The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-01-05
rATrER OF THOMAS JEFFERSON.

fth0IndS d
tory. and separately unimportant, to be
ambodied into a connected narration, give,
taken together, clear insight into his
character. They all show that he was no
ordinary man. He owed none of his sue
cess to good fortune or ingratiating man
ners. He was man of gigantic stature
and strength-plain, and averse to display
he was grave, taciturn, slow to MAKE ana
not over prompt to accept, advances. He
was one of those calmly and almost sternly
self-relying men, who lean on none-who
desire help from none. And he certainly
had both muscles and mind which could be
trusted He could simultaneously "head
ND" (raise from their sides to an upright
position) two hogsheads of tobacco, weigh
ing nearly two thousand pounds APIECE =
He once directed three able bodied slaves
to pull down a ruinous shed by means OF
rope. After they had again and again
made the effort, he bade them stand aside,
seized the rope, and dragged down the
structure in an instant. Traditions have
come down of his continuing his lines as a
surveyor through savage wildernesses' af-
ter his assistants had given out from famine
and fatigue, subsisting on the raw flesh OF
game, and even of his carrying mules,
when other food failed, sleeping in hollow
tree amidst bowling and screeching beasts
of prey, and thus undauntedly pushing on
until his task was accomplished,
His mind was of a corresponding texture.
He had the same love of mathematics
which afterwards charterized his son-and
much, if not all, of the same remarkable
facility in understanding its processes
His judgment was swift and solid. His
neighbors sought his advice; his friends
soon learned to esteem it unerring. His
mind once made up, no danger could turn
him aside-no obstacle thwart his iron will,
and calm, but resstless energy. And he
acted for another, in these particulars, as
he acted for himself His probity was so
conspicuous, that other wealthy friends be-
sides William Randolph, desired him to act
as his executor, and in one or two other in
stances he consented.
When the foregoing traits of character
are considered, it becomes easy to under
stand the nature of that strong bond of al
lance which subsisted, from the outset, be-
tween Colonel Jefferson and the Randolphs
to understand why that proud family so
readily took the young surveyor. without
fortune or flashed education-a compare
tive adventurer-to their close family alli-
ance and friendship. Those shrewed and
practiced men of the world were not slow
to discover that this stately young man
| would prove tower of strength to his
| friends, and bulwark to be relied upon
against foes. And the eye of woman rare
ly looks down with Indifference on such an
union of mental and physical power.
But so massively moulded, he had gen
| tier, softer side. He was a tender hus-
band, devoted father. His tastes ap-
preached to the elegant, in his own house
hold. After the wearisome and often stir
ring events of day of border life were pas
sed. he spent the evening in reading histo-
rians, essayists, and even poets, Addison,
Swift and Pope, were prime favorites with
him, but Shakespeare was his great favorite
His well-worn and fine old edition of the
work is yet e1tant. This speaks volumes
concerning the tastes of the man.
He was unpretending in his equippage
and address. A cardinal maxim with him
what you can do for YOURSELF" He held
that it is the strong in body who are both
the strong and free il. mind-a text his son
often afterwards preached from. His at
tempts to form the character of his son
correspondent with his theories. He died
when the latter was fourteen years old, but
he had already taught him to sit on his
horse, fire his gun, boldly stem the Rivan-
ma when the swollen river was
"Rolling red from brae to brae,''
and press his way with unfagging foot
through the rocky SUBMITS of the contigu-
Gus hills in pursuit of deer and wild tur-
keys. But his attention was not limited to
physical training. Though his son was
kept constantly at school, in the evenings
he put good books into his hands for read
ing, taught him to keep accounts, instruct
ed him in his own beautiful penmdnship,
and impressed upon his mind lessons OF
system, punctuality, energy, and perse-
verance. Thomas Jefferson always poses
sed particular veneration for the memory
of his father. Young as he was when the
latter died, we think his mind had been OBJ
viously impressed with his instructions and
example for we trace a manifest analogy
"a family likeness, modified only by Cir
cumstances and more in degree than kind
between their political, social, and domestic
ideas. There was some physical resem-
blance between them. According to ira
dition, the calm, thoughtful. firm eye of the
son, and the outlines of his face were those
of his father; his physical strength, too,
was beyond that of ordinary men but his
slim form and delicate fbres were those OF