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as　our　sister　States　have　done；　avail　ourselves　of　our　reason　and

experience；　to　correct　the　crude　essays　of　our　first　and

unexperienced；　although　wise；　virtuous；　and　well…meaning　councils。

And　lastly；　let　us　provide　in　our　constitution　for　its　revision　at

stated　periods。　　What　these　periods　should　be；　nature　herself

indicates。　　By　the　European　tables　of　mortality；　of　the　adults　living

at　any　one　moment　of　time；　a　majority　will　be　dead　in　about　nineteen

years。　　At　the　end　of　that　period；　then；　a　new　majority　is　come　into

place；　or；　in　other　words；　a　new　generation。　　Each　generation　is　as

independent　as　the　one　preceding；　as　that　was　of　all　which　had　gone

before。　　It　has　then；　like　them；　a　right　to　choose　for　itself　the

form　of　government　it　believes　most　promotive　of　its　own　happiness；

consequently；　to　accommodate　to　the　circumstances　in　which　it　finds

itself；　that　received　from　its　predecessors；　and　it　is　for　the　peace

and　good　of　mankind；　that　a　solemn　opportunity　of　doing　this　every

nineteen　or　twenty　years；　should　be　provided　by　the　constitution；　so

that　it　may　be　handed　on；　with　periodical　repairs；　from　generation　to

generation；　to　the　end　of　time；　if　anything　human　can　so　long　endure。

It　is　now　forty　years　since　the　constitution　of　Virginia　was　formed。

The　same　tables　inform　us；　that；　within　that　period；　two…thirds　of

the　adults　then　living　are　now　dead。　　Have　then　the　remaining　third；

even　if　they　had　the　wish；　the　right　to　hold　in　obedience　to　their

will；　and　to　laws　heretofore　made　by　them；　the　other　two…thirds；　who；

with　themselves；　compose　the　present　mass　of　adults？　　If　they　have

not；　who　has？　　The　dead？　　But　the　dead　have　no　rights。　　They　are

nothing；　and　nothing　cannot　own　something。　　Where　there　is　no

substance；　there　can　be　no　accident。　　This　corporeal　globe；　and

everything　upon　it；　belong　to　its　present　corporeal　inhabitants；

during　their　generation。　　They　alone　have　a　right　to　direct　what　is

the　concern　of　themselves　alone；　and　to　declare　the　law　of　that

direction；　and　this　declaration　can　only　be　made　by　their　majority。

That　majority；　then；　has　a　right　to　depute　representatives　to　a

convention；　and　to　make　the　constitution　what　they　think　will　be　the

best　for　themselves。　　But　how　collect　their　voice？　　This　is　the　real

difficulty。　　If　invited　by　private　authority；　or　county　or　district

meetings；　these　divisions　are　so　large　that　few　will　attend；　and

their　voice　will　be　imperfectly；　or　falsely　pronounced。　　Here；　then；

would　be　one　of　the　advantages　of　the　ward　divisions　I　have　proposed。

The　mayor　of　every　ward；　on　a　question　like　the　present；　would　call

his　ward　together；　take　the　simple　yea　or　nay　of　its　members；　convey

these　to　the　county　court；　who　would　hand　on　those　of　all　its　wards

to　the　proper　general　authority；　and　the　voice　of　the　whole　people

would　be　thus　fairly；　fully；　and　peaceably　expressed；　discussed；　and

decided　by　the　common　reason　of　the　society。　　If　this　avenue　be　shut

to　the　call　of　sufferance；　it　will　make　itself　heard　through　that　of

force；　and　we　shall　go　on；　as　other　nations　are　doing；　in　the　endless

circle　of　oppression；　rebellion；　reformation；　and　oppression；

rebellion；　reformation；　again；　and　so　on　forever。




　　　　　　　　These；　Sir；　are　my　opinions　of　the　governments　we　see　among

men；　and　of　the　principles　by　which　alone　we　may　prevent　our　own　from

falling　into　the　same　dreadful　track。　　I　have　given　them　at　greater

length　than　your　letter　called　for。　　But　I　cannot　say　things　by

