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　　　　　　　　〃A　REAL　CHRISTIAN〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Charles　Thomson_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　January　9；　1816_




　　　　　　　　MY　DEAR　AND　ANCIENT　FRIEND；　　An　acquaintance　of　fifty…two

years；　for　I　think　ours　dates　from　1764；　calls　for　an　interchange　of

notice　now　and　then；　that　we　remain　in　existence；　the　monuments　of

another　age；　and　examples　of　a　friendship　unaffected　by　the　jarring

elements　by　which　we　have　been　surrounded；　of　revolutions　of

government；　of　party　and　of　opinion。　　I　am　reminded　of　this　duty　by

the　receipt；　through　our　friend　Dr。　Patterson；　of　your　synopsis　of

the　four　Evangelists。　　I　had　procured　it　as　soon　as　I　saw　it

advertised；　and　had　become　familiar　with　its　use；　but　this　copy　is

the　more　valued　as　it　comes　from　your　hand。　　This　work　bears　the

stamp　of　that　accuracy　which　marks　everything　from　you；　and　will　be

useful　to　those　who；　not　taking　things　on　trust；　recur　for　themselves

to　the　fountain　of　pure　morals。　　I；　too；　have　made　a　wee…little　book

from　the　same　materials；　which　I　call　the　Philosophy　of　Jesus；　it　is

a　paradigma　of　his　doctrines；　made　by　cutting　the　texts　out　of　the

book；　and　arranging　them　on　the　pages　of　a　blank　book；　in　a　certain

order　of　time　or　subject。　　A　more　beautiful　or　precious　morsel　of

ethics　I　have　never　seen；　it　is　a　document　in　proof　that　_I_　am　a

_real　Christian_；　that　is　to　say；　a　disciple　of　the　doctrines　of

Jesus；　very　different　from　the　Platonists；　who　call　_me_　infidel　and

_themselves_　Christians　and　preachers　of　the　gospel；　while　they　draw

all　their　characteristic　dogmas　from　what　its　author　never　said　nor

saw。　　They　have　compounded　from　the　heathen　mysteries　a　system　beyond

the　comprehension　of　man；　of　which　the　great　reformer　of　the　vicious

ethics　and　deism　of　the　Jews；　were　he　to　return　on　earth；　would　not

recognize　one　feature。　　If　I　had　time　I　would　add　to　my　little　book

the　Greek；　Latin　and　French　texts；　in　columns　side　by　side。　　And　I

wish　I　could　subjoin　a　translation　of　Gosindi's　Syntagma　of　the

doctrines　of　Epicurus；　which；　notwithstanding　the　calumnies　of　the

Stoics　and　caricatures　of　Cicero；　is　the　most　rational　system

remaining　of　the　philosophy　of　the　ancients；　as　frugal　of　vicious

indulgence；　and　fruitful　of　virtue　as　the　hyperbolical　extravagances

of　his　rival　sects。




　　　　　　　　I　retain　good　health；　am　rather　feeble　to　walk　much；　but　ride

with　ease；　passing　two　or　three　hours　a　day　on　horseback；　and　every

three　or　four　months　taking　in　a　carriage　a　journey　of　ninety　miles

to　a　distant　possession；　where　I　pass　a　good　deal　of　my　time。　　My

eyes　need　the　aid　of　glasses　by　night；　and　with　small　print　in　the

day　also；　my　hearing　is　not　quite　so　sensible　as　it　used　to　be；　no

tooth　shaking　yet；　but　shivering　and　shrinking　in　body　from　the　cold

we　now　experience；　my　thermometer　having　been　as　low　as　12　degrees

this　morning。　　My　greatest　oppression　is　a　correspondence

afflictingly　laborious；　the　extent　of　which　I　have　been　long

endeavoring　to　curtail。　　This　keeps　me　at　the　drudgery　of　the

writing…table　all　the　prime　hours　of　the　day；　leaving　for　the

gratification　of　my　appetite　for　reading；　only　what　I　can　steal　from

the　hours　of　sleep。　　Could　I　reduce　this　epistolary　corvee　within　the

limits　of　my　friends　and　affairs；　and　give　the　time　redeemed　from　it

to　reading　and　reflection；　to　history；　ethics；　mathematics；　my　life

would　be　as　happy　as　the　infirmities　of　age　would　admit；　and　I　should

look　on　its　consummation　with　the　composure　of　one　_〃qui　summum　nec

me　tuit　diem　nec　optat。〃_




　　　　　　　　So　much　as　to　myself；　and　I　have　given　you　this　string　of

egotisms　in　the　hope　of　drawing　a　similar　one　from　yourself。　　I　have

heard　from　others　that　you　retain　your　health；　a　good　degree　of

activity；　and　all　the　vivacity　and　cheerfulness　of　your　mind；　but　I

wish　to　learn　it　more　minutely　from　yourself。　　How　has　time　affected

your　health　and　spirits？　　What　are　your　amusements；　literary　and

social？　　Tell　me　everything　about　yourself；　because　all　will　be

interesting　to　me　who　retains　for　you　ever　the　same　constant　and

affectionate　friendship　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　YOUR　PROPHECY　AND　MINE




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　Jan。　11；　1816_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR　　Of　the　last　five　months　I　have　past　four　at　my

