part14-第14章

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never　again　encounter　a　contentious　assembly；　the　habits　of　thinking

and　speaking　off…hand；　after　a　disuse　of　five　and　twenty　years；　have

given　place　to　the　slower　process　of　the　pen。　　I　have　indeed　two

great　measures　at　heart；　without　which　no　republic　can　maintain

itself　in　strength。　　1。　That　of　general　education；　to　enable　every

man　to　judge　for　himself　what　will　secure　or　endanger　his　freedom。

2。　To　divide　every　county　into　hundreds；　of　such　size　that　all　the

children　of　each　will　be　within　reach　of　a　central　school　in　it。　　But

this　division　looks　to　many　other　fundamental　provisions。　　Every

hundred；　besides　a　school；　should　have　a　justice　of　the　peace；　a

constable　and　a　captain　of　militia。　　These　officers；　or　some　others

within　the　hundred；　should　be　a　corporation　to　manage　all　its

concerns；　to　take　care　of　its　roads；　its　poor；　and　its　police　by

patrols；　&c。；　（as　the　select　men　of　the　Eastern　townships。）　　Every

hundred　should　elect　one　or　two　jurors　to　serve　where　requisite；　and

all　other　elections　should　be　made　in　the　hundreds　separately；　and

the　votes　of　all　the　hundreds　be　brought　together。　　Our　present

Captaincies　might　be　declared　hundreds　for　the　present；　with　a　power

to　the　courts　to　alter　them　occasionally。　　These　little　republics

would　be　the　main　strength　of　the　great　one。　　We　owe　to　them　the

vigor　given　to　our　revolution　in　its　commencement　in　the　Eastern

States；　and　by　them　the　Eastern　States　were　enabled　to　repeal　the

embargo　in　opposition　to　the　Middle；　Southern　and　Western　States；　and

their　large　and　lubberly　division　into　counties　which　can　never　be

assembled。　　General　orders　are　given　out　from　a　centre　to　the　foreman

of　every　hundred；　as　to　the　sergeants　of　an　army；　and　the　whole

nation　is　thrown　into　energetic　action；　in　the　same　direction　in　one

instant　and　as　one　man；　and　becomes　absolutely　irresistible。　　Could　I

once　see　this　I　should　consider　it　as　the　dawn　of　the　salvation　of

the　republic；　and　say　with　old　Simeon；　〃nunc　dimittas　Domine。〃　But

our　children　will　be　as　wise　as　we　are；　and　will　establish　in　the

fulness　of　time　those　things　not　yet　ripe　for　establishment。　　So　be

it；　and　to　yourself　health；　happiness　and　long　life。







　　　　　　　　HUME　AND　MONTESQUIEU




　　　　　　　　_To　William　Duane_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　August　12；　1810_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　July　16th　has　been　duly　received；　with

