Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-06-14
MIR. Jefferson as a LOYer---PersOnaI
SsSScriptIOn Of him.

| WIN MIR. Jeners0n, tne lover succeeded the
school boy in the due time honored order, as laid
down by the "melancholy Jaques." The only
record of this affair is to be found in series of
letters addressed by him to his friend Page, COM
mencing Immediately after he left the college,
and extending at intervals through the two sue
ceedng years. These are 10 be fouLd at length
in Professor fuckers life of him, and in the
Congress edition Of his cofrespoHuehce. They
possess some interest perhaps il relation to their
subject matter, but most, as the earliest speci-
mems o: their authors epistolary writing which
have been preserved Though they display some
thing of that easy command of language-that
"running pen"-for which he was afterwards SO
celebrated, they exhibit no peculiar grace Of
style, or maturity of thought. Perhaps howev-
er these would scarcely be expected in the care
less, off hand effdsfons of boyish intimacy. 1t
causes smile to see the future statesman ''sigh-
ing like furnace in first love; concealing, af-
ter the approved fashion of student life, the name
of his mistress under awkward latin puns and
Greek anagrams, to bury secret which the world
of course, was supposed to have vast interest
in discovering; delightfully."- described happy dan
ces with his Belinda in the Appolo (that room in
the Raleigh tavern where we shall soon find him
acting SO different part,) vowing the customa-
ry desparing vow, that if "Belinda'' will not ac-
cept his service, it never shall be offered 10 anoth
er; and SO on to the end Of the chapter in the
we'll beaten track of mmemorial prescription
The object of his attachment was Miss Rebec-
ca Burwell, (called Belinda us pet name or by
way of concealment) whom tradition speaks OF
as more distinguished for beauty than clever
!, ness.
| Mr.. Jefferson's proposals seem to have been
!, clogged with the condition that he must be alb
sent for two or three years in foreign travel be-
fore marriage. Whether for this, or because
her preference lay in different direction. Miss
Burwel somewhat abruptly married another maa,
in l764. ..' ....
T Mr.. Jefferson was generally, however, rather
favorite with the other sex, and not without
reason. His appearance was engaging His
face though angular and far from beautiful, beam
ed with intelligence, with benevolence, and with
the cheerful vivacty of happy hopeful spirit
His. complexion was ruddy, and delicately fair;
his reddish, chestnut hair luxuriant and silken.-
His full, deep eyes, rather light in eclor and in
clining most to blue or brown, accordingly to
the light in which they are viewed, were pecu-
liary expressive an1 mirrored, as the clear lake
mirrors the cloud, every emotion which was
passing through his mind. He stood six feet
two and half inches in height, and though very
slim, his form was erect and sinewy, and his
movements displayed elasticity and vigtf. He
was an expert musician, fine dancer; a dashing
rider, and there was no manly exercise in which
he could not we'll play his part. His manners
were unusually graceful but simple and cordial
His conversation already possessed no inconsid-
cradle share of that charm which, in after years,
was so much e&tolled by his friends, and to which
enemies added so seductive an influence in
moulding the young and the waverng to his
political view. There was frankness, earnest
ness and cordialiy in its tone-deep sympathy
with humanity-a confidence in man and SAN
guine hopefulness in his destiny-which irresist-
IDLY won upon the feelings, not only of the Or
dinary hearer, but of those grave men whose
commerce with the world had perhaps led them
to form less glowing estimates of it of such men
as the scholar-like. Small, the sagacious
Wythe, the courted and gifted Fauquier. Mr..
Jeferson's temper was gently, kindly and for
giving. If it naturally had anything of that
warmth which is the usual concomtant Of af-
fcctions and sympathies SO ardent, it had been
habtualy subjugated by control. Yet under
its placidity, there were not wanting those indi-
cations of calm self-reliance and courage which
all instnctively recognize and respect. There
is not an instance on record of his having been
suffered personal indgnity. Possessing the
accomplishments, he avoided the vices, of the
young Virginia gentry of the day, and a class of
habits, which if not vices themselves, were too
often made the preludges to them. He never
gambled. To avoid opportunities to games which
were generally accompanied with betting he
never learned to distinguish one card from anoth-
er, he was moderate in the enjoyments of the
sable, to strong drinks he had an aversion which
rarely yielded to any circumstances, his mouth
was unpolluted by oaths or tobacco. Though he
speaks of enjoying "the victory of a favorite
horse," and the ''death of the fox" he never put
but one horse in training to run never run but a
single race, and he very rarely joined in the
| pleasant excitement--he knew it to be pleasant
for the aspiring student Of the chase. With
such qualities of mind and character, with the
favor of powerful friends and relatives, and even
of viceroyalty to urge him onward, Mr.. Jefferson
was not young man to be lightly regarded by
the young or the old of either sex. He became
of age in l761.
MATT. WARD.-This notorious individual re-
Gently returned to Louisville. His presence ia
| tho city nYcifnd hnnl lI,f;, A