The Irish standard., 1896-04-11


There were unkind persons in those days |
who asserted that Jefferson's simplicity |
was altogether too elaborate to be geHE- |
inc and that he wa making the greatest |
bid for popularity ever offered. On the |
other hand, it is urged that in his whole |
life he had stndiously avoided anything
approaching display. and that the rigid
ceremonies of his osth-talzing were OF a
piece with all his other actions, public
or private.
Although a yirginian, born of class
and al time when young men lived hard
and fast. Jefferson seems to have avoided
the vices Of his day He did not gamble,
and he never fought a duel. He had no
need to fight for he never suffered pei
saaal indignity. He had all the accom-
plishments without the failings of Viz
glnia gentleman. A lover OF horses and
owner Of many, ne started but one III
race. He found the excitement TOO ai-
Turing, and turned his back on the pad
dock and went back to- his library and
to statecraft
Next 10 his great interest in public ar
fairs-from his early boyheod lie was q
careful student of past and current his
tory-Jefferson' absorbing pursuit was
the accumulation OF knowledge. tIe re-
garded station and wealth as Of small
importance compared with education. and
he subordinated all enjoyments TO his
studies. TIe was c0nversaat as a young
man with four or i've modern languages
and several dead ones, and when he be-
gan the study of law he took at the same
| time course in the early Saxon tongue
| to his better understanding f-the Eng
| lish text books. He was largely matter Of
fact In his tendencies, and, although thor
oughly grounded in all branches Of lit
erature and thought, the speculative phil
| osophers offered slight attraction. he was
strictly utilitarian, and sought knowledge
applicable to existing modes and uaeful
in the daily condition of affairs. l1duca-
ton was his fad Ills dream Of q nation
was one in which the people would have
| cultivated iiutellects and trained under
| standings
/ For the sloppy romance Of the day,
which was perhaps but little better than
that commonly furnished readers Of fic-.
tica now, Ieffersonlhad a. large virile con-
| tempt The Mrs Radcliffe style OF liter
ary architecture, the mysterious and her
| rible, moved him to mirrh instead OIL ter
! ror, and his recipe for Insomnia was the
! composing Of a love and murder story as
he lay in his bed. The effort was an
;nvariable sedetive, and when next he
Ifound himself unable to slumber he be-
gan work on the plot of his novel where
he had fallen asleep before How many
ronances thus composed are forever lost
because he would not waste daylight
writing cannot be told. Don Quixote''
\ was the only novel Jefferson read a sec
ond time
1t has been regarded as singular by his
Il biographers that the man. who had such
pronounced disregard for romance should
be lover of poetry, but ne was. and took
i'll all kinds, from epic to love song. Mac
pherson's alleged translations Of Ossian
were passioaately admired by Jefferson
He read them and read them again, lie
determined to enjoy the productions in
the original tongue, and wrote to friend
in Scotland to procure him q Gaelic OF
+. Erse dictionary, il possible in order that
he might learn the language, and also
to obtain Macpherson's consent 10 take
copies of the original manuscripts. He
told his correspondent not to haggle OF
J halt at expense. .sThe glow of one warm
thought he said, lis worth more thar
money"
Jefferson's figure and face We're those
; of man whose picture would adorT
: transparencies. They did not campaign
, with torch-light professions in thos;
days, whereby the early Democracy los
kan opportunity that wortld never be over
looked at this end of the century Hi
2 good looks gained him great favor witt
t women, who have been ever much Elor'
! disposed 10 admire handsome men thar
:, those distinguished more for intallectua
: qualities Al man who combined bril-
e iiancy of mind with a personable pres
: ence therefore could not fall to be ia
vorite One Of his biographers- Randall
Says Of fJeffers0n's appearances: iii
T face beemed with Intelligence, with henev
4 olenca and with the cheerful vivaCity D
s a happy, hopeful spirit. Ills conlpleXiol
! was rllady and delicately fair, his reddisl
| chestnut hair luxuriant and siiken. Hi
' full, deep-set eyes, the prevailing colo
e Of which was a light hazel Tor aecks c
/ Ihazel on groundwork of gray(, were pc
! culiarly expressive. and mirTorei as tn
clear lake mirrors the cloud every emoIio
! which was passing through his mind. Fl
stood six feet two and a half inches j
q hs. gilt. his form was erect and sinews
and his movements displayed elasticiJ
and vigor He was an expert musicial
e a fine dancer and q dashing horseman.
e In short. Mr.. Randall found no mani
It grace with which his hero was not er
= dowed His manners and his person;
magnetism wer irresistible. He was chaI
= acterized by a deep sympathy with III
+ manity and "a confidence In man ths
F. could not be shaken He had also a saI
! guine belief in his own destiny, : hopt
s ful-ess which his career more than Jus
y ified.
II The third president was too deeply el
Id gagged in labors for the con1nonwealt
= to gain riches. He was too ihospitabla an
too free to save from the income Of b
estates. HIS property paid his debts az
i left but little for his heirs. At the tin
N his belongings were administered upc
i there was depression in values al
some Of his farms were bought back
~ his descendants a few years after the
ld sa1e for six ana eight times what ths
to were bought for after Jefferson's deaf
Mt His writings were bought by the Unite
is States government for $4,000.
d Redwood Falls. Minn.-The apple
IN ton of ex-County Attorney NJ. VI. MAJ
OF gan for the renewal Of The proceedin
q which landed him in Saltwater on
.is charge of perjury, was heard befo
rs Judge Weber on Saturday last. u
cisicn was reserved. 1t is expected III
II it will be adverse 10 the granting Of I