the　paper　it　enclosed；　for　which　accept　my　thanks；　and　especially　for

the　kind　sentiments　expressed　towards　myself。　　These　testimonies　of

approbation；　and　friendly　remembrance；　are　the　highest　gratifications

I　can　receive　from　any；　and　especially　from　those　in　whose　principles

and　zeal　for　the　public　good　I　have　confidence。　　Of　that　confidence

in　yourself　the　military　appointment　to　which　you　allude　was

sufficient　proof；　as　it　was　made；　not　on　the　recommendations　of

others；　but　on　our　own　knowledge　of　your　principles　and

qualifications。　　While　I　cherish　with　feeling　the　recollections　of　my

friends；　I　banish　from　my　mind　all　political　animosities　which　might

disturb　its　tranquillity；　or　the　happiness　I　derive　from　my　present

pursuits。　　I　have　thought　it　among　the　most　fortunate　circumstances

of　my　late　administration　that；　during　its　eight　years　continuance；

it　was　conducted　with　a　cordiality　and　harmony　among　all　the　members；

which　never　were　ruffled　on　any；　the　greatest　or　smallest　occasion。

I　left　my　brethren　with　sentiments　of　sincere　affection　and

friendship；　so　rooted　in　the　uniform　tenor　of　a　long　and　intimate

intercourse；　that　the　evidence　of　my　own　senses　alone　ought　to　be

permitted　to　shake　them。　　Anxious；　in　my　retirement；　to　enjoy

undisturbed　repose；　my　knowledge　of　my　successor　and　late　coadjutors；

and　my　entire　confidence　in　their　wisdom　and　integrity；　were

assurances　to　me　that　I　might　sleep　in　security　with　such　watchmen　at

the　helm；　and　that　whatever　difficulties　and　dangers　should　assail

our　course；　they　would　do　what　could　be　done　to　avoid　or　surmount

them。　　In　this　confidence　I　envelope　myself；　and　hope　to　slumber　on

to　my　last　sleep。　　And　should　difficulties　occur　which　they　cannot

avert；　if　we　follow　them　in　phalanx；　we　shall　surmount　them　without

danger。




　　　　　　　　I　have　been　long　intending　to　write　to　you　as　one　of　the

associated　company　for　printing　useful　works。




　　　　　　　　Our　laws；　language；　religion；　politics　and　manners　are　so

deeply　laid　in　English　foundations；　that　we　shall　never　cease　to

consider　their　history　as　a　part　of　ours；　and　to　study　ours　in　that

as　its　origin。　　Every　one　knows　that　judicious　matter　and　charms　of

style　have　rendered　Hume's　history　the　manual　of　every　student。　　I

remember　well　the　enthusiasm　with　which　I　devoured　it　when　young；　and

the　length　of　time；　the　research　and　reflection　which　were　necessary

to　eradicate　the　poison　it　had　instilled　into　my　mind。　　It　was

unfortunate　that　he　first　took　up　the　history　of　the　Stuarts；　became

their　apologist；　and　advocated　all　their　enormities。　　To　support　his

work；　when　done；　he　went　back　to　the　Tudors；　and　so　selected　and

arranged　the　materials　of　their　history　as　to　present　their　arbitrary

acts　only；　as　the　genuine　samples　of　the　constitutional　power　of　the

crown；　and；　still　writing　backwards；　he　then　reverted　to　the　early

history；　and　wrote　the　Saxon　and　Norman　periods　with　the　same

perverted　view。　　Although　all　this　is　known；　he　still　continues　to　be

put　into　the　hands　of　all　our　young　people；　and　to　infect　them　with

the　poison　of　his　own　principles　of　government。　　It　is　this　book

which　has　undermined　the　free　principles　of　the　English　government；

has　persuaded　readers　of　all　classes　that　these　were　usurpations　on

the　legitimate　and　salutary　rights　of　the　crown；　and　has　spread

universal　toryism　over　the　land。　　And　the　book　will　still　continue　to

be　read　here　as　well　as　there。　　Baxter；　one　of　Horne　Tooke's

associates　in　persecution；　has　hit　on　the　only　remedy　the　evil

admits。　　He　has　taken　Hume's　work；　corrected　in　the　text　his

misrepresentations；　supplied　the　truths　which　he　suppressed；　and　yet

has　given　the　mass　of　the　work　in　Hume's　own　words。　　And　it　is

wonderful　how　little　interpolation　has　been　necessary　to　make　it　a

sound　history；　and　to　justify　what　should　have　been　its　title；　to

wit；　〃Hume's　history　of　England　abridged　and　rendered　faithful　to

fact　and　principle。〃　I　cannot　say　that　his　amendments　are　either　in

matter　or　manner　in　the　fine　style　of　Hume。　　Yet　they　are　often

unperceived；　and　occupy　so　little　of　the　whole　work　as　not　to

depreciate　it。　　Unfortunately　he　has　_abridged_　Hume；　by　leaving　out

all　the　less　important　details。　　It　is　thus　reduced　to　about　one　half

its　original　size。　　He　has　also　continued　the　history；　but　very

summarily；　to　1801。　　The　whole　work　is　of　834　quarto　pages；　printed

close；　of　which　the　continuation　occupies　283。　　I　have　read　but

little　of　this　part。　　As　far　as　I　can　judge　from　that　little；　it　is　a

mere　chronicle；　offering　nothing　profound。　　This　work　is　so

unpopular；　so　distasteful　to　the　present　Tory　palates　and　principles

of　England；　that　I　believe　it　has　never　reached　a　second　edition。　　I

have　often　inquired　for　it　in　our　book　shops；　but　never　could　find　a

copy　in　them；　and　I　think　it　possible　the　one　I　imported　may　be　the

only　one　in　America。　　Can　we　not　have　it　re…printed　here？　　It　would

be　about　four　volumes　8vo。




　　　　　　　　I　have　another　enterprise　to　propose　for　some　good　printer。　　I

have　in　my　possession　a　MS。　work　in　French；　confided　to　me　by　a

friend；　whose　name　alone　would　give　it　celebrity　were　it　permitted　to

be　mentioned。　　But　considerations　insuperable　forbid　that。　　It　is　a

Commentary　and　Review　of　Montesquieu's　Spirit　of　Laws。　　The　history

of　that　work　is　well　known。　　He　had　been　a　great　reader；　and　had

commonplaced　everything　he　read。　　At　length　he　wished　to　undertake

some　work　into　which　he　could　bring　his　whole　commonplace　book　in　a

digested　form。　　He　fixed　on　the　subject　of　his