part19-第2章

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will　have　more　worldly　wisdom；　and　enough；　I　hope；　to　know　that

honesty　is　the　first　chapter　in　the　book　of　wisdom。　　I　have　made　a

great　exertion　to　write　you　thus　much；　my　antipathy　to　taking　up　a

pen　being　so　intense　that　I　have　never　given　you　a　stronger　proof；

than　in　the　effort　of　writing　a　letter；　how　much　I　value　you；　and　of

the　superlative　respect　and　friendship　with　which　I　salute　you。







　　　　　　　　HABITS　OF　〃A　HARD　STUDENT〃




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Vine　Utley_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　March　21；　1819_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　February　the　18th　came　to　hand　on　the

1st　instant；　and　the　request　of　the　history　of　my　physical　habits

would　have　puzzled　me　not　a　little；　had　it　not　been　for　the　model

with　which　you　accompanied　it；　of　Doctor　Rush's　answer　to　a　similar

inquiry。　　I　live　so　much　like　other　people；　that　I　might　refer　to

ordinary　life　as　the　history　of　my　own。　　Like　my　friend　the　Doctor；　I

have　lived　temperately；　eating　little　animal　food；　and　that　not　as　an

aliment；　so　much　as　a　condiment　for　the　vegetables；　which　constitute

my　principal　diet。　　I　double；　however；　the　Doctor's　glass　and　a　half

of　wine；　and　even　treble　it　with　a　friend；　but　halve　its　effects　by

drinking　the　weak　wines　only。　　The　ardent　wines　I　cannot　drink；　nor

do　I　use　ardent　spirits　in　any　form。　　Malt　liquors　and　cider　are　my

table　drinks；　and　my　breakfast；　like　that　also　of　my　friend；　is　of

tea　and　coffee。　　I　have　been　blest　with　organs　of　digestion　which

accept　and　concoct；　without　ever　murmuring；　whatever　the　palate

chooses　to　consign　to　them；　and　I　have　not　yet　lost　a　tooth　by　age。

I　was　a　hard　student　until　I　entered　on　the　business　of　life；　the

duties　of　which　leave　no　idle　time　to　those　disposed　to　fulfil　them；

and　now；　retired；　and　at　the　age　of　seventy…six；　I　am　again　a　hard

student。　　Indeed；　my　fondness　for　reading　and　study　revolts　me　from

the　drudgery　of　letter　writing。　　And　a　stiff　wrist；　the　consequence

of　an　early　dislocation；　makes　writing　both　slow　and　painful。　　I　am

not　so　regular　in　my　sleep　as　the　Doctor　says　he　was；　devoting　to　it

from　five　to　eight　hours；　according　as　my　company　or　the　book　I　am

reading　interests　me；　and　I　never　go　to　bed　without　an　hour；　or　half

hour's　previous　reading　of　something　moral；　whereon　to　ruminate　in

the　intervals　of　sleep。　　But　whether　I　retire　to　bed　early　or　late；　I

rise　with　the　sun。　　I　use　spectacles　at　night；　but　not　necessarily　in

the　day；　unless　in　reading　small　print。　　My　hearing　is　distinct　in

particular　conversation；　but　confused　when　several　voices　cross　each

other；　which　unfits　me　for　the　society　of　the　table。　　I　have　been

more　fortunate　than　my　friend　in　the　article　of　health。　　So　free　from

catarrhs　that　I　have　not　had　one；　（in　the　breast；　I　mean）　on　an

average　of　eight　or　ten　years　through　life。　　I　ascribe　this　exemption

partly　to　the　habit　of　bathing　my　feet　in　cold　water　every　morning；

for　sixty　years　past。　　A　fever　of　more　than　twenty…four　hours　I　have

not　had　above　two　or　three　times　in　my　life。　　A　periodical　headache

has　afflicted　me　occasionally；　once；　perhaps；　in　six　or　eight　years；

for　two　or　three　weeks　at　a　time；　which　seems　now　to　have　left　me；

and　except　on　a　late　occasion　of　indisposition；　I　enjoy　good　health；

too　feeble；　indeed；　to　walk　much；　but　riding　without　fatigue　six　or

eight　miles　a　day；　and　sometimes　thirty　or　forty。　　I　may　end　these

egotisms；　therefore；　as　I　began；　by　saying　that　my　life　has　been　so

much　like　that　of　other　people；　that　I　might　say　with　Horace；　to

every　one　_〃nomine　mutato；　narratur　fabula　de　te。〃_　I　must　not　end；

however；　without　due　thanks　for　the　kind　sentiments　of　regard　you　are

so　good　as　to　express　towards　myself；　and　with　my　acknowledgments　for

these；　be　pleased　to　accept　the　assurances　of　my　respect　and　esteem。







　　　　　　　　SETTING　THE　RECORD　STRAIGHT




　　　　　　　　_To　Samuel　Adams　Wells_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　12；　1819_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　An　absence　of　some　time　at　an　occasional　and　distant

