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land　of　our　own　language；　morals；　manners；　and　habits。　　To　make　the

selection　we　send　a　special　agent；　M'r　Francis　W。　Gilmer；　who　will

have　the　honor　of　delivering　you　this　letter。　　He　is　well　educated

himself　in　most　of　the　branches　of　science；　of　correct　morals　and

habits；　an　enlarged　mind；　and　a　discretion　meriting　entire

confidence。　　From　the　universities　of　Oxford　and　Cambridge；　where　we

expect　he　will　find　persons　duly　qualified　in　the　particular　branches

in　which　these　seminaries　are　respectively　eminent；　he　will　pass　on

to　Edinburg；　distinguished　for　it's　school　of　Medicine　as　well　as　of

other　sciences；　but　when　arrived　there　he　will　be　a　perfect　stranger；

and　would　have　to　grope　his　way　in　darkness　and　uncertainty；　you　can

lighten　his　path；　and　to　beseech　you　to　do　so　is　the　object　of　this

letter。　　Your　knolege　of　persons　and　characters　there　can　guard　him

against　being　misled　and　lead　him　to　the　consummation　of　our　wishes。

We　do　not　expect　to　engage　the　high　characters　there　who　are　at　the

head　of　their　schools；　established　in　offices；　honors；　&　emoluments

which　can　be　bettered　no　where。　　But　we　know　there　is　always　a　junior

set　of　aspirants；　treading　on　their　heels；　ready　to　take　their

places；　and　as　well　&　sometimes　better　qualified　than　they　are。

These　persons；　unsettled　as　yet；　surrounded　by　competitors　of　equal

claims；　and　perhaps　greater　credit　and　interest；　may　be　willing　to

accept　immediately　a　comfortable　certainty　here　in　place　of　uncertain

hopes　there；　and　a　lingering　delay　of　even　these。　　From　this

description　of　persons　we　may　hope　to　procure　characters　of　the　first

order　of　science。　　But　how　to　distinguish　them？　　For　we　are　told　that

were　the　mission　of　our　agent　once　known；　he　would　be　overwhelmed

with　applicants；　unworthy　as　well　as　worthy；　yet　all　supported　on

recommendns　and　certificates　equally　exaggerated；　and　by　names　so

respectable　as　to　confound　all　discrimination。　　Yet　this

discrimination　is　all　important　to　us。　　An　unlucky　selection　at　first

would　blast　all　our　prospects。　　Let　me　beseech　you；　then；　good　Sir；

to　lead　Mr。　Gilmer　by　the　hand　in　his　researches；　to　instruct　him　as

to　the　competent　characters；　&　guard　him　against　those　not　so。

Besides　the　first　degree　of　eminence　in　science；　a　professor　with　us

must　be　of　sober　and　correct　morals　&　habits；　having　the　talent　of

communicating　his　knolege　with　facility；　and　of　an　accomodating　and

peaceable　temper。　　The　latter　is　all　important　for　the　harmony　of　the

institution。　　For　minuter　particulars　I　will　refer　you　to　Mr。　Gilmer；

who　possesses　a　full　knolege　of　everything　&　our　full　confidence　in

everything。　　He　takes　with　him　plans　of　our　establm't；　which　will

shew　the　comfortable　accommodns　provided　for　the　professors；　whether

with　or　without　families；　and　by　the　expensiveness　and　extent　of　the

scale　they　will　see　it　is　not　an　ephemeral　thing　to　which　they　are

invited。




　　　　　　　　A　knolege　of　your　character　&　disposns　to　do　good　dispenses

with　all　apology　for　the　trouble　I　give　you。　　While　the　character　and

success　of　this　institN；　involving　the　future　hopes　and　happiness　of

my　country；　will　justify　the　anxieties　I　feel　in　the　choice　of　it's

professors；　I　am　sure　the　object　will　excite　in　your　breast　such

sympathies　of　kind　disposN；　as　will　give　us　the　benefits　we　ask　of

your　counsels　&　attentions。　　And；　with　my　acknolegements　for　these；

accept　assurances　of　constant　and　sincere　attamt；　esteem　&　respect。







　　　　　　　　SAXONS；　CONSTITUTIONS；　AND　A　CASE　OF　PIOUS　FRAUD




　　　　　　　　_To　Major　John　Cartwright_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　June　5；　1824_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　AND　VENERABLE　SIR；　　I　am　much　indebted　for　your　kind

