第108章

ButmuchIfear，thatwhenthisgreattruthshallbere-established，itsvotarieswillfallintothefatalerroroffabricatingformulasofcreedandconfessionsoffaith，theengineswhichsosoondestroyedthereligionofJesus，andmadeofChristendomamereAceldama；thattheywillgiveupmoralsformysteries，andJesusforPlato。HowmuchwiseraretheQuakers，who，agreeinginthefundamentaldoctrinesofthegospel，schismatizeaboutnomysteries，and，keepingwithinthepaleofcommonsense，suffernospeculativedifferencesofopinion，anymorethanoffeature，toimpairtheloveoftheirbrethren。BethisthewisdomofUnitarians，thistheholymantlewhichshallcoverwithinitscharitablecircumferenceallwhobelieveinoneGod，andwholovetheirneighbor！Iconcludemysermonwithsincereassurancesofmyfriendlyesteemandrespect。

SERIATIMOPINIONSANDTHEHISTORYOFPARTIES

_ToJusticeWilliamJohnson_

_Monticello，Oct。27，1822_

DEARSIR，——IhavedeferredmythanksforthecopyofyourLifeofGenl。Greene，untilIcouldhavetimetoreadit。ThisI

havedone，andwiththegreatestsatisfaction；andcannowmoreunderstandinglyexpressthegratificationithasaffordedme。I

reallyrejoicethatwehaveatlengthafairhistoryoftheSouthernwar。Itproveshowmuchwewerelefttodefendourselvesaswecould，whiletheresourcesoftheUnionweresodisproportionatelydevotedtotheNorth。IamgladtootoseetheRomanceofLeeremovedfromtheshelfofHistorytothatofFable。Somesmallportionofthetransactionsherelateswerewithinmyownknolege；

andoftheseIcansayhehasgivenmorefalsehoodthanfact；andI

haveheardmanyofficersdeclarethesameastowhathadpassedundertheireyes。Yetthisbookhadbeguntobequotedashistory。Greenewastrulyagreatman，hehadnotperhapsallthequalitieswhichsopeculiarlyrenderedGenl。Washingtonthefittestmanonearthfordirectingsogreatacontestundersogreatdifficulties。

Difficultiesproceedingnotfromlukewarmnessinourcitizensortheirfunctionaries，asourmilitaryleaderssupposed；butfromthepennylessconditionofapeople，totallyshutoutfromallcommerce&

intercoursewiththeworld，andthereforewithoutanymeansforconvertingtheirlaborintomoney。ButGreenewassecondtonooneinenterprise，inresource，insoundjudgment，promptitudeofdecision，andeveryothermilitarytalent。Inadditiontotheworkyouhavegivenus，Ilookforwardwithanxietytothatyoupromiseinthelastparagraphofyourbook。Lee’smilitaryfableyouhaveputdown。LetnottheinvidiouslibelontheviewsoftheRepublicanparty，andontheirregenerationofthegovernmentgodowntoposterityashypocriticallymasked。Iwasmyselftoolaboriouslyemployed，whileinoffice，andtoooldwhenIleftit，todojusticetothosewhohadlaboredsofaithfullytoarrestourcoursetowardsmonarchy，andtosecuretheresultofourrevolutionarysufferingsandsacrificesinagovernmentbottomedontheonlysafebasis，theelectivewillofthepeople。Youareyoungenoughforthetask，andIhopeyouwillundertakeit。

Thereisasubjectrespectingthepracticeofthecourtofwhichyouareamember，whichhaslongweighedonmymind，onwhichI

havelongthoughtIwouldwritetoyou，andwhichIwilltakethisopportunityofdoing。Itisintruthadelicateundertaking，&yetsuchismyopinionofyourcandoranddevotednesstotheConstitution，init’struespirit，thatIamsureIshallmeetyourapprobationinunbosomingmyselftoyou。ThesubjectofmyuneasinessisthehabitualmodeofmakingupanddeliveringtheopinionsofthesupremecourtoftheUS。

YouknowthatfromtheearliestagesoftheEnglishlaw，fromthedateoftheyear-books，atleast，totheendoftheIIdGeorge，thejudgesofEngland，inallbutself-evidentcases，deliveredtheiropinionsseriatim，withthereasonsandauthoritieswhichgovernedtheirdecisions。Iftheysometimesconsultedtogether，andgaveageneralopinion，itwassorarelyasnottoexciteeitheralarmornotice。Besidesthelightwhichtheirseparateargumentsthrewonthesubject，andtheinstructioncommunicatedbytheirseveralmodesofreasoning，itshewedwhetherthejudgeswereunanimousordivided，andgaveaccordinglymoreorlessweighttothejudgmentasaprecedent。Itsometimeshappenedtoothatwhentherewerethreeopinionsagainstone，thereasoningoftheonewassomuchthemostcogentastobecomeafterwardsthelawoftheland。WhenLd。

Mansfieldcametothebenchh