part19-第7章

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seas　and　territories　of　both　Americas；　the　ferocious　and　sanguinary

contests　of　Europe。　　I　wish　to　see　this　coalition　begun。　　I　am

earnest　for　an　agreement　with　the　maritime　powers　of　Europe；

assigning　them　the　task　of　keeping　down　the　piracies　of　their　seas

and　the　cannibalisms　of　the　African　coasts；　and　to　us；　the

suppression　of　the　same　enormities　within　our　seas：　and　for　this

purpose；　I　should　rejoice　to　see　the　fleets　of　Brazil　and　the　United

States　riding　together　as　brethren　of　the　same　family；　and　pursuing

the　same　object。　　And　indeed　it　would　be　of　happy　augury　to　begin　at

once　this　concert　of　action　here；　on　the　invitation　of　either　to　the

other　government；　while　the　way　might　be　preparing　for　withdrawing

our　cruisers　from　Europe；　and　preventing　naval　collisions　there　which

daily　endanger　our　peace。




　　　　　　　　Turning　to　another　part　of　your　letter；　I　do　not　think　the

obstacles　insuperable　which　you　state　as　opposed　to　your　visit　to　us。

From　one　of　the　persons　mentioned；　I　never　heard　a　sentiment　but　of

esteem　for　you　and　I　am　certain　you　would　be　recieved　with　kindness

and　cordiality。　　But　still　the　call　may　be　omitted　without　notice。

The　mountain　lies　between　his　residence　and　the　main　road；　and

occludes　the　expectation　of　transient　visits。　　I　am　equally　ignorant

of　any　dispositions　not　substantially　friendly　to　you　in　the　other

person。　　But　the　alibi　there　gives　you　ten　free　months　in　the　year。

But　if　the　visit　is　to　be　but　once　in　your　life；　I　would　suppress　my

impatience　and　consent　it　should　be　made　a　year　or　two　hence。

Because；　by　that　time　our　University　will　be　compleate　and　in　full

action：　and　you　would　recieve　the　satisfaction；　in　the　final　adieu　to

your　native　state；　of　seeing　that　she　would　retain　her　equal　standing

in　the　sisterhood　of　our　republics。　　However；　come　now；　come　then；　or

come　when　you　please；　your　visit　will　give　me　the　gratification　I

feel　in　every　opportunity　of　proving　to　you　the　sincerity　of　my

friendship　and　respect　for　you。







　　　　　　　　THE　UNIVERSITY；　NEOLOGY；　AND　MATERIALISM




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　Aug。　15；　1820_




　　　　　　　　I　am　a　great　defaulter；　my　dear　Sir；　in　our　correspondence；　but

prostrate　health　rarely　permits　me　to　write；　and；　when　it　does；

matters　of　business　imperiously　press　their　claims。　　I　am　getting

better　however；　slowly；　swelled　legs　being　now　the　only　serious

symptom；　and　these；　I　believe；　proceed　from　extreme　debility。　　I　can

walk　but　little；　but　I　ride　6。　or　8。　miles　a　day　without　fatigue；　and

within　a　few　days；　I　shall　endeavor　to　visit　my　other　home；　after　a

twelve　month's　absence　from　it。　　Our　University；　4　miles　distant；

gives　me　frequent　exercise；　and　the　oftener　as　I　direct　it's

architecture。　　It's　plan　is　unique；　and　it　is　becoming　an　object　of

curiosity　for　the　traveller。　　I　have　lately　had　an　opportunity　of

reading　a　critique　on　this　institution　in　your　North　American　Review

of　January　last；　having　been　not　without　anxiety　to　see　what　that

able　work　would　say　of　us：　and　I　was　relieved　on　finding　in　it　much

coincidence　of　opinion；　and　even；　where　criticisms　were　indulged；　I

found　they　would　have　been　obviated　had　the　developements　of　our　plan

been　fuller。　　But　these　were　restrained　by　the　character　of　the　paper

reviewed；　being　merely　a　report　of　outlines；　not　a　detailed　treatise；

and　addressed　to　a　legislative　body；　not　to　a　learned　academy。　　E。g。

as　an　inducement　to　introduce　the　Anglo…Saxon　into　our　plan；　it　was

said　that　it　would　reward　amply　the　_few　weeks_　of　attention　which

alone　would　be　requisite　for　it's　attainment；　leaving　both　term　and

degree　under　an　indefinite　expression；　because　I　know　that　not　much

