The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-02-16
Thomas Jefferson and Dabney Carr.

Mr.. James PartOn's sketch of"Jef-
ersOn as Student OF Law" is a very
Interesting glimpse into the past, and
IL is evident that the writer has rare
fully studied the subject from origi-
Ial sources of information. The fol-
lowing passages from it places before
Us, in one of JeffersOn's early friend
ships, the youthful presentmeut, of a
veIy distinguished jurist OF Virginia:
Among The most beloved of bis
schOOl-fellows vas Dsbney Carr, a
youth destined, like himself, 10 -..e
bar. 1t was that Dabney Carr who
fills the place i'm the annals and hearts
of Virginia which young Josiah
Quincy occupies in those of Massa-
having died in the
prime of early manhood, at the be-
ginning of the Revolution, after fig
uring hOnOrably in its opening
scenes. AT this time, when Jefferson
was coming into his duties as head
of his family. clearing vut his river
and watching his early peas, Dabney
Carr was getting into practice as a
country lawyer; and when Jefferson
was at home, during the long sum-
mers, the two friends and fellow
students were lnseparable. Two
miles from Jefferson's home was an
isolated mountain five hundred and
eighty feet high, which he afterwards
named Monticello, or the Little
Mount, covered: then, to the summit
with the primeval forest. High up
OH this mountain, in the deepest
shade of the luxuriant woods, under
an ancient oak of vast size, the young
friends constructed rustic seat and
thither. in the summer mornings.
they would ride, with their law
books, and pass peaceful days there
in study and conversation. Both Of
them became strongly attached to
the spot. They made q compact that
whichever of them died first snouid
be buried by the other under that
grand old tree. The compact was
fulfilled, and the place was, long
after, enclosed and made the burisl-
place of the Jefersons; 30 that both
the friends now repose on the spot
where they studied together i'm their
youth. 1t was these happy visits to
the mountain that led to its selection,
b. -and-by, as the site of Jefferson's
abode.
When .he young men returned
to Shadwell at the close of the day,
they returned to house full of sis
ters, three of whom were young Ia
dies-twenty-ive, twenty-one, nine
teen years of age. the work of the
day done, the costume of the even
ing assumed, the evening meal ready,
the violin and music in the next
room. 1t was the beautiful and gift
ed Martha, in her nineteenth ear,
upon whom Dabney Carr fixed his
affections; and in the summer vacs-
ton of l765 jefferson had the pleas
ure of seeing them married. The
bridegroom hsd still his fortune to
make, and they went away to live
few miles off in The next county o
Louisa, in house amusing to them
all for its smallness and simplicity.
1t was one of the triumphant mar
riages. This friend of ours, Page
wrote Jefferson, when they had been
five years married, in very small
house, with table, half q dozen
chairs, and one or two servants, il
the happiest man in the universe
Every incident in life he so takes as
to render 1t q source of pleasure.
with as much benevolence as the
heart of man will hold, but with an
utter neglect of the costly apparatus
Of life, he exhibits to the world
new phenomenon in philosopny-
the Ssmian sage in the tab of the
cynic.' To this pleasing picture Mr..
Writ adds, from tradition current in
Virginia, that Dsbney Carr was the
most formidable rival in oratory
that Patrick Henry had among the
lawyers Of his own age, and that his
person was of engaging elegance,
and his voice finely toned. In old
age Mr.. Jefferson wrote OF him as
the man who united infiexlble
firmness of principle to the mos
perfect amisbility."