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‘Well　done；　good　and　faithful　servants。'







　　　　　　　　THE　SUPREME　COURT　AND　THE　CONSTITUTION




　　　　　　　　_To　Justice　William　Johnson_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　June　12；　1823_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Our　correspondence　is　of　that　accommodating

character；　which　admits　of　suspension　at　the　convenience　of　either

party；　without　inconvenience　to　the　other。　　Hence　this　tardy

acknowledgment　of　your　favor　of　April　the　11th。　　I　learn　from　that

with　great　pleasure；　that　you　have　resolved　on　continuing　your

history　of　parties。　　Our　opponents　are　far　ahead　of　us　in

preparations　for　placing　their　cause　favorably　before　posterity。　　Yet

I　hope　even　from　some　of　them　the　escape　of　precious　truths；　in　angry

explosions　or　effusions　of　vanity；　which　will　betray　the　genuine

monarchism　of　their　principles。　　They　do　not　themselves　believe　what

they　endeavor　to　inculcate；　that　we　were　an　opposition　party；　not　on

principle；　but　merely　seeking　for　office。　　The　fact　is；　that　at　the

formation　of　our　government；　many　had　formed　their　political　opinions

on　European　writings　and　practices；　believing　the　experience　of　old

countries；　and　especially　of　England；　abusive　as　it　was；　to　be　a

safer　guide　than　mere　theory。　　The　doctrines　of　Europe　were；　that　men

in　numerous　associations　cannot　be　restrained　within　the　limits　of

order　and　justice；　but　by　forces　physical　and　moral；　wielded　over

them　by　authorities　independent　of　their　will。　　Hence　their

organization　of　kings；　hereditary　nobles；　and　priests。　　Still　further

to　constrain　the　brute　force　of　the　people；　they　deem　it　necessary　to

keep　them　down　by　hard　labor；　poverty　and　ignorance；　and　to　take　from

them；　as　from　bees；　so　much　of　their　earnings；　as　that　unremitting

labor　shall　be　necessary　to　obtain　a　sufficient　surplus　barely　to

sustain　a　scanty　and　miserable　life。　　And　these　earnings　they　apply

to　maintain　their　privileged　orders　in　splendor　and　idleness；　to

fascinate　the　eyes　of　the　people；　and　excite　in　them　an　humble

adoration　and　submission；　as　to　an　order　of　superior　beings。

Although　few　among　us　had　gone　all　these　lengths　of　opinion；　yet　many

had　advanced；　some　more；　some　less；　on　the　way。　　And　in　the

convention　which　formed　our　government；　they　endeavored　to　draw　the

cords　of　power　as　tight　as　they　could　obtain　them；　to　lessen　the

dependence　of　the　general　functionaries　on　their　constituents；　to

subject　to　them　those　of　the　States；　and　to　weaken　their　means　of

maintaining　the　steady　equilibrium　which　the　majority　of　the

convention　had　deemed　salutary　for　both　branches；　general　and　local。

To　recover；　therefore；　in　practice　the　powers　which　the　nation　had

refused；　and　to　warp　to　their　own　wishes　those　actually　given；　was

the　steady　object　of　the　federal　party。　　Ours；　on　the　contrary；　was

to　maintain　the　will　of　the　majority　of　the　convention；　and　of　the

people　themselves。　　We　believed；　with　them；　that　man　was　a　rational

animal；　endowed　by　nature　with　rights；　and　with　an　innate　sense　of

justice；　and　that　he　could　be　restrained　from　wrong　and　protected　in

right　by　moderate　powers；　confided　to　persons　of　his　own　choice；　and

held　to　their　duties　by　dependence　on　his　own　will。　　We　believed　that

the　complicated　organization　of　kings；　nobles；　and　priests；　was　not

the　wisest　nor　best　to　effect　the　happiness　of　associated　man；　that

wisdom　and　virtue　were　not　hereditary；　that　the　trappings　of　such　a

machinery；　consumed　by　their　expense；　those　earnings　of　industry；

they　were　meant　to　protect；　and；　by　the　inequalities　they　produced；

exposed　liberty　to　sufferance。　　We　believed　that　men；　enjoying　in

ease　and　security　the　full　fruits　of　their　own　industry；　enlisted　by

all　their　interests　on　the　side　of　law　and　order；　habituated　to　think

for　themselves；　and　to　follow　their　reason　as　their　guide；　would　be

more　easily　and　safely　governed；　than　with　minds　nourished　in　error；

and　vitiated　and　debased；　as　in　Europe；　by　ignorance；　indigence　and

oppression。　　The　cherishment　of　the　people　then　was　our　principle；

the　fear　and　distrust　of　them；　that　of　the　other　party。　　Composed；　as

we　were；　of　the　landed　and　laboring　interests　of　the　country；　we

could　not　be　less　anxious　for　a　government　of　law　and　order　than　were

the　inhabitants　of　the　cities；　the　strongholds　of　federalism。　　And

whether　our　efforts　to　save　the　principles　and　form　of　our

constitution　have　not　been　salutary；　let　the　present　republican

