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holding　my　pen。　　Botany；　Chemistry；　Zoology；　Anatomy；　Surgery；

Medicine；　Natl　Philosophy；　Agriculture；　Mathematics；　Astronomy；

Geology；　Geography；　Politics；　Commerce；　History；　Ethics；　Law；　Arts；

Finearts。　　This　list　is　imperfect　because　I　make　it　hastily；　and

because　I　am　unequal　to　the　subject。　　It　is　evident　that　some　of

these　articles　are　too　much　for　one　professor　&　must　therefore　be

ramified；　others　may　be　ascribed　in　groups　to　a　single　professor。

This　is　the　difficult　part　of　the　work；　&　requires　a　head　perfectly

knowing　the　extent　of　each　branch；　&　the　limits　within　which　it　may

be　circumscribed；　so　as　to　bring　the　whole　within　the　powers　of　the

fewest　professors　possible；　&　consequently　within　the　degree　of

expence　practicable　for　us。　　We　should　propose　that　the　professors

follow　no　other　calling；　so　that　their　whole　time　may　be　given　to

their　academical　functions；　and　we　should　propose　to　draw　from　Europe

the　first　characters　in　science；　by　considerable　temptations；　which

would　not　need　to　be　repeated　after　the　first　set　should　have

prepared　fit　successors　&　given　reputation　to　the　institution。　　From

some　splendid　characters　I　have　received　offers　most　perfectly

reasonable　&　practicable。




　　　　　　　　I　do　not　propose　to　give　you　all　this　trouble　merely　of　my　own

head；　that　would　be　arrogance。　　It　has　been　the　subject　of

consultation　among　the　ablest　and　highest　characters　of　our　State；

who　only　wait　for　a　plan　to　make　a　joint　&　I　hope　successful　effort

to　get　the　thing　carried　into　effect。　　They　will　receive　your　ideas

with　the　greatest　deference　&　thankfulness。　　We　shall　be　here

certainly　for　two　months　to　come；　but　should　you　not　have　leisure　to

think　of　it　before　Congress　adjourns；　it　will　come　safely　to　me

afterwards　by　post；　the　nearest　post　office　being　Milton。




　　　　　　　　Will　not　the　arrival　of　Dupont　tempt　you　to　make　a　visit　to

this　quarter？　　I　have　no　doubt　the　alarmists　are　already　whetting

their　shafts　for　him　also；　but　their　glass　is　nearly　run　out；　and　the

day　I　believe　is　approaching　when　we　shall　be　as　free　to　pursue　what

is　true　wisdom　as　the　effects　of　their　follies　will　permit；　for　some

of　them　we　shall　be　forced　to　wade　through　because　we　are　emerged　in

them。




　　　　　　　　Wishing　you　that　pure　happiness　which　your　pursuits　and

circumstances　offer；　and　which　I　am　sure　you　are　too　wise　to　suffer　a

diminution　of　by　the　pigmy　assaults　made　on　you；　and　with　every

sentiment　of　affectionate　esteem　&　respect；　I　am；　dear　Sir；　your　most

humble；　and　most　obedient　servant。







　　　　　　　　〃A　SUBLIME　LUXURY〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Joseph　Priestley_

　　　　　　　　_Philadelphia；　Jan。　27；　1800_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　In　my　letter　of　the　18th；　I　omitted　to　say　any

