The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-04-05

that his violin was saved by a negro
servant. AS an artist he expressed
himself best in architecture, and mon
uments to his architectural taste are
to be found today in the beautiful
buildings of Georgian style on the
campus of the University Of Virginia
at Charlottesville, but more particu-
larly on his estate nearby, the famous
Monticello. Monticello was Jeffer-
sons residence from ITO until his
death in 1926. Built under his person
al direction after his ideas the house
took more than 80 years for com
pletion. He selected the site, super
vised the clearing away Of the hilltop,
drew the plans and designs for the
house, chose the stone and timber,
directed the preparation Of the former
and the dressing of the latter. looked
after the manufacture of the nails BY
his own servants, devised ingenious
contrivances for comfort and coIvenis
ence, designed the interior deeora-s
tons and personally selected the fufss
aiaslirI1s xr..ts .ssi1l1cnrS ai1ue ialu UQt
the grounds about the house. al
The result of his work was pointed
to in the early days as one of the few
examples Of beautiful architecture OF
which America could boast. Foreign
ers, travelling in this country during
the Revolution and afterwards, often
commented upon the beauty of the
mansion. The marquis of Chatellux
wrote after a visit to Monticello:
Jefferson is the first American whoI
has consulted the fine arts, to know
how he would shelter himself from the.
weather." The due de la Rochef0u-
cauld- Liancourt who visited Jefferson
in 1897, said: Monticello, according
to its first plans was infinitely supe-
rior to all other houses in America
in point of taste and convenience"
AS statesman and political lead
err, no finer tribute has ever been paid
to this man who has given us the
phrase "Jeffersonian Democracy" as
a symbol of political thought, than
that expressed by recent biographer.
Francis w. Hirst, says:
To the students of political philos-
ophy Jefferson is the most interests
ing of all American statesmen, because
he combined with marvellous insight
into the springs of human nature and
into the motives that sway fndivid-
uals or masses an extensive knowl-,
edge of political science and history.
He was a theorist, but always at
school with experience. Among
the founders of the Great Republic the
statesman who wrote the Declaration
of Independence and added Louisiana
to the Union can never be forgotten.
To those who, in spite of failures and
disappointments, still rest their hopes
of peaceful and civilized progress on
representative government and popu-
lar education, Jefferson is a prophet,
and more than a prophet. By those
who believe that the success of dem
ocratic institutions and the establish-
ment of goodwill between nations
and classes depend on a wide dissemi-
nation of liberal ideas the author of the
Statute of Religious Freedom and the
successful opponent of .the sedition
laws will be deemed not unworthy
of a place beside Milton and Hampden
and other heroic men who, down to
our own times, have withstood the ty-
ranny of priest, soldier, monarch or
bureaucrat. Those, again, who love
republican frugality and simplicity.
who wish their ministers to be thrifty
stewards of public money, and would
equalize opportunity. partly by just
system of taxation, partly by judicious
expenditure on public health and edu-
cation, will learn alike from the pre-
cepts and practice of Jefferson that no
one-not even a Peel, Golden, or a
Gladstone-did more to graft these
fruitful aims and golden rules of adj
ministration upon new democracy.