freedom；　order　and　prosperity　of　our　country　determine。　　History　may

distort　truth；　and　will　distort　it　for　a　time；　by　the　superior

efforts　at　justification　of　those　who　are　conscious　of　needing　it

most。　　Nor　will　the　opening　scenes　of　our　present　government　be　seen

in　their　true　aspect；　until　the　letters　of　the　day；　now　held　in

private　hoards；　shall　be　broken　up　and　laid　open　to　public　view。

What　a　treasure　will　be　found　in　General　Washington's　cabinet；　when

it　shall　pass　into　the　hands　of　as　candid　a　friend　to　truth　as　he　was

himself！　　When　no　longer；　like　Caesar's　notes　and　memorandums　in　the

hands　of　Anthony；　it　shall　be　open　to　the　high　priests　of　federalism

only；　and　garbled　to　say　so　much；　and　no　more；　as　suits　their　views！




　　　　　　　　With　respect　to　his　farewell　address；　to　the　authorship　of

which；　it　seems；　there　are　conflicting　claims；　I　can　state　to　you

some　facts。　　He　had　determined　to　decline　re…election　at　the　end　of

his　first　term；　and　so　far　determined；　that　he　had　requested　Mr。

Madison　to　prepare　for　him　something　valedictory；　to　be　addressed　to

his　constituents　on　his　retirement。　　This　was　done；　but　he　was

finally　persuaded　to　acquiesce　in　a　second　election；　to　which　no　one

more　strenuously　pressed　him　than　myself；　from　a　conviction　of　the

importance　of　strengthening；　by　longer　habit；　the　respect　necessary

for　that　office；　which　the　weight　of　his　character　only　could　effect。

When；　at　the　end　of　his　second　term；　his　Valedictory　came　out；　Mr。

Madison　recognized　in　it　several　passages　of　his　draught；　several

others；　we　were　both　satisfied；　were　from　the　pen　of　Hamilton；　and

others　from　that　of　the　President　himself。　　These　he　probably　put

into　the　hands　of　Hamilton　to　form　into　a　whole；　and　hence　it　may　all

appear　in　Hamilton's　hand…writing；　as　if　it　were　all　of　his

composition。




　　　　　　　　I　have　stated　above；　that　the　original　objects　of　the

federalists　were；　1st；　to　warp　our　government　more　to　the　form　and

principles　of　monarchy；　and；　2d；　to　weaken　the　barriers　of　the　State

governments　as　coordinate　powers。　　In　the　first　they　have　been　so

completely　foiled　by　the　universal　spirit　of　the　nation；　that　they

have　abandoned　the　enterprise；　shrunk　from　the　odium　of　their　old

appellation；　taken　to　themselves　a　participation　of　ours；　and　under

the　pseudo…republican　mask；　are　now　aiming　at　their　second　object；

and　strengthened　by　unsuspecting　or　apostate　recruits　from　our　ranks；

are　advancing　fast　towards　an　ascendancy。　　I　have　been　blamed　for

saying；　that　a　prevalence　of　the　doctrines　of　consolidation　would　one

day　call　for　reformation　or　_revolution_。　　I　answer　by　asking　if　a

single　State　of　the　Union　would　have　agreed　to　the　constitution；　had

it　given　all　powers　to　the　General　Government？　　If　the　whole

opposition　to　it　did　not　proceed　from　the　jealousy　and　fear　of　every

State；　of　being　subjected　to　the　other　States　in　matters　merely　its

own？　　And　if　there　is　any　reason　to　believe　the　States　more　disposed

now　than　then；　to　acquiesce　in　this　general　surrender　of　all　their

rights　and　powers　to　a　consolidated　government；　one　and　undivided？




　　　　　　　　You　request　me　confidentially；　to　examine　the　question；　whether

the　Supreme　Court　has　advanced　beyond　its　constitutional　limits；　and

trespassed　on　those　of　the　State　authorities？　　I　do　not　undertake　it；

my　dear　Sir；　because　I　am　unable。　　Age　and　the　wane　of　mind

consequent　on　it；　have　disqualified　me　from　investigations　so　severe；

and　researches　so　laborious。　　And　it　is　the　less　necessary　in　this

case；　as　having　been　already　done　by　others　with　a　logic　and　learning

to　which　I　could　add　nothing。　　On　the　decision　of　the　case　of　Cohens

_vs_。　The　State　of　Virginia；　in　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United

States；　in　March；　1821；　Judge　Roane；　under　the　signature　of　Algernon

Sidney；　wrote　for　the　Enquirer　a　series　of　papers　on　the　law　of　that

case。　　I　considered　these　papers　maturely　as　they　came　out；　and

confess　that　they　appeared　to　me　to　pulverize　every　word　which　had

been　delivered　by　Judge　Marshall；　of　the　extra…judicial　part　of　his

opinion；　and　all　was　extra…judicial；　except　the　decision　that　the　act

of　Congress　had　not　purported　to　give　to　the　corporation　of

Washington　the　authority　claimed　by　their　lottery　law；　of　controlling

the　laws　of　the　States　within　the　States　themselves。　　But　unable　to

claim　that　case；　he　could　not　let　it　go　entirely；　but　went　on

gratuitously　to　prove；　that　notwithstanding　the　eleventh　amendment　of

the　constitution；　a　State　_could_　be　brought　as　a　defendant；