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people　of　colour　from　emigration　to　their　state；　it　will　be　expunged；

and　all　will　be　quieted　until　the　advance　of　some　new　state　shall

present　the　question　again。　　If　rejected　unconditionally；　Missouri

assumes　independent　self…government；　and　Congress；　after　pouting

awhile；　must　recieve　them　on　the　footing　of　the　original　states。

Should　the　Representative　propose　force；　1。　the　Senate　will　not

concur。　2。　were　they　to　concur；　there　would　be　a　secession　of　the

members　South　of　the　line；　&　probably　of　the　three　North　Western

states；　who；　however　inclined　to　the　other　side；　would　scarcely

separate　from　those　who　would　hold　the　Misisipi　from　it's　mouth　to

it's　source。　　What　next？　　Conjecture　itself　is　at　a　loss。　　But

whatever　it　shall　be　you　will　hear　from　others　and　from　the

newspapers。　　And　finally　the　whole　will　depend　on　Pensylvania。　　While

she　and　Virginia　hold　together；　the　Atlantic　states　can　never

separate。　　Unfortunately　in　the　present　case　she　has　become　more

fanaticised　than　any　other　state。　　However　useful　where　you　are；　I

wish　you　were　with　them。　　You　might　turn　the　scale　there；　which　would

turn　it　for　the　whole。　　Should　this　scission　take　place；　one　of　it's

most　deplorable　consequences　would　be　it's　discouragement　of　the

efforts　of　the　European　nations　in　the　regeneration　of　their

oppressive　and　Cannibal　governments。




　　　　　　　　Amidst　this　prospect　of　evil；　I　am　glad　to　see　one　good　effect。

It　has　brought　the　necessity　of　some　plan　of　general　emancipation　&

deportation　more　home　to　the　minds　of　our　people　than　it　has　ever

been　before。　　Insomuch；　that　our　Governor　has　ventured　to　propose　one

to　the　legislature。　　This　will　probably　not　be　acted　on　at　this　time。

Nor　would　it　be　effectual；　for　while　it　proposes　to　devote　to　that

object　one　third　of　the　revenue　of　the　State；　it　would　not　reach　one

tenth　of　the　annual　increase。　　My　proposition　would　be　that　the

holders　should　give　up　all　born　after　a　certain　day；　past；　present；

or　to　come；　that　these　should　be　placed　under　the　guardianship　of　the

State；　and　sent　at　a　proper　age　to　S。　Domingo。　　There　they　are

willing　to　recieve　them；　&　the　shortness　of　the　passage　brings　the

deportation　within　the　possible　means　of　taxation　aided　by　charitable

contributions。　　In　this　I　think　Europe；　which　has　forced　this　evil　on

us；　and　the　Eastern　states　who　have　been　it's　chief　instruments　of

importation；　would　be　bound　to　give　largely。　　But　the　proceeds　of　the

land　office；　if　appropriated；　would　be　quite　sufficient。　　God　bless

you　and　preserve　you　multos　aNos。







　　　　　　　　BOLINGBROKE　AND　PAINE




　　　　　　　　_To　Francis　Eppes_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　January　19；　1821_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　FRANCIS；　　Your　letter　of　the　1st　came　safely　to　hand。　　I

am　sorry　you　have　lost　Mr。　Elliot；　however　the　kindness　of　Dr。　Cooper

will　be　able　to　keep　you　in　the　track　of　what　is　worthy　of　your　time。




　

