Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-07-29

an everlasting remembrance. For his was
the singular destiny and merit OF leading the
armies of his country successfully through
an arduous war, for the establishment OF Its
independence, of conducting its councils
through the birth of government, new IN
| its forms and principles, until it had settled
down in q quiet and orderly train, and OF
scrupulously obeying the laws through the
whole OF his career, civil and military, OF
which the history of the world furnishes no
iother example. How then can 1t be peril
Gus for you to take such man on your
shoulders? / am satisfied the great body
of Republicans think of him as do. We
were, indeed dissatisfied with him on his
ratification of the British Treaty but this
was short-lived. We knew his honesty, the
wiles with which he was encompassed, and
that he had already begun to relax the i1rm-
ness of his purposes /; and am convinced
he is more deeply seated In the love and
gratitude of the Republicans, than IN the
Pharisaical homage ofthe Federal Monarch
lists. For he was no monarchist from pre-
ference of his judgment The soundness
of that gave him correct views of the rights
of man, and his severe justice devoted him
to them. He has often declared to me, that
he considered ournew Constitution as an OK
pertinent on the practicability of republican
government, and with what dose of liberty
man can be trusted for his own good; and
he was determined the experiment should
have fair trial, and would lose the last drop
his blood in support of it. And these he
repeated to me the oftener, and more point
edly, because he knew my suspicious of
Col. Hamilton's views, and probably had
heard the declarations which had heard, to
wit" That the British Constitution, with its
unequal representation, corruption, and 9TH
/ er existing abuses, was the most perfect
Government which had ever been establish
ed on earth, and that reformation of these
abuses would make it an impracticable Gov
eminent"
do believe that General Washington had
not firm confidence in the durability of our
Government. He was naturally distrustful
of men, and inclined to gloomy apprehen-
sions; and was ever persuaded that be-
lief that we must at length end in something
like British Constitution had some weight
in his adoption of the ceremonies of levees,
h-days,pompo etings with Congress,
and other forms of the same character, CAL
culated to prepare US gradually for change
which is believed possible, and so let it come
on with as little shock as might be to the
publick mind. These are my opinions of
Gen. Washington, for which would vouch
at the judgment seat of God, having been
formed on acquaintance of 30years. served
with him in the Virginia Legislature from
1899 to the Revolutionary war, and again a
short time in Congress, until he left US to
take command of the army. During the
war, and after it, we correspondent occasion
ally, and in the four years ofmy continuance
in the Office of Secretary of State, our inter-
course was daily, confidential, and cordial
After retired from that Office, great and
malignant pains were taken by our Federal
monarchists, and not entirely without effect,
to make him view me as a theorist, holding
French principles of government, which
would lead infallibly to RIGHTEOUSNESS and
anarchy. And to this he listened the more
easily, from my known disapprobation of the
British treaty. never saw him afterwards,
or these insinuations should have been dis
sipated before his just Judgment, as mists
before the sun. l felt, on his death, with
my countrymen, that "verily great man
hath fallen this day in Israel"
| More time and recollection would enable
me to add many other traits of his charac-
ter; but why add them to you who know
them well? and cannot Justify to myself
longer detention of your paper. Vale,
propriaque tuum, me esse tibi persuadeas.
| TIL. JEFFERSON.