The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-07-07
Thomas Jefferson, the Third Vice
President and the Third President
of the United States

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The most distinguished names in
our history, beyond all question, after
General Washington, is Thomas JEFF
erson. In his influence upon our po-
liffcal and domestic Administration,
since they were both deceased, he has
equaled, if not surpassed, the. Father
of his Country He drafted the two
documents which have elected the
most bitter discussion of any that were
ever penncd. We alludc to the Dec
laration of Independence and to the
kentucky Resolutions of 1898.
1t is n curious fact that, at time
when seniority in years and experience
was usually considered an indispcnsa-
BILE requisite for distinction, Mr.. JEFF.
erson, the youngest member of the
Continental Congress-he being only
thirty three years old-should have
been selected rs the head of SO impor-
tant committee as that to draft the
Declaration of Independence. With
him they associated benjamin Frank
lin, the oldest member of the Congress,
who was seventy; Mr.. John Adams,
Mr.. Roger Shermen, and MIR. Living
ston, of New York The curiosity is
increased by the circumstance that Mr..
Jefferson was n new member of Con
gress, and had Just taken his seat as q
deputy frcm Virginia. 1t is account
ed for by the fact that he had won Il
reputation IN Virginia in her House of
Burgesses, as being fine and accom-
plished writer. As to the merits of
the performance, there will always be
some division of opinion rs to the pro
priety of introducing in it the rhctori-
cal flourish about call men being crca-
ted equal and endowed with certain
inalicnable rights, such as life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness" 1t
would seem to have been unnecessary,
i'll 4 document confined naturally TO q
practical stat iement of the grievances
that induced our separation from Great
Britain, to have advanced so purely a
theoretical assertion. In the sense III
which it has been Interpreted by the
Abolitionists of our day, it is certain
that Mr.. Jefferson never intended it
He held negro slaves until the day of
his death, ard made no efforts to abol-
ish slavery in the United States.
While Mr.. Jefferson was so eloquent
writer, it is worthy of note that he
was no orator. Lie never, SO far as
we are aware, delivered an cxtempore
speech of any length in his life. 1t
has been charged that this was one Of
the reasons which induced him, when
President, TO send in written messages
to Congress instead of making person
al addresses TO them, as had been the
custom of his two predecessors, Wash
ington and Adams. The example
which he set has always been follow
ed by his successors in the Presidcn-
tial Office. -.
At the close of the Revolutionary
war, in 1884, he was sent rs Minister
to France. He was in that country
during that interesting period which
ushered in the French Revolution of
1889. He saw the great opening act
of the drama, the taking of the Bastile
by the populace, on the 18th of July,
of that year. opopular was he among
the French democrats, owing to his
ultra democratic views and the ability
with which he defended them, that he
was actually invited, although a for
eign Minister, to take part with lead
ing members of the Convention in the
formation of French Constitution
This of course, his sense of propriety
induced him to decline. He returned
to the United States just after our
Federal Constitution took effect. His
absence from the Convention that
formed it undoubtedly led to impor-
tant results. We should have had a
very different Constitution if he had
had any part in its organization. 1t
would have been far more States
rights and less centralized in its char
actcr. Jefferson being absent, Ham
ilton had no one of proper force and
ability to oppose him, except James
Madison, who was always mild and
moderate, inclined to compromising
expedients. 1t was not until the Bill
of Rights, which was afterward put
into the Constitution, and which now
constitutes its most valuable feature,
that Mr.. Jefferson was not at all salts
fed with it.
On his arrival in this country, Gen
eral Washington Immediately made
him his Secretary of State; General
Hamilton was Secretary of the Treas
ury. They both being men of great
ability, and political and personal an
/ tagonists, the Cabinet councils were
always scene of warm discussion be-
tween them. They agreed on moth
ling; if Jefferson took one side of a
question, Hamilton was sure to OPP
pose it, and viee uersa. The good old
General Washington long attempted