The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-24

lea render our homage To the great mins-tle giant in
teect have moulded our free institutions have
with all their energies siycn TO perpstuAte than pure
and unstained TO future generations If we have no I'll
des we havowhat is Tar better-nen who have batied
with life and conquered by the force of their superior
Abilities and who that respect and sincere admira
ton which il shared by those who claim it their
brthright Among the great dead there that
revercnced by every true hearted American who
initiated examples at home and abroad In the first
rank Of these mad Jefferson that great patriot states
and benefactor Of his country In him blend
ed all those qualities which distinguish the truly great
man, and has life beacon TO from the
path Of danger, and guide in the way of peace and
glory Jefferson has been characterized the greatest of
Virginia's statesmen, but in opinion he was the
greatest statesman of the republic To-day his name
familiar household words and his principles
those which have obtained precedence of all Others and
long this Union lasts will they constitute the basis
for the government of millions Of freemen.
The public eager to feast upon the private life of the
author of the Declaration of Independence and it
gives pleasure TO be able to testify that this eageess
will be fully satisfied by reading Randalrs great work
the volume of which is before US We have already
briefly alluded to it, purpose being prepare more
extended analysis but find that have been anticipated
by the able review published in the Richmond Enquirer
We have been impressed with the mastery manner
cannot refrain from making copious extracts from it,
The Enquirer after complimenting the author of this
work, and regretting that Virginia had not written it,
says
'' But what could not do for ourselves has been
done for by another jefferson has not indeed been
without biographer. His writings, published by
his grandson, though incomplete, noble biography
In Themselves. life has also been written by gentle
who the personal friend Of the statesman and
who upheld the policy Of his administration Professor
Tucker has unquestionably performed his task with abi
ty His work well and faithfully written and written
in proper spirit OF appreciation of his subject The
book which could convert Lord Brougham from enc
my friend of Jefferson has claim Immortality not
easily to be set aside and regret that its venerable
author has allowed it to disappear from the shelves of
the book seller But excellent is the work of PROBES
Tucker it is essentially the life of the politician rather
than life of the 1t appeals almost wholly to the
political economist, and to the politician and though
filling place from which 1T can never be removed, it is
comparatively above the taste of the general reader
even in politics did Professor Tucker go far and a
gressively practicable, and necessary. This
work bears the relation to Jefferson that MashFs
Life bears to Washington Both of these great works will
live and will be sought after by poserity but those who
wish to view the many sided relations of Washington will
seek the Irving and those who to have
the personal and political progress of jefferson must
template the wide and admirable panorama which Ran
dali has opened to our view"
In speaking of the work. the following passage occurs
1T is not going too far say that every manuscript
in the possession of Jeersons descendants has passed
under the Of his present biographer Some important
papers have been discovered and used by him. which JEFF
ferson in the preparation of his memoir seems
have forgotten and which throw light his SUBJ
ject Some of these manuscripts strkingly illustrate the
character of jefferson in domestic aspect Who would
have supposed that the statesman who draughted the
Declaration of Independence who had appeared with
rivalled oi in the salons of Paris, who at the time
engaged in those difficult and perpexing questions which
the bclligcrent relations Of Great Britain and of France
forced upon him, would have been the earliest visiter in
the Washington market and had recorded for eight
ous the first and last appearance of every vegetable
there exposed for sae Mr. Randall has properly pub
shed fac sle of such record and allowed the reader
peruse it for himself He has also given fine en-
craving of jefferson from Stuart's painting, view of
Monticello fac sme of a page Of Jefersons pocket ac-
count book in which all expenditures down to penny
strictly noted fac se of the original draft of the
Declaration of Independence, specimen of Je1esons
handwriting when his right wrist broken and foe
se Of one OF those charming letters to his daughters
which jefferson always found time to write and which
published for the first time ;"
We next have glimpse of Jefferson at college, his
personal appearance and habits the laying of the
Of Monticello and his entrance into the house of
burgesses of Virginia Then have the ushering in of
the revolution and of the session of the house
of burgeses in l773 and the final overthrow of the royal
government in Virginia giving account by the way
of the famous resolutions of the reeholders of Albemare
drawn by Jefferson and the written by jefferson
the concatory propositions of Lord North the pero
ration of which published entire OF the fourth chap
ter extract from the Enquirer follows
1t exhibits jefferson his first entrance into Con-
gress and details the which led to his brilliant
reception by that body. The author, with laudable
nutcncss describes the mode of travelling at that time
Jefferson set out in his phton with two spare horses
and was ten days in reaching Philadelphia Such was
the uncertainty of the roads, that Jefferson
PEELED to employ guides occasionally whose fees regu
larly noted in the socketaccoun book This chapter
presents curious and instructive intelligence of the
state of parties in Congress. No jefferson
seated in Congress than his pen the fame of which had
preceded him, brought into rcquistion On the 22d
of July, IT'S Congress elected by ballot committee
prepare report Lord Norhs propositions and Jeer-
chosen second the t-Franklin occupying the
first place, John Adams the third and r. H. Leo the
fourth As his fate fortune throughout his para-
mentary career he had to write the report which was
approved by the committee adopted by the Congress
abroad The concluding paragraphs of this report
published by Mr. Randall, and Justify the favorable
reception which it received at the time Congress adj
iourne on the 3lst of july and Jefferson returned
Virginia in his carriage taking Colonel Harrison with
him.
The Enquirer then after defending Patrick Henry from
the seeming charge of backwarness in supporting
declaration of independence by the Virginia convention
speaks as fellows
Following the order Of time Mr.. r. gives most
amusing incident illustrative of the tastes of Jefferson
and John Randolph the attorney general Jefferson
devoted to the violin on which he played with much
skill and it he anxious to Obtain at almost
any price, violin owned by John Randolph. But Ran
,olph loved the violin well Jefferson and de-
termined not to part with it during his life An agree
ment however at last entered into between them,