Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-11-18
WASHIN GTON.
sY THOMAS JEFFERSON.

His mind was great and powerful,
without being Of the very first order;
his penetration strong, though not so
acute as that of Newton, Bacon, or
Locke; and as far as he saw, no judg-
ment was ever sounder. 1t was slow
in operation, being little aided by in
vention Imagination, but sure in con-
clusion. Hence the common remark of
his officers, ofthe advantage he derived
from councils of war, where hearing
all suggestions, he selected whatever
was best; and certainly no General ev-
er planned his battles more judiciously.
But if deranged during the course Of
the action, if any member Of his plan
was disloeated, by sudden circumstan-
ces, he was slow in re-adjustment. The
consequence was, that he often failed
in the field, and rarely against an enc
my in station, as at Boston and York
He was incapable of fear, meeting per-
sonal dangers with the calmest uncon-
Germ. Perhaps the strongest feature
in his character was prudence, never
acting until every circumstance and
consideration, was maturely weighed;
RETAINING, if he saw doubt, but when
once decided, going through with his
purpose, whatever obstacles opposed.
His integrity was most pure, his jus
tice the most infexible l have ever
known; no motives of interest or con-
sanguinity, Of friendship or hatred, be-
ing able to bias his decision. He was
indeed, in every sense of the word, a
good and, great man.-His temper
was naturally irritable and high toned,
but reflection and resolution main
tanned firm and habitual ascendance
over it Il ever, however, it broke the
bands, he was most tremendous in his
wrath. In his expenses he was honora-
BILE, but exact; liberal in contributions
towhatever promised utility, butfrown-
ing, unyielding on all visionary pro-
jects, and all unworthy calls on his
charity. His heart was not warm in
it, affections; but he exactly calcula-
ted every mans value, and gave him
solid esteem proportional to it. His
person, you know, was fine, his statue
exactly what one would wish, his de-
pertinent easy, erect and noble; the
best horseman ofhis age, and the most
graceful figure that could be seen on
horseback. Although in the circle Of
his friends, where he might be unre-
served with safety, he took a free share
in conversation, his colloquial talents
were not above mediocrity, possessing
neither copiousness ideas, nor fluency
of words. In public, when called on
Tor : sudden opinion, he was unready,
short and embarrassed. Yet he wrote
readily, rather diffusely, in an easy and
correct style. This he had acquired
y conversation with the world, for
his education was merely reading,
writing, and common arithmetic, to
which he added surveying at later
day. His time was employed in action
chiefly, residing little, and that only in
agricultnre and English history. His
correspondence became necessarily ex-
tensivc, and, with journalizing his
s9Easnstaral proceeding, occupied most
g g ~ !eiss,re hours within doors. On
tno wneas hischaracter was, in its mass,
perfect, u nothing bad, IN few points
that never did mature and fortune com,
bine more perfectly e make man