The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
boiled their own kettles before the walls of Troy, I shall write to her
from a Grecian, rather than a Roman canton; when I shall find myself, for
example, among her Phocæan relations at Marseilles.
Loving, as you do madam, the precious remains of antiquity, loving
architecture, gardening, a warm sun and a clear sky, I wonder you have
never thought of moving Chaville to Nismes. This, as you know, has
not always been deemed impracticable; and, therefore, the next time a
_Sur-intendant des batiments du roi_, after the example of M. Colbert,
sends persons to Nismes to move the Maison quarrée to Paris, that they
may not come empty handed, desire them to bring Chaville with them, to
replace it. Apropos of Paris. I have now been three weeks from there,
without knowing anything of what has passed. I suppose I shall meet it all
at Aix, where I have directed my letters to be lodged, _poste restante_.
My journey has given me leisure to reflect on this Assemblée des Notables.
Under a good and a young King, as the present, I think good may be made of
it. I would have the deputies then, by all means, so conduct themselves as
to encourage him to repeat the calls of this Assembly. Their first step
should be, to get themselves divided into two chambers instead of seven;
the Noblesse and the Commons separately. The second, to persuade the King,
instead of choosing the deputies of the Commons himself, to summon those
chosen by the people for the Provincial administrations. The third, as the
Noblesse is too numerous to be all of the Assemblée, to obtain permission
for that body to choose its own deputies. Two Houses, so elected, would
contain a mass of wisdom which would make the people happy, and the King
great; would place him in history where no other act can possibly place
him. They would thus put themselves in the track of the best guide they
can follow; they would soon overtake it, become its guide in turn, and
lead to the wholesome modifications wanting in that model, and necessary
to constitute a rational government. Should they attempt more than the
established habits of the people are ripe for, they may lose all, and
retard indefinitely the ultimate object of their aim. These, Madam, are my
opinions; but I wish to know yours, which, I am sure, will be better.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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