LETTERS

第116章

试读中

第116章

LETTERS Thomas Jefferson

后面的故事,去 App 接着看,下载后搜索书名即可继续阅读。

LETTERS
阅读主题
字体大小

  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,thatprofessionthenurseryofourCongressbegantoslideintotoryism,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,soldreadilyforfromfiftytoonehundreddollarstheacre,andsuchsalesweremanythen,wouldnotnowsellformorethanfromtentotwentydollars,orone-quarterorone-fifthofitsformerprice。Reflectingonthesethings,thepracticeoccurredtome,ofselling,onfairvaluation,andbywayoflottery,oftenresortedtobeforetheRevolutiontoeffectlargesales,andstillinconstantusageineveryStateforindividualaswellascorporationpurposes。Ifitispermittedinmycase,mylandsherealone,withthemills,&c。,willpayeverything,andleavemeMonticelloandafarmfree。Ifrefused,Imustselleverythinghere,perhapsconsiderablyinBedford,movethitherwithmyfamily,whereI

  havenotevenaloghuttoputmyheadinto,andwhethergroundforburial,willdependonthedepredationswhich,undertheformofsales,shallhavebeencommittedonmyproperty。Thequestionthenwithmewas_ultrumhorum_?Butwhyafflictyouwiththesedetails?

  Indeed,Icannottell,unlesspainsarelessenedbycommunicationwithafrt,which,withmyown,wasabsorbingsomuchofmyannualincome,asthatthemaintenanceofmyfamilywasmakingdeepandrapidinroadsonmycapital,andhadalreadydoneit。Still,salesatafairpricewouldleavemecompetentlyprovided。Hadcropsandpricesforseveralyearsbeensuchastomaintainasteadycompetitionofsubstantialbiddersatmarket,allwouldhavebeensafe。Butthelongsuccessionofyearsofstuntedcrops,ofreducedprices,thegeneralprostrationofthefarmingbusiness,underleviesforthesupportofmanufactures,&c。,withthecalamitousfluctuationsofvalueinourpapermedium,havekeptagricultureinastateofabjectdepression,whichhaspeopledthewesternStatesbysilentlybreakingupthoseontheAtlantic,andgluttedthelandmarket,whileitdrewoffitsbidders。Insuchastateofthings,propertyhaslostitscharacterofbeingaresourcefordebts。

后续内容在 App 继续看

精彩内容未完,打开 App 继续阅读

后面的故事已为你准备好,下载 App 后搜索“LETTERS”即可继续阅读这一章。