part20-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　profaneness　are　offences　by　the　common　law；　and　cites　2　Stra。

Then　Blackstone；　in　1763；　IV。　59；　repeats　the　words　of　Hale；　that

‘Christianity　is　part　of　the　laws　of　England；'　citing　Ventris　and

Strange。　　And　finally；　Lord　Mansfield；　with　a　little　qualification；

in　Evans'　case；　in　1767；　says；　that　‘the　essential　principles　of

revealed　religion　are　part　of　the　common　law。'　Thus　ingulphing　Bible；

Testament　and　all　into　the　common　law；　without　citing　any　authority。

And　thus　we　find　this　chain　of　authorities　hanging　link　by　link；　one

upon　another；　and　all　ultimately　on　one　and　the　same　hook；　and　that　a

mistranslation　of　the　words　_‘ancien　scripture；'_　used　by　Prisot。

Finch　quotes　Prisot；　Wingate　does　the　same。　　Sheppard　quotes　Prisot；

Finch　and　Wingate。　　Hale　cites　nobody。　　The　court　in　Woolston's　case；

cite　Hale。　　Wood　cites　Woolston's　case。　　Blackstone　quotes　Woolston's

case　and　Hale。　　And　Lord　Mansfield；　like　Hale；　ventures　it　on　his　own

authority。　　Here　I　might　defy　the　best　read　lawyer　to　produce　another

scrip　of　authority　for　this　judiciary　forgery；　and　I　might　go　on

further　to　shew；　how　some　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　priests　interpolated

into　the　text　of　Alfred's　laws；　the　20th；　21st；　22nd　and　23rd

chapters　of　Exodus；　and　the　15th　of　the　Acts　of　the　Apostles；　from

the　23rd　to　the　29th　verses。　　But　this　would　lead　my　pen　and　your

patience　too　far。　　What　a　conspiracy　this；　between　Church　and　State！

Sing　Tantarara；　rogues　all；　rogues　all；　Sing　Tantarara；　rogues　all！




　　　　　　　　I　must　still　add　to　this　long　and　rambling　letter；　my

acknowledgments　for　your　good　wishes　to　the　University　we　are　now

establishing　in　this　State。　　There　are　some　novelties　in　it。　　Of　that

of　a　professorship　of　the　principles　of　government；　you　express　your

approbation。　　They　will　be　founded　in　the　rights　of　man。　　That　of

agriculture；　I　am　sure；　you　will　approve：　and　that　also　of

Anglo…Saxon。　　As　the　histories　and　laws　left　us　in　that　type　and

dialect；　must　be　the　text　books　of　the　reading　of　the　learners；　they

will　imbibe　with　the　language　their　free　principles　of　government。

The　volumes　you　have　been　so　kind　as　to　send；　shall　be　placed　in　the

library　of　the　University。　　Having　at　this　time　in　England　a　person

sent　for　the　purpose　of　selecting　some　Professors；　a　Mr。　Gilmer　of　my

neighborhood；　I　cannot　but　recommend　him　to　your　patronage；　counsel

and　guardianship；　against　imposition；　misinformation；　and　the

deceptions　of　partial　and　false　recommendations；　in　the　selection　of

characters。　　He　is　a　gentleman　of　great　worth　and　correctness；　my

particular　friend；　well　educated　in　various　branches　of　science；　and

worthy　of　entire　confidence。




　　　　　　　　Your　age　of　eighty…four　and　mine　of　eighty…one　years；　insure　us

a　speedy　meeting。　　We　may　then　commune　at　leisure；　and　more　fully；　on

the　good　and　evil；　which；　in　the　course　of　our　long　lives；　we　have

both　witnessed；　and　in　the　mean　time；　I　pray　you　to　accept　assurances

of　my　high　veneration　and　esteem　for　your　person　and　character。







　　　　　　　　THE　PROGRESS　OF　SOCIETY




　　　　　　　　_To　William　Ludlow_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　September　6；　1824_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　The　idea　which　you　present　in　your　letter　of　July　30th；

