part14-第12节

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to　the　many　of　more　restricted　circumstances。　　The　question　then

recurs；　What　are　we　to　do　with　them？　　I　shall　be　willing　to　concur

with　you　in　any　plan　you　shall　approve；　and　in　order　that　we　may　have

some　proposition　to　begin　upon；　I　will　throw　out　a　first　idea；　to　be

modified　or　postponed　to　whatever　you　shall　think　better。




　　　　　　　　Give　all　the　full…blooded　males　we　can　raise　to　the　different

counties　of　our　State；　one　to　each；　as　fast　as　we　can　furnish　them。

And　as　there　must　be　some　rule　of　priority　for　the　distribution；　let

us　begin　with　our　own　counties；　which　are　contiguous　and　nearly

central　to　the　State；　and　proceed；　circle　after　circle；　till　we　have

given　a　ram　to　every　county。　　This　will　take　about　seven　years；　if　we

add　to　the　full　descendants　those　which　will　have　past　to　the　fourth

generation　from　common　ewes；　to　make　the　benefit　of　a　single　male　as

general　as　practicable　to　the　county；　we　may　ask　some　known　character

in　each　county　to　have　a　small　society　formed　which　shall　receive　the

animal　and　prescribe　rules　for　his　care　and　government。　　We　should

retain　ourselves　all　the　full…blooded　ewes；　that　they　may　enable　us

the　sooner　to　furnish　a　male　to　every　county。　　When　all　shall　have

been　provided　with　rams；　we　may；　in　a　year　or　two　more；　be　in　a

condition　to　give　an　ewe　also　to　every　county；　if　it　be　thought

necessary。　　But　I　suppose　it　will　not；　as　four　generations　from　their

full…blooded　ram　will　give　them　the　pure　race　from　common　ewes。




　　　　　　　　In　the　meantime　we　shall　not　be　without　a　profit　indemnifying

our　trouble　and　expense。　　For　if　of　our　present　stock　of　common　ewes；

we　place　with　the　ram　as　many　as　he　may　be　competent　to；　suppose

fifty；　we　may　sell　the　male　lambs　of　every　year　for　such　reasonable

price　as　in　addition　to　the　wool；　will　pay　for　the　maintenance　of　the

flock。　　The　first　year　they　will　be　half　bloods；　the　second

three…quarters；　the　third　seven…eights；　and　the　fourth　full…blooded；

if　we　take　care　in　selling　annually　half　the　ewes　also；　to　keep　those

of　highest　blood；　this　will　be　a　fund　for　kindnesses　to　our　friends；

as　well　as　for　indemnification　to　ourselves；　and　our　whole　State　may

thus；　from　this　small　stock；　so　dispersed；　be　filled　in　a　very　few

years　with　this　valuable　race；　and　more　satisfaction　result　to

ourselves　than　money　ever　administered　to　the　bosom　of　a　shaver。

There　will　be　danger　that　what　is　here　proposed；　though　but　an　act　of

ordinary　duty；　may　be　perverted　into　one　of　ostentation；　but　malice

will　always　find　bad　motives　for　good　actions。　　Shall　we　therefore

never　do　good？　　It　may　also　be　used　to　commit　us　with　those　on　whose

example　it　will　truly　be　a　reproof。　　We　may　guard　against　this

perhaps　by　a　proper　reserve；　developing　our　purpose　only　by　its

execution。




　　　　　　　　Vive；　vale；　et　siquid　novisti　rectius　istis

　　　　　　　　Candidus　imperti　sinon；　his　ulere　mecum。







　　　　　　　　SCHOOLS　AND　〃LITTLE　REPUBLICS〃




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Tyler_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　26；　1810_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　friendly　letter　of　the　12th　has　been　duly

