The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-16
THE TINES Of JEFFERSON.
Glimpses Of Politics and a Pregnant Politica.
Struggle One Hundred Years Ago.
By William E. Dodd, Phi. D.

To the Editor: Just Il hundred years
ago there used to be seen about Phila-
delphia, Il rather hard-favored, tall.
awkward man; Il man who was rarely
seen but or horse back. and then on his
way TO and from Il country home near
the city: he was extremely reluctant II
the hurry aud scramble attendant IL po-
lltlcal life. had never made a public
speech: Il man who knew more man any
man living of the men round him, their
needs and wants and fancieS, yet nevt~
was seen in their midst. 1t was ~altogeth-
er a unique character-a Nirginian
gentleman with all the preiudices Of Il
Virginia gentlemen of that day-Treju-
dlceS though that We're cOmGnon to the
great heart Of the people. 1t was
Thomas Jefferson, vice president &C the
United States; 4 man of the pe"p.c.
true and simple; Il believer i'll the rights.
of man; Il Democrat if YOU will and 4
Democrat who was the autocrat Of VT
glnia, and idol of the hearts Of The mel
who were then the bone and sinew of
this republic of ours: he was altogether
Il wonderful appearances phenomenon
of that day because he fully believed III
what he taught. Personally. Jefferson
was not an attractive man At ltst. bur
who, in the end, grappled men 20 him
self with hooks OF STEEL His gait WAS
Il kind of shamble. an easy trea1 that
you never noticed till the man stood be
side YOU; his right shoulder was soma-
what higher than the left; he stopped
slightly and seemed constantly engaged
in thought. His eyes were blue AID
suggested a playful, sympathetic Ii>no-
sition rather than the soul that COM
manded men wherever he went: his hair
was sandy, with a considerable sprinkle
of gray for jefferson was just farming
his oSth year and his life had not been
an easy one. | said he was seldom seeu
except on horse back-he was III fact
seldom seen in public, he was too busy
for that. Most Of mis- time was spent III
his seat as president of the Senate or at
his desk answering the numerous let
ters he received each day from his hest
of correspondents, political lieutenants
in this country, family connections-for
no man loved his family more than
| Observation-Disclosures in Europe or
statesmen or crowned heads. His letters
now eXtant, and not half could have
been preserved, fill twelve large octave
volumes and in them are discussed every
question that has any bearing on human
affairs from speculatiOns as to the origin
Of language down to details concerning
the making of 4 W~rought-iron nail. So
broad and deep had been his studies that
no man ever failed to get intelligent adj
vices that asked 1T Of the sage of Mon
ticello.
1t was not a familiar form in public,
vet a man who had been in public life
twenty-four years, and had represented
America in France at the Court OF
Louis XVI, had been at the great Ma
tional Convention Of France and given
welcome advice. both to the convention
and the court; had published Il book on
Virginia and contributed articles
for the great encyclopedias then
being printed in France; had
raveiel over France as few
Frenchmcn had done. and what was
more he had gone into the houses Of the
peasantry, looked into their pots while
meals We're cooking and sat on their
beds to find out whether they were GEM
Portable or not; then. toe, he had been
Secretary Of State under Washington,
and had seen his name suggested III al
the papers as the successor Of the nrSt
president; he had been identified with
every reform in Virginia and Advocated
most progressive measures for the young
government. In short it was none other
but the author of the Declaration of In
dependence that was then-just a hun
dred years ago-Nice President of the
United States. and 4 vice president who
did not find his office irksome and be-
meath his dignity and station as the
elder Adams had complained.
1t meant 4 great deal for young
America, and for us today that that
quiet, unobtrusivc, all-observant country
gentleman occupied the chair of the
Senate. The tierccst and bitterest strug-
gle ever fought out in this country
without bloodSbed was then on and lit
tie as we would have thought it, J.ier-
son was the very soul Of the hight; he
realized as few or none OF that day ana
what the contest meant, and many years
afterward when he was getting ready
for that final. solemn farewell to earthly
things, he said that he and Gallatin-
another true simple Democrat nEurtured
in the cradle of republican, switzerland
had during the years of 1I9S-lSOO saved
this republic of ours.
1Afaus was rre>ident, but he did not
speak to his Vice President. h
Senate was two-thirds Federalist, and
in the House. TOO, the Tcderalsts were
il the majority. IN the election for
speaker Sedgwick was chosen by II to
80 votes: the 80 votes being cast for Il
North Caroiinian-one Of the greatest
men the State has ever produced
Nathaniel Macon. The leade Of the OPP
position. Of the Democratic party, was
Albert Gallatin-a man whose life is in
every way interesting. another one of
those JefferSonian statesmen THAT was
to remain still a quarter OF a CENTURY.
prominent III the councils of Our country.
Macon had been then min years III Con-
gress and was to remain still twenty-n'ne
years in steady succession i'll Congress.
John Randolph, of Roanoke. was there,
too. just twenty-siX years and was be-
ginning to dispute the leadership Of his
party. ever in that day of truly great
Democrats. beginning, too, that strange
career that continued to fascinate and
startle Congress and the country for 33
years.
Hamilton. .JefferSOn'S great O%pponent