The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 3 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 3 (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
Dear Sir,--My last to you was of the 15th of March. I am now in hourly
expectation of receiving my leave of absence. The delay of it a little
longer, will endanger the throwing my return into the winter, the very
idea of which is horror itself to me. I am in hopes this is the last
letter I shall have the pleasure of writing to you, before my departure.
The madness of the King of England has gone off, but left him in a state
of imbecility and melancholy. They talk of carrying him to Hanover. If
they do, it will be a proof he does not mend, and that they take that
measure, to authorize them to establish a regency. But if he grows better,
they will perhaps keep him at home, to avoid the question, who shall be
regent? As that country cannot be relied on in the present state of its
executive, the King of Prussia has become more moderate; he throws cold
water on the fermentation he had excited in Poland. The King of Sweden
will act as nobody, not even himself, can foresee; because he acts from
the caprice of the moment, and because the discontents of his army and
nobles may throw him under internal difficulties, while struggling with
external ones. Denmark will probably only furnish its stipulated aid to
Russia. France is fully occupied with internal arrangement. So that, on
the whole, the prospect of this summer is, that the war will continue
between the powers actually engaged in the close of the last campaign,
and extend to no others; certainly, it will not extend, this year, to the
southern States of Europe. The revolution of France has gone on with the
most unexampled success, hitherto. There have been some mobs, occasioned
by the want of bread, in different parts of the kingdom, in which there
may have been some lives lost; perhaps a dozen or twenty. These had no
professed connection, _generally_, with the constitutional revolution.
A more serious riot happened lately in Paris, in which about one hundred
of the mob were killed. This execution has been universally approved, as
they seemed to have no view but mischief and plunder. But the meeting of
the States General presents serious difficulties, which it had been hoped
the progress of reason would have enabled them to get over. The nobility
of and about Paris, have come over, as was expected, to the side of the
people, in the great question of voting by persons or orders. This had
induced a presumption that those of the country were making the same
progress, and these form the great mass of the deputies of that order.
But they are found to be where they were centuries ago, as to their
disposition to keep distinct from the people, and even to tyrannize over
them. They agree, indeed, to abandon their pecuniary privileges. The
clergy seem, at present, much divided. Five-sixths of that representation
consists of the lower clergy, who, being the sons of the peasantry, are
very well with the Tiers Etat. But the Bishops are intriguing, and drawing
them over daily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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