第102章

Thesubsequentsignaturesofmemberswhowerenotthenpresent，andsomeofthemnotyetinoffice，iseasilyexplained，ifweobservewhotheywere；towit，thattheywereofNewYorkandPennsylvania。NewYorkdidnotsigntillthe15th，becauseitwasnottillthe9th，(fivedaysafterthegeneralsignature，)thattheirconventionauthorizedthemtodoso。TheconventionofPennsylvania，learningthatithadbeensignedbyaminorityonlyoftheirdelegates，namedanewdelegationonthe20th，leavingoutMr。

Dickinson，whohadrefusedtosign，WillingandHumphreyswhohadwithdrawn，reappointingthethreememberswhohadsigned，Morriswhohadnotbeenpresent，andfivenewones，towit，Rush，Clymer，Smith，TaylorandRoss；andMorrisandthefivenewmemberswerepermittedtosign，becauseitmanifestedtheassentoftheirfulldelegation，andtheexpresswilloftheirconvention，whichmighthavebeendoubtedontheformersignatureofaminorityonly。WhythesignatureofThorntonofNewHampshirewaspermittedsolateasthe4thofNovember，Icannotnowsay；butundoubtedlyforsomeparticularreasonwhichweshouldfindtohavebeengood，haditbeenexpressed。Theseweretheonlypost-signers，andyousee，Sir，thatthereweresolidreasonsforreceivingthoseofNewYorkandPennsylvania，andthatthiscircumstanceinnowiseaffectsthefaithofthisdeclaratorycharterofourrightsandoftherightsofman。

Withaviewtocorrecterrorsoffactbeforetheybecomeinveteratebyrepetition，IhavestatedwhatIfindessentiallymaterialinmypapers；butwiththatbrevitywhichthelaborofwritingconstrainsmetouse。

Onthefourthparticulararticlesofinquiryinyourletter，respectingyourgrandfather，thevenerableSamuelAdams，neithermemorynormemorandumsenablemetogiveanyinformation。Icansaythathewastrulyagreatman，wiseincouncil，fertileinresources，immovableinhispurposes，andhad，Ithink，agreatersharethananyothermember，inadvisinganddirectingourmeasures，inthenorthernwarespecially。Asaspeakerhecouldnotbecomparedwithhislivingcolleagueandnamesake，whosedeepconceptions，nervousstyle，andundauntedfirmness，madehimtrulyourbulwarkindebate。ButMr。SamuelAdams，althoughnotoffluentelocution，wassorigorouslylogical，soclearinhisviews，abundantingoodsense，andmasteralwaysofhissubject，thathecommandedthemostprofoundattentionwheneverheroseinanassemblybywhichthefrothofdeclamationwasheardwiththemostsovereigncontempt。Isincerelyrejoicethattherecordofhisworthistobeundertakenbyonesomuchdisposedasyouwillbetohandhimdownfairlytothatposterityforwhoselibertyandhappinesshewassozealousalaborer。

Withsentimentsofsincerevenerationforhismemory，acceptyourselfthistributetoitwiththeassurancesofmygreatrespect。

P。S。August6th，1822，sincethedateofthisletter，towit，thisday，August6th，’22，IreceivedthenewpublicationofthesecretJournalsofCongress，whereinisstatedaresolution，July19th，1776，thatthedeclarationpassedonthe4thbefairlyengrossedonparchment，andwhenengrossed，besignedbyeverymember；andanotherofAugust2d，thatbeingengrossedandcomparedatthetable，wassignedbythemembers。Thatistosaythecopyengrossedonparchment(fordurability)wassignedbythemembersafterbeingcomparedatthetablewiththeoriginalone，signedonpaperasbeforestated。IaddthisP。S。tothecopyofmylettertoMr。Wells，topreventconfoundingthesignatureoftheoriginalwiththatofthecopyengrossedonparchment。

THEVALUEOFCLASSICALLEARNING

_ToJohnBrazier_

_PoplarForest，August24，1819_

SIR，——TheacknowledgmentofyourfavorofJuly15th，andthanksfortheReviewwhichitcoveredofMr。Pickering’sMemoirontheModernGreek，havebeendelayedbyavisittoanoccasionalbutdistantresidencefromMonticello，andtoanattackhereofrheumatismwhichisjustnowmoderating。Ihadbeenmuchpleasedwiththememoir，andwasmuchalsowithyourreviewofit。Ihavelittlehopeindeedoftherecoveryoftheancientpronunciationofthatfinestofhumanlanguages，butstillIrejoiceattheattentionthesubjectseemstoexcitewithyou，becauseitisanevidencethatourcountrybeginstohaveatasteforsomethingmorethanmerelyasmuchGreekaswillpassacandidateforclericalordination。

Youaskmyopinionontheextenttowhichclassicallearningshouldbecarriedinourcountry。Asicklyconditionpermitsmetothink，andarheumatichandtowritetoobrieflyonthislitigatedquestion。TheutilitieswederivefromtheremainsoftheGreekandLatinlanguagesare，first，asmodelsofpuretasteinwriting。Tothesewearecertainlyindebtedforthenationalandchastestyleofmoderncompositionwhichsomuchdistinguishesthenationstowhomtheselanguagesaefamiliar。Withoutthesemodelsweshouldprobablyhavecontinuedtheinflatedstyleofournorthernancestors，orthehyperbolicalandvagueoneoftheeast。Second。Amongthevaluesofclassicallearning，IestimatetheluxuryofreadingtheGreekandRomanauthorsinal