Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1805-07-26


: ambitious character. 1t Is as absurd to
pretend that character IS proved, as that
Il could be formed BY . single act. A
!. man really unambitious, would haye his
whole life to corroborate the testimony
And TO believe this of Mr.. Jefferson be-
: cause he is soon going to resign power,
we must forget how eagerly and how
meanly he sought it. We. must forget
how the govsrnorship of Louisiana and
the colleasorship Of New-Jersey were
promised and afterwards bestowed to Sc.
: cure theyotes that made him President.
Indignation must be dumb and say no.
thing evenly signs, about his employing
Freneau, the libeller of Washington and
his government, and how Mr.. Jefferson
himself libelted beth in his letter to
Mazzei. Infamy must pull down her
riSbet where he himself has inscribed his
name as the dear friend of Tom Paine.
We must disregard too his character and
his actual situation: his character which
equally units him FOR the foibles he has,
and the qualities he has not, for leading
party-and his actual situation ~ che
head OF a party, made unmanageable by
success and on the point Of splitting
There are thousands of men who might
lead a party tolerabiy well in its advance
to power-Few very few after its com.
plete success.--When all are running
one way, he who happens to run fastest
seems to take the 6rst rank, because all
the others follow him. But when the
race is over, a scrutiny then begins, to
ascertain where the Pre-eminenee really
lies. The question tUho staR be FIRST has
5 shaken the world with alarms and bathed
it in blood beyond any other that ever
J was agitated. Precisely that qussti-
on is beginning to be stirred in the-bo-
som of the reigning Jacobfn faction, and
ii already heaves ike Etna kindting for
an explosion.z-.sAnd now 1t Is that Mr..
jefferson perceives, probably enough
with surprise, that his difficulties begin.
Little did he anticipate thatthe sea would
prove most tempestuous in the harbour.
:. A man very far from unambitious might
choose TO retire IN season from such a
scene. His ambition might be strong
-. and yet his discretion or his fears prove
stronger. Script humi tutus minimum,
timidusgue proceiis. =
We have taken no little pains to con-
vince Mr.. Jefferson, but he will learn it
later and more painfully from his expert.
ence, that rapid change Of popular Ia
,voaritesi is in the character Of Four politics.
Revolution necessarily shifts its instru-
ments, but never its fell purpose. Il
seems to be decreed, and as he reads
history he need not believe it on our
word, that the FIRST demagogues are not
permitted to be the frat emperors Of re.
public. Ten races perish before one is
established. -. ~.. 1,.-s-.~ =,
The uaambitieus Mr.. Jefferson !!
= Are we permitted by facts to believe him
- moderate in amy Of his passionsf There
are men with whom popularity Is the de-
sired end, the summum bonuni, and O.
Tiers for whom it is only the instrument,
and the despised Instrument Of power.
But to Whatsoever classic belongs, and
certainly he belongs to one ofths two, i,
is as absurd to talk of his moderation as
Of his piety. The question never has
been nor never viii be whether he is .
Cato who holds il life, immortal life, to
- be yirtuous. 1t Is whether he is like
Pompey who stopped, fatally for him,
in his way to empire to hear the music oil
his own popularity. ora Cesar who
thought. and acted As If he could not live
at all unless he reached il. Both were
bad citizens, either would have proved
fatal 70 the Roman Republic. The diff.
! ference was, Pompey hated equality a
heartily as Cesar, but he wished to be
!. King BY the votes Of Roman town
meeting, and Cesar aspired to reign BY
the pixies of his iegions. Pompey want
ed 20 get sovereign power without losing
popularity. Cesar sought popularity on,
ly to get power. Had Rome been like
the United States, destitute Of an army