other　domicil；　for　such　it　is　in　a　considerable　degree。　　No　letters

are　forwarded　to　me　there；　because　the　cross　post　to　that　place　is

circuitous　and　uncertain。　　During　my　absence　therefore　they　are

accumulating　here；　and　awaiting　acknolegments。　　This　has　been　the

fate　of　your　favor　of　Nov。　13。




　　　　　　　　I　agree　with　you　in　all　it's　eulogies　on　the　18th。　century。　　It

certainly　witnessed　the　sciences　and　arts；　manners　and　morals；

advanced　to　a　higher　degree　than　the　world　had　ever　before　seen。　　And

might　we　not　go　back　to　the　aera　of　the　Borgias；　by　which　time　the

barbarous　ages　had　reduced　national　morality　to　it's　lowest　point　of

depravity；　and　observe　that　the　arts　and　sciences；　rising　from　that

point；　advanced　gradually　thro'　all　the　16th。　17th。　and　18th。

centuries；　softening　and　correcting　the　manners　and　morals　of　man？　　I

think　too　we　may　add；　to　the　great　honor　of　science　and　the　arts；

that　their　natural　effect　is；　by　illuminating　public　opinion；　to

erect　it　into　a　Censor；　before　which　the　most　exalted　tremble　for

their　future；　as　well　as　present　fame。　　With　some　exceptions　only；

through　the　17th。　and　18th。　centuries　morality　occupied　an　honorable

chapter　in　the　political　code　of　nations。　　You　must　have　observed

while　in　Europe；　as　I　thought　I　did；　that　those　who　administered　the

governments　of　the　greater　powers　at　least；　had　a　respect　to　faith；

and　considered　the　dignity　of　their　government　as　involved　in　it's

integrity。　　A　wound　indeed　was　inflicted　on　this　character　of　honor

in　the　18th。　century　by　the　partition　of　Poland。　　But　this　was　the

atrocity　of　a　barbarous　government　chiefly；　in　conjunction　with　a

smaller　one　still　scrambling　to　become　great；　while　one　only　of　those

already　great；　and　having　character　to　lose；　descended　to　the

baseness　of　an　accomplice　in　the　crime。　　France；　England；　Spain

shared　in　it　only　inasmuch　as　they　stood　aloof　and　permitted　it's

perpetration。　　How　then　has　it　happened　that　these　nations；　France

especially　and　England；　so　great；　so　dignified；　so　distinguished　by

science　and　the　arts；　plunged　at　once　into　all　the　depths　of　human

enormity；　threw　off　suddenly　and　openly　all　the　restraints　of

morality；　all　sensation　to　character；　and　unblushingly　avowed　and

acted　on　the　principle　that　power　was　right？　　Can　this　sudden

apostacy　from　national　rectitude　be　accounted　for？　　The　treaty　of

Pilnitz　seems　to　have　begun　it；　suggested　perhaps　by　the　baneful

precedent　of　Poland。　　Was　it　from　the　terror　of　monarchs；　alarmed　at

the　light　returning　on　them　from　the　West；　and　kindling　a　Volcano

under　their　thrones？　　Was　it　a　combination　to　extinguish　that　light；

and　to　bring　back；　as　their　best　auxiliaries；　those　enumerated　by

you；　the　Sorbonne；　the　Inquisition；　the　Index　expurgatorius；　and　the

knights　of　Loyola？　　Whatever　it　was；　the　close　of　the　century　saw　the

