part11-第7章

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recollect　on　one　hand　all　the　sufferings　I　have　had　from　cold；　&　on

the　other　all　my　other　pains；　the　former　preponderate　greatly。　　What

then　must　be　the　sum　of　that　evil　if　we　take　in　the　vast　proportion

of　men　who　are　obliged　to　be　out　in　all　weather；　by　land　&　by　sea；

all　the　families　of　beasts；　birds；　reptiles；　&　even　the　vegetable

kingdom！　for　that　too　has　life；　and　where　there　is　life　there　may　be

sensation。　　I　remark　a　rainbow　of　a　great　portion　of　the　circle

observed　by　you　when　on　the　line　of　demarcation。　　I　live　in　a

situation　which　has　given　me　an　opportunity　of　seeing　more　than　the

semicircle　often。　　I　am　on　a　hill　500　f。　perpendicularly　high。　　On

the　east　side　it　breaks　down　abruptly　to　the　base；　where　a　river

passes　through。　　A　rainbow；　therefore；　about　sunset；　plunges　one　of

it's　legs　down　to　the　river；　500　f。　below　the　level　of　the　eye　on　the

top　of　the　hill。　　I　have　twice　seen　bows　formed　by　the　moon。　　They

were　of　the　color　of　the　common　circle　round　the　moon；　and　were　very

near；　being　within　a　few　paces　of　me　in　both　instances。　　I　thank　you

for　the　little　vocabularies　of　Bedais；　Jankawis　and　Teghas。　　I　have

it　much　at　heart　to　make　as　extensive　a　collection　as　possible　of　the

Indian　tongues。　　I　have　at　present　about　30。　tolerably　full；　among

which　the　number　radically　different；　is　truly　wonderful。　　It　is

curious　to　consider　how　such　handfuls　of　men　came　by　different

languages；　&　how　they　have　preserved　them　so　distinct。　　I　at　first

thought　of　reducing　them　all　to　one　orthography；　but　I　soon　become

sensible　that　this　would　occasion　two　sources　of　error　instead　of

one。　　I　therefore　think　it　best　to　keep　them　in　the　form　of

orthography　in　which　they　were　taken；　only　noting　whether　that　were

English；　French；　German；　or　what。　　I　have　never　been　a　very　punctual

correspondent；　and　it　is　possible　that　new　duties　may　make　me　less

so。　　I　hope　I　shall　not　on　that　account　lose　the　benefit　of　your

communications。　　Philosophical　vedette　at　the　distance　of　one

thousand　miles；　and　on　the　verge　of　the　terra　incognita　of　our

continent；　is　precious　to　us　here。　　I　pray　you　to　accept　assurances

of　my　high　consideration　&　esteem；　and　friendly　salutations。







　　　　　　　　THE　REVOLUTION　OF　1800




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Dickinson_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Mar。　6；　1801_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　No　pleasure　can　exceed　that　which　I　received　from

reading　your　letter　of　the　21st　ult。　　It　was　like　the　joy　we　expect

in　the　mansions　of　the　blessed；　when　received　with　the　embraces　of

our　fathers；　we　shall　be　welcomed　with　their　blessing　as　having　done

our　part　not　unworthily　of　them。　　The　storm　through　which　we　have

passed；　has　been　tremendous　indeed。　　The　tough　sides　of　our　Argosie

have　been　thoroughly　tried。　　Her　strength　has　stood　the　waves　into

which　she　was　steered；　with　a　view　to　sink　her。　　We　shall　put　her　on

her　republican　tack；　&　she　will　now　show　by　the　beauty　of　her　motion

the　skill　of　her　builders。　　Figure　apart；　our　fellow　citizens　have

been　led　hood…winked　from　their　principles；　by　a　most　extraordinary

combination　of　circumstances。　　But　the　band　is　removed；　and　they　now

see　for　themselves。　　I　hope　to　see　shortly　a　perfect　consolidation；

to　effect　which；　nothing　shall　be　spared　on　my　part；　short　of　the

abandonment　of　the　principles　of　our　revolution。　　A　just　and　solid

republican　government　maintained　here；　will　be　a　standing　monument　&

example　for　the　aim　&　imitation　of　the　people　of　other　countries；　and

I　join　with　you　in　the　hope　and　belief　that　they　will　see；　from　our

example；　that　a　free　government　is　of　all　others　the　most　energetic；

that　the　inquiry　which　has　been　excited　among　the　mass　of　mankind　by

our　revolution　&　it's　consequences；　will　ameliorate　the　condition　of

man　over　a　great　portion　of　the　globe。　　What　a　satisfaction　have　we

in　the　contemplation　of　the　benevolent　effects　of　our　efforts；

compared　with　those　of　the　leaders　on　the　other　side；　who　have

discountenanced　all　advances　in　science　as　dangerous　innovations；

have　endeavored　to　render　philosophy　and　republicanism　terms　of

reproach；　to　persuade　us　that　man　cannot　be　governed　but　by　the　rod；

&c。　　I　shall　have　the　happiness　of　living　&　dying　in　the　contrary

hope。　　Accept　assurances　of　my　constant　&　sincere　respect　and

attachment；　and　my　affectionate　salutations。







　　　　　　　　SOMETHING　NEW　UNDER　THE　SUN




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Joseph　Priestley_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Mar。　21；　1801_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　learnt　some　time　ago　that　you　were　in

