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concerns　are　confided）；　self…appointed；　self…continued；　holding　their

authorities　for　life；　and　with　an　impossibility　of　breaking　in　on　the

perpetual　succession　of　any　faction　once　possessed　of　the　bench。

They　are　in　truth；　the　executive；　the　judiciary；　and　the　military　of

their　respective　counties；　and　the　sum　of　the　counties　makes　the

State。　　And　add；　also；　that　one　half　of　our　brethren　who　fight　and

pay　taxes；　are　excluded；　like　Helots；　from　the　rights　of

representation；　as　if　society　were　instituted　for　the　soil；　and　not

for　the　men　inhabiting　it；　or　one　half　of　these　could　dispose　of　the

rights　and　the　will　of　the　other　half；　without　their　consent。




　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃What　constitutes　a　State？

　　　　　　　　Not　high…raised　battlements；　or　labor'd　mound；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Thick　wall；　or　moated　gate；

　　　　　　　　Not　cities　proud；　with　spires　and　turrets　crown'd；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　No：　men；　high　minded　men；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Men；　who　their　duties　know；

　　　　　　　　But　know　their　rights；　and　knowing；　dare　maintain。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　These　constitute　a　State。〃




　　　　　　　　In　the　General　Government；　the　House　of　Representatives　is

mainly　republican；　the　Senate　scarcely　so　at　all；　as　not　elected　by

the　people　directly；　and　so　long　secured　even　against　those　who　do

elect　them；　the　Executive　more　republican　than　the　Senate；　from　its

shorter　term；　its　election　by　the　people；　in　_practice_；　（for　they

vote　for　A　only　on　an　assurance　that　he　will　vote　for　B；）　and

because；　_in　practice　also_；　a　principle　of　rotation　seems　to　be　in　a

course　of　establishment；　the　judiciary　independent　of　the　nation；

their　coercion　by　impeachment　being　found　nugatory。




　　　　　　　　If；　then；　the　control　of　the　people　over　the　organs　of　their

government　be　the　measure　of　its　republicanism；　and　I　confess　I　know

no　other　measure；　it　must　be　agreed　that　our　governments　have　much

less　of　republicanism　than　ought　to　have　been　expected；　in　other

words；　that　the　people　have　less　regular　control　over　their　agents；

than　their　rights　and　their　interests　require。　　And　this　I　ascribe；

not　to　any　want　of　republican　dispositions　in　those　who　formed　these

constitutions；　but　to　a　submission　of　true　principle　to　European

authorities；　to　speculators　on　government；　whose　fears　of　the　people

have　been　inspired　by　the　populace　of　their　own　great　cities；　and

were　unjustly　entertained　against　the　independent；　the　happy；　and

therefore　orderly　citizens　of　the　United　States。　　Much　I　apprehend

that　the　golden　moment　is　past　for　reforming　these　heresies。　　The

functionaries　of　public　power　rarely　strengthen　in　their　dispositions

to　abridge　it；　and　an　unorganized　call　for　timely　amendment　is　not

likely　to　prevail　against　an　organized　opposition　to　it。　　We　are

always　told　that　things　are　going　on　well；　why　change　them？　　_〃Chi

sta　bene；　non　si　muove；〃_　said　the　Italian；　〃let　him　who　stands　well；

stand　still。〃　This　is　true；　and　I　verily　believe　they　would　go　on

well　with　us　under　an　absolute　monarch；　while　our　present　character

remains；　of　order；　industry　and　love　of　peace；　and　restrained；　as　he

would　be；　by　the　proper　spirit　of　the　people。　　But　it　is　while　it

remains　such；　we　should　provide　against　the　consequences　of　its

deterioration。　　And　let　us　rest　in　the　hope　that　it　will　yet　be　done；

and　spare　ourselves　the　pain　of　evils　which　may　never　happen。




　　　　　　　　On　this　view　of　the　import　of　the　term　_republic_；　instead　of

saying；　as　has　been　said；　〃that　it　may　mean　anything　or　nothing；〃　we

may　say　with　truth　and　meaning；　that　governments　are　more　or　less

republican　as　they　have　more　or　less　of　the　element　of　popular

election　and　control　in　their　composition；　and　believing；　as　I　do；

that　the　mass　of　the　citizens　is　the　safest　depository　of　their　own

rights；　and　especially；　that　the　evils　flowing　from　the　duperies　of

the　people；　are　less　injurious　than　those　from　the　egoism　of　their

agents；　I　am　a　friend　to　that　composition　of　government　which　has　in

it　the　most　of　this　ingredient。　　And　I　sincerely　believe；　with　you；

that　banking　establishments　are　more　dangerous　than　standing　armies；

and　that　the　principle　of　spending　money　to　be　paid　by　posterity；

under　the　name　of　funding；　is　but　swindling　futurity　on　a　large

scale。




　　　　　　　　I　salute　you　with　constant　friendship　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　REFORM　OF　THE　VIRGINIA　CONSTITUTION