residence　must　apologize　for　the　delay　in　acknowledging　the　receipt

of　your　favor　of　April　12th。　　And　candor　obliges　me　to　add　that　it

has　been　somewhat　extended　by　an　aversion　to　writing；　as　well　as　to

calls　on　my　memory　for　facts　so　much　obliterated　from　it　by　time　as

to　lessen　my　confidence　in　the　traces　which　seem　to　remain。　　One　of

the　inquiries　in　your　letter；　however；　may　be　answered　without　an

appeal　to　the　memory。　　It　is　that　respecting　the　question　whether

committees　of　correspondence　originated　in　Virginia　or　Massachusetts？

On　which　you　suppose　me　to　have　claimed　it　for　Virginia。　　But

certainly　I　have　never　made　such　a　claim。　　The　idea；　I　suppose；　has

been　taken　up　from　what　is　said　in　Wirt's　history　of　Mr。　Henry；　p。

87；　and　from　an　inexact　attention　to　its　precise　term。　　It　is　there

said　〃this　house　＇of　burgesses　of　Virginia＇　had　the　merit　of

originating　that　powerful　engine　of　resistance；　corresponding

committees　_between　the　legislatures_　of　the　_different　colonies_。〃

That　the　fact　as　here　expressed　is　true；　your　letter　bears　witness

when　it　says　that　the　resolutions　of　Virginia　for　this　purpose　were

transmitted　to　the　speakers　of　the　different　Assemblies；　and　by　that

of　Massachusetts　was　laid　at　the　next　session　before　that　body；　who

appointed　a　committee　for　the　specified　object：　adding；　〃thus　in

Massachusetts　there　were　two　committees　of　correspondence；　one　chosen

by　the　people；　the　other　appointed　by　the　House　of　Assembly；　in　the

former；　Massachusetts　preceded　Virginia；　in　the　latter；　Virginia

preceded　Massachusetts。〃　To　the　origination　of　committees　for　the

interior　correspondence　between　the　counties　and　towns　of　a　State；　I

know　of　no　claim　on　the　part　of　Virginia；　but　certainly　none　was　ever

made　by　myself。　　I　perceive；　however；　one　error　into　which　memory　had

led　me。　　Our　committee　for　national　correspondence　was　appointed　in

March；　'73；　and　I　well　remember　that　going　to　Williamsburg　in　the

month　of　June　following；　Peyton　Randolph；　our　chairman；　told　me　that

messengers；　bearing　despatches　between　the　two　States；　had　crossed

each　other　by　the　way；　that　of　Virginia　carrying　our　propositions　for

a　committee　of　national　correspondence；　and　that　of　Massachusetts

bringing；　as　my　memory　suggested；　a　similar　proposition。　　But　here　I

must　have　misremembered；　and　the　resolutions　brought　us　from

Massachusetts　were　probably　those　you　mention　of　the　town　meeting　of

Boston；　on　the　motion　of　Mr。　Samuel　Adams；　appointing　a　committee　〃to

state　the　rights　of　the　colonists；　and　of　that　province　in

particular；　and　the　infringements　of　them；　to　communicate　them　to　the

several　towns；　as　the　sense　of　the　town　of　Boston；　and　to　request　of

each　town　a　free　communication　of　its　sentiments　on　this　subject〃？　　I

suppose；　therefore；　that　these　resolutions　were　not　received；　as　you

think；　while　the　House　of　Burgesses　was　in　session　in　March；　1773；

but　a　few　days　after　we　rose；　and　were　probably　what　was　sent　by　the

messenger　who　crossed　ours　by　the　way。　　They　may；　however；　have　been

still　different。　　I　must　therefore　have　been　mistaken　in　supposing

and　stating　to　Mr。　Wirt；　that　the　proposition　of　a　committee　for

national　correspondence　was　nearly　simultaneous　in　Virginia　and

Massachusetts。




　　　　　　　　A　similar　misapprehension　of　another　passage　in　Mr。　Wirt's

book；　for　which　I　am　also　quoted；　has　produced　a　similar　reclamation

of　the　part　of　Massachusetts　by　some　of　her　most　distinguished　and

