第60章

Combinedwiththeseviews，andtobepreparedagainsttheoccupationofLouisianabyapowerfulandenterprisingpeople，itisimportantthat，settinglessvalueoninteriorextensionofpurchasesfromtheIndians，webendourwholeviewstothepurchaseandsettlementofthecountryontheMississippi，fromitsmouthtoitsnorthernregions，thatwemaybeabletopresentasstrongafrontonourwesternasonoureasternborder，andplantontheMississippiitselfthemeansofitsowndefence。Wenowownfrom31totheYazoo，andhopethissummertopurchasewhatbelongstotheChoctawsfromtheYazoouptotheirboundary，supposedtobeaboutoppositethemouthofAcanza。Wewishatthesametimetobegininyourquarter，forwhichthereisatpresentafavorableopening。TheCahokiasextinct，weareentitledtotheircountrybyourparamountsovereignty。ThePiorias，weunderstand，haveallbeendrivenofffromtheircountry，andwemightclaimitinthesameway；butasweunderstandthereisonechiefremaining，whowould，asthesurvivorofthetribe，selltheright，itisbettertogivehimsuchtermsaswillmakehimeasyforlife，andtakeaconveyancefromhim。TheKaskaskiasbeingreducedtoafewfamilies，Ipresumewemaypurchasetheirwholecountryforwhatwouldplaceeveryindividualofthemathisease，andbeasmallpricetous，——saybylayingoffforeachfamily，whenevertheywouldchooseit，asmuchrichlandastheycouldcultivate，adjacenttoeachother，enclosingthewholeinasinglefence，andgivingthemsuchanannuityinmoneyorgoodsforeveraswouldplacetheminhappiness；andwemighttakethemalsoundertheprotectionoftheUnitedStates。Thuspossessedoftherightsofthesetribes，weshouldproceedtothesettlingtheirboundarieswiththePoutewatamiesandKickapoos；claimingalldoubtfulterritory，butpayingthemapricefortherelinquishmentoftheirconcurrentclaim，andevenprevailingonthem，ifpossible，to_cede_，foraprice，suchoftheirownunquestionedterritoryaswouldgiveusaconvenientnorthernboundary。Beforebroachingthis，andwhilewearebargainingwiththeKaskaskies，themindsofthePoutewatamiesandKickapoosshouldbesoothedandconciliatedbyliberalitiesandsincereassurancesoffriendship。Perhapsbysendingawell-qualifiedcharactertostaysometimeinDecoigne’svillage，asifonotherbusiness，andtosoundhimandintroducethesubjectbydegreestohismindandthatoftheotherheadsoffamilies，inculcatinginthewayofconversation，allthoseconsiderationswhichprovetheadvantagestheywouldreceivebyacessionontheseterms，theobjectmightbemoreeasilyandeffectuallyobtainedthanbyabruptlyproposingittothemataformaltreaty。Ofthemeans，however，ofobtainingwhatwewish，youwillbethebestjudge；andIhavegivenyouthisviewofthesystemwhichwesupposewillbestpromotetheinterestsoftheIndiansandourselves，andfinallyconsolidateourwholecountrytoonenationonly；thatyoumaybeenabledthebettertoadaptyourmeanstotheobject，forthispurposewehavegivenyouageneralcommissionfortreating。Thecrisisispressing：whatevercannowbeobtainedmustbeobtainedquickly。TheoccupationofNewOrleans，hourlyexpected，bytheFrench，isalreadyfeltlikealightbreezebytheIndians。

Youknowthesentimentstheyentertainofthatnation；underthehopeoftheirprotectiontheywillimmediatelystiffenagainstcessionsoflandstous。Wehadbetter，therefore，doatoncewhatcannowbedone。

Imustrepeatthatthisletteristobeconsideredasprivateandfriendly，andisnottocontrolanyparticularinstructionswhichyoumayreceivethroughofficialchannel。Youwillalsoperceivehowsacredlyitmustbekeptwithinyourownbreast，andespeciallyhowimpropertobeunderstoodbytheIndians。Fortheirinterestsandtheirtranquillityitisbesttheyshouldseeonlythepresentageoftheirhistory。Iprayyoutoacceptassurancesofmyesteemandhighconsideration。

JESUS，SOCRATES，ANDOTHERS

_ToDr。JosephPriestley_

_Washington，Apr。9，1803_

DEARSIR，——WhileonashortvisitlatelytoMonticello，I

receivedfromyouacopyofyourcomparativeviewofSocrates&

Jesus，andIavailmyselfofthefirstmomentofleisureaftermyreturntoacknolegethepleasureIhadintheperusalofit，andthedesireitexcitedtoseeyoutakeupthesubjectonamoreextensivescale。InconsequenceofsomeconversationwithDr。Rush，intheyear1798-99，IhadpromisedsomedaytowritehimalettergivinghimmyviewoftheChristiansystem。Ihavereflectedoftenonitsince，&evensketchedtheoutlinesinmyownmind。Ishouldfirsttakeageneralviewofthemoraldoctrinesofthemostremarkableoftheantientphilosophers，ofwhoseethicswehavesufficientinformationtomakeanestimate，sayofPythagoras，Epicurus，Epictetus，Socrates，Cicero，Seneca，Antoninus。Ishoulddojusticetothebranchesofmoralitytheyhavetreatedwell；butpointouttheimportanceofthoseinwhichtheyaredeficient。IshouldthentakeaviewofthedeismandethicsoftheJews，andshowinwhatadegradedstatetheywere，andthenec