part13-第11章

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impromptu　visit　to　Phila。　&　recognise　it　myself　at　the　Woodlands。




　　　　　　　　Having　decisively　made　up　my　mind　for　retirement　at　the　end　of

my　present　term；　my　views　and　attentions　are　all　turned　homewards。　　I

have　hitherto　been　engaged　in　my　buildings　which　will　be　finished　in

the　course　of　the　present　year。　　The　improvement　of　my　grounds　has

been　reserved　formy　occupation　on　my　return　home。　　For　this　reason　it

is　that　I　have　put　off　to　the　fall　of　the　year　after　next　the

collection　of　such　curious　trees　as　will　bear　our　winters　in　the　open

air。




　　　　　　　　The　grounds　which　I　destine　to　improve　in　the　style　of　the

English　gardens　are　in　a　form　very　difficult　to　be　managed。　　They

compose　the　northern　quadrant　of　a　mountain　for　about　2/3　of　its

height　&　then　spread　for　the　upper　third　over　its　whole　crown。　　They

contain　about　three　hundred　acres；　washed　at　the　foot　for　about　a

mile；　by　a　river　of　the　size　of　the　Schuylkill。　　The　hill　is

generally　too　steep　for　direct　ascent；　but　we　make　level　walks

successively　along　it's　side；　which　in　it's　upper　part　encircle　the

hill　&　intersect　these　again　by　others　of　easy　ascent　in　various

parts。　　They　are　chiefly　still　in　their　native　woods；　which　are

majestic；　and　very　generally　a　close　undergrowth；　which　I　have　not

suffered　to　be　touched；　knowing　how　much　easier　it　is　to　cut　away

than　to　fill　up。　　The　upper　third　is　chiefly　open；　but　to　the　South

is　covered　with　a　dense　thicket　of　Scotch　broom　（Spartium　scoparium

Lin。）　which　being　favorably　spread　before　the　sun　will　admit　of

advantageous　arrangement　for　winter　enjoyment。　　You　are　sensible　that

this　disposition　of　the　ground　takes　from　me　the　first　beauty　in

gardening；　the　variety　of　hill　&　dale；　&　leaves　me　as　an　awkward

substitute　a　few　hanging　hollows　&　ridges；　this　subject　is　so　unique

and　at　the　same　time　refractory；　that　to　make　a　disposition　analogous

to　its　character　would　require　much　more　of　the　genius　of　the

landscape　painter　&　gardener　than　I　pretend　to。　　I　had　once　hoped　to

get　Parkins　to　go　and　give　me　some　outlines；　but　I　was　disappointed。

Certainly　I　could　never　wish　your　health　to　be　such　as　to　render

travelling　necessary；　but　should　a　journey　at　any　time　promise

improvement　to　it；　there　is　no　one　on　which　you　would　be　received

with　more　pleasure　than　at　Monticello。　　Should　I　be　there　you　will

have　an　opportunity　of　indulging　on　a　new　field　some　of　the　taste

which　has　made　the　Woodlands　the　only　rival　which　I　have　known　in

America　to　what　may　be　seen　in　England。




　　　　　　　　Thither　without　doubt　we　are　to　go　for　models　in　this　art。

Their　sunless　climate　has　permitted　them　to　adopt　what　is　certainly　a

beauty　of　the　very　first　order　in　landscape。　　Their　canvas　is　of　open

ground；　variegated　with　clumps　of　trees　distributed　with　taste。　　They

need　no　more　of　wood　than　will　serve　to　embrace　a　lawn　or　a　glade。

But　under　the　beaming；　constant　and　almost　vertical　sun　of　Virginia；

shade　is　our　Elysium。　　In　the　absence　of　this　no　beauty　of　the　eye

can　be　enjoyed。　　This　organ　must　yield　it's　gratification　to　that　of

the　other　senses；　without　the　hope　of　any　equivalent　to　the　beauty

relinquished。　　The　only　substitute　I　have　been　able　to　imagine　is

this。　　Let　your　ground　be　covered　with　trees　of　the　loftiest　stature。

Trim　up　their　bodies　as　high　as　the　constitution　&　form　of　the　tree

will　bear；　but　so　as　that　their　tops　shall　still　unite　&　yeild　dense

shade。　　A　wood；　so　open　below；　will　have　nearly　the　appearance　of

open　grounds。　　Then；　when　in　the　open　ground　you　would　plant　a　clump

of　trees；　place　a　thicket　of　shrubs　presenting　a　hemisphere　the　crown

of　which　shall　distinctly　show　itself　under　the　branches　of　the

trees。　　This　may　be　effected　by　a　due　selection　&　arrangement　of　the

shrubs；　&　will　I　think　offer　a　group　not　much　inferior　to　that　of

trees。　　The　thickets　may　be　varied　too　by　making　some　of　them　of

evergreens　altogether；　our　red　cedar　made　to　grow　in　a　bush；

