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pendulums　from　both　of　our　points　of　observation；　and　not　merely　the

measures　of　them；　should　be　delivered　to　the　Philosophical　Society；

to　be　measured　under　their　eye　and　direction。




　　　　　　　　As　this　is　really　a　work　of　common　and　equal　interest　to

England　and　the　United　States；　perhaps　it　would　be　still　more

respectful　to　make　our　proposition　to　her　Royal　Society　in　the

outset；　and　to　agree　with　them　on　a　partition　of　the　work。　　In　this

case；　any　commencement　of　actual　experiments　on　our　part　should　be

provisional　only；　and　preparatory　to　the　ultimate　results。　　We　might；

in　the　meantime；　provisionally　also；　form　a　table　adapted　to　the

length　of　the　pendulum　of　45　degrees；　according　to　the　most　approved

estimates；　including　those　of　the　French　commissioners。　　This　would

serve　to　introduce　the　subject　to　the　foreign　societies；　in　the　way

before　proposed；　reserving　to　ourselves　the　charge　of　communicating

to　them　a　more　perfect　one；　when　that　shall　have　been　completed。




　　　　　　　　We　may　even　go　a　step　further；　and　make　a　general　table　of　the

measures；　weights　and　coins　of　all　nations；　taking　their　value

hypothetically　for　the　present；　from　the　tables　in　the　commercial

dictionary　of　the　encyclopedia　methodique；　which　are　very　extensive；

and　have　the　appearance　of　being　made　with　great　labor　and　exactness。

To　these　I　expect　we　must　in　the　end　recur；　as　a　supplement　for　the

measures　which　we　may　fail　to　obtain　from　other　countries　directly。

Their　reference　is　to　the　foot　or　inch　of　Paris；　as　a　standard；　which

we　may　convert　into　parts　of　the　second　pendulum　of　45　degrees。




　　　　　　　　I　have　thus；　my　dear　sir；　committed　to　writing　my　general　ideas

on　this　subject；　the　more　freely　as　they　are　intended　merely　as

suggestions　for　consideration。　　It　is　not　probable　they　offer

anything　which　would　not　have　occurred　to　the　committee　itself。　　My

apology　on　offering　them　must　be　found　in　your　request。　　My

confidence　in　the　committee；　of　which　I　take　for　granted　you　are　one；

is　too　entire　to　have　intruded　a　single　idea　but　on　that　ground。




　　　　　　　　Be　assured　of　my　affectionate　and　high　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　RECONCILIATION




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　Jan。　21；　1812_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR　　I　thank　you　before　hand　（for　they　are　not　yet

