　in　any　plan　you　shall　approve；　and　in　order　that　we　may　have

some　proposition　to　begin　upon；　I　will　throw　out　a　first　idea；　to　be

modified　or　postponed　to　whatever　you　shall　think　better。




　　　　　　　　Give　all　the　full…blooded　males　we　can　raise　to　the　different

counties　of　our　State；　one　to　each；　as　fast　as　we　can　furnish　them。

And　as　there　must　be　some　rule　of　priority　for　the　distribution；　let

us　begin　with　our　own　counties；　which　are　contiguous　and　nearly

central　to　the　State；　and　proceed；　circle　after　circle；　till　we　have

given　a　ram　to　every　county。　　This　will　take　about　seven　years；　if　we

add　to　the　full　descendants　those　which　will　have　past　to　the　fourth

generation　from　common　ewes；　to　make　the　benefit　of　a　single　male　as

general　as　practicable　to　the　county；　we　may　ask　some　known　character

in　each　county　to　have　a　small　society　formed　which　shall　receive　the

animal　and　prescribe　rules　for　his　care　and　government。　　We　should

retain　ourselves　all　the　full…blooded　ewes；　that　they　may　enable　us

the　sooner　to　furnish　a　male　to　every　county。　　When　all　shall　have

been　provided　with　rams；　we　may；　in　a　year　or　two　more；　be　in　a

condition　to　give　an　ewe　also　to　every　county；　if　it　be　thought

necessary。　　But　I　suppose　it　will　not；　as　four　generations　from　their

full…blooded　ram　will　give　them　the　pure　race　from　common　ewes。




　　　　　　　　In　the　meantime　we　shall　not　be　without　a　profit　indemnifying

our　trouble　and　expense。　　For　if　of　our　present　stock　of　common　ewes；

we　place　with　the　ram　as　many　as　he　may　be　competent　to；　suppose

fifty；　we　may　sell　the　male　lambs　of　every　year　for　such　reasonable

price　as　in　addition　to　the　wool；　will　pay　for　the　maintenance　of　the

flock。　　The　first　year　they　will　be　half　bloods；　the　second

three…quarters；　the　third　seven…eights；　and　the　fourth　full…blooded；

if　we　take　care　in　selling　annually　half　the　ewes　also；　to　keep　those

of　highest　blood；　this　will　be　a　fund　for　kindnesses　to　our　friends；

as　well　as　for　indemnification　to　ourselves；　and　our　whole　State　may

thus；　from　this　small　stock；　so　dispersed；　be　filled　in　a　very　few

years　with　this　valuable　race；　and　more　satisfaction　result　to

ourselves　than　money　ever　administered　to　the　bosom　of　a　shaver。

There　will　be　danger　that　what　is　here　proposed；　though　but　an　act　of

ordinary　duty；　may　be　perverted　into　one　of　ostentation；　but　malice

will　always　find　bad　motives　for　good　actions。　　Shall　we　therefore

never　do　good？　　It　may　also　be　used　to　commit　us　with　those　on　whose

example　it　will　truly　be　a　reproof。　　We　may　guard　against　this

perhaps　by　a　proper　reserve；　developing　our　purpose　only　by　its

execution。




　　　　　　　　Vive；　vale；　et　siquid　novisti　rectius　istis

　　　　　　　　Candidus　imperti　sinon；　his　ulere　mecum。







　　　　　　　　SCHOOLS　AND　〃LITTLE　REPUBLICS〃




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Tyler_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　26；　1810_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　friendly　letter　of　the　12th　has　been　duly

received。　　Although　I　have　laid　it　down　as　a　law　to　myself；　never　to

embarrass　the　President　with　my　solicitations；　and　have　not　till　now

broken　through　it；　yet　I　have　made　a　part　of　yourletter　the　subject

of　one　to　him；　and　have　done　it　with　all　my　heart；　and　in　the　full

belief　that　I　serve　him　and　the　public　in　urging　that　appointment。

We　have　long　enough　suffered　under　the　base　prostitution　of　law　to

party　passions　in　one　judge；　and　the　imbecility　of　another。　　In　the

hands　of　one　the　law　is　nothing　more　than　an　ambiguous　text；　to　be

explained　by　his　sophistry　into　any　meaning　which　may　subserve　his

personal　malice。　　Nor　can　any　milk…and…water　associate　maintain　his

own　dependance；　and　by　a　firm　pursuance　of　what　the　law　really　is；

extend　its　protection　to　the　citizens　or　the　public。　　I　believe　you

will　do　it；　and　where　you　cannot　induce　your　colleague　to　do　what　is

right；　you　will　be　firm　enough　to　hinder　him　from　doing　what　is

wrong；　and　by　opposing　sense　to　sophistry；　leave　the　juries　free　to

follow　their　own　judgment。




　　　　　　　　I　have　long　lamented　with　you　the　depreciation　of　law　science。

The　opinion　seems　to　be　that　Blackstone　is　to　us　what　the　Alcoran　is

to　the　Mahometans；　that　everything　which　is　necessary　is　in　him；　and

what　is　not　in　him　is　not　necessary。　　I　still　lend　my　counsel　and

books　to　such　young　students　as　will　fix　themselves　in　the

neighborhood。　　Coke's　institutes　and　reports　are　their　first；　and

Blackstone　their　last　book；　after　an　intermediate　course　of　two　or

three　years。　　It　is　nothing　more　than　an　elegant　digest　of　what　they

will　then　have　acquired　from　the　real　fountains　of　the　law。　　Now　men

are　born　scholars；　lawyers；　doctors；　in　our　day　this　was　confined　to

poets。　　You　wish　to　see　me　again　in　the　legislature；　but　this　is

impossible；　my　mind　is　now　so　dissolved　in　tranquillity；　that　it　can

never　again　encounter　a　contentious　assembly；　the　habits　of　thinking

and　speaking　off…ha