received。　　Although　I　have　laid　it　down　as　a　law　to　myself；　never　to

embarrass　the　President　with　my　solicitations；　and　have　not　till　now

broken　through　it；　yet　I　have　made　a　part　of　yourletter　the　subject

of　one　to　him；　and　have　done　it　with　all　my　heart；　and　in　the　full

belief　that　I　serve　him　and　the　public　in　urging　that　appointment。

We　have　long　enough　suffered　under　the　base　prostitution　of　law　to

party　passions　in　one　judge；　and　the　imbecility　of　another。　　In　the

hands　of　one　the　law　is　nothing　more　than　an　ambiguous　text；　to　be

explained　by　his　sophistry　into　any　meaning　which　may　subserve　his

personal　malice。　　Nor　can　any　milk…and…water　associate　maintain　his

own　dependance；　and　by　a　firm　pursuance　of　what　the　law　really　is；

extend　its　protection　to　the　citizens　or　the　public。　　I　believe　you

will　do　it；　and　where　you　cannot　induce　your　colleague　to　do　what　is

right；　you　will　be　firm　enough　to　hinder　him　from　doing　what　is

wrong；　and　by　opposing　sense　to　sophistry；　leave　the　juries　free　to

follow　their　own　judgment。




　　　　　　　　I　have　long　lamented　with　you　the　depreciation　of　law　science。

The　opinion　seems　to　be　that　Blackstone　is　to　us　what　the　Alcoran　is

to　the　Mahometans；　that　everything　which　is　necessary　is　in　him；　and

what　is　not　in　him　is　not　necessary。　　I　still　lend　my　counsel　and

books　to　such　young　students　as　will　fix　themselves　in　the

neighborhood。　　Coke's　institutes　and　reports　are　their　first；　and

Blackstone　their　last　book；　after　an　intermediate　course　of　two　or

three　years。　　It　is　nothing　more　than　an　elegant　digest　of　what　they

will　then　have　acquired　from　the　real　fountains　of　the　law。　　Now　men

are　born　scholars；　lawyers；　doctors；　in　our　day　this　was　confined　to

poets。　　You　wish　to　see　me　again　in　the　legislature；　but　this　is

impossible；　my　mind　is　now　so　dissolved　in　tranquillity；　that　it　can

never　again　encounter　a　contentious　assembly；　the　habits　of　thinking

and　speaking　off…hand；　after　a　disuse　of　five　and　twenty　years；　have

given　place　to　the　slower　process　of　the　pen。　　I　have　indeed　two

great　measures　at　heart；　without　which　no　republic　can　maintain

itself　in　strength。　　1。　That　of　general　education；　to　enable　every

man　to　judge　for　himself　what　will　secure　or　endanger　his　freedom。

2。　To　divide　every　county　into　hundreds；　of　such　size　that　all　the

children　of　each　will　be　within　reach　of　a　central　school　in　it。　　But

this　division　looks　to　many　other　fundamental　provisions。　　Every

hundred；　besides　a　school；　should　have　a　justice　of　the　peace；　a

constable　and　a　captain　of　militia。　　These　officers；　or　some　others

within　the　hundred；　should　be　a　corporation　to　manage　all　its

concerns；　to　take　care　of　its　roads；　its　poor；　and　its　police　by

patrols；　&c。；　（as　the　select　men　of　the　Eastern　townships。）　　Every

hundred　should　elect　one　or　two　jurors　to　serve　where　requisite；　and

all　other　elections　should　be　made　in　the　hundreds　separately；　and

the　votes　of　all　the　hundreds　be　brought　together。　　Our　present

Captaincies　might　be　declared　hundreds　for　the　present；　with　a　power

to　the　courts　to　alter　them　occasionally。　　These　little　republics

would　be　the　main　strength　of　the　great　one。　　We　owe　to　them　the

vigor　given　to　our　revolution　in　its　commencement　in　the　Eastern

States；　and　by　them　the　Eastern　States　were　enabled　to　repeal　the

embargo　in　opposition　to　the　Middle；　Southern　and　Western　States；　and

their　large　and　lubberly　division　into　counties　which　can　never　be

assembled。　　General　orders　are　given　out　from　a　centre　to　the　foreman

of　every　hundred；　as　to　the　sergeants　of　an　army；　and　the　whole

nation　is　thrown　into　energetic　action；　in　the　same　direction　in　one

instant　and　as　one　man；　and　becomes　absolutely　irresistible。　　Could　I

once　see　this　I　should　consider　it　as　the　dawn　of　the　salvation　of

the　republic；　and　say　with　old　Simeon；　〃nunc　dimittas　Domine。〃　But

our　children　will　be　as　wise　as　we　are；　and　will　establish　in　the

fulness　of　time　those　things　not　yet　ripe　for　establishment。　　So　be

it；　and　to　yourself　health；　happiness　and　long　life。







　　　　　　　　HUME　AND　MONTESQUIEU




　　　　　　　　_To　William　Duane_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　August　12；　1810_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　July　16th　has　been　duly　received；　with

the　paper　it　enclosed；　for　which　accept　my　thanks；　and　especially　for

the　kind　sentiments　expressed　towards　myself。　　These　testimonies　of

approbation；　and　friendly　remembrance；　are　the　highest　gratifications

I　can　receive　from　any；　and　especially　from　those　in　whose　principles

and　zeal　for　the　public　good　I　have　confidence。　　Of　that　confidence

in　yourself　the　military　appointment　to　which　you　allude　was

sufficient　proof；　as　it　was　made；　not　on　the　recommendations　of

others；　but　on　our　own　knowledge　of　your　principles　and

qualifications。　　While　I　cherish　with　feeling　the　recollections　of　my

friends；　I　banish　from　my　mind　all　political　animosities　which　might

disturb　its　tranquillity；　or　the　happiness　I　derive　from　my　present

pursuits。　　I　have　thought　it　among　the　most　fortunate　circumstances

of　my　late　administration　that；　during　its　eight　years　continuance；

it　was　conducted　with　a　cordiality　and　harmony　among　all　the　members；

which　never　were　ruffled　on　any；　the　greatest　or　smallest　occasion。

I　left　my　brethren　with　sentiments　of　sincere　affection　and

friendship；　so　rooted　in　the　uniform　tenor　of　a　long　and　intimate

intercourse；　that　the　evidence　of　my　own　senses　alone　ought　to　be

permitted　to　shake　them。　　Anxious；　in　my　retirement；　to　enjoy

undisturbed　repose；　my　knowledge　of　my　successor　and　late　coadjutors；

and　my　entire　confidence　in　their　wisdom　and　integrity；　were

assurances　to　me　that　I　might　sleep　in　security　with　such　watchmen　at

the　helm；　and　that　whatever　difficulties　and　dangers　should　assail

our　course；　they　would　do　what　could　be　done　to　avoid　or　surmount