There seems no likelihood that the tensions and conflicts of our society are to decrease. Jackson had made the statement in 1940, during the 150th anniversary of the first session of the Supreme Court. Sen. Daschle read from a letter from Thomas Jefferson to Sen. Samuel H. Smith in which Jefferson offered to sell his personal library to Congress after the invading British burned the Library of Congress in 1814. Rep. Gingrich then read from Essays on the Principles of Morality and Natural Religion, by Henry Home. Jefferson used the book in the development of his own philosophies.
People have an innate sense of right and wrong.
When they act virtuously, they increase the general happiness of mankind. Thus, the pursuit of virtue and morality is the pursuit of happiness. President Roosevelt looked toward the world that would follow World War II, and he too called upon Jefferson for inspiration and courage. The Library of Congress is the perfect place to make these documents available. They are a symbol of democracy we often take for granted.