Litchfield enquirer., 1831-04-28
MONTICELLO.

l
 mount, inc late residence of Mr. Jefferson; is
 given 5y correspondent of the New York The celebrated retreat of Thomas Jefferson
 is n mountain proper, in Albermarie County Of Virginia. eighty miles from Richmond, quite tn the interior and heart Of the state. l
 had somehow conceived it as merely a piece
 at ground somewhat elevated tn relation to the adjacent country, but by no means very
 prominent feature in geography. And it may
 still be said, 1t Is not very remarkable in con-
 pany with an accumulation of similar eminen-
 Ces in the same vicinity-Tnany of which are
 altogether supeFiOr-especially is it mere
 a"t-hill as opposed to that exceedingly pie.
 turesQue and iHcomparahle range of hills,
 commonly called the Blue Mouniaiaa--an
 which extend their line not more than ten
 miles distant from Monticello. Thrse is one
 form, which the hills in this region seem to
 have been parNcuiarly disposed to assume :--
 viz. that of the unt-hM, terminating in very
 perfect apex, and their sides making about
 the same aug!s with their supposed axes. It
 is true they have not in all cases succeeded.
 But they have created not few. They are
 seen all along the Blue ridge, lodged at it's foot, resting on it's side. and peering over its sum-
 mt: And doubt not all would allow, that
 they make an unrivalled beauty in the geo
 graphical features. And this is the fashion of
 MOnticello-its cap,or apex having heen cut off
 by Mir. Jefferson to create horizontal basis
 Tor hts splendid mansion and other tenenaents.. And this labor may easily hG imagined to have been great, when it is considered, that the hiII itself Is lifted above the common level about 500 feet, with base, whose diameter can hardly exceed a mile.
 From this high peak the eye. in looking to the East, rests upon a hOundiess, ocean like country, with nothing to break the view, but one single ant hill prominence on the right at a distance Of 80 miles. On the South, in a 1 distance Ofa mile. rises, overtow cring ,and part. ly merged in Monticello, another hill, connect ed with D broken range, circling round the Blue ridge, having Carter's mountain in the group. It is said, that lady at one of Mr. Jefterson's tevees, by mistake asked him :- when he was going to retire tO Carter's moun- tain ."t % o..
 On the West from Monticello stretches from North to South the intprminsble line of the Blue ridge. Immediately on the North, on the other side of the beautiful river Ra- venna-which winds around the foot of MOn- ticelio-is another group Of hills Of A class t. quai to itself And down in the spacious bo- som made by these surrounding hills and mountains. lies rich country, covered with f,lantations, showing the handsome village of Charlotte, and the sparkling, incomparabic gem of the University. Such is Monticello in itself and in its surrounding Obiects-Only that tt Is utterly vain to attempt to describe iis beauties. It Is more like a vision of enchant- ment.. than a world of reality. And who ] would wonder, that mind 50 susceptible of ] rpverie, as Mir. J+ferson's-so fond of ideal l dream, and then adopt the 1 full persuasion, that Monticello would he in | all respects as convenient as a place of resi- drnce. as the scenery around is gratifying to l the eye Nothing, but a perfect. an unqual- itrd mania ofthis description could have driv- | en sober. practical man inGo such pcrpvtt- al delusion-a delusion lasting as lire-and | life long pr"tractcd.
 Monticell" is remote and difficult of access tits soil not worth mprOving-without wa ter even by dlgging-and may say. without wood, as m one SccupyiDg it would cut the li,ile wood upon it for common use. If Mr. JcfirrsOn's history did not prove, he had med i:ated improving this mountain, before he had been abroad and long absorbed in affairs of state at home. should certainly conclude. that his public life had 50 effectually dra wn him off from common concerns. and so ire GOV 'erahly deranged his judgment in relation to ihe detail and economy of private aifairs- SO maddcncd him might say-that he could not look upon his own estatein Virginia, with out dreaming it was an empire, nor upon Mon tceIIo without regarding it as tke Attest place in the world for the towers and battlements Ofa feldal castle. And nc doubt the extrav- agancies of his creations on the summit, and his fruitful inaginings Of the destined impor- lance of Charlottesville. the University, ,-and every thing about him. proceeded Grom mOr- al causes of this description. How could man of strong native aspirings-caressed at home. as Virginia is accustomed tO do to her favOrite sOns-hon0red and Hattered abroad, while on missions fer his country in trOub- lOus tin,es-and finally all but idolized by respectable majority of this nation-having risen first to the highest office in the gift of his own state, and then to the highest in the gift of ihe na,i"n--and consequently long abstract cd from private life and addicted to the grand aud weighty affairs of nations ;-hOw could such man, grown old in such cares, descend to the economy of bumble fife, and admins. ter 1t with discresion? It were possible. admit. Ai,h men of given constitutional temperament. Washington could do ii. But he, N hose ruling passion was so strong in death, as 10 order his epitaph to record his name as the author of the Declaration Of A
 merican Independence and of the charter 0f religious freedOm--eOuld hardly be expected
 to do it. His friends had declared him man
 abOVe the common order, and he believed it.
 aud considered himself entitled to assert it,
 And although he had retired from the cares
 of state, he was by no means to descend to a