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。