The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-10-05
Ole Life and Times Of
THOMAS JET ERSON
By THOMAS f. WATSON
Author Of ''o6e Story Of France" "Napoleon." Etc
yrsh. 4uRahtsRe

| wards the grave noble-hearted old JEFF
| ferson was able to turn the tide OF for
| tune-not to eX-President Monroe. or to
| ex-President Jefferson, but to eX-Revolu-
| tionary Volunteer Lafayette. And the
| gallant Frenchman. his purse suddenly
| full, turns towards his feeble companion
in arms, the moneyless James Monroe.
and tells him to take what he needs.
] Honor to LaFayette,'
! In that attitude holding out the open
| hand to the Nirginan whose 'soul might
| have been turned wrong eide out With
| out finding a spot upon it," LaFayette's
| figure stands in a light as radiant as
that which shone aboul him when he lea
the lines at Yorktown. ~
In the summer of 1925 Madison and
| Monroe were present at the banquet given
| to Lafayette by the University of Vir-
| einia but jefferson was not strong enough
| to go.
| Lafayette came to Monticello and the
| meeting of thes two relics of past age
cannot be better described than Mrs
| Randolph has done it:
| THE barouche containing Lafayette
| stopped at the end of the lawn. His es-
cort--one hundred and twenty mounted
| men--formed on one side In a semi-circle
| extending from the carriage to the house.
| crowd OF about two hundred men. who
| were drawn together by curiosity to wit
ness the meeting of these two venerable
| men. formed themselves In Il semi-circie
| on the opposite side. AS Lafayette de-
seconded from the carriage. jefferson
| descended to the steps of the portlco. JEFF
| ferson was feeble and lettering with age.
Lafayette pei manently lame and broken
| In health. AS they approached cach
other their uncertain gait quickened IT
| self to a shutting run, and eXclaiming
| All Jefferson All, LaFayetteN they
| burst into tears as they fell into each
| others arms
| Among those who looked on there was
| not a fearless eye-and no sound except
| an occasional sob. The two old men
| entered the house and the crowd dis
| persed In silence.
- 1t does not appear however. that
Monroe accepted any aid from LaFaye'te.
In all public events, Mr.. jefferson con-
tinued to take an interest, but he mace
few efforts to influence men or measures
When the slavery question drew It's
sharp geographical line between north
and south in 1920 the fire bell at night
aroused him from slumber, filing him
with forebodings. Upon that SUBJECT ne
wrote in substance:
but one of power merely. Its object is
to raise a geographical principle for the
choice of a president, and the noise Will
be kept up until that is effected. All
know that the spreading of the slaves
| does not increase the number OF the
| slaves, but dilutes the evil and renders
easier the remedy Of it. In the meantime 1t
is a ladder for rivals climbing to power,
In that disappointing work. the "Recol-
lectons Of Richard w. Thompson" the
author describes Mr.. Jefferson as he ap-
peared in Charlottesville in 1926. The
venerable statesman had come into town
from Monticello to do some trading at
one OF the stores To little Thompson it
| appeared that jefferson was dressed in
homemade clothing His shoulders were
stsSped, the voice fceDIe and TREMBLING.
| He chose his purchases with care and
| did not hisgle about prices, The mer-
chant was very deferental, and when the
trading was finished took his customer
by the arm to assist him to the carriage
which jefferson slowly entered with the
aid of the merchant and the old negro
driver.
IN Kennedy's Life of William Writ
there is a note by the author in which
Mr. Jefferson is wildly pictured in his
last days:
II had never seen Mr. jefferson It
was a hot day in July when VIC reached
the top of the mountain and entered the
spacious hall of the mansion. Mr.. Jeffer
son had been very i'll with a recent at
tack of his malady. and therefore ex-
cused himself from receiving company.
There was a large glass door which open
ed on the hall and separated Mr.. Jeffer-
sons apartments from It, Whilst We
sat in this hail a tall atenuated figure
| slightly STOPPING forward, and exhibiting
a countenance filed with an expression
OF pain, slowly walked across the space
visible through the glass door 1t was
! Mr.. jefferson. lie was dressed in a cos
tune long out of fashion; small clothes
waistcoat with flaps and it struck u.s.
| in the brief view we mad, some remnants
| of embroidery. The silence of the foot
! fall the old costume and the short space
IN which that image glided past the glass
door made strange and mysterious i'm
| preston upon us. 1t was all that ever
saw of the sage of Monticello
AS his strength waned. he feared that
he might live too long, might linser IN
dotage This he dreaded and he longed to
die before he became a mere drlVellnS
imbecile To death he looked forward
with serene confidence. an utter absence
| OF lear. y STdQial idiuic VI tHt P4iS 81
cal organs and a dysentery which could
| not be checked brought on the end July
| 4. 826. TO the last, he was clear-mind-
ed and resolute. Declining to see a min
| lister of the gospel except as a kind,
good friend" the Deist who had always
yearned for right and light, and who had
never wlfully harmed human being, nor
ever prostituted to any base purpose his
time. talent or opportunity, put his feet
| into the great road OF eternity without
the slightest remor or doubt
On the night of the Sd of July he had
asked. once and again. is it the FOURTH
His last thoughts We're on his country and
it's brthday-the only birthday he ever
! wanted this republic to celebrate. lis
ii the Tourth?" Told that it was, he
seemed satisfied and passed into slumber,
During the morning OF the Fourth he was
in stupor once he reused himself. The
/ fngers-the long chalky, stiffened fin
gers-took the old, old. shape of holding
the pen and made feeby the motion of
! writing.
With his last words he said, Tell the
/ committee to be on the alert.' The spent,
/ relaxed brain was falling backward to the
trains Of thought, the ancient grooves of
purpose. the bygone battle fields where he
had stood in the ranks along where the