Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-16
JEFFERSON DEMOCRACY,

The York Daily publishes the fol-
lowing letter received by the Jefferson
Democratic Association OF that place
rom James Parton, the author:
NEwnERRYPoRT, Mass, February
l3, 1882 ChquRccy +. Black, Esq.-
DEAR SIR: Iaccept with gratitude
,he honor done me 10y the Jeittrsonian
Democratic Association of York III
adding my name to their list of homo
rary members. | thank you also, both
lor the documents accompanyin, your
letter and for the agreeable manner III
which you communicate the action OF
your association.
For many years | have wished to
see the democratic party recrcatcd III
the spirit uf its llustrious founder aud
of his worthy colleagues, Madison aud
Gailatin. have, nevertheless, voted
with the republican party from its or
ganizalion, and | do not doubt that an
immense majority of It's members, aud
nGits leaders, are honest aud patriotic
men.
On every national issue except one
(the extension OF slavery the Demo.
cratic party seems to me To have been
substantially right; but. in the course
of time that ouc issue became all.im.
portant, So that every other interest
hal to stand aside until it was settled.
Happily. by the union OF patriotic
men of all parties, that terrible qucs.
ton is forever at rest, and the time
seems now ripe for n revival Of the
simple and august principles which
triumphcd in 1900.
Not that wc should follow Thomas
Jefferson, or any other man, with
thoughtlcss devotion Jefferson aud
his colleagues were sufficient for their
own day bat no man, and no group
of men, can be sufficient for all days.
New questions are upon Us, new dan
gers, and new difficulties ;and we have
t. ak ourselves. not merely what
J,E'r-on did in his time. but what he
would be likely to attempt o, advise it
he were now present among us.
think, for one, that he would be a
civil service reiormer, because the
spoils system is not democratic. 1t
savors Of personal government, which
he hated. | think he would he a more
positive and sweeping frec-tradcr even
than he was 10 his life time aud vet
he would probably not desire to pre-.
cipita,e free trade and uu-ettle in
moment the work of sixty years.
He would wish rather tn proceed eau
tiously, but unswervingly, having in
view the total, hut not sudden, extirpa.
ton oI the protective system.
| think, too, that he would cndcavor
to remedy an Inconvenience from
which every president of the United
States has suffered, an inconvenience
resulting from the inadequate compen-
sation of the higher officers of govern.
ment. a king can get any man to
serve him. because king can offer to
the most valuable man his market
price, while president of the United
States. representing the richest employ.
er IN the world. has an extremely limi.
ted range of choice, because he cannot
make it possible for poor men to ac.
cept difficult situations without doing
violence to their own interests. When
President Jefferson asked james Mon
roe to proceed, upon short notice, to
Paris. to negotiate for the purchase of
Louisiana, he lamented that he could
not offer him just compensation, such
as n merchant or a corporation would
give for a private service ofcorrespon.
ding importance When the negotia.
ton was at an end, by which the Uni
ted States obtained an acquisition Of
territory more important to Il than
any country has ever yet permanently
obtained by conquest, Mr.. Monroe re.
tired only to render other gratuitous
services, and to end fifty years of ar.
duous public life in insolvency and
dependence. How different the fate
of the negotiator employed by the
Emperor Napoleon for the few days
service rendered by him without leav.
ing home. For that single act Napo.
leon made M. de Marbois present Of
nearly forty thousand dollars.
Thomas Jefferson never contempla-
ted government either of millionaires