Philadelphia；　but　that　it　was　only　for　a　fortnight；　&　supposed　you

were　gone。　　It　was　not　till　yesterday　I　received　information　that　you

were　still　there；　had　been　very　ill；　but　were　on　the　recovery。　　I

sincerely　rejoice　that　you　are　so。　　Yours　is　one　of　the　few　lives

precious　to　mankind；　&　for　the　continuance　of　which　every　thinking

man　is　solicitous。　　Bigots　may　be　an　exception。　　What　an　effort；　my

dear　Sir；　of　bigotry　in　Politics　&　Religion　have　we　gone　through！

The　barbarians　really　flattered　themselves　they　should　be　able　to

bring　back　the　times　of　Vandalism；　when　ignorance　put　everything　into

the　hands　of　power　&　priestcraft。　　All　advances　in　science　were

proscribed　as　innovations。　　They　pretended　to　praise　and　encourage

education；　but　it　was　to　be　the　education　of　our　ancestors。　　We　were

to　look　backwards；　not　forwards；　for　improvement；　the　President

himself　declaring；　in　one　of　his　answers　to　addresses；　that　we　were

never　to　expect　to　go　beyond　them　in　real　science。　　This　was　the　real

ground　of　all　the　attacks　on　you。　　Those　who　live　by　mystery　&

_charlatanerie_；　fearing　you　would　render　them　useless　by　simplifying

the　Christian　philosophy；　　the　most　sublime　&　benevolent；　but　most

perverted　system　that　ever　shone　on　man；　　endeavored　to　crush　your

well…earnt　&　well…deserved　fame。　　But　it　was　the　Lilliputians　upon

Gulliver。　　Our　countrymen　have　recovered　from　the　alarm　into　which

art　&　industry　had　thrown　them；　science　&　honesty　are　replaced　on

their　high　ground；　and　you；　my　dear　Sir；　as　their　great　apostle；　are

on　it's　pinnacle。　　It　is　with　heartfelt　satisfaction　that；　in　the

first　moments　of　my　public　action；　I　can　hail　you　with　welcome　to　our

land；　tender　to　you　the　homage　of　it's　respect　&　esteem；　cover　you

under　the　protection　of　those　laws　which　were　made　for　the　wise　and

good　like　you；　and　disdain　the　legitimacy　of　that　libel　on

legislation；　which　under　the　form　of　a　law；　was　for　some　time　placed

among　them。




　　　　　　　　As　the　storm　is　now　subsiding；　and　the　horizon　becoming　serene；

it　is　pleasant　to　consider　the　phenomenon　with　attention。　　We　can　no

longer　say　there　is　nothing　new　under　the　sun。　　For　this　whole

chapter　in　the　history　of　man　is　new。　　The　great　extent　of　our

Republic　is　new。　　Its　sparse　habitation　is　new。　　The　mighty　wave　of

public　opinion　which　has　rolled　over　it　is　new。　　But　the　most

pleasing　novelty　is；　it's　so　quickly　subsiding　over　such　an　extent　of

surface　to　it's　true　level　again。　　The　order　&　good　sense　displayed

in　this　recovery　from　delusion；　and　in　the　momentous　crisis　which

lately　arose；　really　bespeak　a　strength　of　character　in　our　nation

which　augurs　well　for　the　duration　of　our　Republic；　&　I　am　much

better　satisfied　now　of　it's　stability　than　I　was　before　it　was

tried。　　I　have　been；　above　all　things；　solaced　by　the　prospect　which

opened　on　us；　in　the　event　of　a　non…election　of　a　President；　in　which

case；　the　federal　government　would　have　been　in　the　situation　of　a

clock　or　watch　run　down。　　There　was　no　idea　of　force；　nor　of　any

occasion　for　it。　　A　convention；　invited　by　the　Republican　members　of

Congress；　with　the　virtual　President　&　Vice　President；　would　have

been　on　the　ground　in　8。　weeks；　would　have　repaired　the　Constitution

where　it　was　defective；　&　wound　it　up　again。　　This　peaceable　&

legitimate　resource；　to　which　we　are　in　the　habit　of　implicit

obedience；　superseding　all　appeal　to　force；　and　being　always　within

our