The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-21

received by competent men in the south
will be brought to view farther away.
We would suppose that his yfrzinian
biosraphers had been able to discern
men and had presented him in faith
full colors. But IL not, there can he no
objection to a frank, truthful impar-
tial, yet sympathetic study of the great
Virginian. In the mean time Mr. Cur
tbs presents his view. We make a few
extracts from his interesting paper
upon him. He writes:
The most striking characteristics q.
Jefferson were his egotism, his Industry
and his comprehensive earning He
mad an opinion on every subject for
which he confessed himself deficient
were geology and poetry. No problem
was too abstruse for him to grasp. He
seldom asked advice o r assistance from
others. He was an infailible oracle to
half the population Of the country and
a dangerous demagogue to the other
half. He was universally recognized
as a man or scientific as well as literary
attainments, n was an active or
honorary member Of nearly every lit
erary or scientific society in the United
States. There is scarcely a subject in
the entire range Of human INQUIRY upon
which Jefferson did not express his
views in writing with fearlessness. with
bsolu faith in his own convictions
and judgment. He discusses art. arch
itecture. the treatment of infants, me-
teorology, music, astronomy, the prac-
tice of medicine, the breeding Of sheep,
the science Of government, the apparel
Of women, the origin of meteoric sorms
and the temperature of the moon as
freely as politics or religion. In all the
sciences he advanced propositions and
solved problems with equal audacity.'
4 most remarkable man you will be
ready to admit. He was o infallible
as an oracle. but he was as honest as
He was a born leader of men
at a time and in a sparsely settled
country in which there were more
striking, even great men according to
population and environment, than have
bee found on the globe since Greece was
developing into greatness. And yet
Jefferson was a excellence the fore
most man Of them all. Mr.. Curtis
says:
Virginia was blessed with great men
in those days, but Jefferson was pro-
DdDly tifc IhOSl dCColupiISlcu HAL III
public life, as we'll as the most versa
tile. A fine mathematician. an astron-
who could reckon latitude and
longitude as well as a sailor, and who
calculated the eclipse of ITS with &C
curacy, he was also able to read and
write in Greek, Latin, French, Spanish
and Italian. Unfortunately he was
without a sense of humor. He rarely
old a story and seldom enjoyed one,
and witicisms were wasted in his
presence.
"In his own scientific work Jefferson
was inaccurate. impractical and vision
ary; as a patron Of science he was
jealous. industrious and benevolent.
His inquisitive mind sought for the
truth in every direction, but his fertile
imagination suggested deductions that
were sometimes absurd and often fan
tastic."
So the great man had his limitations
and his inaccuracies. He was Jealous
for good, sought to bless his country,
and in many fields won fame and drew
to him in confidence and admiration a
great many of his capable fellow-coun-
try men. Mr.. Curtis shows his own To-
cality and ignorance when he speaks
of "his narrow views upon the subject
of state rights