第54章

loveofourneighbor。Andbyteachinginnocenceofconduct，heexpectedtoplacemenintheirnaturalstateofliberty&equality。

Hesays，nooneeverlaidasurerfoundationforlibertythanourgrandmaster，JesusofNazareth。HebelievestheFreemasonswereoriginallypossessedofthetrueprinciples&objectsofChristianity，&havestillpreservedsomeofthembytradition，butmuchdisfigured。Themeansheproposestoeffectthisimprovementofhumannatureare`toenlightenmen，tocorrecttheirmorals&inspirethemwithbenevolence。Secureofoursuccess，saishe，weabstainfromviolentcommotions。Tohaveforeseenthehappinessofposterity&tohaveprepareditbyirreproachablemeans，sufficesforourfelicity。Thetranquilityofourconsciencesisnottroubledbythereproachofaimingattheruinoroverthrowofstatesorthrones。’AsWishauptlivedunderthetyrannyofadespot&priests，heknewthatcautionwasnecessaryeveninspreadinginformation，&theprinciplesofpuremorality。HeproposedthereforetoleadtheFreemasonstoadoptthisobject&tomaketheobjectsoftheirinstitutionthediffusionofscience&virtue。Heproposedtoinitiatenewmembersintohisbodybygradationsproportionedtohisfearsofthethunderboltsoftyranny。Thishasgivenanairofmysterytohisviews，wasthefoundationofhisbanishment，thesubversionofthemasonicorder，&isthecolourfortheravingsagainsthimofRobinson，Barruel&Morse，whoserealfearsarethatthecraftwouldbeendangeredbythespreadingofinformation，reason，&naturalmoralityamongmen。Thissubjectbeingnewtome，Ihaveimaginedthatifitbesotoyoualso，youmayreceivethesamesatisfactioninseeing，whichIhavehadinformingtheanalysisofit：&I

believeyouwillthinkwithmethatifWishaupthadwrittenhere，wherenosecrecyisnecessaryinourendeavorstorendermenwise&

virtuous，hewouldnothavethoughtofanysecretmachineryforthatpurpose。AsGodwin，ifhehadwritteninGermany，mightprobablyalsohavethoughtsecrecy&mysticismprudent。IwillsaynothingtoyouonthelaterevolutionofFrance，whichispainfullyinteresting。

Perhapswhenweknowmoreofthecircumstanceswhichgaverisetoit，&thedirectionitwilltake，Buonaparte，itschieforgan，maystandinabetterlightthanatpresent。Iamwithgreatesteem，dearsir，youraffectionatefriend。”AFEWPLAINDUTIES”

_ToGideonGranger_

_Monticello，Aug。13，1800_

DEARSIR，——IreceivedwithgreatpleasureyourfavorofJune4，andammuchcomfortedbytheappearanceofachangeofopinioninyourstate；fortho’wemayobtain，&Ibelieveshallobtain，amajorityinthelegislatureoftheUnitedStates，attachedtothepreservationoftheFederalconstitutionaccordingtoit’sobviousprinciples，&thoseonwhichitwasknowntobereceived；attachedequallytothepreservationtothestatesofthoserightsunquestionablyremainingwiththem；friendstothefreedomofreligion，freedomofthepress，trialbyjury&toeconomicalgovernment；opposedtostandingarmies，papersystems，war，&allconnection，otherthancommerce，withanyforeignnation；inshort，amajorityfirminallthoseprincipleswhichwehaveespousedandthefederalistshaveopposeduniformly；still，shouldthewholebodyofNewEnglandcontinueinoppositiontotheseprinciplesofgovernment，eitherknowinglyorthroughdelusion，ourgovernmentwillbeaveryuneasyone。Itcanneverbeharmonious&solid，whilesorespectableaportionofit’scitizenssupportprincipleswhichgodirectlytoachangeofthefederalconstitution，tosinkthestategovernments，consolidatethemintoone，andtomonarchizethat。Ourcountryistoolargetohaveallitsaffairsdirectedbyasinglegovernment。

Publicservantsatsuchadistance，&fromundertheeyeoftheirconstituents，must，fromthecircumstanceofdistance，beunabletoadminister&overlookallthedetailsnecessaryforthegoodgovernmentofthecitizens，andthesamecircumstance，byrenderingdetectionimpossibletotheirconstituents，willinvitethepublicagentstocorruption，plunder&waste。AndIdoverilybelieve，thatiftheprincipleweretoprevail，ofacommonlawbeinginforceintheUS，(whichprinciplepossessesthegeneralgovernmentatonceofallthepowersofthestategovernments，andreducesustoasingleconsolidatedgovernment，)itwouldbecomethemostcorruptgovernmentontheearth。Youhaveseenthepractisesbywhichthepublicservantshavebeenabletocovertheirconduct，or，wherethatcouldnotbedone，delusionsbywhichtheyhavevarnisheditfortheeyeoftheirconstituents。Whatanaugmentationofthefieldforjobbing，speculating，plundering，office-building&office-huntingwouldbeproducedbyanassumptionofallthestatepowersintothehandsofthegeneralgovernment。Thetruetheoryofourconstitutionissurelythewisest&best，thatthestatesareindependentastoeverythingwithinthemselves，&unitedastoeverythingrespectingforeignnations。Letthegeneralgovernmentbereducedtoforeignconcer