letter　of　February　the　29th；　and　for　your　valuable　volume　on　the

English　constitution。　　I　have　read　this　with　pleasure　and　much

approbation；　and　think　it　has　deduced　the　constitution　of　the　English

nation　from　its　rightful　root；　the　Anglo…Saxon。　　It　is　really

wonderful；　that　so　many　able　and　learned　men　should　have　failed　in

their　attempts　to　define　it　with　correctness。　　No　wonder　then；　that

Paine；　who　thought　more　than　he　read；　should　have　credited　the　great

authorities　who　have　declared；　that　the　will　of　parliament　is　the

constitution　of　England。　　So　Marbois；　before　the　French　revolution；

observed　to　me；　that　the　Almanac　Royal　was　the　constitution　of

France。　　Your　derivation　of　it　from　the　Anglo…Saxons；　seems　to　be

made　on　legitimate　principles。　　Having　driven　out　the　former

inhabitants　of　that　part　of　the　island　called　England；　they　became

aborigines　as　to　you；　and　your　lineal　ancestors。　　They　doubtless　had

a　constitution；　and　although　they　have　not　left　it　in　a　written

formula；　to　the　precise　text　of　which　you　may　always　appeal；　yet　they

have　left　fragments　of　their　history　and　laws；　from　which　it　may　be

inferred　with　considerable　certainty。　　Whatever　their　history　and

laws　shew　to　have　been　practised　with　approbation；　we　may　presume　was

permitted　by　their　constitution；　whatever　was　not　so　practised；　was

not　permitted。　　And　although　this　constitution　was　violated　and　set

at　naught　by　Norman　force；　yet　force　cannot　change　right。　　A

perpetual　claim　was　kept　up　by　the　nation；　by　their　perpetual　demand

of　a　restoration　of　their　Saxon　laws；　which　shews　they　were　never

relinquished　by　the　will　of　the　nation。　　In　the　pullings　and　haulings

for　these　antient　rights；　between　the　nation；　and　its　kings　of　the

races　of　Plantagenets；　Tudors　and　Stuarts；　there　was　sometimes　gain；

and　sometimes　loss；　until　the　final　re…conquest　of　their　rights　from

the　Stuarts。　　The　destitution　and　expulsion　of　this　race　broke　the

thread　of　pretended　inheritance；　extinguished　all　regal　usurpations；

and　the　nation　re…entered　into　all　its　rights；　and　although　in　their

bill　of　rights　they　specifically　reclaimed　some　only；　yet　the

omission　of　the　others　was　no　renunciation　of　the　right　to　assume

their　exercise　also；　whenever　occasion　should　occur。　　The　new　King

received　no　rights　or　powers；　but　those　expressly　granted　to　him。　　It

has　ever　appeared　to　me；　that　the　difference　between　the　whig　and　the

tory　of　England　is；　that　the　whig　deduces　his　rights　from　the

Anglo…Saxon　source；　and　the　tory　from　the　Norman。　　And　Hume；　the

great　apostle　of　toryism；　says；　in　so　many　words；　note　AA　to　chapter

42；　that；　in　the　reign　of　the　Stuarts；　‘it　was　the　people　who

encroached　upon　the　sovereign；　not　the　sovereign　who　attempted；　as　is

pretended；　to　usurp　upon　the　people。'　This　supposes　the　Norman

usurpations　to　be　rights　in　his　successors。　　And　again；　C；　159；　‘the

commons　established　a　principle；　which　is　noble　in　itself；　and　seems

specious；　but　is　belied　by　all　history　and　experience；　_that　the

people　are　the　origin　of　all　just　power_。'　And　where　else　will　this

degenerate　son　of　science；　this　traitor　to　his　fellow　men；　find　the

origin　of　just　powers；　if　not　in　the　majority　of　the　society？　　Will

it　be　in　the　minority？　　Or　in　an　individual　of　that　minority？




　　　　　　　　Our　Revolution　commenced　on　more　favorable　ground。　　It

presented　us　an　album　on　which　we　were　free　to　write　what　we　pleased。

We　had　no　occasion　to　search　into　musty　records；　to　hunt　up　royal

parchments；　or　to　investigate　the　laws　and　institutions　of　a

semi…barbarous　ancestry。　　We　appealed　to　those　of　nature；　and　found

them　engraved　on　our　hearts。　　Yet　we　did　not　avail　ourselves　of　all

the　advantages　of　our　position。　　We　had　never　been　permitted　to

exercise　self…government。　　When　forced　to　assume　it；　we　were　novices

in　its　science。　　Its　principles　and　forms　had　entered　little　into　our

former　education。　　We　established　however　some；　although　not　all　its

important　principles。　　The　constitutions　of　most　of　our　States

assert；　that　all　power　is　inherent　in　the　people；　that　they　may

exercise　it　by　themselves；　in　all　cases　to　which　they　think

themselves　competent；　（as　in　electing　their　functionaries　executive

and　legislative；　and　deciding　by　a　jury　of　themselves；　in　all

judiciary　cases　in　which　any　fact　is　involved；）　or　they　may　act　by

representatives；　freely　and　equally　chosen；　that　it　is　their　right

and　duty　to　be　at　all　times　armed；　that　they　are　entitled　to　freedom

of　person；　freedom　of　religion；　freedom　of　property；　and　freedom　of

the　press。　　In　the　structure　of　our　legislatures；　we　think　experience

has　proved　the　benefit　of　subjecting　questions　to　two　separate　bodies

of　deliberants；　but　in　constituting　these；　natural　right　has　been

mistaken；　some　making　one　of　these　bodies；　and　some　both；　the

representatives　of　property　instead　of　persons；　whereas　the　double

deliberation　might　be　as　well　obtained　without　any　violation　of　true

principle；　either　by　requiring　a　greater　age　in　one　of　the　bodies；　or

by　electing　a　proper　number　of　representatives　of　persons；　dividing

them　by　lots　into　two　chambers；　and　renewing　the　division　at　frequent

intervals；　in　order　to　break　up　all　cabals。　　Virginia；　of　which　I　am

myself　a　native　and　resident；　w