part14-第5章

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this　self…cathechising　habit；　is　not　trifling；　nor　useless；　but　leads

to　the　prudent　selection　and　steady　pursuits　of　what　is　right？　　I

have　mentioned　good　humor　as　one　of　the　preservatives　of　our　peace

and　tranquillity。　　It　is　among　the　most　effectual；　and　it's　effect　is

so　well　imitated　and　aided　artificially　by　politeness；　that　this　also

becomes　an　acquisition　of　first　rate　value。　　In　truth；　politeness　is

artificial　good　humor；　it　covers　the　natural　want　of　it；　and　ends　by

rendering　habitual　a　substitute　nearly　equivalent　to　the　real　virtue。

It　is　the　practice　of　sacrificing　to　those　whom　we　meet　in　society

all　the　little　conveniences　and　preferences　which　will　gratify　them；

and　deprive　us　of　nothing　worth　a　moment's　consideration；　it　is　the

giving　a　pleasing　and　flattering　turn　to　our　expressions　which　will

conciliate　others；　and　make　them　pleased　with　us　as　well　as

themselves。　　How　cheap　a　price　for　the　good　will　of　another！　　When

this　is　in　return　for　a　rude　thing　said　by　another；　it　brings　him　to

his　senses；　it　mortifies　and　corrects　him　in　the　most　salutary　way；

and　places　him　at　the　feet　of　your　good　nature　in　the　eyes　of　the

company。　　But　in　stating　prudential　rules　for　our　government　in

society　I　must　not　omit　the　important　one　of　never　entering　into

dispute　or　argument　withanother。　　I　never　yet　saw　an　instance　of　one

of　two　disputantsconvincing　the　other　by　argument。　　I　have　seen　many

on　their　getting　warm；　becoming　rude；　and　shooting　one　another。

Conviction　is　the　effect　of　our　own　dispassionate　reasoning；　either

in　solitude；　or　weighing　within　ourselves　dispassionately　what　we

hear　from　others　standing　uncommitted　in　argument　ourselves。　　It　was

one　of　the　rules　which　above　all　others　made　Doctr。　Franklin　the　most

amiable　of　men　in　society；　‘never　to　contradict　any　body。'　If　he　was

urged　to　anounce　an　opinion；　he　did　it　rather　by　asking　questions；　as

if　for　information；　or　by　suggesting　doubts。　　When　I　hear　another

express　an　opinion；　which　is　not　mine；　I　say　to　myself；　He　has　a

right　to　his　opinion；　as　I　to　mine；　why　should　I　question　it。　　His

error　does　me　no　injury；　and　shall　I　becomea　Don　Quixot　to　bring　all

men　by　force　of　argument；　to　one　opinion？　　If　a　fact　be　misstated；　it

is　probable　he　is　gratified　by　a　belief　of　it；　and　I　have　no　right　to

deprive　him　of　the　gratification。　　If　he　wants　information　he　will

ask　it；　and　then　I　will　give　it　in　measured　terms；　but　if　he　still

believes　his　own　story；　and　shows　a　desire　to　dispute　the　fact　with

me；　I　hear　him　and　say　nothing。　　It　is　his　affair；　not　mine；　if　he

prefers　error。　　There　are　two　classes　of　disputants　most　frequently

to　be　met　with　among　us。　　The　first　is　of　young　students　just　entered

the　threshold　of　science；　with　a　first　view　of　it's　outlines；　not　yet

filled　up　with　the　details　and　modifications　which　a　further　progress

would　bring　to　their　knoledge。　　The　other　consists　of　the

ill…tempered　and　rude　men　in　society　who　have　taken　up　a　passion　for

politics。　　（Good　humor　and　politeness　never　introduce　into　mixed

society　a　question　on　which　they　foresee　there　will　be　a　difference

of　opinion。）　From　both　of　these　classes　of　disputants；　my　dear

Jefferson；　keep　aloof；　as　you　would　from　the　infected　subjects　of

yellow　fever　or　pestilence。　　Consider　yourself；　when　with　them；　as

among　the　patients　of　Bedlam　needing　medical　more　than　moral　counsel。

Be　a　listener　only；　keep　within　yourself；　and　endeavor　to　establish

with　yourself　the　habit　of　silence；　especially　in　politics。　　In　the

fevered　state　of　our　country；　no　good　can　ever　result　from　any

attempt　to　set　one　of　these　fiery　zealots　to　rights　either　in　fact　or

principle。　　They　are　determined　as　to　the　facts　they　will　believe；

and　the　opinions　on　which　they　will　act。　　Get　by　them；　therefore　as

you　would　by　an　angry　bull：　it　is　not　for　a　man　of　sense　to　dispute

the　road　with　such　an　animal。　　You　will　be　more　exposed　than　others

to　have　these　animals　shaking　their　horns　at　you；　because　of　the

