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　　　　　　　　_To　John　Brazier_

　　　　　　　　_Poplar　Forest；　August　24；　1819_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　The　acknowledgment　of　your　favor　of　July　15th；　and

thanks　for　the　Review　which　it　covered　of　Mr。　Pickering's　Memoir　on

the　Modern　Greek；　have　been　delayed　by　a　visit　to　an　occasional　but

distant　residence　from　Monticello；　and　to　an　attack　here　of

rheumatism　which　is　just　now　moderating。　　I　had　been　much　pleased

with　the　memoir；　and　was　much　also　with　your　review　of　it。　　I　have

little　hope　indeed　of　the　recovery　of　the　ancient　pronunciation　of

that　finest　of　human　languages；　but　still　I　rejoice　at　the　attention

the　subject　seems　to　excite　with　you；　because　it　is　an　evidence　that

our　country　begins　to　have　a　taste　for　something　more　than　merely　as

much　Greek　as　will　pass　a　candidate　for　clerical　ordination。




　　　　　　　　You　ask　my　opinion　on　the　extent　to　which　classical　learning

should　be　carried　in　our　country。　　A　sickly　condition　permits　me　to

think；　and　a　rheumatic　hand　to　write　too　briefly　on　this　litigated

question。　　The　utilities　we　derive　from　the　remains　of　the　Greek　and

Latin　languages　are；　first；　as　models　of　pure　taste　in　writing。　　To

these　we　are　certainly　indebted　for　the　national　and　chaste　style　of

modern　composition　which　so　much　distinguishes　the　nations　to　whom

these　languages　ae　familiar。　　Without　these　models　we　should　probably

have　continued　the　inflated　style　of　our　northern　ancestors；　or　the

hyperbolical　and　vague　one　of　the　east。　　Second。　　Among　the　values　of

classical　learning；　I　estimate　the　luxury　of　reading　the　Greek　and

Roman　authors　in　all　the　beauties　of　their　originals。　　And　why　should

not　this　innocent　and　elegant　luxury　take　its　preeminent　stand　ahead

of　all　those　addressed　merely　to　the　senses？　　I　think　myself　more

indebted　to　my　father　for　this　than　for　all　the　other　luxuries　his

cares　and　affections　have　placed　within　my　reach；　and　more　now　than

when　younger；　and　more　susceptible　of　delights　from　other　sources。

When　the　decays　of　age　have　enfeebled　the　useful　energies　of　the

mind；　the　classic　pages　fill　up　the　vacuum　of　_ennui_；　and　become

sweet　composers　to　that　rest　of　the　grave　into　which　we　are　all

sooner　or　later　to　descend。　　Third。　　A　third　value　is　in　the　stores

of　real　science　deposited　and　transmitted　us　in　these　languages；

to…wit：　in　history；　ethics；　arithmetic；　geometry；　astronomy；　natural

history；　&c。




　　　　　　　　But　to　whom　are　these　things　useful？　　Certainly　not　to　all　men。

There　are　conditions　of　life　to　which　they　must　be　forever　estranged；

and　there　are　epochs　of　life　too；　after　which　the　endeavor　to　attain

them　would　be　a　great　misemployment　of　time。　　Their　acquisition

should　be　the　occupation　of　our　early　years　only；　when　the　memory　is

susceptible　of　deep　and　lasting　impressions；　and　reason　and　judgment

not　yet　strong　enough　for　abstract　speculations。　　To　the　moralist

they　are　valuable；　because　they　furnish　ethical　writings　highly　and

justly　esteemed：　although　in　my　own　opinion；　the　moderns　are　far

advanced　beyond　them　in　this　line　of　science；　the　divine　finds　in　the

Greek　language　a　translation　of　his　primary　code；　of　more　importance

to　him　than　the　original　because　better　understood；　and；　in　the　same

language；　the　newer　code；　with　the　doctrines　of　the　earliest　fathers；

who　lived　and　wrote　before　the　simple　precepts　of　the　founder　of　this

most　benign　and　pure　of　all　systems　of　morality　became　frittered　into

subtleties　and　mysteries；　and　hidden　under　jargons　incomprehensible

to　the　human　mind。　　To　these　original　sources　he　must　now；　therefore；

return；　to　recover　the　virgin　purity　of　his　religion。　　The　lawyer

finds　in　the　Latin　language　the　system　of　civil　law　most　conformable

with　the　principles　of　justice　of　any　which　has　ever　yet　been

established　among　men；　and　from　which　much　has　been　incorporated　into

our　own。　　The　physician　as　good　a　code　of　his　art　as　has　been　given

us　to　this　day。　　Theories　and　systems　of　medicine；　indeed；　have　been

in　perpetual　change　from　the　days　of　the　good　Hippocrates　to　the　days

of　the　good　Rush；　but　which　of　them　is　the　true　one？　the　present；　to

be　sure；　as　long　as　it　is　the　present；　but　to　yield　its　place　in　turn

to　the　next　novelty；　which　is　then　to　become　the　true　system；　and　is

to　mark　the　vast　advance　of　medicine　since　the　days　of　Hippocrates。

Our　situation　is　certainly　benefited　by　the　discovery　of　some　new　and

very　valuable　medicines；　and　substituting　those　for　some　of　his　with

