第106章

Complimentarythankstowriterswhohavesentmetheirworks，havebetrayedmesometimesbeforethepublic，withoutmyconsenthavingbeenasked。ButIamfarfrompresumingtodirectthereadingofmyfellowcitizens，whoaregoodenoughjudgesthemselvesofwhatisworthytheirreading。Iam，also，toodesirousofquiettoplacemyselfinthewayofcontention。AgainstthisIamadmonishedbybodilydecay，whichcannotbeunaccompaniedbycorrespondingwaneofthemind。OfthisIamasyetsensible，sufficientlytobeunwillingtotrustmyselfbeforethepublic，andwhenIceasetobeso，Ihopethatmyfriendswillbetoocarefulofmetodrawmeforthandpresentme，likeaPriaminarmor，asaspectacleforpubliccompassion。Ihopeourpoliticalbarkwillridethroughallitsdangers；butIcaninfuturebebutaninertpassenger。

Isaluteyouwithsentimentsofgreatfriendshipandrespect。

THEMISSOURIQUESTION

_ToAlbertGallatin_

_Monticello，Dec。26，1820_

DEARSIR，——`Itissaidtobeanillwindwhichblowsfavorablytonoone。’MyillhealthhaslongsuspendedthetoofrequenttroublesIhaveheretoforegivenyouwithmyEuropeancorrespondence。Tothisisaddedastiffeningwrist，theeffectofageonanantientdislocation，whichrenderswritingslowandpainful，anddisablesmenearlyfromallcorrespondence，andmayverypossiblymakethisthelasttroubleIshallgiveyouinthatway。

Lookingfromourquarteroftheworldoverthehorizonofyoursweimagineweseestormsgatheringwhichmayagaindesolatethefaceofthatcountry。Somanyrevolutionsgoingon，indifferentcountriesatthesametime，suchcombinationsoftyranny，andmilitarypreparationsandmovementstosuppressthem。England&

Franceunsafefrominternalconflict，Germany，onthefirstfavorableoccasion，ripeforinsurrection，suchastateofthings，wesuppose，mustendinwar，whichneedsakindlingsparkinonespotonlytospreadoverthewhole。Yourinformationcancorrecttheseviewswhicharestatedonlytoinformyouofimpressionshere。

Athomethingsarenotwell。Thefloodofpapermoney，asyouwellknow，hadproducedanexaggerationofnominalpricesandatthesametimeafacilityofobtainingmoney，whichnotonlyencouragedspeculationsonfictitiouscapital，butseducedthoseofrealcapital，eveninprivatelife，tocontractdebtstoofreely。Hadthingscontinuedinthesamecourse，thesemighthavebeenmanageable。ButtheoperationsoftheU。S。bankforthedemolitionofthestatebanks，obligedthesesuddenlytocallinmorethanhalfoftheirpaper，crushedallfictitiousanddoubtfulcapital，andreducedthepricesofpropertyandproducesuddenlyto1/3ofwhattheyhadbeen。Wheat，forexample，atthedistanceoftwoorthreedaysfrommarket，felltoandcontinuesatfromonethirdtohalfadollar。Shoulditbestationaryatthisforawhile，averygeneralrevolutionofpropertymusttakeplace。Somethingofthesamecharacterhastakenplaceinourfiscalsystem。AlittlewhilebackCongressseemedatalossforobjectswhereontosquanderthesupposedfathomlessfundsofourtreasury。Thisshortfrenzyhasbeenarrestedbyadeficitof5millionsthelastyear，andof7。

millionsthisyear。Aloanwasadoptedfortheformerandisproposedforthelatter，whichthreatenstosaddleuswithaperpetualdebt。Ihopeataxwillbepreferred，becauseitwillawakentheattentionofthepeople，andmakereformation&economytheprinciplesofthenextelection。Thefrequentrecurrenceofthischasteningoperationcanalonerestrainthepropensityofgovernmentstoenlargeexpencebeyondincome。ThesteadytenorofthecourtsoftheUS。tobreakdowntheconstitutionalbarrierbetweenthecoordinatepowersoftheStates，andoftheUnion，andaformalopinionlatelygivenby5。lawyersoftoomucheminencetobeneglected，giveuneasiness。ButnothinghaseverpresentedsothreateninganaspectaswhatiscalledtheMissouriquestion。TheFederalistscompleatlyputdown，anddespairingofeverrisingagainundertheolddivisionofwhigandtory，devisedanewone，ofslave-holding，&non-slave-holdingstates，which，whileithadasemblanceofbeingMoral，wasatthesametimeGeographical，andcalculatedtogive