第75章

Andastheremustbesomeruleofpriorityforthedistribution，letusbeginwithourowncounties，whicharecontiguousandnearlycentraltotheState，andproceed，circleaftercircle，tillwehavegivenaramtoeverycounty。Thiswilltakeaboutsevenyears，ifweaddtothefulldescendantsthosewhichwillhavepasttothefourthgenerationfromcommonewes，tomakethebenefitofasinglemaleasgeneralaspracticabletothecounty，wemayasksomeknowncharacterineachcountytohaveasmallsocietyformedwhichshallreceivetheanimalandprescriberulesforhiscareandgovernment。Weshouldretainourselvesallthefull-bloodedewes，thattheymayenableusthesoonertofurnishamaletoeverycounty。Whenallshallhavebeenprovidedwithrams，wemay，inayearortwomore，beinaconditiontogiveanewealsotoeverycounty，ifitbethoughtnecessary。ButIsupposeitwillnot，asfourgenerationsfromtheirfull-bloodedramwillgivethemthepureracefromcommonewes。

Inthemeantimeweshallnotbewithoutaprofitindemnifyingourtroubleandexpense。Forifofourpresentstockofcommonewes，weplacewiththeramasmanyashemaybecompetentto，supposefifty，wemaysellthemalelambsofeveryyearforsuchreasonablepriceasinadditiontothewool，willpayforthemaintenanceoftheflock。Thefirstyeartheywillbehalfbloods，thesecondthree-quarters，thethirdseven-eights，andthefourthfull-blooded，ifwetakecareinsellingannuallyhalftheewesalso，tokeepthoseofhighestblood，thiswillbeafundforkindnessestoourfriends，aswellasforindemnificationtoourselves；andourwholeStatemaythus，fromthissmallstock，sodispersed，befilledinaveryfewyearswiththisvaluablerace，andmoresatisfactionresulttoourselvesthanmoneyeveradministeredtothebosomofashaver。

Therewillbedangerthatwhatishereproposed，thoughbutanactofordinaryduty，maybepervertedintooneofostentation，butmalicewillalwaysfindbadmotivesforgoodactions。Shallwethereforeneverdogood?Itmayalsobeusedtocommituswiththoseonwhoseexampleitwilltrulybeareproof。Wemayguardagainstthisperhapsbyaproperreserve，developingourpurposeonlybyitsexecution。

Vive，vale，etsiquidnovistirectiusistisCandidusimpertisinon，hisuleremecum。

SCHOOLSAND”LITTLEREPUBLICS”

_ToJohnTyler_

_Monticello，May26，1810_

DEARSIR，——Yourfriendlyletterofthe12thhasbeendulyreceived。AlthoughIhavelaiditdownasalawtomyself，nevertoembarrassthePresidentwithmysolicitations，andhavenottillnowbrokenthroughit，yetIhavemadeapartofyourletterthesubjectofonetohim，andhavedoneitwithallmyheart，andinthefullbeliefthatIservehimandthepublicinurgingthatappointment。

Wehavelongenoughsufferedunderthebaseprostitutionoflawtopartypassionsinonejudge，andtheimbecilityofanother。Inthehandsofonethelawisnothingmorethananambiguoustext，tobeexplainedbyhissophistryintoanymeaningwhichmaysubservehispersonalmalice。Norcananymilk-and-waterassociatemaintainhisowndependance，andbyafirmpursuanceofwhatthelawreallyis，extenditsprotectiontothecitizensorthepublic。Ibelieveyouwilldoit，andwhereyoucannotinduceyourcolleaguetodowhatisright，youwillbefirmenoughtohinderhimfromdoingwhatiswrong，andbyopposingsensetosophistry，leavethejuriesfreetofollowtheirownjudgment。

Ihavelonglamentedwithyouthedepreciationoflawscience。

TheopinionseemstobethatBlackstoneistouswhattheAlcoranistotheMahometans，thateverythingwhichisnecessaryisinhim，andwhatisnotinhimisnotnecessary。Istilllendmycounselandbookstosuchyoungstudentsaswillfixthemselvesintheneighborhood。Coke’sinstitutesandreportsaretheirfirst，andBlackstonetheirlastbook，afteranintermediatecourseoftwoorthreeyears。Itisnothingmorethananelegantdigestofwhattheywillthenhaveacquiredfromtherealfountainsofthelaw。Nowmenarebornscholars，lawyers，doctors；inourdaythiswasconfinedtopoets。Youwishtoseemeagaininthelegislature，butthisisimpossible；mymindisnowsodissolvedintranquillity，thatitcanneveragainencounteracontentiousassembly；thehabitsofthinkingandspeakingoff-hand，afteradisuseoffiveandtwentyyears，havegivenplacetotheslowerprocessofthepen。Ihaveindeedtwogreatmeasuresatheart，withoutwhichnorepubliccanmaintainitselfinstrength。1。Thatofgeneraleducation，toenableeverymantojudgeforhimselfwhatwillsecureorendangerhisfreedom。

2。Todivideeverycountyintohundreds，ofsuchsizethatallthechildrenofeachwillbewithinreachofacentralschoolinit。Butthisdivisionlookstomanyotherfundamentalprovisions。Everyhundred，besidesaschool，shouldhaveajusticeofthepeace，aconstableandacaptainofmilitia。Theseofficers，orsomeotherswithinthehundred，