the　treasure　of　facts；　and　of　sound　observations　recorded　by　him

（mixed　to　be　sure　with　anilities　of　his　day）　and　we　shall　have　nearly

the　present　sum　of　the　healing　art。　　The　statesman　will　find　in　these

languages　history；　politics；　mathematics；　ethics；　eloquence；　love　of

country；　to　which　he　must　add　the　sciences　of　his　own　day；　for　which

of　them　should　be　unknown　to　him？　　And　all　the　sciences　must　recur　to

the　classical　languages　for　the　etymon；　and　sound　understanding　of

their　fundamental　terms。　　For　the　merchant　I　should　not　say　that　the

languages　are　a　necessary。　　Ethics；　mathematics；　geography；　political

economy；　history；　seem　to　constitute　the　immediate　foundations　of　his

calling。　　The　agriculturist　needs　ethics；　mathematics；　chemistry　and

natural　philosophy。　　The　mechanic　the　same。　　To　them　the　languages

are　but　ornament　and　comfort。　　I　know　it　is　often　said　there　have

been　shining　examples　of　men　of　great　abilities　in　all　the　businesses

of　life；　without　any　other　science　than　what　they　had　gathered　from

conversations　and　intercourse　with　the　world。　　But　who　can　say　what

these　men　would　not　have　been　had　they　started　in　the　science　on　the

shoulders　of　a　Demosthenes　or　Cicero；　of　a　Locke　or　Bacon；　or　a

Newton？　　To　sum　the　whole；　therefore；　it　may　truly　be　said　that　the

classical　languages　are　a　solid　basis　for　most；　and　an　ornament　to

all　the　sciences。




　　　　　　　　I　am　warned　by　my　aching　fingers　to　close　this　hasty　sketch；

and　to　place　here　my　last　and　fondest　wishes　for　the　advancement　of

our　country　in　the　useful　sciences　and　arts；　and　my　assurances　of

respect　and　esteem　for　the　Reviewer　of　the　Memoir　on　modern　Greek。







　　　　　　　　LIMITS　TO　JUDICIAL　REVIEW




　　　　　　　　_To　Judge　Spencer　Roane_

　　　　　　　　_Poplar　Forest；　September　6；　1819_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　had　read　in　the　Enquirer；　and　with　great

approbation；　the　pieces　signed　Hampden；　and　have　read　them　again　with

redoubled　approbation；　in　the　copies　you　have　been　so　kind　as　to　send

me。　　I　subscribe　to　every　tittle　of　them。　　They　contain　the　true

principles　of　the　revolution　of　1800；　for　that　was　as　real　a

revolution　in　the　principles　of　our　government　as　that　of　1776　was　in

its　form；　not　effected　indeed　by　the　sword；　as　that；　but　by　the

rational　and　peaceable　instrument　of　reform；　the　suffrage　of　the

people。　　The　nation　declared　its　will　by　dismissing　functionaries　of

one　principle；　and　electing　those　of　another；　in　the　two　branches；

executive　and　legisltaive；　submitted　to　their　election。　　Over　the

judiciary　department；　the　constitution　had　deprived　them　of　their

control。　　That；　therefore；　has　continued　the　reprobated　system；　and

although　new　matter　has　been　occasionally　incorporated　into　the　old；

yet　the　leaven　of　the　old　mass　seems　to　assimilate　to　itself　the　new；

and　after　twenty　years'　confirmation　of　the　federal　system　by　the

voice　of　the　nation；　declared　through　the　medium　of　elections；　we

find　the　judiciary　on　every　occasion；　still　driving　us　into

consolidation。




　　　　　　　　In　denying　the　right　they　usurp　of　exclusively　explaining　the

constitution；　I　go　further　than　you　do；　if　I　understand　rightly　your

quotation　from　the　Federalist；　of　an　opinion　that　〃the　judiciary　is

the　last　resort　in　relation　_to　the　other　departments_　of　the

government；　but　not　in　relation　to　the　rights　of　the　parties　to　the

compact　under　which　the　judiciary　is　derived。〃　If　this　opinion　be

sound；　then　indeed　is　our　constitution　a　complete　_felo　de　se_。　　For

intending　to　establish　three　departments；　co…ordinate　and

independent；　that　they　might　check　and　balance　one　another；　it　has

given；　according　to　this　opinion；　to　one　of　them　alone；　the　right　to

prescribe　rules　for　the　government　of　the　others；　and　to　that　one

too；　which　is　unelected　by；　and　independent　of　the　nation。　　For

experience　has　already　shown　that　the　impeachment　it　has　provided　is

not　even　a　scare…crow；　that　such　opinions　as　the　one　you　combat；　sent

cautiously　out；　as　you　observe　also；　by　detachment；　not　belonging　to

the　case　often；　but　sought　for　out　of　it；　as　if　to　rally　the　public

opinion　beforehand　to　their　views；　and　to　indicate　the　line　they　are

to　walk　in；　have　been　so　quietly　passed　over　as　never　to　have　excited

animadversion；　even　in　a　speech　of　any　one　of　the　body　entrusted　with

impeachment。　　The　constitution；　on　this　hypothesis；　is　a　mere　thing

of　wax　in　the　hands　of　the　judiciary；　which　they　may　twist　and　shape

into　any　form　they　please。　　It　should