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end　of　every　furrow。　　I　enclose　a　bit　of　paper　cut　into　the　form　of

the　double　share；　which　being　opened　at　the　fold　to　a　right　angle；

will　give　an　idea　of　it's　general　principle。　　Horizontal　and　deep

ploughing；　with　the　use　of　plaister　and　clover；　which　are　but

beginning　to　be　used　here　will；　as　we　believe；　restore　this　part　of

our　country　to　it's　original　fertility；　which　was　exceeded　by　no

upland　in　the　state。　　Believing　that　some　of　these　things　might　be

acceptable　to　you　I　have　hazarded　them　as　testimonials　of　my　great

esteem　&　respect。







　　　　　　　　ERA　OF　GOOD　FEELINGS




　　　　　　　　_To　Lafayette_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　14；　1817_




　　　　　　　　Although；　dear　Sir；　much　retired　from　the　world；　and　meddling

little　in　its　concerns；　yet　I　think　it　almost　a　religious　duty　to

salute　at　times　my　old　friends；　were　it　only　to　say　and　to　know　that

〃all's　well。〃　Our　hobby　has　been　politics；　but　all　here　is　so　quiet；

and　with　you　so　desperate；　that　little　matter　is　furnished　us　for

active　attention。　　With　you　too；　it　has　long　been　forbidden　ground；

and　therefore　imprudent　for　a　foreign　friend　to　tread；　in　writing　to

you。　　But　although　our　speculations　might　be　intrusive；　our　prayers

cannot　but　be　acceptable；　and　mine　are　sincerely　offered　for　the

well…being　of　France。　　What　government　she　can　bear；　depends　not　on

the　state　of　science；　however　exalted；　in　a　select　band　of

enlightened　men；　but　on　the　condition　of　the　general　mind。　　That；　I

am　sure；　is　advanced　and　will　advance；　and　the　last　change　of

government　was　fortunate；　inasmuch　as　the　new　will　be　less

obstructive　to　the　effects　of　that　advancement。　　For　I　consider　your

foreign　military　oppressions　as　an　ephemeral　obstacle　only。




　　　　　　　　Here　all　is　quiet。　　The　British　war　has　left　us　in　debt；　but

that　is　a　cheap　price　for　the　good　it　has　done　us。　　The　establishment

of　the　necessary　manufactures　among　ourselves；　the　proof　that　our

government　is　solid；　can　stand　the　shock　of　war；　and　is　superior　even

to　civil　schism；　are　precious　facts　for　us；　and　of　these　the

strongest　proofs　were　furnished；　when；　with　four　eastern　States　tied

to　us；　as　dead　to　living　bodies；　all　doubt　was　removed　as　to　the

achievements　of　the　war；　had　it　continued。　　But　its　best　effect　has

been　the　complete　suppression　of　party。　　The　federalists　who　were

truly　American；　and　their　great　mass　was　so；　have　separated　from

their　brethren　who　were　mere　Anglomen；　and　are　received　with

cordiality　into　the　republican　ranks。　　Even　Connecticut；　as　a　State；

and　the　last　one　expected　to　yield　its　steady　habits　（which　were

essentially　bigoted　in　politics　as　well　as　religion）；　has　chosen　a

republican　governor；　and　republican　legislature。　　Massachusetts

indeed　still　lags；　because　most　deeply　involved　in　the　parricide

crimes　and　treasons　of　the　war。　　But　her　gangrene　is　contracting；　the

sound　flesh　advancing　on　it；　and　all　there　will　be　well。　　I　mentioned

Connecticut　as　the　most　hopeless　of　our　States。　　Little　Delaware　had

escaped　my　attention。　　That　is　essentially　a　Quaker　State；　the

fragment　of　a　religious　sect　which；　there；　in　the　other　States；　in

England；　are　a　homogeneous　mass；　acting　with　one　mind；　and　that

directed　by　the　mother　society　in　England。　　Dispersed；　as　the　Jews；

they　still　form；　as　those　do；　one　nation；　foreign　to　the　land　they

live　in。　　They　are　Protestant　Jesuits；　implicitly　devoted　to　the　will

of　their　superior；　and　forgetting　all　duties　to　their　country　in　the

execution　of　the　policy　of　their　order。　　When　war　is　proposed　with

England；　they　have　religious　scruples；　but　when　with　France；　these

are　laid　by；　and　they　become　clamorous　for　it。　　They　are；　however；

silent；　passive；　and　give　no　other　trouble　than　of　whipping　them

along。　　Nor　is　the　election　of　Monroe　an　inefficient　circumstance　in

our　felicities。　　Four　and　twenty　years；　which　he　will　accomplish；　of

administration　in　republican　forms　and　principles；　will　so　consecrate

them　in　the　eyes　of　the　people　as　to　secure　them　against　the　danger

of　change。　　The　evanition　of　party　dissensions　has　harmonized

intercourse；　and　sweetened　society　beyond　imagination。　　The　war　then

has　done　us　all　this　good；　and　the　further　one　of　assuring　the　world；

that　although　attached　to　peace　from　a　sense　of　its　blessings；　we

will　meet　war　when　it　is　made　necessary。




　　　　　　　　I　wish　I　could　give　better　hopes　of　our　southern　brethren。　　The

achievement　of　their　independence　of　Spain　is　no　longer　a　question。