thing　of　the　languages　as　part　of　our　proposed　university。　　It　was

not　that　I　think；　as　some　do；　that　they　are　useless。　　I　am　of　a　very

different　opinion。　　I　do　not　think　them　essential　to　the　obtaining

eminent　degrees　of　science；　but　I　think　them　very　useful　towards　it。

I　suppose　there　is　a　portion　of　life　during　which　our　faculties　are

ripe　enough　for　this；　&　for　nothing　more　useful。　　I　think　the　Greeks

&　Romans　have　left　us　the　present　models　which　exist　of　fine

composition；　whether　we　examine　them　as　works　of　reason；　or　of　style

&　fancy；　and　to　them　we　probably　owe　these　characteristics　of　modern

composition。　　I　know　of　no　composition　of　any　other　antient　people；

which　merits　the　least　regard　as　a　model　for　it's　matter　or　style。

To　all　this　I　add；　that　to　read　the　Latin　&　Greek　authors　in　their

original；　is　a　sublime　luxury；　and　I　deem　luxury　in　science　to　be　at

least　as　justifiable　as　in　architecture；　painting；　gardening；　or　the

other　arts。　　I　enjoy　Homer　in　his　own　language　infinitely　beyond

Pope's　translation　of　him；　&　both　beyond　the　dull　narrative　of　the

same　events　by　Dares　Phrygius；　&　it　is　an　innocent　enjoyment。　　I

thank　on　my　knees；　him　who　directed　my　early　education；　for　having

put　into　my　possession　this　rich　source　of　delight；　and　I　would　not

exchange　it　for　anything　which　I　could　then　have　acquired；　&　have　not

since　acquired。　　With　this　regard　for　those　languages；　you　will

acquit　me　of　meaning　to　omit　them。　　About　20。　years　ago；　I　drew　a

bill　for　our　legislature；　which　proposed　to　lay　off　every　county　into

hundreds　or　townships　of　5。　or　6。　miles　square；　in　the　centre　of　each

of　which　was　to　be　a　free　English　school；　the　whole　state　was　further

laid　off　into　10。　districts；　in　each　of　which　was　to　be　a　college　for

teaching　the　languages；　geography；　surveying；　and　other　useful　things

of　that　grade；　and　then　a　single　University　for　the　sciences。　　It　was

received　with　enthusiasm；　but　as　I　had　proposed　that　Wm　&　Mary；　under

an　improved　form；　should　be　the　University；　&　that　was　at　that　time

pretty　highly　Episcopal；　the　dissenters　after　a　while　began　to

apprehend　some　secret　design　of　a　preference　to　that　sect　and　nothing

could　then　be　done。　　About　3。　years　ago　they　enacted　that　part　of　my

bill　which　related　to　English　schools；　except　that　instead　of

obliging；　they　left　it　optional　in　the　court　of　every　county　to　carry

it　into　execution　or　not。　　I　think　it　probable　the　part　of　the　plan

for　the　middle　grade　of　education；　may　also　be　brought　forward　in　due

time。　　In　the　meanwhile；　we　are　not　without　a　sufficient　number　of

good　country　schools；　where　the　languages；　geography；　&　the　first

elements　of　Mathematics；　are　taught。　　Having　omitted　this　information

in　my　former　letter；　I　thought　it　necessary　now　to　supply　it；　that

you　might　know　on　what　base　your　superstructure　was　to　be　reared。　　I

have　a　letter　from　M。　Dupont；　since　his　arrival　at　N。　York；　dated　the

20th；　in　which　he　says　he　will　be　in　Philadelphia　within　about　a

fortnight　from　that　time；　but　only　on　a　visit。　　How　much　would　it

delight　me　if　a　visit　from　you　at　the　same　time；　were　to　shew　us　two

such　illustrious　foreigners　embracing　each　other　in　my　country；　as

the　asylum　for　whatever　is　great　&　good。　　Pardon；　I　pray　you；　the

temporary　delirium　which　has　been　excited　here；　but　which　is　fast

passing　away。　　The　Gothic　idea　that　we　are　to　look　backwards　instead

of　forwards　for　the　improvement　of　the　human　mind；　and　to　recur　to

the　annals　of　our　ancestors　for　what　is　most　perfect　in　government；

in　religion　&　in　learning；　is　worthy　of　those　bigots　in　religion　&

government；　by　whom　it　has　been　recommended；　&　whose　purposes　it

would　answer。　　But　it　is　not　an　idea　which　this　country　will　endure；

and　the　moment　of　their　showing　it　is　fast　ripening；　and　the　signs　of

it　will　be　their　respect　for　you；　&　growing　detestation　of　those　who

have　dishonored　our　country　by　endeavors　to　disturb　our　tranquility

in　it。　　No　one　has　felt　this　with　more　sensibility　than；　my　dear　Sir；

your　respectful　&　affectionate　friend　&　servant。







　　　　　　　　THE　18TH　BRUMAIRE




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Breckinridge_

　　　　　　　　_Philadelphia；　Jan。　29；　1800_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　the　13th　has　been　duly　received；　as

