第116章

ImmediatelyonseeingtheoverwhelmingvoteoftheHouseofRepresentativesagainstgivingusanotherdollar，IrodetotheUniversityanddesiredMr。Brockenbroughtoengageinnothingnew，tostopeverythingonhandwhichcouldbedonewithout，andtoemployallhisforceandfundsinfinishingthecircularroomforthebooks，andtheanatomicaltheatre。Thesecannotbedonewithout；andfortheseandallourdebtswehavefundsenough。ButIthinkitprudentthentoclearthedecksthoroughly，toseehowweshallstand，andwhatwemayaccomplishfurther。Inthemeantime，therehavearrivedforusindifferentportsoftheUnitedStates，tenboxesofbooksfromParis，sevenfromLondon，andfromGermanyIknownothowmany；

inall，perhaps，abouttwenty-fiveboxes。Notoneofthesecanbeopeneduntilthebook-roomiscompletelyfinished，andalltheshelvesreadytoreceivetheirchargedirectlyfromtheboxesastheyshallbeopened。ThiscannotbetillMay。IhearnothingdefiniteofthethreethousanddollarsdutyofwhichweareaskingtheremissionfromCongress。IntheselectionofourLawProfessor，wemustberigorouslyattentivetohispoliticalprinciples。Youwillrecollectthatbeforetherevolution，CokeLittletonwastheuniversalelementarybookoflawstudents，andasounderwhigneverwrote，norofprofounderlearningintheorthodoxdoctrinesoftheBritishconstitution，orinwhatwerecalledEnglishliberties。Yourememberalsothatourlawyerswerethenallwhigs。Butwhenhisblack-lettertext，anduncouthbutcunninglearninggotoutoffashion，andthehoniedMansfieldismofBlackstonebecamethestudent’shornbook，fromthatmoment，thatprofession(thenurseryofourCongress)begantoslideintotoryism，andnearlyalltheyoungbroodoflawyersnowareofthathue。Theysupposethemselves，indeed，tobewhigs，becausetheynolongerknowwhatwhigismorrepublicanismmeans。Itisinourseminarythatthatvestalflameistobekeptalive；itisthenceitistospreadanewoverourownandthesisterStates。Ifwearetrueandvigilantinourtrust，withinadozenortwentyyearsamajorityofourownlegislaturewillbefromoneschool，andmanydiscipleswillhavecarrieditsdoctrineshomewiththemtotheirseveralStates，andwillhaveleavenedthusthewholemass。NewYorkhastakenstronggroundinvindicationoftheconstitution；SouthCarolinahadalreadydonethesame。AlthoughIwasagainstourleading，Iamequallyagainstomittingtofollowinthesameline，andbackingthemfirmly；andIhopethatyourselforsomeotherwillmarkoutthetracktobepursuedbyus。

Youwillhaveseeninthenewspaperssomeproceedingsinthelegislature，whichhavecostmemuchmortification。Myowndebtshadbecomeconsiderable，butnotbeyondtheeffectofsomeloppingofproperty，whichwouldhavebeenlittlefelt，whenourfriendNicholasgavemethe_coupdegrace_。EversincethatIhavebeenpayingtwelvehundreddollarsayearinterestonhisdebt，which，withmyown，wasabsorbingsomuchofmyannualincome，asthatthemaintenanceofmyfamilywasmakingdeepandrapidinroadsonmycapital，andhadalreadydoneit。Still，salesatafairpricewouldleavemecompetentlyprovided。Hadcropsandpricesforseveralyearsbeensuchastomaintainasteadycompetitionofsubstantialbiddersatmarket，allwouldhavebeensafe。Butthelongsuccessionofyearsofstuntedcrops，ofreducedprices，thegeneralprostrationofthefarmingbusiness，underleviesforthesupportofmanufactures，&c。，withthecalamitousfluctuationsofvalueinourpapermedium，havekeptagricultureinastateofabjectdepression，whichhaspeopledthewesternStatesbysilentlybreakingupthoseontheAtlantic，andgluttedthelandmarket，whileitdrewoffitsbidders。Insuchastateofthings，propertyhaslostitscharacterofbeingaresourcefordebts。HighlandinBedford，which，inthedaysofourplethory，soldr