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river　all　its　contents；　of　which　he　thought　he　could　make　no　use。

Among　these　were　the　whole　of　the　vocabularies。　　Some　leaves　floated

ashore　and　were　found　in　the　mud；　but　these　were　very　few；　and　so

defaced　by　the　mud　and　water　that　no　general　use　can　ever　be　made　of

them。　　On　the　receipt　of　your　letter　I　turned　to　them；　and　was　very

happy　to　find；　that　the　only　morsel　of　an　original　vocabulary　among

them；　was　Captain　Lewis's　of　the　Pani　language；　of　which　you　say　you

have　not　one　word。　　I　therefore　inclose　it　to　you；　as　it　is；　and　a

little　fragment　of　some　other；　which　I　see　is　in　his　hand　writing；

but　no　indication　remains　on　it　of　what　language　it　is。　　It　is　a

specimen　of　the　condition　of　the　little　which　was　recovered。　　I　am

the　more　concerned　at　this　accident；　as　of　the　two　hundred　and　fifty

words　of　my　vocabularies；　and　the　one　hundred　and　thirty　words　of　the

great　Russian　vocabularies　of　the　languages　of　the　other　quarters　of

the　globe；　severty…three　were　common　to　both；　and　would　have

furnished　materials　for　a　comparison　from　which　something　might　have

resulted。　　Although　I　believe　no　general　use　can　ever　be　made　of　the

wrecks　of　my　loss；　yet　I　will　ask　the　return　of　the　Pani　vocabulary

when　you　are　done　with　it。　　Perhaps　I　may　make　another　attempt　to

collect；　although　I　am　too　old　to　expect　to　make　much　progress　in　it。




　　　　　　　　I　learn；　with　pleasure；　your　acquisition　of　the　pamphlet　on　the

astronomy　of　the　antient　Mexicans。　　If　it　be　antient　and　genuine；　or

modern　and　rational；　it　will　be　of　real　value。　　It　is　one　of　the　most

interesting　countries　of　our　hemisphere；　and　merits　every　attention。




　　　　　　　　I　am　thankful　for　your　kind　offer　of　sending　the　original

Spanish　for　my　perusal。　　But　I　think　it　a　pity　to　trust　it　to　the

accidents　of　the　post；　and　whenever　you　publish　the　translation；　I

shall　be　satisfied　to　read　that　which　shall　be　given　by　your

translator；　who　is；　I　am　sure；　a　greater　adept　in　the　language　than　I

am。




　　　　　　　　Accept　the　assurances　of　my　great　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　AMERICAN　QUAKERISM




　　　　　　　　_To　Samuel　Kercheval_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　January　19；　1810_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Yours　of　the　7th　instant　has　been　duly　received；　with