relation　in　which　you　stand　with　me　and　to　hate　me　as　a　chief　in　the

antagonist　party　your　presence　will　be　to　them　what　the　vomit…grass

is　to　the　sick　dog　a　nostrum　for　producing　an　ejaculation。　　Look　upon

them　exactly　with　that　eye；　and　pity　them　as　objects　to　whom　you　can

administer　only　occasional　ease。　　My　character　is　not　within　their

power。　　It　is　in　the　hands　of　my　fellow　citizens　at　large；　and　will

be　consigned　to　honor　or　infamy　by　the　verdict　of　the　republican　mass

of　our　country；　according　to　what　themselves　will　have　seen；　not　what

their　enemies　and　mine　shall　have　said。　　Never　therefore　consider

these　puppies　in　politics　as　requiring　any　notice　from　you；　and

always　shew　that　you　are　not　afraid　to　leave　my　character　to　the

umpirage　of　public　opinion。　　Look　steadily　to　the　pursuits　which　have

carried　you　to　Philadelphia；　be　very　select　in　the　society　you　attach

yourself　to；　avoid　taverns；　drinkers；　smoakers；　and　idlers　and

dissipated　persons　generally；　for　it　is　with　such　that　broils　and

contentions　arise；　and　you　will　find　your　path　more　easy　and

tranquil。　　The　limits　of　my　paper　warn　me　that　it　is　time　for　me　to

close　with　my　affectionate　Adieux。




　　　　　　　　P。　S。　Present　me　affectionately　to　Mr。　Ogilvie；　and　in　doing

the　same　to　Mr。　Peale　tell　him　I　am　writing　with　his　polygraph　and

shall　send　him　mine　the　first　moment　I　have　leisure　enough　to　pack

it。







　　　　　　　　SOWING　THE　UPLAND　RICE




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Benjamin　Waterhouse_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　December　1；　1808_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　In　answer　to　the　inquiries　of　the　benevolent　Dr。　De

Carro　on　the　subject　of　the　upland　or　mountain　rice；　Oryza　Mutica；　I

will　state　to　you　what　I　know　of　it。　　I　first　became　informed　of　the

existence　of　a　rice　which　would　grow　in　uplands　without　any　more

water　than　the　common　rains；　by　reading　a　book　of　Mr。　De　Porpre；　who

had　been　Governor　of　the　Isle　of　France；　who　mentions　it　as　growing

there　and　all　along　the　coast　of　Africa　successfully；　and　as　having

been　introduced　from　Cochin…China。　　I　was　at　that　time　（1784…89）　in

France；　and　there　happening　to　be　there　a　Prince　of　Cochin…China；　on

his　travels；　and　then　returning　home；　I　obtained　his　promise　to　send

me　some。　　I　never　received　it　however；　and　mention　it　only　as　it　may

have　been　sent；　and　furnished　the　ground　for　the　inquiries　of　Dr。　De

Carro；　respecting　my　receiving　it　from　China。　　When　at　Havre　on　my

return　from　France；　I　found　there　Captain　Nathaniel　Cutting；　who　was

the　ensuing　spring　to　go　on　a　voyage　along　the　coast　of　Africa。　　I

engaged　him　to　inquire　for　this；　he　was　there　just　after　the　harvest；

procured　and　sent　me　a　thirty…gallon　cask　of　it。　　It　arrived　in　time

the　ensuing　spring　to　be　sown。　　I　divided　it　between　the　Agricultural

Society　of　Charleston　and　some　private　gentlemen　of　Georgia；

recommending　it　to　their　care；　in　the　hope　which　had　induced　me　to

endeavor　to　obtain　it；　that　if　it　answered　as　well　as　the　swamp　rice；

it　might　rid　them　of　that　source　of　their　summer　diseases。　　Nothing

came　of　the　trials　in　South　Carolina；　but　being　carried　into　the

upper　hilly　parts　of　Georgia；　it　succeeded　there　perfectly；　has

spread　over　the　country；　and　is　now　commonly　cultivated；　still；

however；　for　family　use　chiefly；　as　they　cannot　make　it　for　sale　in

competition　with　the　rice　of　the　swamps。　　The　former　part　of　these

details　is　written　from　memory；　the　papers　being　at　Monticello　which

would　enable　me　to　particularize　exactly　the　dates　of　times　and

places。　　The　latter　part　is　from　the　late　Mr。　　Baldwin；　one　of　those

whom　I　engaged　in　the　distribution　of　the　seed　in　Georgia；　and　who　in

his　annual　attendance　on　Congress；　gave　me　from　time　to　time　the

history　of　its　progress。　　It　has　got　from　Georgia　into　Kentucky；

where　it　is　cultivated　by　many　individuals　for　family　use。　　I

cultivated　it　two　or　three　years　at　Monticello；　and　had　good　crops；

as　did　my　neighbors；　but　not　having　conveniences　for　husking　it；　we

de