But　it　is　a　very　serious　one；　what　will　then　become　of　them？

Ignorance　and　bigotry；　like　other　insanities；　are　incapable　of

self…government。　　They　will　fall　under　military　despotism；　and　become

the　murderous　tools　of　the　ambition　of　their　respective　Bonapartes；

and　whether　this　will　be　for　their　greater　happiness；　the　rule　of　one

only　has　taught　you　to　judge。　　No　one；　I　hope；　can　doubt　my　wish　to

see　them　and　all　mankind　exercising　self…government；　and　capable　of

exercising　it。　　But　the　question　is　not　what　we　wish；　but　what　is

practicable？　　As　their　sincere　friend　and　brother　then；　I　do　believe

the　best　thing　for　them；　would　be　for　themselves　to　come　to　an　accord

with　Spain；　under　the　guarantee　of　France；　Russia；　Holland；　and　the

United　States；　allowing　to　Spain　a　nominal　supremacy；　with　authority

only　to　keep　the　peace　among　them；　leaving　them　otherwise　all　the

powers　of　self…government；　until　their　experience　in　them；　their

emancipation　from　their　priests；　and　advancement　in　information；

shall　prepare　them　for　complete　independence。　　I　exclude　England　from

this　confederacy；　because　her　selfish　principles　render　her　incapable

of　honorable　patronage　or　disinterested　co…operation；　unless；　indeed；

what　seems　now　probable；　a　revolution　should　restore　to　her　an　honest

government；　one　which　will　permit　the　world　to　live　in　peace。

Portugal；　grasping　at　an　extension　of　her　dominion　in　the　south；　has

lost　her　great　northern　province　of　Pernambuco；　and　I　shall　not

wonder　if　Brazil　should　revolt　in　mass；　and　send　their　royal　family

back　to　Portugal。　　Brazil　is　more　populous；　more　wealthy；　more

energetic；　and　as　wise　as　Portugal。　　I　have　been　insensibly　led；　my

dear　friend；　while　writing　to　you；　to　indulge　in　that　line　of

sentiment　in　which　we　have　been　always　associated；　forgetting　that

these　are　matters　not　belonging　to　my　time。　　Not　so　with　you；　who

have　still　many　years　to　be　a　spectator　of　these　events。　　That　these

years　may　indeed　be　many　and　happy；　is　the　sincere　prayer　of　your

affectionate　friend。







　　　　　　　　〃THE　FLATTERIES　OF　HOPE〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Fransois　de　Marbois_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　June　14；　1817_




　　　　　　　　I　thank　you；　dear　Sir；　for　the　copy　of　the　interesting

narrative　of　the　Complet　d'Arnold；　which　you　have　been　so　kind　as　to

send　me。　　It　throws　light　on　that　incident　of　history　which　we　did

not　possess　before。　　An　incident　which　merits　to　be　known　as　a　lesson

to　mankind；　in　all　its　details。　　This　mark　of　your　attention　recalls

to　my　mind　the　earlier　period　of　life　at　which　I　had　the　pleasure　of

your　personal　acquaintance；　and　renews　the　sentiments　of　high　respect

and　esteem　with　which　that　acquaintance　inspired　me。　　I　had　not

failed　to　accompany　your　personal　sufferings　during　the　civil

convulsions　of　your　country；　and　had　sincerely　sympathized　with　them。

An　awful　period；　indeed；　has　passed　in　Europe　since　our　first

acquaintance。　　When　I　left　France　at　the　close　of　'89；　your

revolution　was；　as　I　thought；　under　the　direction　of　able　and　honest

men。　　But　the　madness　of　some　of　their　successors；　the　vices　of

others；　the　malicious　intrigues　of　an　envious　and　corrupting

neighbor；　the　tracasserie　of　the　Directory；　the　usurpations；　the

havoc；　and　devastations　of　your　Attila；　and　the　equal　usurpations；

depredations　and　oppressions　of　your　hypocritical　deliverers；　will

form　a　mournful　period　in　the　history　of　man；　a　period　of　which　the

last　chapter　will　not　be　seen　in　your　day　or　mine；　and　one　which　I

still　fear　is　to　be　written　in　characters　of　blood。　　Had　Bonaparte

reflected　that　such　is　the　moral　construction　of　the　world；　that　no

national　crime　passes　unpunished　in　the　long　run；　he　would　not　now　be

in　the　cage　of　St。　Helena；　and　were　your　present　oppressors　to

reflect　on　the　same　truth；　they　would　spare　to　their　own　countries

the　penalties　on　their　present　wrongs　which　will　be　inflicted　on　them

on　future　times。　　The　seeds　of　hatred　and　revenge　which　they　are　now

sowing　with　a　large　hand；　will　not　fail　to　produce　their　fruits　in

time。　　Like　their　brother　robbers　on　the　highway；　they　suppose　the

escape　of　the　moment　a　final　escape；　and　deem　infamy　and　future　risk

countervailed　by　present　gain。　　Our　lot　has　been　happier。　　When　you

witnessed　our　first　struggles　in　the　war　of　independence；　you　little

calculated；　more　than　we　did；　on　the　rapid　growth　and　prosperity　of

this　country；　on　the　practical　demonstration　it　was　about　to　exhibit；

of　the　happy　truth