第111章

Thisisnowwellunderstoodtobeanecessarycheckonkings，whomtheywillprobablythinkitmoreprudenttochainandtame，thantoexterminate。Toattainallthishoweverriversofbloodmustyetflow，andyearsofdesolationpassover。Yettheobjectisworthriversofblood，andyearsofdesolationforwhatinheritancesovaluablecanmanleavetohisposterity?ThespiritoftheSpaniardandhisdeadlyandeternalhatredtoaFrenchman，givesmemuchconfidencethathewillneversubmit，butfinallydefeatthisatrociousviolationofthelawsofgodandmanunderwhichheissuffering；andthewisdomandfirmnessoftheCortesaffordreasonablehopethatthatnationwillsettledowninatemperaterepresentativegovernment，withanExecutiveproperlysubordinatedtothat。Portugal，Italy，Prussia，Germany，Greecewillfollowsuit。

YouandIshalllookdownfromanotherworldonthesegloriousatchievementstoman，whichwilladdtothejoysevenofheaven。

IobserveyourtoastofMr。Jayonthe4th。ofJuly，whereinyousaythattheomissionofhissignaturetotheDeclarationofIndependancewasby_accident_。Ourimpressionsastothisfactbeingdifferent，Ishallbegladtohaveminecorrected，ifwrong。

Jay，youknow，hadbeeninconstantoppositiontoourlaboringmajority。Ourestimate，atthetime，wasthathe，DickinsonandJohnsonofMarylandbytheiringenuity，perseveranceandpartialitytoourEnglishconnection，hadconstantlykeptusayearbehindwhereweoughttohavebeeninourpreparationsandproceedings。FromaboutthedateoftheVirginiainstructionsofMay15。76。todeclareIndependanceMr。JayabsentedhimselffromCongress，andnevercamethereagainuntilDec。78。Ofcoursehehadnopartinthediscussionsordecisionofthatquestion。TheinstructionstotheirdelegatesbytheConventionofNewYork，thensitting，tosigntheDeclaration，werepresentedtoCongressonthe15th。ofJulyonly，andonthatdaythejournalsshewtheabsenceofMr。Jaybyaletterrecievedfromhim，astheyhaddoneasearlyasthe29th。ofMaybyanotherletter。And，Ithink，hehadbeenomittedbytheConventiononanewelectionofDelegateswhentheychangedtheirinstructions。

Ofthislastfacthoweverhavingnoevidencebutanantientimpression，Ishallnotaffirmit。Butwhethersoornot，noagencyof_accident_appearsinthecase。Thiserroroffacthowever，whetheryoursormine，isoflittleconsequencetothepublic。Buttruthbeingascheapaserror，itisaswelltorectifyitforourownsatisfaction。

Ihavehadafeverofaboutthreeweeksduringthelastandprecedingmonth，fromwhichIamentirelyrecoveredexceptastostrength。Everandaffectionatelyyours”THEBESTLETTERTHATEVERWASWRITTEN……”

_ToJohnAdams_

_Monticello，Oct。12，1823_

DEARSIR，——IdonotwritewiththeeasewhichyourletterofSep。18。supposes。Crippledwristsandfingersmakewritingslowandlaborious。But，whilewritingtoyou，Ilosethesenseofthesethings，intherecollectionofantienttimes，whenyouthandhealthmadehappinessoutofeverything。Iforgetforawhilethehoarywinterofage，whenwecanthinkofnothingbuthowtokeepourselveswarm，andhowtogetridofourheavyhoursuntilthefriendlyhandofdeathshallridusofallatonce。AgainstthistediumvitaehoweverIamfortunatelymountedonaHobby，whichindeedIshouldhavebettermanagedsome30。or40。yearsago，butwhoseeasyambleisstillsufficienttogiveexerciseandamusementtoanOctogenaryrider。ThisistheestablishmentofanUniversity，onascalemorecomprehensive，andinacountrymorehealthyandcentralthanouroldWilliamandMary，whichtheseobstacleshavelongkeptinastateoflanguorandinefficiency。ButthetardinesswithwhichsuchworksproceedmayrenderitdoubtfulwhetherIshalllivetoseeitgointoaction。

Puttingasidethesethingshoweverforthepresent，Iwritethisletterasduetoafriendshipco-evalwithourgovernment，andnowattemptedtobepoisoned，whentoolateinlifetobereplacedbynewaffections。Ihadforsometimeobserved，inthepublicpapers，darkhintsandmysteriousinnuendoesofacorrespondenceofyourswithafriend，towhomyouhadopenedyourbosomwithoutreserve，andwhichwastobemadepublicbythatfriend，orhisrepresentative。

Andnowitissaidtobeactuallypublished。Ithasnotyetreachedus，butextractshavebeengiven，andsuchasseemedmostlikelytodrawacurtainofseparationbetweenyouandmyself。Weretherenoothermotivethanthatofindignationagainsttheauthorofthisoutrageonprivateconfidence，whoseshaftseemstohavebeenaimedatyourselfmoreparticularly，thiswouldmakeitthedutyofeveryhonorablemindtodisappointthataim，byopposingtoit’simpressionaseven-foldshieldofapathyandinsensibility。Withmehowevernosucharmourisneeded。Thecircumstancesofthetimes，inwhichwehavehappenedtolive，andthepartialityofourfriends，ataparticularperiod，placedusinastateofapparentopposition，whichsomemightsupposetobepersonalalso；andtheremightnotbewantingthosewhowish’dtomakeitso，byfillingourearswithmalignantfalsehoods，bydressinguphideousphantomsoftheirowncreation，presentingthemtoyouundermyname，tomeunderyour’s，andendeavoringtoinstillintoourmindsthingsconcerningeachotherthemostdestituteoftruth。Andiftherehadbeen，atanytime，amomentwhenwewereoffourguard，andinatempertoletthewhispersofthesepeoplemakeusforgetwhatwehadknownofeachotherforsomanyyears，andyearsofsomuchtrial，yetallmenwhohaveattendedtotheworkingsofthehumanmind，whohaveseenthefalsecoloursunderwhichpassionsometimesdressestheactionsandmotivesofothers，haveseenalsothesepassionssubsidingwithtimeandreflectio