The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-07-18
The Sage Of Monticello.

!
On the table before us lies bundle Of old
manuscript, yellow, quaint and curious, but
still model Of neat penmanship, piain, ieg-
ible and of faultless regularity. As the re
cord of ali age dead and gone they are OF
interest, bnt their chief interest is the fact
that they were penned by the same hand
that over hundred years ago gave to the
world an instrument which made it tremble
to its centre. and traced the first outlines OF
that grandest of human institutions-a Re-
public based upon the free and equal politi-
cal rights of all men. They are the letters
of Thomas Jefferson written to John Homes
Freeman, his superintendent at Monticello,
and are models OF nea5ness and conciseness.
At the time, jefferson was President Of the
United States, but amidst the multitudnous
duties of the Office found leisure to attend to
the minutest details pertaining TO Montcel-
10.
The first OF these papers is memoran-
dun for Mr.. Freeman embracing 4 detailed
statement OF the work 20 be prepared during
eight negro men shall be hired. and after
mentioning the purchase of large quantity
OF corn says s'the canal and dam are to be
completed in preference to ali other work
while the season admits" He gives the
length aud breadth OF II road to be built and
estimates that the work can be done by fiji
teen hands in Il fortnight; next II fence is to
be b;lilt, and the next job is TO level the
garden. Mr.. Randolph will show the meth
cd of doing it. The garden is to be 1000
feet long and so feet wide. From observa-
lions on the small part done, Judge it to
be about three months work for ten hands.
1t is to be done in breadths four feet wide at
q time. Three hands and one wheelharrow
will work to advantage en- BREADTH
In this minute manner the whole work Of
the year is mapped ont, and each negroes
place assigned him. Even the horses are
called by name and directions given fortheir
care and the labor they are TO perform. At
Christmas the negroes are to be allowed q
holiday and certain ones permitted to visit
distant relatives. He closes the memoran-
uuii ny saying
81 propose this year to begin to form the
Monticello farm. which will lie within the
two fences already directed, the river and
the park branch. think the first object is to
begin to recover Belfeld, by filling the gull
lies with bushes and giving it all the aid OF
manure we can. and to clear up neatly all
the open lands south and west of Mr.. Lii
ly's house. These may be sowed in cats and
clover in the spring, and the better parts of
| Belield may be tended in cowpeas. | pro-
pose III retaining this farm meyer again to
break up the steep hill sides, but only so
much Of the ridges as lie so we'll as that,
with reasonable care, they will preserve
their plight"
This place afterwards became the most ia
nous in the State, and was the centre of q
princely hospitality that was famed through
out Europe aud America. De ChastelluN,
Dc Liancourt, and other noblemen and
Monticello with an enthusiastic opinion of
their host, and informed all Europe that the
country gentleman of Virginia was the most
accomplished. man OF his epoch, and it was
here, too in entertaining this diverse socie-
ty, IN reading and writing, riding and at
tending to his farms, passed the intervals of
his absence from public affairs, and the long
period Of retirement which extended from
the termination of his Presidency to his
death.
| n,ito ,1,nr of 1.sftn ne hat
were written from Washington during the
years 1S05and 1906, and franked. 1t was
before the Introduction OF envelopes, and
the letters are written on one side Of the pa
per, rolled and scaled with wax and directed
on the other In one of them he points out
q number OF errors in the annual statement
OF Mr.. Freeman, and desires explanations.
One of the items was for money loaned, and
upon this Mr. jefferson. who was always be-
hind time in pecuniary affairs, thus delivers
himself: 81 thought you had seen so much
of the difficulties with which | could meet
the multiplied calls upon me, as to be SEN
sible that no man has it lie IS in his power to
lend money. In truth, my own difficulties
are such as to keep me in continual pain and
to oblige me to defer PAYMENTS which hurt
my feelings beyond measure. 1t Is there
| fore entirely ont of my power to aid the
wants of others by loan.'' He closes the
same letter, however, with the following
kind words II an sincerely sorry to learn
that Mrs. Freeman and yourself con-
tinue in such ilI-health. We may expect
that the winter will re-estabish you both.
In hopes OF better news from you | tender
You my sautations and best Wishes
In statements which Mr.. Jefferson sends
his superintendent, he reduces the old G s.
and d. to dollars and cents, for they were rem
dered just one year subsequent to the time
he himself had proposed and secured the
adoption Of the present system of coinage,
in 1904.
1t is welIknown historical fact that
Jefferson regarded slavery as a moral and
political evil, and as far back as 1863, when
he was but 2G years old and had just taken
his scat in the House of Burgesses, he intro
duced bill empowering the owners of
slaves to manumit them if they thought
proper. At that time it was defeated. but
by persistent effort its policy was fully en-
braccd in 1872. The following year he en-
deavored to abolish the system altogether
but failed, for his plan Of government for
the territory, whilst adopted in the main, was
amended so as to omit the clause providing
"that after the year 1900 of the Christian
era there shall be neither slavery nor invol-
untary servitude in any OF the said States,
otherwise than in punishment of crimes,
whereof the party shall be duly convicted to
have been personally guilty" Notwithstand-
ing his strong aversion to slavery and the
fright Of man to barter in human flesh,' as he
once expressed it, we find that he was a
buyer and seller Of slaves to the time OF his
death. One Of the letters before lis is writ
ten from Washington in 1906 to Mr.. John
Jordan, and is as follows: ''Althoug l
| consider Brown as richly worth the sum OF
600 D required for him in my proposition to
you, and that your offer of 500 is less than
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