part17-第4节

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possible　that　further　opportunities　of　examination　may　discover　the

mammae。　　Those　of　the　Opossum　are　asserted；　by　the　Chevalier

d'Aboville；　from　his　own　observations　on　that　animal；　made　while　here

with　the　French　army；　to　be　not　discoverable　until　pregnancy；　and　to

disappear　as　soon　as　the　young　are　weaned。　　The　Duckbill　has　many

additional　particularities　which　liken　it　to　other　genera；　and　some

entirely　peculiar。　　Its　description　and　history　needs　yet　further

information。




　　　　　　　　In　what　I　have　said　on　the　method　of　classing；　I　have　not　at

all　meant　to　insinuate　that　that　of　Linnaeus　is　intrinsically

preferable　to　those　of　Blumenbach　and　Cuvier。　　I　adhere　to　the

Linnean　because　it　is　sufficient　as　a　ground…work；　admits　of

supplementary　insertions　as　new　productions　are　discovered；　and

mainly　because　it　has　got　into　so　general　use　that　it　will　not　be

easy　to　displace　it；　and　still　less　to　find　another　which　shall　have

the　same　singular　fortune　of　obtaining　the　general　consent。　　During

the　attempt　we　shall　become　unintelligible　to　one　another；　and

science　will　be　really　retarded　by　efforts　to　advance　it　made　by　its

most　favorite　sons。　　I　am　not　myself　apt　to　be　alarmed　at　innovations

recommended　by　reason。　　That　dread　belongs　to　those　whose　interests

or　prejudices　shrink　from　the　advance　of　truth　and　science。　　My

reluctance　is　to　give　up　an　universal　language　of　which　we　are　in

possession；　without　an　assurnace　of　general　consent　to　receive

another。　　And　the　higher　the　character　of　the　authors　recommending

it；　and　the　more　excellent　what　they　offer；　the　greater　the　danger　of

producing　schism。




　　　　　　　　I　should　seem　to　need　apology　for　these　long　remarks　to　you　who

are　so　much　more　recent　in　these　studies；　but　I　find　it　in　your

particular　request　and　my　own　respect　for　it；　and　with　that　be

pleased　to　accept　the　assurance　of　my　esteem　and　consideration。







　　　　　　　　THE　CENSORSHIP　OF　BOOKS




　　　　　　　　_To　N。　G。　Dufief_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　April　19；　1814_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　the　6th　instant　is　just　received；

