American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-12-06

4 period oil Mr.. JtHcrSOnS lille
Mr. Jefferson, by birth, belonged to the arisocra-
cy ; but, the idle and volupuous life which marked
that order had no chai ms for mind like his. He
Eelished better the strong, unsophiscaed, and racy
character Of the yeomanry and attached himself, OF
choice. to that body Born to an inheritance, then
deemed immense, and with decided taste tor lite
nature and science, il would not have been surpris-
! ing if he had devoted HIMSELF exclusively, TO the
luxury OF his studies and lett the tolls and the haz
ards Of public action 10 others. But he was nstn
rally ardent and fond OF action, and OF ecoD too,
great scale; and, so readily did he kinde in the
feelings that playing around him, that he could
no mole have stood still while his county was ag
lated, than The war horse can sleep uLdeI the sound
oil the trumpet.
lie was republican and philanihroPist from
the earliest dawn of his character. He read with
sort Of poetic illusion, which identified him with
every that his author spread before him. I'm
rap ured with the brighter ages OF republican
Greece and Rome, he had followed with an aching
heart the march Of history which had told him Of
the desoation Of those isicst portions oil The earth
and had seen, with dismsy and indignation, that
swarm of monsrchies, the progeny OF the Scandina-
visn hive, under which genius and liberty were now
every where crushed. He loved his own country
with passion not less Intense, deep, and holy than
hat of his great cempatriot and With THIS love he
Co.'S bined an expanded philanthropy which encir
| CLEO Inc ElOUes-IIDNl NnC WoIhiHS vi 'uC SbO'b
energies wit hin him, there arose an early VISION,
too, which cheered his youth and accompanied hiin
through lfe--the vision OF emanclpaIed man thro'
out the world. Nor was this dream oil the morn
ing that passed AWAY and was forgotten. On the
contrary, like the heaven descended banner oil Con-
siauline he hailed il 40 omen OF certain victory,
and grded his oins Tor the onset, With The ornnlpo-
,rnce oil truth.
On his esrly studies we have already ,ouched--
The study OF law he pursued under George NNyhe,
a man of Roman stump, in Rome's best age. Here
he acquired that unrivalled neatness, system and
method in business, which, through all his unre
life and in every office that he tiled gave him. in
effect, the hundred hands Of Brareus +; here, too
following the giant steps Of his master, he 'eed
the whole round OF the civil and common law. From
The same example, he caught that untirng spirit Of
investigation which never left subject ill he had
searched 10 the bottom and OF which we have so
noble specimen 10 his correspondence with Mr..
II .mmond, on the subject of British debts. In short
Mr.. Wythe performed for him what jeremiah Grid
ley had done for Mr.. Adams; he placed on his head
the crown Of legal preparation and well did i be
come him. Permit me here, TO correct an error
which seems 10 have prevailed II has been thought
that MIR. JEFFERSON made no figure al The bar but
the case was TAR otherwise. There are still sxtant,
in his own fair and neat hand. in the manner OF his
master. number OF arguments which were deliver
ed by him at the bar, upon some OF the most intrl'
questions oil the law WHICH, Al lHcI SHhh sec
the light, will Sindicate IDS claim TO the first honors
OF the p oicsslon. II is true he was not distinguish
d in popular debate why he not so, has often
hetn matter OF surprise to those who have seen his
eloouence on paper, and heard 1t IN conVef satlon
He had all the attributes OF the mind and the heart
and the soul, which essential to eloqnence OF the
highest order The only defect was a ply steal one
he wanted volume aud compass Of voice Tor large
de lucrative assembly; and his voice, from the ex
~ sehaihlitv instead of rising with his teel
inps and conceptions sunk under their pressure, and
became cultural and inariculaie. The conscious
ness OF this inhrmity repressed any attempt IN q
large body, in which he knew he must lall But his
voice was all sufficient for the poses oil Iudcla
d debate and there is reason 10 doeot that, II the
@ service Of his country had not called him away Sc
d soon from his profession, his fame lawyer woult
d now have stood upon the same distinguished Erounc
r v hich he contessedly occupies s1alesman, 81
j author, AID scholar.
! II was not until l76A, when the Parliament o
g. Great Britain passed its resolutions preparatory 't
- the stamp act, that Vrgihia seems 10 have beer
g. Thoroughly startled from her Iepose, Her legislS
IT ure was then session. and her patriots, taking
. the alarm, demonstrated promptly and firmly q
N gainst this assumed power The Temonstrsnce
IN however, was, usual disregardtd and the stamE
4. act came But il came TO meet, the floor OF The
n House, an unlocked for champion, whom HEAVIER
had Just raised up for the good ct his country aud
m mankind | speak OF that untatorsd thild OF ma
I'd ure Patrick Henry, who had Now Tor the hrst time
left his native forests to show the metal OF which he
" was made and give the world assurance OF man
le The Assembly me, in the city oil Williamsburg
&c where MIR Jefferson still pursuing the study
r the law Mr.. Henry's celebrated resolutions agans
the stamp act were introduced in May, i76S. How
n they were resisted and how manlalned. has heeT
Of already stated to The world in terms that have beer
i. pronounced exiTsVsgsn,, By those who modestIj
of consider themselves furnishing tar standard
r. revolutionary excellence. The coolest glow worn
O in The hedge is abou, lair standard o. he pow
rs er al The sun To the present purpose ii is onl,