of　the　progress　of　society　from　its　rudest　state　to　that　it　has　now

attained；　seems　conformable　to　what　may　be　probably　conjectured。

Indeed；　we　have　under　our　eyes　tolerable　proofs　of　it。　　Let　a

philosophic　observer　commence　a　journey　from　the　savages　of　the　Rocky

Mountains；　eastwardly　towards　our　sea…coast。　　These　he　would　observe

in　the　earliest　stage　of　association　living　under　no　law　but　that　of

nature；　subscribing　and　covering　themselves　with　the　flesh　and　skins

of　wild　beasts。　　He　would　next　find　those　on　our　frontiers　in　the

pastoral　state；　raising　domestic　animals　to　supply　the　defects　of

hunting。　　Then　succeed　our　own　semi…barbarous　citizens；　the　pioneers

of　the　advance　of　civilization；　and　so　in　his　progress　he　would　meet

the　gradual　shades　of　improving　man　until　he　would　reach　his；　as　yet；

most　improved　state　in　our　seaport　towns。　　This；　in　fact；　is

equivalent　to　a　survey；　in　time；　of　the　progress　of　man　from　the

infancy　of　creation　to　the　present　day。　　I　am　eighty…one　years　of

age；　born　where　I　now　live；　in　the　first　range　of　mountains　in　the

interior　of　our　country。　　And　I　have　observed　this　march　of

civilization　advancing　from　the　sea　coast；　passing　over　us　like　a

cloud　of　light；　increasing　our　knowledge　and　improving　our　condition；

insomuch　as　that　we　are　at　this　time　more　advanced　in　civilization

here　than　the　seaports　were　when　I　was　a　boy。　　And　where　this

progress　will　stop　no　one　can　say。　　Barbarism　has；　in　the　meantime；

been　receding　before　the　steady　step　of　amelioration；　and　will　in

time；　I　trust；　disappear　from　the　earth。　　You　seem　to　think　that　this

advance　has　brought　on　too　complicated　a　state　of　society；　and　that

we　should　gain　in　happiness　by　treading　back　our　steps　a　little　way。

I　think；　myself；　that　we　have　more　machinery　of　government　than　is

necessary；　too　many　parasites　living　on　the　labor　of　the　industrious。

I　believe　it　might　be　much　simplified　to　the　relief　of　those　who

maintain　it。　　Your　experiment　seems　to　have　this　in　view。　　A　society

of　seventy　families；　the　number　you　name；　may　very　possibly　be

governed　as　a　single　family；　subsisting　on　their　common　industry；　and

holding　all　things　in　common。　　Some　regulators　of　the　family　you

still　must　have；　and　it　remains　to　be　seen　at　what　period　of　your

increasing　population　your　simple　regulations　will　cease　to　be

sufficient　to　preserve　order；　peace；　and　justice。　　The　experiment　is

interesting；　I　shall　not　live　to　see　its　issue；　but　I　wish　it　success

equal　to　your　hopes；　and　to　yourself　and　society　prosperity　and

happiness。







　　　　　　　　RETURN　OF　THE　HERO




　　　　　　　　_To　Lafayette_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　October　9；　1824_




　　　　　　　　I　have　duly　received；　my　dear　friend　and　General；　your　letter

of　the　1st　from　Philadelphia；　giving　us　the　welcome　assurance　that

you　will　visit　the　neighborhood　which；　during　the　march　of　our　enemy

near　it；　was　covered　by　your　shield　from　his　robberies　and　ravages。

In　passing　the　line　of　your　former　march　you　will　experience　pleasing

recollections　of　the　good　you　have　done。　　My　neighbors；　too；　of　our

academical　village；　who　well　remember　their　obligations　to　you；　have

expressed　to　you；　in　a　letter　from　a　committee　appointed　for　that

purpose；　their　hope　that　you　will　accept　manifestations　of　their

feelings；　simple　indeed；　but　as　cordial　as　any　you　will　have

received。　　It　will　be　an　additional　honor　to　the　University　of　the

State　that　you　will　have　been　its　first　guest。　　Gratify　them；　then；

by　this　assurance　to　their　committee；　if　it　has　not　been　done。　　But

what　recollections；　dear　friend；　will　this　call　up　to　you　and　me！

What　a　history　have　we　to　run　over　from　the　evening　that　yourself；

Meusnier；　Bernau；　and　other　patriots　settled；　in　my　house　in　Paris；

the　outlines　of　the　constitution　you　wished！　　And　to　trace　it　through

all　the　disastrous　chapters　of　Robespierre；　Barras；　Bonaparte；　and

the　Bourbons！　　These　things；　however；　are　for　our　meeting。　　You

mention　the　return　of　Miss　Wright　to　America；　accompanied　by　her

sister；　but　do　not　say　what　her　stay　is　to　be；　nor　what　her　course。

Should　it　lead　her　to　a　visit　of　our　University；　which；　in　its

architecture　only；　is　as　yet　an　object；　herself　and　her　companion

will　nowhere　find　a　welcome　more　hearty　than　with　Mrs。　Randolph；　and

all　the　inhabitants　of　Monticello。　　This　Athenaeum　of　our　country；　in

embryo；　is　as　yet　but　promise；　and　not　in　a　state　to　recall　the

recollections　of　Athens。　　But　everything　has　its　beginning；　its

growth；　and　end；　and　who　knows　with　what　future　delicious　morsels　of

philosophy；　and　by　what　future　Miss　Wright　raked　from　its　ruins；　the

world　may；　some　day；　be　gratified　and　instructed？　　Your　son　George　we

shall　be　very　happy　indeed　to　see；　and　to　renew　in　h