halves；　and　I　confide　them　to　your　honor；　so　to　use　them　as　to

preserve　me　from　the　gridiron　of　the　public　papers。　　If　you　shall

approve　and　enforce　them；　as　you　have　done　that　of　equal

representation；　they　may　do　some　good。　　If　not；　keep　them　to　yourself

as　the　effusions　of　withered　age　and　useless　time。　　I　shall；　with　not

the　less　truth；　assure　you　of　my　great　respect　and　consideration。







　　　　　　　　〃NEVER　AN　INFIDEL；　IF　NEVER　A　PRIEST〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Mrs。　Samuel　H。　Smith_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　August　6；　1816_




　　　　　　　　I　have　received；　dear　Madam；　your　very　friendly　letter　of　July

21st；　and　assure　you　that　I　feel　with　deep　sensibility　its　kind

expressions　towards　myself；　and　the　more　as　from　a　person　than　whom

no　others　could　be　more　in　sympathy　with　my　own　affections。　　I　often

call　to　mind　the　occasions　of　knowing　your　worth；　which　the　societies

of　Washington　furnished；　and　none　more　than　those　derived　from　your

much　valued　visit　to　Monticello。　　I　recognize　the　same　motives　of

goodness　in　the　solicitude　you　express　on　the　rumor　supposed　to

proceed　from　a　letter　of　mine　to　Charles　Thomson；　on　the　subject　of

the　Christian　religion。　　It　is　true　that；　in　writing　to　the

translator　of　the　Bible　and　Testament；　that　subject　was　mentioned；

but　equally　so　that　no　adherence　to　any　particular　mode　of

Christianity　was　there　expressed；　nor　any　change　of　opinions

suggested。　　A　change　from　what？　the　priests　indeed　have　heretofore

thought　proper　to　ascribe　to　me　religious；　or　rather　anti…religious

sentiments；　of　their　own　fabric；　but　such　as　soothed　their

resentments　against　the　act　of　Virginia　for　establishing　religious

freedom。　　They　wished　him　to　be　thought　atheist；　deist；　or　devil；　who

could　advocate　freedom　from　their　religious　dictations。　　But　I　have

ever　thought　religion　a　concern　purely　between　our　God　and　our

consciences；　for　which　we　were　accountable　to　him；　and　not　to　the

priests。　　I　never　told　my　own　religion；　nor　scrutinized　that　of

another。　　I　never　attempted　to　make　a　convert；　nor　wished　to　change

another's　creed。　　I　have　ever　judged　of　the　religion　of　others　by

their　lives；　and　by　this　test；　my　dear　Madam；　I　have　been　satisfied

yours　must　be　an　excellent　one；　to　have　produced　a　life　of　such

exemplary　virtue　and　correctness。　　For　it　is　in　our　lives；　and　not

from　our　words；　that　our　religion　must　be　read。　　By　the　same　test　the

world　must　judge　me。　　But　this　does　not　satisfy　the　priesthood。　　They

must　have　a　positive；　a　declared　assent　to　all　their　interested

absurdities。　　My　opinion　is　that　there　would　never　have　been　an

infidel；　if　there　had　never　been　a　priest。　　The　artificial　structures

they　have　built　on　the　purest　of　all　moral　systems；　for　the　purpose

of　deriving　from　it　pence　and　power；　revolts　those　who　think　for

themselves；　and　who　read　in　that　system　only　what　is　really　there。

These；　therefore；　they　brand　with　such　nick…names　as　their　enmity

chooses　gratuitously　to　impute。　　I　have　left　the　world；　in　silence；

to　judge　of　causes　from　their　effects；　and　I　am　consoled　in　this

course；　my　dear　friend；　when　I　perceive　the　candor　with　which　I　am

judged　by　your　justice　and　discernment；　and　that；　notwithstanding　the

slanders　of　the　saints；　my　fellow　citizens　have　thought　me　worthy　of

trusts。　　The　imputations　of　irreligion　having　spent　their　force；　they

think　an　imputation　of　change　might　now　be　turned　to　account　as　a

holster　for　their　duperies。　　I　shall　leave　them；　as　heretofore；　to

grope　on　in　the　dark。




　