had　been　that　containing　the　resolutions　of　your　legislature　on　the

subject　of　the　former　resolutions。　　I　was　glad　to　see　the　subject

taken　up；　and　done　with　so　much　temper；　firmness　and　propriety。　　From

the　reason　of　the　thing　I　cannot　but　hope　that　the　Western　country

will　be　laid　off　into　a　separate　Judiciary　district。　　From　what　I

recollect　of　the　dispositions　on　the　same　subject　at　the　last

session；　I　should　expect　that　the　partiality　to　a　general　&　uniform

system　would　yield　to　geographical　&　physical　impracticabilities。　　I

was　once　a　great　advocate　for　introducing　into　chancery　viva　voce

testimony；　&　trial　by　jury。　　I　am　still　so　as　to　the　latter；　but　have

retired　from　the　former　opinion　on　the　information　received　from　both

your　state　&　ours；　that　it　worked　inconveniently。　　I　introduced　it

into　the　Virginia　law；　but　did　not　return　to　the　bar；　so　as　to　see

how　it　answered。　　But　I　do　not　understand　how　the　viva　voce

examination　comes　to　be　practiced　in　the　Federal　court　with　you；　&

not　in　your　own　courts；　the　Federal　courts　being　decided　by　law　to

proceed　&　decide　by　the　laws　of　the　states。




　　　　　　　　A　great　revolution　has　taken　place　at　Paris。　　The　people　of

that　country　having　never　been　in　the　habit　of　self…government；　are

not　yet　in　the　habit　of　acknoleging　that　fundamental　law　of　nature；

by　which　alone　self　government　can　be　exercised　by　a　society；　I　mean

the　_lex　majoris　partis_。　　Of　the　sacredness　of　this　law；　our

countrymen　are　impressed　from　their　cradle；　so　that　with　them　it　is

almost　innate。　　This　single　circumstance　may　possibly　decide　the　fate

of　the　two　nations。　　One　party　appears　to　have　been　prevalent　in　the

Directory　&　council　of　500。　the　other　in　the　council　of　antients。

Sieyes　&　Ducos；　the　minority　in　the　Directory；　not　being　able　to

carry　their　points　there　seem　to　have　gained　over　Buonaparte；　&

associating　themselves　with　the　majority　of　the　Council　of　antients；

have　expelled　（*）　120。　odd　members　the　most　obnoxious　of　the　minority

of　the　Elders；　&　of　the　majority　of　the　council　of　500。　so　as　to　give

themselves　a　majority　in　the　latter　council　also。　　They　have

established　Buonaparte；　Sieyes　&　Ducos　into　an　executive；　or　rather

Dictatorial　consulate；　given　them　a　committee　of　between　20。　&　30。

from　each　council；　&　have　adjourned　to　the　20th　of　Feb。　　Thus　the

Constitution　of　the　3d　year　which　was　getting　consistency　&　firmness

from　time　is　demolished　in　an　instant；　and　nothing　is　said　about　a

new　one。　　How　the　nation　will　bear　it　is　yet　unknown。　　Had　the

Consuls　been　put　to　death　in　the　first　tumult　&　before　the　nation　had

time　to　take　sides；　the　Directory　&　councils　might　have　reestablished

themselves　on　the　spot。　　But　that　not　being　done；　perhaps　it　is　now

to　be　wished　that　Buonaparte　may　be　spared；　as；　according　to　his

protestations；　he　is　for　liberty；　equality　&　representative

government；　and　he　is　more　able　to　keep　the　nation　together