The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-05

5.bes what he reau than what
he hears But more and better than
that: he recognized the priceless Value
of a free press, just as he felt the ne
cessity of freedom to worship COD
without restraint. Freedom was to
him a religion. He hated anything
abat hindered mans liberty to think,
10 write, to speak, to do. His life was
largely given to interfering the mind
of man. II have sworn" he wrote,
"upon the altar of God, eternal hos
tility against every form of tyranny
over the mind of man.
The statute for religious liberty,
drawn by him and enacted by the Vir-
pinia Assembly, was the first step in
the line of carrying out the oath he
had taken upon the altar His
whole life shows that he was never
"Gisobedient to the heavenly. vision
which inspired that oath. He'deemed
IL one of the three achievements of
hts life worthy to be carved on the
granite shaft, which he directed to be
placed above his grave. he acquired
lis deep-seated hostility to religious
bigofry and to church establishment
-(nearly always twin brothers.
when he saw dissenting preachers
carr+ed TO Jail for what Patrick Hen
nv called "tbe crime of preaching the
,oan should Le imprisoned for not ac-
rent;ng n creed which he would not
h.Iiave--thaf seemed to his tolerant
the unpardonable s!n-the SIN that
doomed above all other transgfeSSlonS.
His resentment toward those VINO
would compel men to Worship accord
ing 10 dictation from priest " poil.l
can. was so deep, that the pendulum
of his mind swung in the opposlte w
rection so far that his 1ntolefaiice iot
church establishment ana cierlcai PEI
secution and religious tyranny-.tle
trinity of abortions upon CHRISTIANITY
was construed into hostility to reli-
gion. His letters show that, Whether
he accepted the orthodox creed or not
such a construction does injustics 10
his reverent admiration of the teacn'
jugs of Jesus.
Tucker, in his biography of Jeffer-
son. SAYS, without having either
gained Il battle, made Il speech. or
founded sect he raised himself
II ON the ranks of private life to the
highest civil honors of his country
.geffegson's Autobiography negatives
the idea that he never made speech
for asked by member OF the Anna
polls Congress, how ne could sit in
silence, hearing so much false reason
ing which a word should refute." Mr..
Jefferson says: Il observed 10 nin'
that to refute was indeed easy, but to
silence was impossible; that in meas
Ures brought forward by myself, l
took the labOring oar, as was fncnm-
bent on me- But, having no special
talent and no taste for public speak
ing, he leaned upon the press as the
medium through which to reach the
American people. In truth he had an
adherence of much speaking, and i;s
bis Autobiography, cited the example
Gf Washington and Franklin as illus
trasfng that short speeches accomplish
rlorc than long ones. for he says: 81
sTved with General Washington in the
Legislature of Virginia, before the
Revolution, and during It with DR.
Franklin in Congress. / never heard
either OF them speak ten minutes at
q time, nor TO any but the main point
which was to decide the question" He
recognized, too, that it was the peo-
pie, rather than the legislators. Whose
opinion made permanent statutes anc
changed constitutions. and his appea
was always 20 them. They could bs