The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-05-29
BURRELL ON LAcEY

washington Press: In some re-
spects, Congressman Lacey is the best
man that has ever been ON the Iowa
delegation. He is man of ideas,
thoroughly practical and business-like,
and at the same time scholarly, and
having many admirable tastes and
aims.
He has the braodest views on the
public lands question.
He is interested, wisely and humane
ly, in the game laws. He loves ami
mails and birds, and that is fine
trait.
An illustrative incident occurred
last week in the House. The Con
gressional Library has book, the
only copy extant, of Thomas Jeffer-
sons book, the Morals of Jesus"
All the other works of Jefferson have
been reprinted by order of congress
save this one, which was not at that
time known to be in existence. Lacey
introduced bill to have $500 copies
printed, and in explaining the matter
told the story.
This is book of 164 pages. The
government bought Jefferson's library.
Lacey found that this book was not in
the collection, and asked ex-Librarian
Spofford about it. who said it was in
the National Museum. 1t had not
been sold, but Miss Randolph paid
S400 for it.
Jefferson was free thinker, but his
clear and just mind appreciated the
teaching of the founder of the Christ
ian religion, and he conceived the idea
of condensing everything pertaining
to the life and teachings of Christ in
the volume, emitting everything per-
tanning to miracles and the super
natural. The book is a duodecimo
though Jefferson PACED only the left
hand pages. On the left hand he has
pasted the clippings in two columns
first in Gretk and then in Latin. On
the right hand he has put the French
version first and the English in the
last column. So the whole is neatly
pasted in four finely printed columns
in Greek, Latin, French and English.
There are marginal notes in Jeffer-
sons own hand writing, with table
in front giving the pages and citing
the chapters and verses from which
the clippings are taken. In his wit.
ings he says that he has sent for two
Testaments in each language for the
purpose. The scope OF the book is
indicated by the title page, which is
in JeHerson's handwriting: THE
Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,
Extracted Textually from the Gospels
in Greek, Latin, French and English.
In a marginal note Jefferson gives
the Roman law on sedition under
which Jesus was tried.
He has omitted everything of mir
aculous nature and has confined his
clippings to the pure teachings OF
Jesus. He has clipped from all the
Gospels, using the verses which make
the clearest statement where the texts
are practically the same, but he inserts
texts from all of them so as to include
| the entire teachings of the Savior.
The result is unique. In clear, lucid
| form apart from all surroundings OF
the supernatural, appear the words
| and moral teachings OF the Son or
| Man.
Though it is blue-penciled and
expurgated New Testament, it has not
been prepared in any irreverent spirit.
| The result Is the consolidation of the
beautiful, pure teachings of the Savior
in a compact form mingled with only
so much of the narrative as Virginia
lawyer would hold TO be credible in
those matter of fact days, and the OPP
portunity is given plain and unadorn-
ed, to compare these teachings with
Marcus Aurelus' and other pagan
morals" The work was intended to
place the morals of Jesus in form
where, simple and alone, they could be
eontrasted with the teachings OF the
pagan philosophers. The House
agreed 10 print 5000 copies.