Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-22
MIR .jEFFERSON.


serious Hines Of Mr. JEFFERSON, and the Ap
ptebFnsions Tor the event, have eyiuced the
afectionate soliciiude ut the people from Maine
10 Louisiana. When he shall cease to live ON
earth, the recollection Of the great space he
once filed with honor To himself and glory 10
hs couniry, will press on our grateful and sad
hearts that solepnizisg feeling which we ex-
re'iSNce when weSay-tRANKt.iN ~ no more
SAMUEL ADAMS IL ofmore-PArRIcN HENRY
Is no mcre-W A>HIHGroN is nOsnore
" rejoice with 40 eommon JOY that J-Str-
son sal lives 10 us lin great .ieaSure
through his aseacy and infmance) cordial
ant Incorporated nation, in peace with all the
weird. progressing silently and safety TO great.
ness, an example TO other nations, and "A praise
10 them that 10 well.
The following letter would not have b en-
given thus early 10 the public, bat tor the rel
ierated solicitation OF jndic'ous friends, whose
language has beeh-" Let the people see their
beDefactor while he Vet lives to ENJOY their
gratitude: they have admired him in the ener
Ey of health, while clothed III their highest
honors, and Iabouriny, with Others to pro.
vide shelter for the generation who
TO come after him : let them nov him near
the close of his honorable career, Teposng IN
the bosom ofhis atfec,ionate family, supporting
".th,digniiy his proSacted years, and their
weighiy concOHitants, and composed by wal
ting for NE great Teacher, Death -
W now live IN AN era remarkable for scru.
tiniZing historical events and the merits of
public men. Two hundred years have not
elasped since our existence as English Colo
MES, and it is but about forty since we stood
alone as nation yet is il remarkable that
there were some. who la6ored uDrenittingy
tor the public good in our colonial state, whose
deeds have not yet dignified the pages of our
history aud others during this short period
OF our national existence, who touched Inc Sc
cret springs OF great events, aud yet their ca-
racters, through neSlect, remain in a shade of
ambiguity, waiting the illustration of histori-
cal truth.
tcat Patriarch are important Sher effect is
Ike weighty body falling from a great height
Mr.. Jefferson has here, in his mastery manner
put to rest a question that might have ag.tated
ms hereafter. JVho first hogan the american
revolution will never again be question for
dispute. Boston Pat.
MONTICELLO, MARCH 3, 1918.
DEAR SRI have just received your favor
of Feb. 20, in which You observe that Mr.. Writ
in page "a of his Life of Patrick Henry quotes
me as saying that" Mr.. Henry certainly gave
the FIRST impulse to the ball of revolution"
well recoilect TO have used some such express
sion IN u letter TO him and am toierably
tS.H that, our own State being the subject un.
oekSontemplation, must have used it with
respect 10 that only. Whether he has gwen ii
mere general aspect, cannot say, as the
passage is not in the page you quote, nor after
thumbIng over much of the book, have | been
able TO find IL. In page All there is some thing
like II hpt not tue ay.lct e&pressiou +; and even
there IT may be doubted whether Mr.. Writ had
ms eye on Virginia alone, or or all the colo
mes. But the question, Who commenced the
iteretutioH is as difficult as that of the first
inventors OF a thousand good things. For ex-
ample, who first discovered the principle of
gravity Not Newton for Calico, who died
inc year that Newton was born, had measured
ITS force in the descent OF gravd bodies Who
invented the Lavoiseran chemistry The En-.
slish say that Dr. Black, BY the preparatory
discovery OF latent heat. Who invented the
steam boat? Was it Gerbert, the Marquis of
worcester, Newcomb, Savary, Papin, Fitch
Fulton The fact is, that one new idea leads
TO another, that to third, and so on through n
course OF time, until some one, with whom no
one OF these le,9as OrlDiual cnrnhinna all
together, and produces what is Justly called
new invention. | suppose III would be as diff.
cuit 10 trace our revolution TO its first embryo.
we 90 not know how long il was Matching i'll
V- br!tsh CaDinet before they ventured 10
make The first of the experiments which were
TO deVelopit III the end, and to produce com
piete parliamentary supremacy. Those you
hehiion III Massachusetts as preceding the
stamp act, might be the first visible symptoms
OF that design. The proposition of that act in
1864, was the first here. Your opposition
therefore preceded ours, as occasion was soon
er given there than here. And The truth L
suppose IS, HAT the opposition in every COLONY
began whenever tIe encrOackmeut was pre-
sented 10 1t. This question of priority is as
the enquiry would be. who first of the 800 Spar.
tans ottered his name to LeOnidas shall be
hfppy to see justice done TO the merits of all
~ me uneXcePtionable uinpirage of dates and
tcts;S and especially from the pen whick is
proposed to be employed i'll it,.
| rejoice indeed TO learn from you that Mr..
Adams etaIDs the strength OF his memory, his
IachIueS, MS chee1fulnesS, aud even HIS epistO-
lazy industry. This last is gone from me. The
aversion has been growing OH me for a consid-
erabie time, and now, near the close of Is, is
become almost inSupeTable. 1 am much debit.
tated in body, and my memory scnsibiy on the
wane still, however, | enjoy good health and
spirits, and am Ne industrious reader as when
student at cOilege-nOt of newspapers, these
have discarded. Telinquish, as I ought 10
d., all nlefmeddliDg with public affairs, com
IN ting myself cheeriuily TO the watch and care
81 those, TOR whom, ~ my turn, have watched
aud cared.
When contemplate tie immense advances
~ Science, and discoveries in the arts which
have been made within the period OF my lite,
look forward with confidence TO equal advaEces
by The present generation and have doubt
they VIII consequently be much wiser than
we have been, aSWe than oar fathers were, aud
they than the burners 0f witches even the me.
taphysiCai contest, which YOU so pleasantly de-
sc:ibed to- me 80 "a former letter, will prObas Wy
esd ID Improvement, 10y clearing the mind Of
fhionic mysticism, aud nniutellgible laTgOu.
Although age is taking from me tie power Of
communicating by letter with my friends, az
iDdaSfl0usly de- heretofore, shall still claim
with them tie same place they will ever hold
~ my affection aud 0u this ground, with
sincerity AID pleasure, assure YOU Of NY great
tstCcm aHd respect.
III JEFFERSON.
Doctor BENJAm1N w ArEiuOCsE,1
Cambridge, Mas.
,Animportaut fact. and documents relating To- ihi,
question uii3 bt found paper Of fea. l1,iste
And communication from Vur coresp ,i,lsnt Pfl-
f4gCH'