　　　　　　　　You　ask　my　opinion　of　Lord　Bolingbroke　and　Thomas　Paine。　　They

were　alike　in　making　bitter　enemies　of　the　priests　and　pharisees　of

their　day。　　Both　were　honest　men；　both　advocates　for　human　liberty。

Paine　wrote　for　a　country　which　permitted　him　to　push　his　reasoning

to　whatever　length　it　would　go。　　Lord　Bolingbroke　in　one　restrained

by　a　constitution；　and　by　public　opinion。　　He　was　called　indeed　a

tory；　but　his　writings　prove　him　a　stronger　advocate　for　liberty　than

any　of　his　countrymen；　the　whigs　of　the　present　day。　　Irritated　by

his　exile；　he　committed　one　act　unworthy　of　him；　in　connecting

himself　momentarily　with　a　prince　rejected　by　his　country。　　But　he

redeemed　that　single　act　by　his　establishment　of　the　principles　which

proved　it　to　be　wrong。　　These　two　persons　differed　remarkably　in　the

style　of　their　writing；　each　leaving　a　model　of　what　is　most　perfect

in　both　extremes　of　the　simple　and　the　sublime。　　No　writer　has

exceeded　Paine　in　ease　and　familiarity　of　style；　in　perspicuity　of

expression；　happiness　of　elucidation；　and　in　simple　and　unassuming

language。　　In　this　he　may　be　compared　with　Dr。　Franklin；　and　indeed

his　Common　Sense　was；　for　awhile；　believed　to　have　been　written　by

Dr。　Franklin；　and　published　under　the　borrowed　name　of　Paine；　who　had

come　over　with　him　from　England。　　Lord　Bolingbroke's；　on　the　other

hand；　is　a　style　of　the　highest　order。　　The　lofty；　rhythmical；

full…flowing　eloquence　of　Cicero。　　Periods　of　just　measure；　their

members　proportioned；　their　close　full　and　round。　　His　conceptions；

too；　are　bold　and　strong；　his　diction　copious；　polished　and

commanding　as　his　subject。　　His　writings　are　certainly　the　finest

samples　in　the　English　language；　of　the　eloquence　proper　for　the

Senate。　　His　political　tracts　are　safe　reading　for　the　most　timid

religionist；　his　philosophical；　for　those　who　are　not　afraid　to　trust

their　reason　with　discussions　of　right　and　wrong。




　　　　　　　　You　have　asked　my　opinion　of　these　persons；　and；　_to　you_；　I

have　given　it　freely。　　But；　remember；　that　I　am　old；　that　I　wish　not

to　make　new　enemies；　nor　to　give　offence　to　those　who　would　consider

a　difference　of　opinion　as　sufficient　ground　for　unfriendly

dispositions。　　God　bless　you；　and　make　you　what　I　wish　you　to　be。







　　　　　　　　THE　UNIVERSITY　AND　THE　SCHOOLS




　　　　　　　　_To　General　James　Breckinridge_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　February　15；　1821_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　learn；　with　deep　affliction；　that　nothing　is

likely　to　be　done　for　our　University　this　year。　　So　near　as　it　is　to

the　shore　that　one　shove　more　would　land　it　there；　I　had　hoped　that

would　be　given；　and　that　we　should　open　with　the　next　year　an

institution　on　which　the　fortunes　of　our　country　may　depend　more　than

may　meet　the　general　eye。　　The　reflections　that　the　boys　of　this　age

are　to　be　the　men　of　the　next；　that　they　should　be　prepared　to

receive　the　holy　charge　which　we　are　cherishing　to　deliver　over　to

them；　that　in　establishing　an　institution　of　wisdom　for　them；　we

secure　it　to　all　our　future　generations；　that　in　fulfilling　this

duty；　we　bring　home　to　our　own　bosoms　the　sweet　consolation　of　seeing

our　sons　rising　under　a　luminous　tuition；　to　destinies　of　high

promise；　these　are　considerations　which　will　occur　to　all；　but　all；　I

fear；　do　not　see　the　speck　in　our　horizon　which　is　to　burst　on　us　as

a　tornado；　sooner　or　later。　　The　line　of　division　lately　marked　out

between　different　portions　of　our　confederacy；　is　such　as　will　never；

I　fear；　be　obliterated；　and　we　are　now　trusting　to　those　who　are

against　us　in　position　and　principle；　to　fashion　to　their　own　form

the　minds　and　affections　of　our　youth。　　If；　as　has　been　estimated；　we

send　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　a　year　to　the　northern