and　I　shall　with　equal　willingness　and　truth；　state　the　degree　of

agency　you　had；　respecting　the　copy　of　M。　de　Becourt's　book；　which

came　to　my　hands。　　That　gentleman　informed　me；　by　letter；　that　he　was

about　to　publish　a　volume　in　French；　〃Sur　la　Creation　du　Monde；　un

Systeme　d'Organisation　Primitive；〃　which；　its　title　promised　to　be；

either　a　geological　or　astronomical　work。　　I　subscribed；　and；　when

published；　he　sent　me　a　copy；　and　as　you　were　my　correspondent　in　the

book　line　in　Philadelphia；　I　took　the　liberty　of　desiring　him　to　call

on　you　for　the　price；　which；　he　afterwards　informed　me；　you　were　so

kind　as　to　pay　him　for　me；　being；　I　believe；　two　dollars。　　But　the

sole　copy　which　came　to　me　was　from　himself　directly；　and；　as　far　as

I　know；　was　never　seen　by　you。




　　　　　　　　I　am　really　mortified　to　be　told　that；　_in　the　United　States　of

America_；　a　fact　like　this　can　become　a　subject　of　inquiry；　and　of

criminal　inquiry　too；　as　an　offence　against　religion；　that　a　question

about　the　sale　of　a　book　can　be　carried　before　the　civil　magistrate。

Is　this　then　our　freedom　of　religion？　and　are　we　to　have　a　censor

whose　imprimatur　shall　say　what　books　may　be　sold；　and　what　we　may

buy？　　And　who　is　thus　to　dogmatize　religious　opinions　for　our

citizens？　　Whose　foot　is　to　be　the　measure　to　which　ours　are　all　to

be　cut　or　stretched？　　Is　a　priest　to　be　our　inquisitor；　or　shall　a

layman；　simple　as　ourselves；　set　up　his　reason　as　the　rule　for　what

we　are　to　read；　and　what　we　must　believe？　　It　is　an　insult　to　our

citizens　to　question　whether　they　are　rational　beings　or　not；　and

blasphemy　against　religion　to　suppose　it　cannot　stand　the　test　of

truth　and　reason。　　If　M。　de　Becourt's　book　be　false　in　its　facts；

disprove　them；　if　false　in　its　reasoning；　refute　it。　　But；　for　God's

sake；　let　us　freely　hear　both　sides；　if　we　choose。　　I　know　little　of

its　contents；　having　barely　glanced　over　here　and　there　a　passage；

and　over　the　table　of　contents。　　From　this；　the　Newtonian　philosophy

seemed　the　chief　object　of　attack；　the　issue　of　which　might　be

trusted　to　the　strength　of　the　two　combatants；　Newton　certainly　not

needing　the　auxiliary　arm　of　the　government；　and　still　less　the　holy

author　of　our　religion；　as　to　what　in　it　concerns　him。　　I　thought　the

work　would　be　very　innocent；　and　one　which　might　be　confided　to　the

reason　of　any　man；　not　likely　to　be　much　read　if　let　alone；　but；　if

persecuted；　it　will　be　generally　read。　　Every　man　in　the　United

States　will　think　it　a　duty　to　buy　a　copy；　in　vindication　of　his

right　to　buy；　and　to　read　what　he　pleases。　　I　have　been　just　reading

the　new　constitution　of　Spain。　　One　of　its　fundamental　basis　is

expressed　in　these　words：　〃The　_Roman　Catholic_　religion；　the　only

true　one；　is；　and　always　shall　be；　that　of　the　Spanish　nation。　　The

government　protects　it　by　wise　and　just　laws；　and　prohibits　the

exercise　of　any　other　whatever。〃　Now　I　wish　this　presented　to　those

who　question　what　you　may　sell；　or　we　may　buy；　with　a　request　to

strike　out　the　words；　〃Roman　Catholic；〃　and　to　insert　the

denomination　of　their　own　religion。　　This　would　ascertain　the　code　of

dogmas　which　each　wishes　should　domineer　over　the　opinions　of　all

others；　and　be　taken；　like　the　Spanish　religion；　under　the

〃protection　of　wise　and　just　laws。〃　It　would　shew　to　what　they　wish

to　reduce　the　liberty　for　which　one　generation　has　sacrificed　life

and　happiness。　　It　would　present　our　boasted　freedom　of　religion　as　a

thing　of　theory　only；　and　not　of　practice；　as　what　would　be　a　poor

exchange　for　the　theoretic　thraldom；　but　practical　freedom　of　Europe。

But　it　is　impossible　that　the　laws　of　Pennsylvania；　which　set　us　the

first　example　of　the　wholesome　and　happy　effects　of　religious

freedom；　can　permit　the　inquisitorial　functions　to　be　proposed　to

their　courts。　　Under　them　you　are　surely　safe。




　　　　　　　　At　the　date　of　yours　of　the　6th；　you　had　not　received　mine　of

the　3d　inst。；　asking　a　copy　of　an　edition　of　Newton's　Principia；

which　I　had　seen　advertised。　　When　the　cost　of　that　shall　be　known；

it　shall　be　added　to　the　balance　of　4。93；　and　incorporated　with　a

larger　remittance　I　have　to　make　to　Philadelphia。　　Accept　the

assurance　of　my　great　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　MORAL　SENSE




　　　　　　　　_To　Thomas　Law_

　　　　　　　　_Poplar　Forest；　June　13；　1814_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　The　copy　of　your　Second　Thoughts　on　Instinctive

Impulses；　with　the　letter　accompanying　it；　was　received　just　as　I　was

setting　out　on　a　journey　to　this　place；　two　or　three　days'　distant

from　Monticello。　　I　brought　it　with　me　and　read　it　with　great

satisfaction；　and　with　the　more　as　it　contained　exactly　my　own　creed

on　the　foundation　of　morality　in　man。　　It　is　really　curious　that　on　a

quesion　so　fundamental；　such　a　variety　of　opinions　should　have

prevailed　among　men；　and　those；　too；　of　the　most　exemplary　virtue　and

first　order　of　understanding。　　It　shows　how　necessary　was　the　care　of

the　Creator　in　making　the　moral　principle　so　much　a　part　of　our

constitution　as　that　no　errors　of　reasoning　or　of　speculation　might

lead　us　astray　from　its　observance　in　practice。　　Of　all　the　theories

on　this　question；　the　most　whimsical　seems　to　have　been　that　of

Wollaston；　who　considers　_truth_　as　the　foundation　of　morality。　　The

thief　who　steals　your　guinea　does　wrong　only　inasmuch　as　he　acts　a

lie　in　using　your　guinea　as　if　it　were　his　own。　　Truth　is　certainly　a

branch　of　morality；　and　a　very　important　one　to　society。　　But

presented　as　its　foundation；　it　is　as　if　a　tree　taken　up　by　the

roots；　had　its　stem　reversed　in　the　air；　and　one　of　its　branches

planted　in　the　ground。　　Some　have　made　the　_love　of　God_　the

foundation　of　morality。　　This；　too；　is　but　a　branch　of　our　moral

duties；　which　are　generally　divided　into　duties　to　God　and　duties　to

man。　　If　we　did　a　good　act　merely　from　the　love　of　God　and　a　belief

that　it　is　pleasing　to　Him；　whence　arises　the　morality　of　the

Atheist？　　It　is　idle　to　say；　as　some　do；　that　no　such　being　exists。

We　have　the　same　evidence　of　the　fact　as　of　most　of　those　we　act　on；

to…wit：　their　own　affirmations；　and　their　reasonings　in　support　of

them。　　I　have　observed；　indeed；　generally；　that　while　in　protestant

countries　the　defections　from　the　Platonic　Christianity　of　the

priests　is　to　Deism；　in　catholic　countries　they　are　to　Atheism。

Diderot；　D'Alembert；　D'Holbach；　Condorcet；　are　known　to　have　been

among　the　most　virtuous　of　men。　　Their　virtue；　then；　must　have　had

some　other　foundation　than　the　love　of　God。




　　　　　　　　The　｛To　chylon｝　of　others　is　founded　in　a　different　faculty；

that　of　taste；　which　is　not　even　a　branch　of　morality。　　We　have

indeed　an　innate　sense　of　what　we　call　beautiful；　but　that　is

exercised　chiefly　on　subjects　addressed　to　the　fancy；　whether　through

the　eye　in　visible　forms；　as　landscape；　animal