Here Jefferson considers freedom from copyright and patent laws and other monopolies to be of similar importance to freedom of speech, religion, and the press. It is a good canvas, on which some strokes only want re-touching. What these are, I think are sufficiently manifested by the general voice from North to South, which calls for a bill of rights. It seems pretty generally understood that this should go to juries, habeas corpus, standing armies, printing, religion and monopolies. I conceive there may be difficulty in finding general modification of these suited to the habits of all the states.
Monopolies are sacrifices of the many to the few.
Where the power is in the few it is natural for them to sacrifice the many to their own partialities and corruptions. Where the power, as with us, is in the many not in the few, the danger can not be very great that the few will be thus favored. It is much more to be dreaded that the few will be unnecessarily sacrificed to the many. I like the declaration of rights as far as it goes, but I should have been for going further. The blank was to be filled with some appropriate number later to be determined.