The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 6 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 6 (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
the globe, and introduce the perfection of man; his perfectibility being
already proved by Price, Priestley, Condorcet, Rousseau, Diderot, and
Godwin. Mischief has been done by the Senate of the United States. I have
known and felt more of this mischief, than Washington, Jefferson, and
Madison, all together. But this has been all caused by the constitutional
power of the Senate, in executive business, which ought to be immediately,
totally, and essentially abolished. Your distinction between the Αριστοι
and ψευδο αριστοι, will not help the matter. I would trust one as well
as the other with unlimited power. The law wisely refuses an oath as a
witness in his own case, to the saint as well as the sinner. No romance
would be more amusing than the history of your Virginian and our New
England aristocratical families. Yet even in Rhode Island there has
been no clergy, no church, and I had almost said no State, and some
people say no religion. There has been a constant respect for certain
old families. Fifty-seven or fifty-eight years ago, in company with
Colonel, Counsellor, Judge, John Chandler, whom I have quoted before,
a newspaper was brought in. The old sage asked me to look for the news
from Rhode Island, and see how the elections had gone there. I read the
list of Wanbous, Watrous, Greens, Whipples, Malboues, &c. "I expected
as much," said the aged gentleman, "for I have always been of opinion
that in the most popular governments, the elections will generally go
in favor of the most ancient families." To this day, when any of these
tribes--and we may add Ellerys, Channings, Champlins, &c.,--are pleased
to fall in with the popular current, they are sure to carry all before
them.
You suppose a difference of opinion between you and me on the subject of
aristocracy. I can find none. I dislike and detest hereditary honors,
offices, emoluments, established by law So do you. I am for excluding
legal, hereditary distinctions from the United States as long as possible.
So are you. I only say that mankind have not yet discovered any remedy
against irresistible corruption in elections to offices of great power
and profit, but making them hereditary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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