Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-04
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
Celebration OF Wis Birthday Yesterday b.
the Club Named In His Hounr-A Sensi
bic Letter from Tildan.

4 VA his S~iIth0Cf 4cStStet~- ~
the Club Named In His Honnr-A Sensi-
| bic Letter from Tildeu.
New HAVEN, Conn, April S-The Jefferson
club OF this city celebrated the anniversary
birthday of Thomas Jefferson this evening. A
| large number of guests from various parts of
the state were present. An eloquent eulogy
on the life and character of Thomas Jefferson
was delivered by VIM. Parsons, editor of the
New Haven Register.
The affair and proceedings are interesting, on
account of the number of prominent Demo-
Gratis present. A letter of regret from Gen.
| Hancock was merely formal. The letter
of Ssmuel J. Tilden was as follows:
TILDEN's LETTER.
| GREYsToNE, March so, 1SS2.-Gentlemen:
l have received your letter in behalf OF the
Jeifersonian club, New Haven, inviting me to
| be present at their commemoration of the
birth of Thos. Jefferson. Although I am
Obliged TO deny myself the pleasure of NEST
| ing with you on that occasion, share the fesl-
ings which bring you together. Mr.. Jeffer-
son has many titles TO the reverence of the
American people, and of ali lovers of liberty
throughout the world. He was among the
earliest, most resolute and most steadfast of
the patriots who upheld the popular right of
the IncipienG struggles of our revolution.
The part lis took, required a more peculiar
order of courage, of selfdenial AID Of genius
| than were necessary at any subsequent period
in our history.
He penned The immortal statement of the
principles that led our ancestors to assert the
independent existence Of our country, and
;oI, boo substantially p1antpN q
model for every people who have since at
tempted TO establish national independence on
basis of human rights. He was first in his
day 10 completely emanclpate his own mind
from the monarchial and aristccratical tradl.
tons which still enslave most OF the best in
tellects of the country.
But the obligations OF the world 10 Mr..
| Jefferson do not end here. On completion of
the federal constitution, Gov. Morris, being
asked what he thought of it. answered, ''That
depends how it is construed" After the or
ganization of the federal government pow
erful class sought to impress upon its prac-
teal working the similitude Of British sys-
TENS Mr.. Jefferson was the great leader of
the party formed to resist these efforts, and to
hold our institutions TO the popular charac-
ter which was understood to belong 10 them
when the constitution was ratified by the peo-
pie By his inaienable adherence 10
free principles; by his untiring eff
| forts by his counsels; and by
the magic of his pen, he was the principal
| agent in rescuipg from its peril, and while
vet in its infancy, the government by the
people and for the people The arduous con-
test resulted in political revolution which
brought Mr.. Jefferson into the presidency.
| He put the ship Of state, 10 use his own ex-
| preston, upon the "Republicsn track" He
arrested cebtralizIng tendencies; heiinvigorat-
| cd local self government; restored the rights
OF the state, aud protected and enlarged the
| domain of individual Judgment and con-
! science.
For eight years he administered The gov
eminent and for sixteen years it was admin
| istered by his pupils under his observation and
advice. Thus was established habit which
shaped the standards for the guidance of pop
uiar Judgment, the modes of thinking states
men and the general course of government
| for sixty years. How important such habit
| is will be appreciated when we consider that
usurpation has often been successfully accom-
| plished in other countries by men welding
executive power, and when ne are
feared Hamilton, who thought our
government ''frail NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and
| twould change it if he came into power"
and when we also recall the fact that Hamil-
! toll, himself, has left on record his belief that
Burrel would have wrought personal usnr-
patton if he could have grasped the preBden-
cy. Mr.. Jefferson gave TO our administrative
system an aspect of Republican simplicity,
| frownDg on jobbery, as well as allperyersions
| OF power, and by his precepts, his influence
| and his example elevated the standard of po-
| litical morals. In his personal practice he
was not only pure, but to make his example
more effective he rsfrained, while administer
ing the greatest of official trust, from all at
| tempts to increase his own fortune, even by
methods open to every private citizen
| In period when there seems to be little
| respect for the limitations of power prescribed
| by our constitution, when assumptions of I'M
granted authority are rife in all departments
OF the federal governments, when that gov
eminent is gradually changed into an elective
despotism, meddling IN everything belonging
| to the states or individuals, when every new
assumption of ungranted power creates new
opportunities, new facilities, and new incen-
tives to favoritism and jobbery, when the civil
service has been converted into the balance of
power to determine elections by pecuniary and
other illegitimate Influences, when the per-
| version of high public trust to the private
gain of the Official is frequently committed
with apparent unconsciousuess of wrong,
| and passes almost without rebuke, 1t is time
the teachings and examples of Thos. Jefferson
be invoked to keep alive the glimmeriug spark
of official virtue aud public honor. Your
fellow citizen, SAMUEL }. TILDEN.
After reading of the letters was finished,
many addresses were made which kept the
| company together until late hour.