part19-第2章

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　　　　　　　　I　make　you　my　acknolegement　for　the　sermon　on　the　Unity　of　God；

and　am　glad　to　see　our　countrymen　looking　that　question　in　the　face。

it　must　end　in　a　return　to　primitive　christianity；　and　the

disbandment　of　the　unintelligible　Athanasian　jargon　of　3。　being　1。

and　1。　being　3。　　this　sermon　is　one　of　the　strongest　pieces　against

it。　　I　observe　you　are　about　printing　a　work　of　Belsham's　on　the　same

subject；　for　which　I　wish　to　be　a　subscriber；　and　inclose　you　a　5　D。

bill；　there　being　none　of　fractional　denominations。　　the　surplus

therefore　may　stand　as　I　shall　be　calling　for　other　things。　　Accept

the　assurance　of　my　great　respect。







　　　　　　　　INFLATION　AND　DEMORALIZATION




　　　　　　　　_To　Nathaniel　Macon_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　January　12；　1819_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　The　problem　you　had　wished　to　propose　to　me　was

one　which　I　could　not　have　solved；　for　I　knew　nothing　of　the　facts。

I　read　no　newspaper　now　but　Ritchie's；　and　in　that　chiefly　the

advertisements；　for　they　contain　the　only　truths　to　be　relied　on　in　a

newspaper。　　I　feel　a　much　greater　interest　in　knowing　what　has　passed

two　or　three　thousand　years　ago；　than　in　what　is　now　passing。　　I　read

nothing；　therefore；　but　of　the　heroes　of　Troy；　of　the　wars　of

Lacedaemon　and　Athens；　of　Pompey　and　Caesar；　and　of　Augustus　too；　the

Bonaparte　and　parricide　scoundrel　of　that　day。　　I　have　had；　and　still

have；　such　entire　confidence　in　the　late　and　present　Presidents；　that

I　willingly　put　both　soul　and　body　into　their　pockets。　　While　such

men　as　yourself　and　your　worthy　colleagues　of　the　legislature；　and

such　characters　as　compose　the　executive　administration；　are　watching

for　us　all；　I　slumber　without　fear；　and　review　in　my　dreams　the

visions　of　antiquity。　　There　is；　indeed；　one　evil　which　awakens　me　at

times；　because　it　jostles　me　at　every　turn。　　It　is　that　we　have　now

no　measure　of　value。　　I　am　asked　eighteen　dollars　for　a　yard　of

broadcloth；　which；　when　we　had　dollars；　I　used　to　get　for　eighteen

shillings；　from　this　I　can　only　understand　that　a　dollar　is　now　worth

but　two　inches　of　broadcloth；　but　broadcloth　is　no　standard　of

measure　or　value。　　I　do　not　know；　therefore；　whereabouts　I　stand　in

the　scale　of　property；　nor　what　to　ask；　or　what　to　give　for　it。　　I

saw；　indeed；　the　like　machinery　in　action　in　the　years　'80　and　'81；

and　without　dissatisfaction；　because　in　wearing　out；　it　was　working

out　our　salvation。　　But　I　see　nothing　in　this　renewal　of　the　game　of

〃Robin's　alive〃　but　a　general　demoralization　of　the　nation；　a

filching　from　industry　its　honest　earnings；　wherewith　to　build　up

palaces；　and　raise　gambling　stock　for　swindlers　and　shavers；　who　are

to　close　too　their　career　of　piracies　by　fraudulent　bankruptcies。　　My

dependence　for　a　remedy；　however；　is　with　the　wisdom　which　grows　with

time　and　suffering。　　Whether　the　succeeding　generation　is　to　be　more

virtuous　than　their　predecessors；　I　cannot　say；　but　I　am　sure　they

will　have　more　worldly　wisdom；　and　enough；　I　hope；　to　know　that

honesty　is　the　first　chapter　in　the　book　of　wisdom。　　I　have　made　a

great　exertion　to　write　you　thus　much；　my　antipathy　to　taking　up　a

pen　being　so　intense　that　I　have　never　given　you　a　stronger　proof；

than　in　the　effort　of　writing　a　letter；　how　much　I　value　you；　and　of

the　superlative　respect　and　friendship　with　which　I　salute　you。







　　　　　　　　HABITS　OF　〃A　HARD　STUDENT〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Vine　Utley_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　March　21；　1819_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　February　the　18th　came　to　hand　on　the