estimable　citizens。　　I　had　been　applied　to　by　Mr。　Wirt　for　such　facts

respecting　Mr。　Henry；　as　my　intimacy　with　him；　and　participation　in

the　transactions　of　the　day；　might　have　placed　within　my　knowledge。

I　accordingly　committed　them　to　paper；　and　Virginia　being　the　theatre

of　his　action；　was　the　only　subject　within　my　contemplation；　while

speaking　of　him。　　Of　the　resolutions　and　measures　here；　in　which　he

had　the　acknowledged　lead；　I　used　the　expression　that　〃Mr。　Henry

certainly　gave　the　first　impulse　to　the　ball　of　revolution。〃　＇Wirt；

p。　41。＇　The　expression　is　indeed　general；　and　in　all　its　extension

would　comprehend　all　the　sister　States。　　But　indulgent　construction

would　restrain　it；　as　was　really　meant；　to　the　subject　matter　under

contemplation；　which　was　Virginia　alone；　according　to　the　rule　of　the

lawyers；　and　a　fair　canon　of　general　criticism；　that　every　expression

should　be　construed　_secundum　subjectam　materiem_。　　Where　the　first

attack　was　made；　there　must　have　been　of　course；　the　first　act　of

resistance；　and　that　was　of　Massachusetts。　　Our　first　overt　act　of

war　was　Mr。　Henry's　embodying　a　force　of　militia　from　several

counties；　regularly　armed　and　organized；　marching　them　in　military

array；　and　making　reprisal　on　the　King's　treasury　at　the　seat　of

government　for　the　public　powder　taken　away　by　his　Governor。　　This

was　on　the　last　days　of　April；　1775。　　Your　formal　battle　of　Lexington

was　ten　or　twelve　days　before　that；　which　greatly　overshadowed　in

importance；　as　it　preceded　in　time　our　little　affray；　which　merely

amounted　to　a　levying　of　arms　against　the　King；　and　very　possibly　you

had　had　military　affrays　before　the　regular　battle　of　Lexington。




　　　　　　　　These　explanations　will；　I　hope；　assure　you；　Sir；　that　so　far

as　either　facts　or　opinions　have　been　truly　quoted　from　me　they　have

never　been　meant　to　intercept　the　just　fame　of　Massachusetts；　for　the

promptitude　and　perseverance　of　her　early　resistance。　　We　willingly

cede　to　her　the　laud　of　having　been　（although　not　exclusively）　〃the

cradle　of　sound　principles；〃　and　if　some　of　us　believe　she　has

deflected　from　them　in　her　course；　we　retain　full　confidence　in　her

ultimate　return　to　them。




　　　　　　　　I　will　now　proceed　to　your　quotation　from　Mr。　Galloway's

statements　of　what　passed　in　Congress　on　their　declaration　of

independence；　in　which　statement　there　is　not　one　word　of　truth；　and

where；　bearing　some　resemblance　to　truth；　it　is　an　entire　perversion

of　it。　　I　do　not　charge　this　on　Mr。　Galloway　himself；　his　desertion

having　taken　place　long　before　these　measures；　he　doubtless　received

his　information　from　some　of　the　loyal　friends　whom　he　left　behind

him。　　But　as　yourself；　as　well　as　others；　appear　embarrassed　by

inconsistent　accounts　of　the　proceedings　on　that　memorable　occasion；

and　as　those　who　have　endeavored　to　restore　the　truth　have　themselves

committed　some　errors；　I　will　give　you　some　extracts　from　a　written

document　on　that　subject；　for　the　truth　of　which　I　pledge　myself　to

heaven　and　earth；　having；　while　the　question　of　independence　was

under　consideration　before　Congress；　taken　written　notes；　in　my　seat；

of　what　was　passing；　and　reduced　them　to　form　on　the　final

conclusion。　　I　have　now　before　me　that　paper；　from　which　the

following　are　extracts：　*　*　*




　　　　　　　　Governor　McKean；　in　his　letter　to　McCorkle　of　July　16th；　1817；

has　thrown　some　lights　on　the　transactions　of　that　day；　but　trusting

to　h