　　　　　　　　_To　Samuel　Kercheval_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　July　12；　1816_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　I　duly　received　your　favor　of　June　the　13th；　with　the

copy　of　the　letters　on　the　calling　a　convention；　on　which　you　are

pleased　to　ask　my　opinion。　　I　have　not　been　in　the　habit　of

mysterious　reserve　on　any　subject；　nor　of　buttoning　up　my　opinions

within　my　own　doublet。　　On　the　contrary；　while　in　public　service

especially；　I　thought　the　public　entitled　to　frankness；　and

intimately　to　know　whom　they　employed。　　But　I　am　now　retired：　I

resign　myself；　as　a　passenger；　with　confidence　to　those　at　present　at

the　helm；　and　ask　but　for　rest；　peace　and　good　will。　　The　question

you　propose；　on　equal　representation；　has　become　a　party　one；　in

which　I　wish　to　take　no　public　share。　　Yet；　if　it　be　asked　for　your

own　satisfaction　only；　and　not　to　be　quoted　before　the　public；　I　have

no　motive　to　withhold　it；　and　the　less　from　you；　as　it　coincides　with

your　own。　　At　the　birth　of　our　republic；　I　committed　that　opinion　to

the　world；　in　the　draught　of　a　constitution　annexed　to　the　〃Notes　on

Virginia；〃　in　which　a　provision　was　inserted　for　a　representation

permanently　equal。　　The　infancy　of　the　subject　at　that　moment；　and

our　inexperience　of　self…government；　occasioned　gross　departures　in

that　draught　from　genuine　republican　canons。　　In　truth；　the　abuses　of

monarchy　had　so　much　filled　all　the　space　of　political　contemplation；

that　we　imagined　everything　republican　which　was　not　monarchy。　　We

had　not　yet　penetrated　to　the　mother　principle；　that　〃governments　are

republican　only　in　proportion　as　they　embody　the　will　of　their

people；　and　execute　it。〃　Hence；　our　first　constitutions　had　really　no

leading　principles　in　them。　　But　experience　and　reflection　have　but

more　and　more　confirmed　me　in　the　particular　importance　of　the　equal

representation　then　proposed。　　On　that　point；　then；　I　am　entirely　in

sentiment　with　your　letters；　and　only　lament　that　a　copy…right　of

your　pamphlet　prevents　their　appearance　in　the　newspapers；　where

alone　they　would　be　generally　read；　and　produce　general　effect。　　The

present　vacancy　too；　of　other　matter；　would　give　them　place　in　every

paper；　and　bring　the　question　home　to　every　man's　conscience。




　　　　　　　　But　inequality　of　representation　in　both　Houses　of　our

legislature；　is　not　the　only　republican　heresy　in　this　first　essay　of

our　revolutionary　patriots　at　forming　a　constitution。　　For　let　it　be

agreed　that　a　government　is　republican　in　proportion　as　every　member

composing　it　has　his　equal　voice　in　the　direction　of　its　concerns

（not　indeed　in　person；　which　would　be　impracticable　beyond　the　limits

of　a　city；　or　small　township；　but）　by　representatives　chosen　by

himself；　and　responsible　to　him　at　short　periods；　and　let　us　bring　to

the　test　of　this　canon　every　branch　of　our　constitution。




　　　　　　　　In　the　legislature；　the　House　of　Representatives　is　chosen　by

less　than　half　the　people；　and　not　at　all　in　proportion　to　those　who

do　choose。　　The　Senate　are　still　more　disproportionate；　and　for　long

terms　of　irresponsibility。　　In　the　Executive；　the　Governor　is

entirely　independent　of　the　choice　of　the　people；　and　of　their

control；　his　Council　equally　so；　and　at　best　but　a　fifth　wheel　to　a

wagon。　　In　the　Judiciary；　the　judges　of　the　highest　courts　are

dependent　on　none　but　themselves。　　In　England；　where　judges　were

named　and　removable　at　the　will　of　an　hereditary　executive；　from

which　branch　most　misrule　was　feared；　and　has　flowed；　it　was　a　great

point　gained；　by　fixing　them　for　life；　to　make　them　independent　of

that　executive。　　But　in　a　government　founded　on　the　public　will；　this

principle　operates　in　an　opposite　direction；　and　against　that　will。

There；　too；　they　were　still　removable　on　a　concurrence　of　the

executive　and　legislative　branches。　　But　we　have　made　them

independent　of　the　nation　itself。　　They　are　irremovable；　but　by　their

own　body；　for　any　depravities　of　conduct；　and　even　by　their　own　body

for　the　imbecilities　of　dotage。　　The　justices　of　the　inferior　courts

are　self…chosen；　are　for　life；　and　perpetuate　their　own　body　in

succession　forever；　so　that　a　faction　once　possessing　themselves　of

the　bench　of　a　county；　can　never　be　broken　up；　but　hold　their　county

in　chains；　forever　indissoluble。　　Yet　these　justices　are　the　real

executive　as　well　as　judiciary；　in　all　our　minor　and　most　ordinary

concerns。　　They　tax　us　at　will；　fill　the　office　of　sheriff；　the　most

important　of　all　the　executive　officers　of　the　county；　name　nearly

all　our　military　leaders；　which　leaders；　once　named；　are　removable

but　by　themselves。　　The　juries；　our　judges　of　all　fact；　and　of　law

when　they　choose　it；　are　not　selected　by　the　people；　nor　amenable　to

them。　　They　are　chosen　by　an　officer　named　by　the　court　and

executive。　　Chosen；　did　I　say？　　Picked　up　by　the　sheriff　from　the

loungings　of　the　court　yard；　after　everything　respectable　has　retired

from　it。　　Where　then　is　our　republicanism　to　be　found？　　Not　in　our

constitution　certainly；　but　merely　in　the　spirit　of　our　people。　　That

would　oblige　even　a　despot　to　govern　us　republicanly。　　Owing　to　this

spirit；　and　to　nothing　in　the　form　of　our　constitution；　all　things

have　gone　well。　　But　this　fact；　so　triumphantly　misquoted　by　the

enemies　of　reformation；　is　not　the　fruit　of　our　constitution；　but　has

prevailed　in　spite　of　it。　　Our　functionaries　have　done　well；　because

generally　honest　men。　　If　any　were　not　so；　they　feared　to　show　it。




　　　　　　　　But　it　will　be　said；　it　is　easier　to　find　faults　than　to　amend

them。　　I　do　not　t