- Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, Paris, 13 Nov. 1787
"I do not know whether it is to yourself or
Mr. Adams I am to give my thanks for the copy of the new constitution. I beg
leave through you to place them where due. It will be yet three weeks before I
shall receive them from America. There are very good articles in it: and very
bad. I do not know which preponderate. What we have lately read in the history
of Holland, in the chapter on the Stadtholder, would have sufficed to set me
against a Chief magistrate eligible for a long duration, if I had ever been
disposed towards one: and what we have always read of the elections of Polish
kings should have forever excluded the idea of one continuable for life.
Wonderful is the effect of impudent and persevering lying. The British ministry
have so long hired their gazetteers to repeat and model into every form lies
about our being in anarchy, that the world has at length believed them, the
English nation has believed them, the ministers themselves have come to believe
them, and what is more wonderful, we have believed them ourselves. Yet where
does this anarchy exist? Where did it ever exist, except in the single instance
of Massachusets? And can history produce an instance of a rebellion so honourably
conducted? I say nothing of it's motives. They were founded in ignorance, not
wickedness. God forbid we should ever be 20. years without such a rebellion.
The people can not be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong
will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they
misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy,
the forerunner of death to the public liberty. We have had 13. states
independant 11. years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one
rebellion in a century and a half for each state. What country ever existed a
century and a half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve it's
liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people
preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set
them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost
in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be
refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's
natural manure. Our Convention has been too much impressed by the insurrection
of Massachusets: and in the spur of the moment they are setting up a kite to
keep the hen yard in order. I hope in god this article will be rectified before
the new constitution is accepted."
ps: (note from TheFundamentals) the Convention failed to rectify Tom’s
concern. Can you determine the "concern" after reading this letter? More about Tom's "concern" on Friday.
1 comment:
His concern is the press spoon feeding the masses with self serving dribble.
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