The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-04-08
Vol. %.
From The Boston Palladium.

JKFFERsoNIANA.-Un this head, the
New York Commercial Advertiser has
published series of selections, embracing
different topics from the recently published
works of Mr.. Jefferson. "Somc of these
extracts" says that paper, shave been
read with avidity, on account ofthe authors
oalumnies Of the illusirious dead; and tho
shocking lmpiety of the following speci-
mems, will astonish and appal even those
who were already apprizsd of his scep,i-
cism. The trustees Of the Philadelphia Liz
brary, have refused TO allow these works to
pollu,e their shelves. The example should
be followed in every circulating library in
the country; and our apology for publish
ing these extracts is the desire TO aid in
producing such result"
A few selections from the lth volume OK
Mr.. Seiierson's private correspondence.
.qug. Is, 1890. TO John Adams. "But o.
nough of criticism; let me turn to your pug
zeling letter OF May ls, on matter, spirit.
motion, &c. Its crowd ofsceptcisms kept
me from sleep. ] read il, and laid it down,
| read 1t, and laid il down again and again:
and to give rest TO my mind was obliged
TO recur ultimately TO my habitual anodyne,
feel, therefore, | exist. feel bodies
which are not myself; there are other exist
ences there. | call them matter. feel
them changing place. This gives me mo-
| tiOa, Where there is an absence of mat
| ter, call II coia, or nothing, or immateriGi
space. On the basis of sensation, Of mat
ter and motion, we may erect the fabric Of
all the certanties we have or need. can
conceive thought 10 be an action of n par.
lar ~, X X ~
"When we once quit tho basis of sensa-
tion, all is in the wind. TO talk of imma-
ieriGi exis,ences is TO talk ofnothing. 10
say that the human soul, angels, God, are
immoterial, is to say they are aoIhing, or
that there is no God, no angels, no soul. I
cannot reason otherwise %*#%."
"At what ago of the christian church.
this heresy Of immGitiiaiism, or masked u
theism, crept in, do not know. But q
heresy il certainly is. Jesus taught noth-
ing Of il. lie told us indeed, that God 10
a spirit but he has not defined what q
spirit is, nor said that it is not matter.
.Nop. 2, 1892. To DR.. Cooper. "In our
Richmond, there is much ianaticism, but
chiefly among the women. They have
their night meetings and praying parties,
where, attended by their priests, and some
times by benpecked husband, they pour
forth the cifusions of their love to Jesus, ia
torms as amatory and carnal, us their mod
esty would permit them to uso to nero
earthly lover"
.9pra II, 1898, ToJohn Adams. "And
the day will conIa, wi hSp tho mys,ical gem
Grafton of2esut ~ Supreme Being, az
bus father, in tb 'nb ofa virgin, will be
cln ssed with tbe1(ble Of the gene ration of
Minerva in thex0tSin of Jupiter." y
.Aprii 10, 1920. To William Short. "Your
favor Of March the 9th, is received. and
as you request, a.copy Of the Syllabus is
now enclosed. 1t was originally written
to DR.. Rush. On his denth, fearing that
the inquisition of the public might got hold
Of il, asked the return OF il from tho fam.
lily, which they very kindly complied with.
At the request Of another friend, | gav0
him copy. lie lent it to his friend, who
copied it, and in few months il appeared
in the Theological Magazine Of fLoudon.---
Happily, that repository is scarcely known
in this country, and the Syllabus, there
fore is stilla secret, and in your hands |
am sure twill continue so.
But while this Syllabus is meant TO place
tho character Of Jesus in its true and high
| light a. no mposter himself, but n great
relormer Of the Hebrew code of religion,
| il is not TO be understood that ] am with
him in all his doctrines. ] am material.
isi; he takes the side Of Spliitunlism; he
breaches the efficacy ofrepentnnce towards
the forgiveness ofsln; require counter
poisc of good works TO redeem il, &c. IL
~ the innocence Of his character, the pu.
ri'y and subllmity of his inculcations, tho
beauty Of his apologues in which ho con.
veys them, that so much udmiro--some.
times, indeed, needed Indulgence to eastern
hyperbolism.
"Among the sayings and discourses i'm.
puted to him by his biogrophors, find
many passages Of fine Inauguration. cor
rect morality, and Of the most lovely be-
nevolence; and others again ofso much alb.
surdty, 80 much untruth, cbarlatonism
and imposiure, as to pronounce il impossi-
Bile that such contradictions should have
proceeded from the came bcing--I scapr.
ate, therefore, the gold from the dross;rG-
store 10 him the former, and leave the lat
ter 10 the stupidity Of some, ond roguery of
others Of his disciples Of this band Of
dupes and impostors, Paul was the great
Coryphalus, and first conupter Of the doc
tripes Of Jesus"
.qug. d. 1890. To VIM. Short. "When
Livy ond Siculus, for example, tell us things
which coincide with our experience Of tho
order Of nature, we credit them on their
word, and place their narrations among tho
records Of credible history. But when
they tell us of calves speaking, Of staiucs
sweating blood, and other things against
the course Of nature, we reject these rs fa-
blcs not belonging to nature"
"The office Of rcformer Of the superstit-
ions Of a nation IS ever dangerous. Jesus
had 10 walk on the perilous confines ofrca-