第50章

Whatagame，too，willtheonepartyhaveintheirhandsbyeternallythreateningtheotherthatunlesstheydoso&so，theywilljointheirNorthernneighbors。IfwereduceourUniontoVirginia&N。

Carolina，immediatelytheconflictwillbeestablishedbetweentherepresentativesofthesetwoStates，andtheywillendbybreakingintotheirsimpleunits。Seeing，therefore，thatanassociationofmenwhowillnotquarrelwithoneanotherisathingwhichneveryetexisted，fromthegreatestconfederacyofnationsdowntoatownmeetingoravestry，seeingthatwemusthavesomebodytoquarrelwith，IhadratherkeepourNewEnglandassociatesforthatpurposethantoseeourbickeringstransferredtoothers。Theyarecircumscribedwithinsuchnarrowlimits，&theirpopulationsofull，thattheirnumberswilleverbetheminority，andtheyaremarked，liketheJews，withsuchapeculiarityofcharacterastoconstitutefromthatcircumstancethenaturaldivisionofourparties。Alittlepatience，andweshallseethereignofwitchespassover，theirspellsdissolve，andthepeople，recoveringtheirtruesight，restoretheirgovernmenttoit’strueprinciples。Itistruethatinthemeantimewearesufferingdeeplyinspirit，andincurringthehorrorsofawar&longoppressionsofenormouspublicdebt。Butwhocansaywhatwouldbetheevilsofascission，andwhen&wheretheywouldend?Betterkeeptogetherasweare，hawlofffromEuropeassoonaswecan，&fromallattachmentstoanyportionsofit。Andifwefeeltheirpowerjustsufficientlytohoopustogether，itwillbethehappiestsituationinwhichwecanexist。Ifthegamerunssometimesagainstusathomewemusthavepatiencetillluckturns，&

thenweshallhaveanopportunityofwinningbackthe_principles_wehavelost，forthisisagamewhereprinciplesarethestake。Betterluck，therefore，tousall；andhealth，happiness，&friendlysalutationstoyourself。Adieu。

P。S。Itishardlynecessarytocautionyoutoletnothingofminegetbeforethepublic。Asinglesentence，gotholdofbythePorcupines，willsufficetoabuse&persecutemeintheirpapersformonths。

WILDHORSES

_ToPhilipNolan_

_Philadelphia，June24，1798_

SIR，——ItissometimesinceIhaveunderstoodthattherearelargeherdsofhorsesinawildstate，inthecountrywestoftheMississippi，andhavebeendesirousofobtainingdetailsoftheirhistoryinthatState。Mr。Brown，SenatorfromKentucky，informsmeitwouldbeinyourpowertogiveinterestinginformationonthissubject，andencouragesmetoaskit。Thecircumstancesoftheoldworldhave，beyondtherecordsofhistory，beensuchasadmittednotthatanimaltoexistinastateofnature。TheconditionofAmericaisrapidlyadvancingtothesame。Thepresentthenisprobablytheonlymomentintheageoftheworld，andtheherdsabovementionedtheonlysubjects，ofwhichwecanavailourselvestoobtainwhathasneveryetbeenrecorded，andnevercanbeagaininallprobability。

Iwilladdthatyourinformationisthesolereliance，asfarasI

canatpresentsee，forobtainingthisdesideratum。Youwillrendertonaturalhistoryaveryacceptableservice，therefore，ifyouwillenableourPhilosophicalsocietytoaddsointerestingachaptertothehistoryofthisanimal。Ineednotspecifytoyoutheparticularfactsaskedfor；asyourknowledgeoftheanimalinhisdomesticated，aswellashiswildstate，willnaturallyhaveledyourattentiontothoseparticularsinthemanners，habits，andlawsofhisexistence，whicharepeculiartohiswildstate。Iwishyounottobeanxiousabouttheformofyourinformation，theexactnessofthesubstancealoneismaterial；andif，aftergivinginafirstletterallthefactsyouatpresentpossess，youwouldbesogood，onsubsequentoccasions，astofurnishsuchothersinaddition，asyoumayacquirefromtimetotime，yourcommunicationswillalwaysbethankfullyreceived，ifaddressedtomeatMonticello；andputintoanypostofficeinKentuckyorTennessee，theywillreachmespeedilyandsafely，andwillbeconsideredasobligationson，sir，yourmostobedient，humbleservant。

SUFFERANCEOFCALUMNY

_ToSamuelSmith_

_Monticello，Aug。22，1798_

DEARSIR，——YourfavorofAug4cametohandbyourlastpost，togetherwiththe”extractofaletterfromagentlemanofPhiladelphia，datedJuly10，”cutfromanewspaperstatingsomefactswhichrespectme。Ishallnoticethesefacts。Thewritersaysthat”thedayafterthelastdespatcheswerecommunicatedtoCongress，Bache，Leib，&c。，andaDr。Reynoldswere_closeted_withme。”Ifthereceiptofvisitsinmypublicroom，thedoorcontinuingfreetoeveryonewhoshouldcallatthesametime，maybecalled_closeting_，thenitistruethatIwas_closeted_witheverypersonwhovisitedme；innoothersenseisittrueastoanyperson。I

sometimesreceivedvisitsfromMr。Bache&Dr。Leib。Ireceivedthemalwayswithpleasure，becausetheyaremenofabilities，andofprinciplesthemostfriendlytoliberty&ourpresentformofgovernment。Mr。Bachehasanotherclaimonmyrespect，asbeingthegrandso