The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-13
THURSDAY. APRIL -, 1897.
MIR. JEFFERsoN's BIRTHDAY.

on this day one hundred and ffty-siX
years ago Thomas jefferson first saw the
light. The Times does not think 10 too
much to say that he has exercised a
greater influence in esse and in posse.
upon human thought than any other
non-evangel.cal mind the world has ever
seen lie had more 70 do with the in,
spiration of our institutions than any
other man, and those institutions arr
destined. we believe, to prevail over the
whole face Of the earth. 50 that when
the day arrives that they do prevail
everywhere 1t may be said that Thomas
Jefferson is the father of the worlds
pohty. and there viii be very little ex-
aggeration in the statement.
Mr.. Jefferson came TO mans estate just
when the world was a seething cauldron.
stirred into activity by the force Of dying
foudability collidinE with the new
thought that started with Martin Lu-
Tiers reformation and was projected on
ward by the philosophers of the new
school like Voltaire and Rousseau. His
mind was as eagerly receptive of the new
ideas as the most fertile tropical soil is
Of vegetation. and he drank in what the
French philosophers were pouring out
with the awdity Of "a starving man plen-
tifully supplied with food and drink. so
that when he came upon the stage as "a
leading actor in that great drama Of
human right that was played in the last
quarter Of the eighteenth century, he
came with a mind stored fun OF the
sound theories that the leading men OF
the world had been evolving in the past
two centuries. and ripe for that giants
part which he was going TO take in
seeing that every man IN this broad
land should have as good am opportunity
20 make himself comfortable and happy
as any other man whatever could have
There is an interesting fact connected
with Mr. jefferson. the true interpreta-
ton Of which we hsye not seen noted,
but which IS one of powerful moment,
In our mind. IN estimating his character
lie had been President of the United
States, and he had filled many othen
positions OF the highest honor and trust,
the end Of his career ne declared that
all he wanted upon his monument was
a statement that be was the author OF
the Declaration OF independence. the Nir-
glnia statutes OF religious freedom, ana
the founder of the University of Virginia.
That Is. that he had written the docu-
ment that fixed freedom in political
thought. he had written the document
that fixed freedom IN religious thought
and ne had founded a school in which
the tenets OF the documents were TO be
taught and thus spread and pcrpetuatcd
amongst mankind. There IS the clue TO
Thomas Jefersons character. Anybody
could be President. and there would be
many Presidents. But the important
thing was TO instn true doctrines and
theories into the minds of men. and the
man who did that had builded for him
self a monument more lasting than any
that could be fashioned from the most
.mperishable brass or stone.
Mr.. Jefferson was not an honor 10
America alone. tie was an honor TO man
kind. and myrlads OF men and women
yet 20 be born will have reason 20 turn
20 him and bless him for comforts and
happiness they enjoy where misery ana
want would have been their portion II
he had never lived
But when We see mis- name daily desc
Grated and the most pernicious theories
confidently spouied out as emanating
from his just and benign philosophy. we
are Inevitably reminded OF Madame
Rolands apostropho. "oh. Liberty, how
many crimes arc perpetrated In thy
namel' itlrEE~