The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 7 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
Philosophy
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 7 (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
SIR,--Your letter of August the 16th is just received. That which I wrote
to you under the address of H. Tompkinson, was intended for the author
of the pamphlet you were so kind as to send me, and therefore, in your
hands, found its true destination. But I must beseech you, Sir, not to
admit a possibility of its being published. Many good people will revolt
from its doctrines, and my wish is to offend nobody; to leave to those
who are to live under it, the settlement of their own constitution,
and to pass in peace the remainder of my time. If those opinions are
sound, they will occur to others, and will prevail by their own weight,
without the aid of names, I am glad to see that the Staunton meeting has
rejected the idea of a limited convention. The article, however, nearest
my heart, is the division of counties into wards. These will be pure and
elementary republics, the sum of all which, taken together, composes the
State, and will make of the whole a true democracy as to the business
of the wards, which is that of nearest and daily concern. The affairs
of the larger sections, of counties, of States, and of the Union, not
admitting personal transaction by the people, will be delegated to agents
elected by themselves; and representation will thus be substituted, where
personal action becomes impracticable. Yet, even over these representative
organs, should they become corrupt and perverted, the division into wards
constituting the people, in their wards, a regularly organized power,
enables them by that organization to crush, regularly and peaceably,
the usurpations of their unfaithful agents, and rescues them from the
dreadful necessity of doing it insurrectionally. In this way we shall
be as republican as a large society can be; and secure the continuance
of purity in our government, by the salutary, peaceable, and regular
control of the people. No other depositories of power have ever yet been
found, which did not end in converting to their own profit the earnings
of those committed to their charge. George the III. in execution of the
trust confided to him, has, within his own day, loaded the inhabitants
of Great Britain with debts equal to the whole fee-simple value of their
island, and under pretext of governing it, has alienated its whole soil
to creditors who could lend money to be lavished on priests, pensions,
plunder and perpetual war. This would not have been so, had the people
retained organized means of acting on their agents. In this example
then, let us read a lesson for ourselves, and not "go and do likewise."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account