evergreen　privet；　pyrocanthus；　Kalmia；　Scotch　broom。　　Holly　would　be

elegant　but　it　does　not　grow　in　my　part　of　the　country。




　　　　　　　　Of　prospect　I　have　a　rich　profusion　and　offering　itself　at

every　point　of　the　compass。　　Mountains　distant　&　near；　smooth　&

shaggy；　single　&　in　ridges；　a　little　river　hiding　itself　among　the

hills　so　as　to　shew　in　lagoons　only；　cultivated　grounds　under　the　eye

and　two　small　villages。　　To　prevent　a　satiety　of　this　is　the

principal　difficulty。　　It　may　be　successively　offered；　&　in　different

portions　through　vistas；　or　which　will　be　better；　between　thickets　so

disposed　as　to　serve　as　vistas；　with　the　advantage　of　shifting　the

scenes　as　you　advance　on　your　way。




　　　　　　　　You　will　be　sensible　by　this　time　of　the　truth　of　my

information　that　my　views　are　turned　so　steadfastly　homeward　that　the

subject　runs　away　with　me　whenever　I　get　on　it。　　I　sat　down　to　thank

you　for　kindnesses　received；　&　to　bespeak　permission　to　ask　further

contributions　from　your　collection　&　I　have　written　you　a　treatise　on

gardening　generally；　in　which　art　lessons　would　come　with　more

justice　from　you　to　me。







　　　　　　　　DISCONTENTS　IN　THE　WEST




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Dickinson_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Jan。　13；　1807_




　　　　　　　　MY　DEAR　AND　ANCIENT　FRIEND；　　I　have　duly　received　your　favor

of　the　1st　inst。；　and　am　ever　thankful　for　communications　which　may

guide　me　in　the　duties　which　I　wish　to　perform　as　well　as　I　am　able。

It　is　but　too　true　that　great　discontents　exist　in　the　territory　of

Orleans。　　Those　of　the　French　inhabitants　have　for　their　sources；　1；

the　prohibition　of　importing　slaves。　　This　may　be　partly　removed　by

Congress　permitting　them　to　receive　slaves　from　the　other　States；

which；　by　dividing　that　evil；　would　lessen　its　danger；　2；　the

administration　of　justice　in　our　forms；　principles；　&　language；　with

all　of　which　they　are　unacquainted；　&　are　the　more　abhorrent；　because

of　the　enormous　expense；　greatly　exaggerated　by　the　corruption　of

bankrupt　&　greedy　lawyers；　who　have　gone　there　from　the　Ud　S。　&

engrossed　the　practice；　3；　the　call　on　them　by　the　land　commissioners

to　produce　the　titles　of　their　lands。　　The　object　of　this　is　really

to　record　&　secure　their　rights。　　But　as　many　of　them　hold　on　rights

so　ancient　that　the　title　papers　are　lost；　they　expect　the　land　is　to

be　taken　from　them　wherever　they　cannot　produce　a　regular　deduction

of　title　in　writing。　　In　this　they　will　be　undeceived　by　the　final

result；　which　will　evince　to　them　a　liberal　disposition　of　the

government　towards　them。　　Among　the　American　inhabitants　it　is　the

old　division　of　federalists　&　republicans。　　The　former　are　as　hostile

there　as　they　are　everywhere；　&　are　the　most　numerous　&　wealthy。

They　have　been　long　endeavoring　to　batter　down　the　Governor；　who　has

always　been　a　firm　republican。　　There　were　characters　superior　to　him

whom　I　wished　to　appoint；　but　they　refused　the　office：　I　know　no

better　man　who　would　accept　of　it；　and　it　would　not　be　right　to　turn

him　out　for　one　not　better。　　But　it　is　the　2d。　　cause；　above

mentioned；　which　is　deep…seated　&　permanent。　　The　French　members　of

the　Legislature；　being　the　majority　in　both　Houses；　lately　passed　an

act　declaring　that　the　civil；　or　French　laws；　should　be　the　laws　of

their　land；　and　enumerated　about　50　folio　volumes；　in　Latin；　as　the

depositories　of　these　laws。　　The　Governor　negatived　the　act。　　One　of

the　houses　thereupon　passed　a　vote　for　self…dissolution　of　the

Legislature　as　a　useless　body；　which　failed　in　the　other　House　by　a

single　vote　only。　　They　separated；　however；　&　have　disseminated　all

the　discontent　they　could。　　I　propose　to　the　members　of　Congress　in

conversation；　the　enlisting　30；000　volunteers；　Americans　by　birth；　to

be　carried　at　the　public　expense；　&　settled　immediately　on　a　bounty

of　160　acres　of　land　each；　on　the　west　side　of　the　Mississippi；　on

the　condition　of　giving　two　years　of　military　service；　if　that

country　should　be　attacked　within