American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-12-20
From The Boston Christian Boo;,...

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OF their venerable authors. The cbaraot .'"'ss'dn
ing, and age of the writer's, the one in his 'a"q
the other IN his eighty seventh year, give then
culiar interest, and they cannot fail 10 be rad ~
great pleasure IL is delightful to witness ,h t;"
ot correspondence between these two dis,inonaa"a,
men, the asperities OF party by which they r"ea
one time separated worn down, and nothng rs,s;t
ing but the interchange of sentiments Of untrinn"s
kindness and respect. 1t is charming to see ao n,a
age like this, retaining, even under its decay. a O
nhrmiues' the intellectual vgour unimpared, ana
displaying amidst its SHOWS, the greennese an
freshness OF the summer of lfe 1t is an rnv;ahIa
and privileged height TO which these grea, m"o
have attained; from which they are permitted ~
look down upon an extensive and emineptly ham,
country, enjoying the fruit of their abors and e..
crihces, more than realizing their boIdest an,ic;n,
tons; and regarding them with that gratitude and
respect to which their magnanimty and distinguish.
ed patriotism SO emphatoally entitIe them,
The letter of Mr. Jefferson was written soon II.
ter an attack upon him by the Native Virpinian,
and when there was strong expectation Of wa,
between Russia and Turkey: this will explain SON.
illusions in them.
FROM MR. JEFFERSON TO MR.. ADAMS
.tfonticeLlo, June /, 1892
II IS very long, my dear sir, since have written
to you. My dslocated wrist is now become 80 .,p
that write slowly and with pain; and, therefore.
write as little as ! can. Yet il is due to ronns,
friendship TO ask once in while how we do? tn.
papers tell us that General Starke is off at the ape
OF ninety -three.s*s** still lives at about The same
age, cheerful, slender as a grasshopper and So
much without memory that he scarcely recognizes
the members OF his household. An Intimate friend
oil his called on him not long since. II was difcvl
to make him recollect who he was, and sitting on,
hour, he told him the same story four times over.
Is this hfr?-wh labring step
TO tread our former foolsteps pace the round
Eterns!--tU beat and beat
The beaten track--io see what we have seem
10 taste the tasted-o'er cur palates to decant
Another vintageF
1t IS at most but the life of cabbage, surely
not worth wish. When all our faculties have et,
Ior are leaving US one by one, sight, hearing, me.
mory, every avenue of pleasing sensation is closed,
and athumy debility, and NAL aise left in their pla
ces, when the friends OF our youth are all gone and
la generation is risen around us whom we know net,
is death an eya
When one by one our ties are torn,
And friend from friend is snatch'd forlorn;
When man is left alone to mourn,
Oh then, how sweet it is to die
When trembling limbs refuse their weight,
And hlms slow gath'ring dim the sight
w men CiouuS OBSCURE The mental light,
lis natures kindest boon to die
really think so. have ever dreaded doting
old age: and my health has been generally so good,
and IS now SO good, that dread it STILL The rapid
decline OF my strength during the last winter has
made me hope sometimes tina! see land During
summer, enjoy Its temperature, but shuddeT at
the approach of winter, and wish could sleep
through it with the dormouse, and only wake
with him 10 spring, if ever they say that Starke
could walk about his room. ! am told you walk wen
ana hrmly can only reach my garden, and that
with sensible fatigue. | ride, however, daily; but
reading is my delight. / should wish never 10 put
pen to paper; and the because of the reache-
rous practice some people have of publishing ones
letters without leave. Lord Mansfield declared it q
breach OF trust, and punishable at law. ;hnk it
should DC penitentiary felony; yet you will have
seen that they have drawn me out into the arena Of
the newspapers. Although know it is TOO late for
me TO buckle on the armour of youth, yet my in
Idlgnation would not permit me passively to receive
the kick of an ass.
o turn to the news of the day, it seems that the
cannioais OF Europe are going to eating another
!again. A war between Russia and Turkey is like
me battle OF the kite and snake; whichever destroys
Inc other, leaves destroyer the less for the world
his pugnacious humour of mankind seems 10 be
the law OF his nature one Of the obstacles TO too
great multiplication provided in the mechanism Of
'he universe. The cocks Of the yard Kill one
another; bears, bulls, rams, do the same, and the
morse IN his wild state, kills all the young Males
uht'i worn down with age and war, some vigorous
youth Kills him. 'H*a* ] hope we shall prove how
much happier for man the Quaker policy is and
that the lille OF the feeder better than that Of the
hghter and it is some consolation that the desos-
ton by these maniacs of part of the earth is the
means OF improving it in other parts. Let the lat
ter be our Office; and let milk the cow while the
Russian holds her by the horns, and the Turk by
the tail.-God bless you and give you heath'
strength, good spirits; and as much of life as yol
think worth having.
THOS. JEFFERSON.