Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-08

famous in the State, and was the center
Of princely hospility that was framed
throughout Europe and America. De
Chasteilux, Do Liancoult, and other no.
bIemen and foreigners Of distinction,
came away from Monticello with an en-
thusiastic opinion of their host, and in
formed all Europe tina. the country gen
tleman Of Virginia was the most accom-
lished man of his epoch. 1t was here,
too, in entertaining this diverse society,
in reading and writing. riding and at
tending to his farms, he passed the inter
| walls OF his absence from public affairs,
the long period of whichextend-
ed from the termination of his Prasi-
delcy to his death.
Quite number of letters of this batch
were written from Washington during
the years 1905 and 1906, ana ranked.
It was before the introduction of enve-
lopes, and the letters are written on one
side of the paper, rolled and sealed with
| wax and directed on the other. In one
of them he points the number of errors
in the annual statement of MIR. Freeman
and desires explanations. One of the
items was for money loaned, and upon
this Mr.. Jefferson, who was always be-
hind time Ill the pecuniary affairs, thus
delivers himself: Il thought you had
seen so much of those difficulties with
which could meet the multiplied calls
upon me, as to be sensible that no man
has itAess in his power to lend money.
In truth, my own difficulties are such as
to keep me in continual pain aud to
oblige me to defer payments which hurt
my feelings beyond measure. It is
therefore entirely out i my power to aid
the wants of others by loan.' He closes
the same letter, however, with the follow
ing kind words: / am sincerely sorry
to learn that Mrs. Freeman and yourself
continue in such i'll health. We may ex-
pect that the winter will re-estabish you
both. tender you my saluta+ions and
best wishes
In statements which Mr. Jefferson
sends his superintendent, he reduces the
old e S. and d. to dollars nd cents, for they
were rendered just one year subsequent
to the time he himself had proposed and
secured the adoption OF the present sys-
tenn OF coinage, in 1904.
1t is a well-known historical fact that
Jefferson regarded slavery as moral and
political evil, and as far back as 1869,
when he was but 26 years old and Lad
just taken his seat in the House of Bur-
gesses, he introduced bill empowering
the owners of slaves to manumlt them if
thought proper At that time it was de-
feated, but by persistent effort its policy
was fully embraced in 1882. The follow
ing year he endeavored to abolish the
system altogether, but failed, for his plan
OF a government tor the territory, while
adopted in the main, was amend SO as to
omit the clause providing ''that after the
year 1900 OF the Christian era there shall
be neither slavery nor involuntary servi-
tude in any of the said States, otherwise
than in punishment of crimes, whereof
the party shall be duly convicted to have
been personally guilty.
Notwithstanding his strong aversion to
slavery and the "right of man to barter
in human flesh,' as he once expressed it,
we find that he was buyer and seller Of
slaves to the time of his death. One of
the letters before us is written from
Washington, in 1906, to Mr.. John Jor-
dan, and is as follows: "Although l
consider Brown as richly worth the sum
Of 5000 required for him in my PROPOSE
ton to you, and that your offer of $500
is less than the worth by that difference,
yet to indulge his inclinations, will let
you have him for the latter sum. have,
therefore, directed Mr.. Freeman to send
him to you, and you may consider this
letter as closing the contract and serving
as an absolute conveyance of all property
in him to you. You are consequently
indebted the sum which this overpays
the work you have done for me. Accept
my salutations."
There are a number of these letters
which are full Of interest as disclosing
something of the characteristics Of the
greatest statesmen America ever saw,
but we have not time to allude to them.
They tell of much Of his domestic life,
and show the Importance with which he
regarded the most commonplace affairs.
In all is purity of style and directness
that are extraordinary. He had ''the
reputation of a mastery pen,'' said John
Adams, and writings Of his we're hand
led about, remarkable for their peculiar
felicity of expression"