　　　　　　　　Our　family　at　Monticello　is　all　in　good　health；　Ellen　speaking

of　you　with　affection；　and　Mrs。　Randolph　always　regretting　the

accident　which　so　far　deprived　her　of　the　happiness　of　your　former

visit。　　She　still　cherishes　the　hope　of　some　future　renewal　of　that

kindness；　in　which　we　all　join　her；　as　in　the　assurances　of

affectionate　attachment　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　HORIZONTAL　PLOUGHING




　　　　　　　　_To　Tristam　Dalton_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　2；　1817_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　am　indebted　to　you　for　your　favor　of　Apr。　22；

and　for　the　copy　of　the　Agricultural　magazine　it　covered；　which　is

indeed　a　very　useful　work。　　While　I　was　an　amateur　in　Agricultural

science　（for　practical　knolege　my　course　of　life　never　permitted　me）

I　was　very　partial　to　the　drilled　husbandry　of　Tull；　and　thought

still　better　of　it　when　reformed　by　Young　to　12　rows。　　But　I　had　not

time　to　try　it　while　young；　and　now　grown　old　I　have　not　the

requisite　activity　either　of　body　or　mind。




　　　　　　　　With　respect　to　field　culture　of　vegetables　for　cattle；　instead

of　the　carrot　and　potato　recommended　by　yourself　and　the　magazine；　&

the　best　of　others；　we　find　the　Jerusalem　artichoke　best　for　winter；

&　the　Succory　for　Summer　use。　　This　last　was　brought　over　from　France

to　England　by　Arthur　Young；　as　you　will　see　in　his　travels　thro'

France；　&　some　of　the　seed　sent　by　him　to　Genl。　Washington；　who

spared　me　a　part　of　it。　　It　is　as　productive　as　the　Lucerne；　without

its　laborious　culture；　&　indeed　without　any　culture　except　the

keeping　it　clean　the　first　year。　　The　Jerusalem　artichoke　far　exceeds

the　potato　in　produce；　and　remains　in　the　ground　thro'　the　winter　to

be　dug　as　wanted。　　A　method　of　ploughing　over　hill　sides

horizontally；　introduced　into　the　most　hilly　part　of　our　country　by

Colo。　T。　M。　Randolph；　my　son　in　law；　may　be　worth　mentioning　to　you。

He　has　practised　it　a　dozen　or　15　years；　and　it's　advantages　were　so

immediately　observed　that　it　has　already　become　very　general；　and　has

entirely　changed　and　renovated　the　face　of　our　country。　　Every　rain；

before　that；　while　it　gave　a　temporary　refreshment；　did　permanent

evil　by　carrying　off　our　soil：　and　fields　were　no　sooner　cleared　than

wasted。　　At　present　we　may　say　that　we　lose　none　of　our　soil；　the

rain　not　absorbed　in　the　moment　of　it's　fall　being　retained　in　the

hollows　between　the　beds　until　it　can　be　absorbed。　　Our　practice　is

when　we　first　enter　on　this　process；　with　a　rafter　level　of　10　f。

span；　to　lay　off　guide　lines　conducted　horizontally　around　the　hill

or　valley　from　one　end　to　the　other　of　the　field；　and　about　30　yards

apart。　　The　steps　of　the　level　on　the　ground　are　marked　by　a　stroke

of　a　hoe；　and　immediately　followed　by　a　plough　to　preserve　the　trace。

A　man　or　a　lad；　with　the　level；　and　two　small　boys；　the　one　with

sticks；　the　other　with　the　hoe；　will　do　an　acre　of　this　in　an　hour；

and　when　once　done