the　pamphlet　inclosed；　for　which　I　return　you　my　thanks。　　Nothing　can

be　more　exactly　and　seriously　true　than　what　is　there　stated；　that

but　a　short　time　elapsed　after　the　death　of　the　great　reformer　of　the

Jewish　religion；　before　his　principles　were　departed　from　by　those

who　professed　to　be　his　special　servants；　and　perverted　into　an

engine　for　enslaving　mankind；　and　aggrandising　their　oppressors　in

Church　and　State；　that　the　purest　system　of　morals　ever　before

preached　to　man；　has　been　adulterated　and　sophisticated　by　artificial

constructions；　into　a　mere　contrivance　to　filch　wealth　and　power　to

themselves；　that　rational　men　not　being　able　to　swallow　their　impious

heresies；　in　order　to　force　them　down　their　throats；　they　raise　the

hue　and　cry　of　infidelity；　while　themselves　are　the　greatest

obstacles　to　the　advancement　of　the　real　doctrines　of　Jesus；　and　do

in　fact　constitute　the　real　Anti…Christ。




　　　　　　　　You　expect　that　your　book　will　have　some　effect　on　the

prejudices　which　the　society　of　Friends　entertain　against　the　present

and　late　administrations。　　In　this　I　think　you　will　be　disappointed。

The　Friends　are　men；　formed　with　the　same　passions；　and　swayed　by　the

same　natural　principles　and　prejudices　as　others。　　In　cases　where　the

passions　are　neutral；　men　will　display　their　respect　for　the

religious　_professions_　of　their　sect。　　But　where　their　passions　are

enlisted；　these　_professions_　are　no　obstacle。　　You　observe　very

truly；　that　both　the　late　and　present　administration　conducted　the

government　on　principles　_professed_　by　the　Friends。　　Our　efforts　to

preserve　peace；　our　measures　as　to　the　Indians；　as　to　slavery；　as　to

religious　freedom；　were　all　in　consonance　with　their　_professions_。

Yet　I　never　expected　we　should　get　a　vote　from　them；　and　in　this　I

was　neither　deceived　nor　disappointed。　　There　is　no　riddle　in　this；

to　those　who　do　not　suffer　themselves　to　be　duped　by　the

_professions_　of　religious　sectaries。　　The　theory　of　American

Quakerism　is　a　very　obvious　one。　　The　mother　society　is　in　England。

Its　members　are　English　by　birth　and　residence；　devoted　to　their　own

country；　as　good　citizens　ought　to　be。　　The　Quakers　of　these　States

are　colonies　or　filiations　from　the　mother　society；　to　whom　that

society　sends　its　yearly　lessons。　　On　these　the　filiated　societies

model　their　opinions；　their　conduct；　their　passions　and　attachments。

A　Quaker　is；　essentially；　an　Englishman；　in　whatever　part　of　the

earth　he　is　born　or　lives。　　The　outrages　of　Great　Britain　on　our

navigation　and　commerce；　have　kept　us　in　perpetual　bickerings　with

her。　　The　Quakers　here　have　taken　side　against　their　own　government；

not　on　their　_profession_　of　peace；　for　they　saw　that　peace　was　our

object　also；　but　from　devotion　to　the　views　of　the　mother　society。

In　1797　and　8；　when　an　administration　sought　war　with　France；　the

Quakers　were　the　most　clamorous　for　war。　　Their　principle　of　peace；

as　a　secondary　one；　yielded　to　the　primary　one　of　adherence　to　the

Friends　in　England；　and　what　was　patriotism　in　the　original　became

treason　in　the　copy。　　On　that　occasion；　they　obliged　their　good　old

leader；　Mr。　Pemberton；　to　erase　his　name　from　a　petition　to　Congress；

against　war；　which　had　been　delivered　to　a　Representative　of

Pennsylvania；　a　member　of　the　late　and　present　administration。　　He

accordingly　permitted　the　old　gentleman　to　erase　his　name。　　You　must

not；　therefore；　expect　that　your　book　will　have　any　more　effect　on

the　society　of　Friends　here；　than　on　the　English　merchants　settled

among　us。　　I　apply　this　to　the　Friends　in　general；　not　universally。

I　know　individuals　among　them　as　good　patriots　as　we　have。




　　　　　　　　I　thank　you　for　the　kind　wishes　and　sentiments　towards　myself；

expressed　in　your　letter；　and　sincerely　wish　to　yourself　the

blessings　of　health　and　happiness。







　　　　　　　　NEPOTISM　AND　THE　REPUBLIC




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Garland　Jefferson_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　January　25；　1810_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　December　12th　was　long　coming　to

hand。　　I　am　much　concerned　to　learn　that　any　disagreeable　impression

was　made　on　your　mind；　by　the　circumstances　which　are　the　subject　of

your　letter。　　Permit　me　first　to　explain　the　principles　which　I　had

laid　down　for　my　own　observance。　　In　a　government　like　ours；　it　is

the　duty　of　the　Chief　Magistrate；　in　order　to　enable　himself　to　do

all　the　good　which　his　station　requires；　to　endeavor；　by　all

honorable　means；　to　unite　in　himself　the　confidence　of　the　whole

people。　　This　alone；　in　any　case　where　the　energy　of　the　nation　is

required；　can　produce　a　union　of　the　powers　of　the　whole；　and　point

them　in　a　single　direction；　as　if　all　constituted　but　one　body　and

one　mind；　and　this　alone　can　render　a　weaker　nation　unconquerable　by

a　stronger　one。　　Towards　acquiring　the　confidence　of　the　people；　the

very　first　measure　is　to　satisfy　them　of　his　disinterestedness；　and

that　he　is　directing　their　affairs　with　a　single　eye　to　their　good；

and　not　to　build　up　fortunes　for　himself　and　family；　and　especially；

that　the　officers　appointed　to　transact　their　business；　are　appointed

because　they　are　the　fittest　men；　not　because　they　are　his　relations。

So　prone　are　they　to　suspicion；　that　where　a　President　appoints　a

relation　of　his　own；　however　worthy；　they　will　believe　that　favor　and

not　merit　was　the　motive。　　I　therefore　laid　it　down　as　a　law　of

conduct　for　myself；　never　to　give　an　appointment　to　a　relation。　　Had

I　felt　any　hesitation　in　adopting　this　rule；　examples　were　not

wanting　to　admonish　me　what　to　do　and　what　to　avoid。　　Still；　the

expression　of　your　willingness　to　act　in　any　office　for　which　you

were　qualified；　could　not　be　imputed　to　you　as　blame。　　It　would　not

readily　occur　that　a　person　qualified　for　office　ought　to　be　rejected

merely　because　he　was　related　to　the　President；　and　the　then　more

recent　examples　favored　the　other　opinion。　　In　this　light　I

considered　the　case　as　presenting　itself　to　your　mind；　and　that　the

application　might　be　perfectly　justifiable　on　your　part；　while；　for

reasons　occurring　to　none　perhaps；　but　the　person　in　my　situation；

the　public　interest　might　render　it　unadvisable。　　Of　this；　however；

be　assured　that　I　consider　the　proposition　as　innocent　on　your　part；

and　that　it　never　lessened　my　esteem　for　you；　or　the　interest　I　felt

in　your　welfare。




　　　　　　　　My　stay　in　Amelia　was　too　short；　（only　twenty…four　hours；）　to

expect　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　there。　　It　would　be　a　happiness　to

me　any　where；　but　especially　here；　from　whence　I　am　rarely　absent。　　I

am　leading　a　life　of　considerable　activity　as　a　farmer；　reading

little　and　writing　less。　　Something　pursued　with　ardor　is　nece