第94章

YouoncegavemeacopyofthejournalofyourcampaigninVirginia，in1781，whichImusthavelenttosomeoneoftheundertakerstowritethehistoryoftherevolutionarywar，andforgottoreclaim。Iconcludethis，becauseitisnolongeramongmypapers，whichIhaveverydiligentlysearchedforit，butinvain。

AnauthorofrealabilityisnowwritingthatpartofthehistoryofVirginia。Hedoesitinmyneighborhood，andIlayopentohimallmypapers。ButIpossessnone，norhasheany，whichcanenablehimtodojusticetoyourfaithfulandableservicesinthatcampaign。

Ifyoucouldbesogoodastosendmeanothercopy，bytheveryfirstvesselboundtoanyportintheUnitedStates，itmightbehereintime；foralthoughheexpectstobegintoprintwithinamonthortwo，yetyouknowthedelaysoftheseundertakings。Atanyrateitmightbegotinasasupplement。TheoldCountRochambeaugavemealsohis_memoire_oftheoperationsatYork，whichisgoneinthesameway，andIhavenomeansofapplyingtohisfamilyforit。

Perhapsyoucouldrenderthemaswellasus，theserviceofprocuringanothercopy。

Ilearn，withrealsorrow，thedeathsofMonsieurandMadamedeTesse。TheymadeaninterestingpartintheidlereveriesinwhichI

havesometimesindulgedmyself，ofseeingallmyfriendsofParisoncemore，foramonthortwo；athingimpossible，which，however，I

neverpermittedmyselftodespairof。Theregrets，however，ofseventy-threeatthelossoffriends，maybetheless，asthetimeisshorterwithinwhichwearetomeetagain，accordingtothecreedofoureducation。

ThisletterwillbehandedyoubyMr。Ticknor，ayounggentlemanofBoston，ofgreaterudition，indefatigableindustry，andpreparationforalifeofdistinctioninhisowncountry。Hepassedafewdayswithmehere，broughthighrecommendationsfromMr。Adamsandothers，andappearedineveryrespecttomeritthem。Heiswellworthyofthoseattentionswhichyousokindlybestowonourcountrymen，andforthosehemayreceiveIshalljoinhiminacknowledgingpersonalobligations。

Isaluteyouwithassurancesofmyconstantandaffectionatefriendshipandrespect。

P。S。February26th。Myletterhadnotyetbeensealed，whenI

receivednewsofourpeace。Iamgladofit，andespeciallythatweclosedourwarwiththeeclatoftheactionatNewOrleans。ButI

consideritasanarmisticeonly，becausenosecurityisprovidedagainsttheimpressmentofourseamen。WhilethisisunsettledweareinhostilityofmindwithEngland，althoughactualdeedsofarmsmaybesuspendedbyatruce。Ifshethinkstheexerciseofthisoutrageiswortheternalwar，eternalwaritmustbe，orexterminationoftheoneortheotherparty。ThefirstactofimpressmentshecommitsonanAmerican，willbeansweredbyreprisal，orbyadeclarationofwarhere；andtheintervalmustbemerelyastateofpreparationforit。Inthiswehavemuchtodo，infurtherfortifyingourseaporttowns，providingmilitarystores，classinganddiscipliningourmilitia，arrangingourfinancialsystem，andaboveall，pushingourdomesticmanufactures，whichhavetakensuchrootasneveragaincanbeshaken。Oncemore，Godblessyou。

LIBRARYCLASSIFICATION

_ToGeorgeWatterston_

_Monticello，May7，1815_

SIR，——IhavedulyreceivedyourfavorofApril26th，inwhichyouarepleasedtoaskmyopiniononthesubjectofthearrangementoflibraries。Ishallcommunicatewithpleasurewhatoccurstomeonit。Twomethodsofferthemselves，theonealphabetical，theotheraccordingtothesubjectofthebook。Theformerisveryunsatisfactory，becauseofthemedleyitpresentstothemind，thedifficultysometimesofrecallinganauthor’sname，andthegreaterdifficulty，wherethenameisnotgiven，ofselectingthewordinthetitle，whichshalldetermineitsalphabeticalplace。Thearrangementaccordingtosubjectisfarpreferable，althoughsometimespresentingdifficultyalso，foritisoftendoubtfultowhatparticularsubjectabookshouldbeascribed。Thisisremarkablythecasewithbooksoftravels，whichoftenblendtogetherthegeography，naturalhistory，civilhistory，agriculture，manufactures，commerce，arts，occupations，manners，&c。，ofacountry，soastorenderitdifficulttosaytowhichtheychieflyrelate。Othersagain，arepolygraphicalintheirnature，asEncyclopedias，magazines，etc。YetonthewholeIhavepreferredarrangementaccordingtosubject，becauseofthepeculiarsatisfaction，whenwewishtoconsideraparticularone，ofseeingataglancethebookswhichhavebeenwrittenonit，andselectingthosefromwhichweeffectmostreadilytheinformationweseek。Onthisprinciplethearrangementofmylibrarywasformed，andItookthebasisofitsdistributionfromLordBacon’stableofscience，modifyingittothechangesinscientificpursuitswhichhavetakenplacesincehistime，andtothegreaterorlessextentofreadinginthesciencewhichIproposedtomyself。Thusthelawhavingbeenmyprofession，andpoliticstheoccupationtowhichthecircumstancesofthetimesinwhichIhavelivedcalledmyparticularattention，myprovisionofbooksintheselines，andinthosemostnearlyconnectedwiththemwasmorecopious，andrequiredinp