arrived）　for　the　specimens　of　homespun　you　have　been　so　kind　as　to

forward　me　by　post。　　I　doubt　not　their　excellence；　knowing　how　far

you　are　advanced　in　these　things　in　your　quarter。　　Here　we　do　little

in　the　fine　way；　but　in　coarse　and　midling　goods　a　great　deal。　　Every

family　in　the　country　is　a　manufactory　within　itself；　and　is　very

generally　able　to　make　within　itself　all　the　stouter　and　midling

stuffs　for　it's　own　cloathing　and　household　use。　　We　consider　a　sheep

for　every　person　in　the　family　as　sufficient　to　clothe　it；　in

addition　to　the　cottom；　hemp　and　flax　which　we　raise　ourselves。　　For

fine　stuff　we　shall　depend　on　your　Northern　manufactures。　　Of　these；

that　is　to　say；　of　company　establishments；　we　have　none。　　We　use

little　machinery。　　The　Spinning　Jenny　and　loom　with　the　flying

shuttle　can　be　managed　in　a　family；　but　nothing　more　complicated。

The　economy　and　thriftiness　resulting　from　our　household　manufactures

are　such　that　they　will　never　again　be　laid　aside；　and　nothing　more

salutary　for　us　has　ever　happened　than　the　British　obstructions　to

our　demands　for　their　manufactures。　　Restore　free　intercourse　when

they　will；　their　commerce　with　us　will　have　totally　changed　it's

form；　and　the　articles　we　shall　in　future　want　from　them　will　not

exceed　their　own　consumption　of　our　produce。




　　　　　　　　A　letter　from　you　calls　up　recollections　very　dear　to　my　mind。

It　carries　me　back　to　the　times　when；　beset　with　difficulties　and

dangers；　we　were　fellow　laborers　in　the　same　cause；　struggling　for

what　is　most　valuable　to　man；　his　right　of　self…government。　　Laboring

always　at　the　same　oar；　with　some　wave　ever　ahead　threatening　to

overwhelm　us　and　yet　passing　harmless　under　our　bark；　we　knew　not

how；　we　rode　through　the　storm　with　heart　and　hand；　and　made　a　happy

port。　　Still　we　did　not　expect　to　be　without　rubs　and　difficulties；

and　we　have　had　them。　　First　the　detention　of　the　Western　posts：　then

the　coalition　of　Pilnitz；　outlawing　our　commerce　with　France；　and　the

British　enforcement　of　the　outlawry。　　In　your　day　French

depredations：　in　mine　English；　and　the　Berlin　and　Milan　decrees：　now

the　English　orders　of　council；　and　the　piracies　they　authorise：　when

these　shall　be　over；　it　will　be　the　impressment　of　our　seamen；　or

something　else：　and　so　we　have　gone　on；　and　so　we　shall　go　on；

puzzled　and　prospering　beyond　example　in　the　history　of　man。　　And　I

do　believe　we　shall　continue　to　growl；　＇i。e。；　grow＇　to　multiply　and

prosper　until　we　exhibit　an　association；　powerful；　wise　and　happy；

beyond　what　has　yet　been　seen　by　men。　　As　for　France　and　England；

with　all　their　pre…eminence　in　science；　the　one　is　a　den　of　robbers；

and　the　other　of　pirates。　　And　if　science　produces　no　better　fruits

than　tyranny；　murder；　rapine　and　destitution　of　national　morality；　I

would　rather　wish　our　country　to　be　ignorant；　honest　and　estimable　as

our　neighboring　savages　are。




　

　　　　　　　　But　whither　is　senile　garrulity　leading　me？　　Into　politics；　of

which　I　have　taken　final　leave。　　I　think　little　of　them；　and　say

less。　　I　have　given　up　newspapers　in　exchange　for　Tacitus　and

Thucydides；　for　Newton　and　Euclid；　and　I　find　myself　much　the

happier。　　Sometimes　indeed　I　look　back　to　former　occurrences；　in

remembrance　of　our　old　friends　and　fellow　laborers；　who　have　fallen

before　us。　　Of　the　signers　of　the　Declaration　of　Independance　I　see

now　living　not　more　than　half　a　dozen　on　your　side　of　the　Potomak；

and；　on　this　side；　myself　alone。　　You　and　I　have　been　wonderfully

spared；　and　myself　with　remarkable　health；　and　a　considerable

activity　of　body　and　mind。　　I　am　on　horseback　3。　or　4。　hours　of　every

day；　visit　3。　or　4。　times　a　year　a　possession　I　have　90　miles

distance；　performing　the　winter　journey　on　horseback。　　I　walk　little

however；　a　single　mile　being　too　much　for　me；　and　I　live　in　the　midst

of　my　grandchildren；　one　of　whom　has　lately　promoted　me　to　be　a　great

grandfather。　　I　have　heard　with　pleasure　that　you　also　retain　good

health；　and　a　greater　power　of　exercise　in　walking　than　I　do。　　But　I

would　rather　have　heard　this　from　yourself；　and　that；　writing　a

letter；　like　mine；　full　of　egotisms；　and　of　details　of　your　health；

your　habits；　occupations　and　enjoyments；　I　should　have　the　pleasure

of　knowing　that；　in　the　race　of　life；　you　do　not　keep；　in　it's

physical　decline；　the　same　distance　ahead　of　me　which　you　have　done

in　political　honors　and　atchievements。　　No　circumstances　have

lessened　the　interest　I　feel　in　these　particulars　respecting

yourself；　none　have　suspended　for　one　moment　my　sincere　esteem　for

you；　and　I　now　salute　you　with　unchanged　affections　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　CONCERNING　THE　INDIANS




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　June　11；　1812_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR　　By　our　post　preceding　that　which　brought　your

letter　of　May　21；　I　had　recieved　one　from　Mr。　Malcolm　on　the　same

subject　with　yours；　and　by　the　return　of　the　post　had　stated　to　the

President　my　recollections　of　him。　　But　both　of　your　letters　were

probably　too　late；　as　the　appointment　had　been　already　made；　if　we

may　credit　the　newspapers。




　　　　　　　　You　ask　if　there　is　any　book　that　pretends　to　give　any　account

of　the　traditions　of　the　Indians；　or　how　one　can　acquire　an　idea　of

them？　　Some　scanty　accounts　of　their　traditions；　but　fuller　of　their

customs　and　characters　are　given　us　by　most　of　the　early　travellers

among　them。　　These　you　know　were　chiefly　French。　　Lafitau；　among

them；　and　Adair　an　Englishman；　have　written　on　this　subject；　the

former　two　volumes；　the　latter　one；　all　in　4to　＇quarto＇。　　But

unluckily　Lafitau　had　in　his　head　a　preconcieved　theory　on　the

mythology；　manners；　institutions　and　government　of　the　antient

nations　of　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa；　and　seems　to　have　entered　on

those　of　America　only　to　fit　them　into　the　same　frame；　and　to　draw

from　them　a　confirmation　of　his　general　theory。　　He　keeps　up　a

perpetual　parallel；　in　all　those　articles；　between　the　Indians　of

America；　and　the　antients　of　the　other　quarters　of　the　globe。　　He

selects　therefore　all　the　facts；　and　adopts　all　the　falsehoods　which

favor　his　theory；　and　very　gravely　retails　such　absurdities　as　zeal

for　a　theory　could　alone　swallow。　　He　was　a　man　of　much　classical　and

scriptural　reading；　and　has　rendered　his　book　not　unentertaining。　　He

resided　five　years　among　the　Northern　Indians；　as　a　Missionary；　but

collects　his　matter　much　more　from　the　writings　of　others；　than　from

his　own　observation。




　　　　　　　　Adair　too　had　his　kink。　　He　believed　all　the　Indians　of

American　to　be　descended　from　the　Jews：　the　same　law