Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-08-03
From, the Christian Inquirer: g
RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES or lHoMAo
JEFFERSON.

JEFF Ch'oAN
A. :. has ever been the practice oil certain
class ofreligonists TO denoun1e d. .5'ueI', ~.
80 discernment and honesty enough 10
"no ,nd re;ect the absurdities and contradictions
h,kieh have so long been the disgrace oil pure
Christianity. so il has happened, that the Illus
,rous nhilosoDher and enlightened statesman,
THo,o.s Jefferson, has been ranked with those
Tho denv the divine authenticity OF. the chris
So, religion. That our readers may know AR
Iaserson's opinion on this subject, we suoJ'in
- his memoir, the following letter which was
addressed by him 10 The venerable Or. PrieSiiy.
Thomas Jefferson was born on the I'd oil A.
,r;I. 20. 81 l743, in the county OF Ainemaf'e,
Al Shadwtll country seat which now oe!on5S
20 his grandson, within sho,t distance oil nion-
ti.ello, and within halt mile OF his Rlvanna
Mills. The family Of MIR Jefferson were among
the earliest emigrants to Virginia; OF which CO.
lony his grandfather, Thomas Jefferson, was
naive. His father was named Peter Jefferson,
and was known as one OF the commissioners
for determining the boundary line between Etr
qinia and North Carolina, in the year l747;
| from whom he derived an extensive and ralua-
bic estate He received the highest honors al
the College Of William and Mary; and studied
the law uEder the celebrated George Nythe,
late Chancellor of Virginia. Before he had at
tanned his twenty fifth year, he was dlsun-
puished member of the Virginia Legislature,
and took an active part IN all the measures
which they adopted in opposition to The usur,
pations of Great Britain. In l775 he is said
| to have been the author OF the protest against
| the propositions Of Lord North. lie was SUB
seouenlv transferred to The General Congress
al Philadelphia, where he distinguished hinseh
by the firmness Of his sentiments and the ener-
gy of his compositions. OF these qualifications,
no other evidence could be required than the
imperishabIe document which declares us "tree,
sovereign, and independent States"
From l777 to 10, Oor certain portions OF
those years. he was occupied with Wythe and
pendleton in revising the laws oil Virginia. In
| l77o, he succeeded Patrick Henry as Governor
Of the State In 1871 he composed his cele-
brated work, entitled :" Notes on Virginia. In
TIE summer Of 1882, he was in Congress at the
moment when the Virginia Legislature were
framing State Constitution The draft o, the
instrument which he transmitted on that occa-
sion. was not received till the day when the
committee were TO report the result OF their la
hors. They were so much pleased with his pre-
.mble that they adopted il as part Of their re-
mort. In 1884 he left the United States, being
u
Franklin and Adams, addressed to the several
powers Of Europe, for the purpose OF concIud-
ing treaties Of commerce. In October 1889 he
obtained leave 10 return home, and on his afr-
val was made the first Secretary Of State, under
General Washington His correspondence with
the Frenah and English Ministers; his reports
on money, and weights and measures; on the
fisheries and on the restrictions OF commerce,
are simple a,testations ofthe enlarged views OF
The philosopher and the finaHcicr. In ICY ne
was elected Vice President; and four years al
ter. Pre- sident cf the United States, which OIL
fee he held for eight years,
During the last years of his life; his favorite
object of pursuit was the establishment OF the
Virginia University at Charlottesville: OF this
institution he was the founder, and on him de-
volved the care Of marking out the coure OF in
struct;on, the rules OF government, and even the
superinendance Of the buildings.
Mr.. Jefferson died at Monticello, at ten mi
nu;es before one O'Clock, in the afternoon OF Ju-
" 4,h. in the s4th year of his age He was con-
fined to his bed little more than week, though
the disease of which he died (diarrhGa) had
been oflong continuance. His death was hour
" expected for several days; he was sensible OF
its approach, and prescribed the mode Of his
own in,erment. He expressed strong desire,
in which he was grat6ed, that his life should
BE- prolonged 10 the fourth He was buried on
the following day without any procession, in
compliance with his own request, though null
ti,udes assembled at the burying place al Mon.
ticello, to see him inferred.
Washington, April 9, 1905.
DEAR SIR-While on short visit lately to
Monticello received from you a copy Of your
comparative View Of Socrates and Jesus, and
avail myself Of the first moment of leisure after
nv return, to acknowledge the pleasure had
in the perusal, and the desire il excited to see
YOU take up the subject on a more extensive
scale. In consequence Of some conversations
with Dr.. Rush in the years 1853, had pro- !
missed 10 write him letter, giving him my view
of the Christian system. Ihave reflected often
on it since, and even sketched the outlines my
own mind | should first take general view
OF the moral doctrines of the most remarkable
OF the ancient philosophers, Of whose ethics we
have sufficient information 10 make an estimate
say, of Py,hagoras, Epicurus, Epictelus, Socra'
ties, Cicero, Seneca, An,oninus, should doJus-
,ice to the branches ofmorality they have treat
ed well, but point out the importance OF those
in which they are deficient should then take |
view of the deism and ethics of the jews, and
show-in what degraded state they were, and
the necessity they presented of a reformation.
should proceed TO view OF the lille, character