The Washington herald., 1907-04-13
Stories of Thomas Jefferson
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

One hundred and sixty-four years ago
to-day Thomas Jefferson was born at
Shadwell. Va. Since the time of his death
at Monticello adjoining shadwell, at the
age of eighty-three. his birthday has been
celebrated almost every year. IN the last
two or three decades the Jefferson day
celebrations have taken the form Of ban
quets arranged by Democratic political
clubs, and many of them have been the
occasion for the launching of a boom
for some particular candidate. or Of some
new policy. If Mr. jefferson were asked.
there is little doubt but that ne would
frown upon the whole thing While he
was President a friend asked him.:
What is the date of your BIRTH Mr..
PRESIDENT" "Of what possible concern
is that 10 you?" queried the great Demo-
crat In reply. we wish to celebrate it
httingly." The President then said; For
that reason I decline 10 enlighten you;
nothing could be more distasteful 10 me
than what you propose, and. when you
address me, l shall be obliged if you viii
omit the Mr.
sueh was the man who left behind the
inscription TO be placed on his grave
stone: Here was buried Thomas Jeffer-
son. Author of the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence. of the Statutes OF Virginia for
Religious Freedom, and Father of the
University of Virginia" The request was
complied with. and the stone which marks
the last resting place Of this great Amer
lean does not disclose the fact that he
was twice President of the United States,
that he was Vice President and Secre-
tary of State, that he was governor OF
Virginia, or that he had been honored in
many other ways by the people of his
State and OF the new nation which he
helped to found.
No mention is made of the fact that
the man buried there was he who broke
the power of the Barbary pirates 10 whom
European nations had paid tribute for
years; that II was he who extended the
dominion Of the United States across the
great Mississippi by the Louisiana pur-
chase; that il was he who claimed the
rich Oregon country for the stars and
Stripes by sending his private secretary,
MeriWether Lewis with Capt. William
Clark 10 explore the great unknown
Northwest; that it was he who opened
Up the States of Ohio. and Indiana. and
Iliiceis. and others of the Northwest Ter
Titory by inducing the quarreling States
10 cede the territory 10 the general gov
ernment. Nor does that simple stone
legend record the fact that under il lies
buried the man who drafted a charter
for the first republic of France; the man
who led the fight against the odious Sc
diti0n laws enacted by Congress in a
wave of reaction toward monarchism. and
which. If they had been allowed to stand.
would have cut on the rights OF free
speech and a free press in the United
States.
Six f-et two inches tall. sandy red hair,
light hazel eyes, an angular face, and q
thin, awkward body-Thomas jefferson
was not a prepOssessing man in appear
ance. In his habits he was method in
carnate. No public man of America has
left SO much in writing of the history Of
the times end Of the history Of his own
thoughts. Jefferson seemed 10 have been
writing all the time. He kept every letter
or scrap of writing that came into his
possession. and he preserved a COPY of
-
especially while on his mission To France
he kept copies Of his letters by means OF
Impressions on wet tissue paper. the
ordinary copy press method. Unfortunate
y most of these Impressions are so faded
that they cannot be made out. Jefferson
realized the inadequacy of that method
and therefore betOOks himself TO the most
irksOme and laborious method possible of
keeping copies Of the letters he wrote.
He employed what he called a poly
graph" but what is now called "a panta-
graph, and is used for copying or en-
larging drawings. Thus cumbersome in
strument was made Of silver and was
serious of connecting paralleIograms
working on pivots There were two rings
for pens, two inkstands, and a wide
table. One pen was filled with ink and
placed In one holder. Then jefferson took
the other pen, placed it through the ring
and wrote with II, the first pen making
exactly the same marks as the one he
was guiding with his hand When il is
remembered that the pens were quills
and had 10 be trimmed frequently, and
that both pens had to be kept mixed
and that the weight of the instrument
had TO be moved with every stroke OF
the pen. and that Mr.. jefferson had
stif right wrist-then one will have some
idea of what he would endure in per
sonal discomfort for the sake OF the
method which forced him to keep copies
of his letters.
When he entered President Washing
tons Cabinet as Secretary Of State. and
there met Alexander Hamilton. secre-
tary of the Treasury, all through the
battle royal, which ensued between them.
he maintained his writing habit. He kept
notes of what went on at the Cabinet
meetings, making them on envelopes and
stray bits Of paper, and afterward copv-
ing them In a book He kept up that
habit until just before he retired from his /
second term as President 10 return 10 !
private life. These scraps and notes he
published under the title of "Tbe Anas
OF Thomas Jefferson" ''anas" being
meaningless word Of his own invention
The publication of the notes. giving as |
they did the most intimate secrets Of
the nrst sixteen years of Federal admin |
istration' caused some bitter controver- /
sies' many OF which are not yet settled.
Fighting for personal freedom was the
serious business of his life. writing letters
and notes his chief occupation. playing /
the fiddle and higher mathematics were
his recreations and amusements. and
building houses his reckless destination In /
late years there has been an attempt 70 1
tear down the reputation Of Mr. Jefferson /
as fiddler. One late biographer saws he 1
was the worst fiddler IN Virginia. Writers 4
OF his time credit him with being opa ,e 4