moral　world　thrown　back　again　to　the　age　of　the　Borgias；　to　the　point

from　which　it　had　departed　300。　years　before。　　France；　after　crushing

and　punishing　the　conspiracy　of　Pilnitz；　went　herself　deeper　and

deeper　into　the　crimes　she　had　been　chastising。　　I　say　France；　and

not　Bonaparte；　for　altho'　he　was　the　head　and　mouth；　the　nation

furnished　the　hands　which　executed　his　enormities。　　England；　altho'

in　opposition；　kept　full　pace　with　France；　not　indeed　by　the　manly

force　of　her　own　arms；　but　by　oppressing　the　weak；　and　bribing　the

strong。　　At　length　the　whole　choir　joined　and　divided　the　weaker

nations　among　them。　　Your　prophecies　to　Dr。　Price　proved　truer　than

mine；　and　yet　fell　short　of　the　fact；　for　instead　of　a　million；　the

destruction　of　8。　or　10。　millions　of　human　beings　has　probably　been

the　effect　of　these　convulsions。　　I　did　not；　in　89。　believe　they

would　have　lasted　so　long；　nor　have　cost　so　much　blood。　　But　altho'

your　prophecy　has　proved　true　so　far；　I　hope　it　does　not　preclude　a

better　final　result。　　That　same　light　from　our　West　seems　to　have

spread　and　illuminated　the　very　engines　employed　to　extinguish　it。

It　has　given　them　a　glimmering　of　their　rights　and　their　power。　　The

idea　of　representative　government　has　taken　root　and　growth　among

them。　　Their　masters　feel　it；　and　are　saving　themselves　by　timely

offers　of　this　modification　of　their　own　powers。　　Belguim；　Prussia；

Poland；　Lombardy　etc。　are　now　offered　a　representative　organization：

illusive　probably　at　first；　but　it　will　grow　into　power　in　the　end。

Opinion　is　power；　and　that　opinion　will　come。　　Even　France　will　yet

attain　representative　government。　　You　observe　it　makes　the　basis　of

every　constitution　which　has　been　demanded　or　offered：　of　that

demanded　by　their　Senate；　of　that　offered　by　Bonaparte；　and　of　that

granted　by　Louis　XVIII。　　The　idea　then　is　rooted；　and　will　be

established；　altho'　rivers　of　blood　may　yet　flow　between　them　and

their　object。　　The　allied　armies　now　couching　upon　them　are　first　to

be　destroyed；　and　destroyed　they　will　surely　be。　　A　nation　united　can

never　be　conquered。　　We　have　seen　what　the　ignorant　bigotted　and

unarmed　Spaniards　could　do　against　the　disciplined　veterans　of　their

invaders。　　What　then　may　we　not　expect　from　the　power　and　character

of　the　French　nation？　　The　oppressors　may　cut　off　heads　after　heads；

but　like　those　of　the　Hydra；　they　multiply　at　every　stroke。　　The

recruits　within　a　nation's　own　limits　are　prompt　and　without　number；

while　those　of　their　invaders　from　a　distance　are　slow；　limited；　and

must　come　to　an　end。　　I　think　too　we　percieve　that　all　these　allies

do　not　see　the　same　interest　in　the　annihilation　of　the　power　of

France。　　There　are　certainly　some　symptoms　of　foresight　in　Alexander

that　France　might　produc