第104章

Ithankyou，dearSir，forthecopyyouhavebeensokindastosendmeofthelettertoyourconstituentsontheMissouriquestion。

Itisaperfectjustificationtothem。Ihadforalongtimeceasedtoreadnewspapers，orpayanyattentiontopublicaffairs，confidenttheywereingoodhands，andcontenttobeapassengerinourbarktotheshorefromwhichIamnotdistant。Butthismomentousquestion，likeafirebellinthenight，awakenedandfilledmewithterror。I

considereditatonceastheknelloftheUnion。Itishushed，indeed，forthemoment。Butthisisareprieveonly，notafinalsentence。Ageographicalline，coincidingwithamarkedprinciple，moralandpolitical，onceconceivedandhelduptotheangrypassionsofmen，willneverbeobliterated；andeverynewirritationwillmarkitdeeperanddeeper。Icansay，withconscioustruth，thatthereisnotamanonearthwhowouldsacrificemorethanIwouldtorelieveusfromthisheavyreproach，inany_practicable_way。Thecessionofthatkindofproperty，forsoitismisnamed，isabagatellewhichwouldnotcostmeasecondthought，if，inthatway，ageneralemancipationand_expatriation_couldbeeffected；andgradually，andwithduesacrifices，Ithinkitmightbe。Butasitis，wehavethewolfbytheears，andwecanneitherholdhim，norsafelylethimgo。

Justiceisinonescale，andself-preservationintheother。OfonethingIamcertain，thatasthepassageofslavesfromoneStatetoanother，wouldnotmakeaslaveofasinglehumanbeingwhowouldnotbesowithoutit，sotheirdiffusionoveragreatersurfacewouldmakethemindividuallyhappier，andproportionallyfacilitatetheaccomplishmentoftheiremancipation，bydividingtheburthenonagreaternumberofcoadjutors。Anabstinencetoo，fromthisactofpower，wouldremovethejealousyexcitedbytheundertakingofCongresstoregulatetheconditionofthedifferentdescriptionsofmencomposingaState。ThiscertainlyistheexclusiverightofeveryState，whichnothingintheconstitutionhastakenfromthemandgiventotheGeneralGovernment。CouldCongress，forexample，say，thatthenon-freemenofConnecticutshallbefreemen，orthattheyshallnotemigrateintoanyotherState?

IregretthatIamnowtodieinthebelief，thattheuselesssacrificeofthemselvesbythegenerationof1776，toacquireself-governmentandhappinesstotheircountry，istobethrownawaybytheunwiseandunworthypassionsoftheirsons，andthatmyonlyconsolationistobe，thatIlivenottoweepoverit。Iftheywouldbutdispassionatelyweightheblessingstheywillthrowaway，againstanabstractprinciplemorelikelytobeeffectedbyunionthanbyscission，theywouldpausebeforetheywouldperpetratethisactofsuicideonthemselves，andoftreasonagainstthehopesoftheworld。

Toyourself，asthefaithfuladvocateoftheUnion，Itendertheofferingofmyhighesteemandrespect。

JESUSANDTHEJEWS

_ToWilliamShort_

_Monticello，August4，1820_

DEARSIR，——IoweyoualetterforyourfavorofJunethe29th，whichwasreceivedinduetime；andtherebeingnosubjectoftheday，ofparticularinterest，IwillmakethisasupplementtomineofAprilthe13th。Myaiminthatwas，tojustifythecharacterofJesusagainstthefictionsofhispseudo-followers，whichhaveexposedhimtotheinferenceofbeinganimpostor。Forifwecouldbelievethathereallycountenancedthefollies，thefalsehoodsandthecharlatanismswhichhisbiographersfatheronhim，andadmitthemisconstructions，interpolationsandtheorizationsofthefathersoftheearly，andfanaticsofthelatterages，theconclusionwouldbeirresistiblebyeverysoundmind，thathewasanimpostor。Igivenocredittotheirfalsificationsofhisactionsanddoctrines，andtorescuehischaracter，thepostulateinmyletteraskedonlywhatisgrantedinreadingeveryotherhistorian。WhenLivyandSiculus，forexample，tellusthingswhichcoincidewithourexperienceoftheorderofnature，wecreditthemontheirword，andplacetheirnarrationsamongtherecordsofcrediblehistory。Butwhentheytellusofcalvesspeaking，ofstatuessweatingblood，andotherthingsagainstthecourseofnature，werejecttheseasfablesnotbelongingtohistory。Inlikemanner，whenanhistorian，speakingofacharacterwellknownandestablishedonsatisfactorytestimony，imputestoitthingsincompatiblewiththatcharacter，werejectthemwithouthesitation，andassenttothatonlyofwhichwehavebetterevidence。HadPlutarchinformedusthatCaesarandCiceropassedtheirwholelivesinreligiousexercises，andabstinencefromtheaffairsoftheworld，weshouldrejectwhatwassoinconsistentwiththeirestablishedcharacters，stillcreditingwhatherelatesinconformitywithourideasofthem。Soagain，thesuperlativewisdomofSocratesistestifiedbyallantiquity，andplacedongroundnottobequestioned。When，therefore，Platoputsintohismouthsuchparalogisms，suchquibblesonwords，andsophisms，asaschoolboywouldbeashamedof，weconcludetheywerethewhimsiesofPlato’sownfoggybrain，andacquitSocratesofpuerilitiessounlikehischaracter。(SpeakingofPlato，Iwilladd，thatnowriter，antientormodern，hasbewilderedtheworldwithmore_ignesfatui_，thanthisrenownedphilosopher，inEthics，inPoliticsandPhysics。Inthelatter，tospecifyasingleexample，comparehisviewsoftheanimaleconomy，inhisTimaeus，withthoseofMrs。BryaninherConversationsonChemistry，andweighthescienceofthecanonisedphilosopheragainstthegoodsense