1st　instant；　and　the　request　of　the　history　of　my　physical　habits

would　have　puzzled　me　not　a　little；　had　it　not　been　for　the　model

with　which　you　accompanied　it；　of　Doctor　Rush's　answer　to　a　similar

inquiry。　　I　live　so　much　like　other　people；　that　I　might　refer　to

ordinary　life　as　the　history　of　my　own。　　Like　my　friend　the　Doctor；　I

have　lived　temperately；　eating　little　animal　food；　and　that　not　as　an

aliment；　so　much　as　a　condiment　for　the　vegetables；　which　constitute

my　principal　diet。　　I　double；　however；　the　Doctor's　glass　and　a　half

of　wine；　and　even　treble　it　with　a　friend；　but　halve　its　effects　by

drinking　the　weak　wines　only。　　The　ardent　wines　I　cannot　drink；　nor

do　I　use　ardent　spirits　in　any　form。　　Malt　liquors　and　cider　are　my

table　drinks；　and　my　breakfast；　like　that　also　of　my　friend；　is　of

tea　and　coffee。　　I　have　been　blest　with　organs　of　digestion　which

accept　and　concoct；　without　ever　murmuring；　whatever　the　palate

chooses　to　consign　to　them；　and　I　have　not　yet　lost　a　tooth　by　age。

I　was　a　hard　student　until　I　entered　on　the　business　of　life；　the

duties　of　which　leave　no　idle　time　to　those　disposed　to　fulfil　them；

and　now；　retired；　and　at　the　age　of　seventy…six；　I　am　again　a　hard

student。　　Indeed；　my　fondness　for　reading　and　study　revolts　me　from

the　drudgery　of　letter　writing。　　And　a　stiff　wrist；　the　consequence

of　an　early　dislocation；　makes　writing　both　slow　and　painful。　　I　am

not　so　regular　in　my　sleep　as　the　Doctor　says　he　was；　devoting　to　it

from　five　to　eight　hours；　according　as　my　company　or　the　book　I　am

reading　interests　me；　and　I　never　go　to　bed　without　an　hour；　or　half

hour's　previous　reading　of　something　moral；　whereon　to　ruminate　in

the　intervals　of　sleep。　　But　whether　I　retire　to　bed　early　or　late；　I

rise　with　the　sun。　　I　use　spectacles　at　night；　but　not　necessarily　in

the　day；　unless　in　reading　small　print。　　My　hearing　is　distinct　in

particular　conversation；　but　confused　when　several　voices　cross　each

other；　which　unfits　me　for　the　society　of　the　table。　　I　have　been

more　fortunate　than　my　friend　in　the　article　of　health。　　So　free　from

catarrhs　that　I　have　not　had　one；　（in　the　breast；　I　mean）　on　an

average　of　eight　or　ten　years　through　life。　　I　ascribe　this　exemption

partly　to　the　habit　of　bathing　my　feet　in　cold　water　every　morning；

for　sixty　years　past。　　A　fever　of　more　than　twenty…four　hours　I　have

not　had　above　two　or　three　times　in　my　life。　　A　periodical　headache

has　afflicted　me　occasionally；　once；　perhaps；　in　six　or　eight　years；

for　two　or　three　weeks　at　a　time；　which　seems　now　to　have　left　me；

and　except　on　a　late　occasion　of　indisposition；　I　enjoy　good　health；

too　feeble；　indeed；　to　walk　much；　but　riding　without　fatigue　six　or

eight　miles　a　day；　and　sometimes　thirty　or　forty。　　I　may　end　these

egotisms；　therefore；　as　I　began；　by　saying　that　my　life　has　been　so

much　like　that　of　other　people；　that　I　might　say　with　Horace；　to

every　one　_〃nomine　mutato；　narratur　fabula　de　te。〃_　I　must　not　end；

however；　without　due　thanks　for　the　kind　sentiments　of　regard　you　are

so　good　as　to　express　towards　myself；　and　with　my　acknowledgments　for

these；　be　pleased　to　accept　the　assurances　of　my　respect　and　esteem。







　　　　　　　　SETTING　THE　RECORD　STRAIGHT




　　　　　　　　_To　Samuel　Adams　Wells_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　12；　1819_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　An　absence　of　some　time　at　an　occasional　and　distant

residence　must　apologize　for　the　delay　in　acknowledging　the　receipt

of　your　favor　of　April　12th。　　And　candor　obliges　me　to　add　that　it

has　been　somewhat　extended　by　an　aversion　to　writing；　as　well　as　to

calls　on　my　memory　for　facts　so　much　obliterated　from　it　by　time　as

to　lessen　my　confidence　in　the　traces　which　seem　to　remain。　　One　of

the　inquiries　in　your　letter；　however；　may　be　answered　without　an

appeal　to　the　memory。　　It　is　that　respecting　the　question　whether

committees　of　correspondence　originated　in　Virginia　or　Massachusetts？

On　which　you　suppose　me　to　have　claimed　it　for　Virginia。　　But

certainly　I　have　never　made　such　a　claim。　　The　idea；　I　suppose；　has

been　taken　up　from　what　is　said　in　Wirt's　history　of　Mr。　Henry；　p。

87；　and　from　an　inexact　attention　to　its　precise　term。　　It　is　there

said　〃this　house　＇of　burgesses　of　Virginia＇　had　the　merit　of

originating　that　powerful　engine　of　resistance；　corresponding

committees　_between　the　legislatures_　of　the　_different　colonies_。〃

That　the　fact　a