He speaks rather to the question of ignorance. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. But Mr. O'Brien is clearly wrong.
Public liberty is what is lost when tyranny takes over.
Jefferson next calculates, in his characteristic way, the true rate of rebellion in America in order to put Shay's isolated affair into mathematical perspective. We have had 13. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century and a half for each state. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them.