Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-04
Jefferson and His Work.
From the st. Louis Republican.

From the ST. Louis Republican.
The senate very properly and practi
cally celebrated the one hundred and
thirty ninth anniversary of the birth of
Thomas Jefferson by passing joint res
olution appropriating $4,000 for a
monument over his grave at Monticello,
Va. What that monument is to be we
do not know, but if the committee in
charge of the matter recognize the de.
mands of propriety, and good taste they
will reproduce the design and inscrip.
tion prepared by Jefferson himself and
put into stone Immediately after his
death. That simple and all.sufficient
memorial for the place II was intended
to occupy-a family burial spot near the
house where he lived and died-has
been so mangled and mutilated by
relic hunters that little is left oft. The
reproduction will not cost, at most over
$500, and the remainder of the appro-
priation should be expended in putting
the lot in proper condition and proyid-
ing all possible protection against iu
ture relic hunters.
Jefferson has not been very literally
hoSored in the monumental way. There
are not, we think. more than two or
three in the entire country. Lincoln
already has far more of that sort Of hon
or than the man without whose words
and work the promulgator of the eman.
cipation proclamation would never have
sat in the presidential chair. Mr.. Til.
den, in his admirable letter to the
Jefferson club of New Haven, Conn,
says:
after the organization Of the federal
government powerful class sought to
impress upon It's practical working the
similitude of the British system. Mr..
jefferson was the great leader OF the
party formed to resist these efforts and
to hold our institutions to the popular
character which was understood 10 be
long to them when the constitution was
ratified by the people, By his inAsxi.
bic adherence to free principles, by hIs
untiring efforts, by his counsels and by
the magic OF his pen he was the princi.
pal agent in rescuing from its greatest
peril, and while vet IN its infancy, the
government 10y the people and for the
people
Nothing is more certain than that
Jeiierson'S mighty influence saved the
government from becoming feeble
imitation. with few republican varia.
ii0ns. of the British system. Hamilton,
who thought that system the best 10
tho world. and our own, "frall and
worthless fabric,' would have carried
his mouarchical ideas into effect had
not the Virginia Statesman stood in his
path as the champion OF popular rights.
Had Hamilton triumphed IN th1t mo.
IL
would never have fallen on such hum.
BILE shoulders as those OF Abraham Lin.
coin. None but sclons Of biue.blooded
American aristocracy would have
filed that high Office. The doors OF the
white house would have been closed
forever against such plebeian stock as
jackson, Lincoln. Johnson and Garfield,
and they might have considered them.
selves fortunate il allowed to- climb as
high a. the lower house of congress
jefferson is the typical democrat, and
is Justly so regarded abroad as we'll as
at home. No European writer on popu
lar government fails to introduce his
name as its greatest apostle and advo.
cate, and the adjective "Jeiiersonian"
has not only been adopted into the
English language. but its meaning is
understood by those who cannot under.
stand that language. II Is a synon ym
for democratic the world over. The
political principles represented, recon-
mended and practiced by Jefferson can
never 90 out of fashion until the inabili.
ty Of the people to govern themselves is
fully and finally demonstrated. Lin.
coins fine descriptive sentence: "a
government of the people, by the peo.
pie, and for the people" is thoroughly
Jeffersonian. That was the kind Of
government Jefferson secured for US.
To ell human appearance we would not
and could not have had it but for him.
lie believed in IL when others did not.
lie hailed It as the greatest of political
blessings when others dreaded and de.
nounced IL as tue greatest of political
curses. Ills confidence in the wisdom.
integrity and patriotism OF the people
was boundless. Ii was his religion.
The people have rewarded him for that
confidence, II not by monuments, by an
affectionate venerafion far more pre-.
cious and enduring than marble or
bronze. His name il a watchwoFd in
every struggle for liberty in the two
bemiepheres. The maxims be laid down
are. In one shape or another, the vital
elements In every republic in existence
nov, and will be in every republic
which exists hereafter and when these
maxins are fepudiated OF ignored, a