seminaries；　for　the　instruction　of　our　own　sons；　then　we　must　have

there　five　hundred　of　our　sons；　imbibing　opinions　and　principles　in

discord　with　those　of　their　own　country。　　This　canker　is　eating　on

the　vitals　of　our　existence；　and　if　not　arrested　at　once；　will　be

beyond　remedy。　　We　are　now　certainly　furnishing　recruits　to　their

school。　　If　it　be　asked　what　are　we　to　do；　or　said　we　cannot　give　the

last　lift　to　the　University　without　stopping　our　primary　schools；　and

these　we　think　most　important；　I　answer；　I　know　their　importance。　　No

body　can　doubt　my　zeal　for　the　general　instruction　of　the　people。

Who　first　started　that　idea？　　I　may　surely　say；　myself。　　Turn　to　the

bill　in　the　revised　code；　which　I　drew　more　than　forty　years　ago；　and

before　which　the　idea　of　a　plan　for　the　education　of　the　people；

generally；　had　never　been　suggested　in　this　State。　　There　you　will

see　developed　the　first　rudiments　of　the　whole　system　of　general

education　we　are　now　urging　and　acting　on：　and　it　is　well　known　to

those　with　thom　I　have　acted　on　this　subject；　that　I　never　have

proposed　a　sacrifice　of　the　primary　to　the　ultimate　grade　of

instruction。　　Let　us　keep　our　eye　steadily　on　the　whole　system。　　If

we　cannot　do　every　thing　at　once；　let　us　do　one　at　a　time。　　The

primary　schools　need　no　preliminary　expense；　the　ultimate　grade

requires　a　considerable　expenditure　in　advance。　　A　suspension　of

proceeding　for　a　year　or　two　on　the　primary　schools；　and　an

application　of　the　whole　income；　during　that　time；　to　the　completion

of　the　buildings　necessary　for　the　University；　would　enable　us　then

to　start　both　institutions　at　the　same　time。　　The　intermediate

branch；　of　colleges；　academies　and　private　classical　schools；　for　the

middle　grade；　may　hereafter　receive　any　necessary　aids　when　the　funds

shall　become　competent。　　In　the　mean　time；　they　are　going　on

sufficiently；　as　they　have　ever　yet　gone　on；　at　the　private　expense

of　those　who　use　them；　and　who　in　numbers　and　means　are　competent　to

their　own　exigencies。　　The　experience　of　three　years　has；　I　presume；

left　no　doubt　that　the　present　plan　of　primary　schools；　of　putting

money　into　the　hands　of　twelve　hundred　persons　acting　for　nothing；

and　under　no　responsibility；　is　entirely　inefficient。　　Some　other

must　be　thought　of；　and　during　this　pause；　if　it　be　only　for　a　year；

the　whole　revenue　of　that　year；　with　that　of　the　last　three　years

which　has　not　been　already　thrown　away；　would　place　our　University　in

readiness　to　start　with　a　better　organization　of　primary　schools；　and

both　may　then　go　on；　hand　in　hand；　for　ever。　　No　diminution　of　the

capital　will　in　this　way　have　been　incurred；　a　principle　which　ought

to　be　deemed　sacred。　　A　relinquishment　of　interest　on　the　late　loan

of　sixty　thousand　dollars；　would　so　far；　also；　forward　the　University

without　lessening　the　capital。




　　　　　　　　But　what　may　be　best　done　I　leave　with　entire　confidence　to

yourself　and　your　colleagues　in　legislation；　who　know　better　than　I

do　the　conditions　of　the　literary　fund　and　its　wisest　applications

and　I　shall　acquiesce　with　perfect　resignation　to　their　will。　　I　have

brooded；　perhaps　with　fondness；　over　this　establishment；　as　it　held

up　to　me　the　hope　of　continuing　to　be　useful　while　I　continued