time　is　necessary　to　attain　it　to　an　useful　degree；　sufficient　to

give　such　instruction　in　the　etymologies　of　our　language　as　may

satisfy　ordinary　students；　while　more　time　would　be　requisite　for

those　who　would　propose　to　attain　a　critical　knolege　of　it。　　In　a

letter　which　I　had　occasion　to　write　to　Mr。　Crofts　（who　sent　you；　I

believe；　as　well　as　myself；　a　copy　of　his　treatise　on　the　English　and

German　languages；　as　preliminary　to　an　Etymological　dictionary　he

meditated）　I　went　into　explanations　with　him　of　an　easy　process　for

simplifying　the　study　of　the　Anglo…Saxon；　and　lessening　the　terrors；

and　difficulties　presented　by　it's　rude　Alphabet；　and　unformed

orthography。　　But　this　is　a　subject　beyond　the　bounds　of　a　letter；　as

it　was　beyond　the　bounds　of　a　Report　to　the　legislature。　　Mr。　Crofts

died；　I　believe；　before　any　progress　was　made　in　the　work　he　had

projected。




　　　　　　　　The　reviewer　expresses　doubt；　rather　than　decision；　on　our

placing　Military　and　Naval　architecture　in　the　department　of　Pure

Mathematics。　　Military　architecture　embraces　fortification　and　field

works；　which　with　their　bastions；　curtains；　hornworks；　redoubts　etc。

are　based　on　a　technical　combination　of　lines　and　angles。　　These　are

adapted　to　offence　and　defence；　with　and　against　the　effects　of

bombs；　balls；　escalades　etc。　　But　lines　and　angles　make　the　sum　of

elementary　geometry；　a　branch　of　Pure　Mathematics：　and　the　direction

of　the　bombs；　balls；　and　other　projectiles；　the　necessary　appendages

of　military　works；　altho'　no　part　of　their　architecture；　belong　to

the　conic　sections；　a　branch　of　transcendental　geometry。　　Diderot　and

Dalembert　therefore；　in　their　Arbor　scientiae；　have　placed　military

architecture　in　the　department　of　elementary　geometry。　　Naval

architecture　teaches　the　best　form　and　construction　of　vessels；　for

which　best　form　it　has　recourse　to　the　question　of　the　Solid　of　least

resistance；　a　problem　of　transcendental　geometry。　　And　it's

appurtenant　projectiles　belong　to　the　same　branch；　as　in　the

preceding　case。　　It　is　true　that　so　far　as　respects　the　action　of　the

water　on　the　rudder　and　oars；　and　of　the　wind　on　the　sails；　it　may　be

placed　in　the　department　of　mechanics；　as　Diderot　and　Dalambert　have

done：　but　belonging　quite　as　much　to　geometry；　and　allied　in　it's

military　character；　to　military　architecture；　it　simplified　our　plan

to　place　both　under　the　same　head。　　These　views　are　so　obvious　that　I

am　sure　they　would　have　required　but　a　second　thought　to　reconcile

the　reviewer　to　their　_location_　under　the　head　of　Pure　Mathematics。

For　this　word　_Location_；　see　Bailey；　Johnson；　Sheridan；　Walker　etc。

But　if　Dictionaries　are　to　be　the　Arbiters　of　language；　in　which　of

them　shall　we　find　_neologism_。　　No　matter。　　It　is　a　good　word；　well

sounding；　obvious；　and　expresses　an　idea　which　would　otherwise

require　circumlocution。　　The　Reviewer　was　justifiable　therefore　in

using　it；　altho'　he　noted　at　the　same　time；　as　unauthoritative；

_centrality_；　_grade_；　_sparse_；　all　which　have　been　long　used　in

common　speech　and　writing。　　I　am　a　friend　to　_neology_。　　It　is　the

only　way　to　give　to　a　language　copiousness　and　euphony。　　Without　it

we　should　still　be　held　to　the　vocabulary　of　Alfred　or　of　Ulphilas；

and　held　to　their　state　of　science　also：　for　I　am　sure　they　had　no

words　which　could　have　conveyed　the　ideas　of　Oxigen；　cotyledons；

zoophytes；　magnetism；　electricity；　hyaline；　and　thousands　of　others

expressing　ideas　not　then　existing；　nor　of　possible　communication　in

the　state　of　their　language。　　What　a　language　has　the　French　become

since　the　date　of　their　revolution；　by　the　free　introduction　of　new

words！　　The　most　copious　and　eloquent　in　the　living　world；　and　equal

to　the　Greek；　had　not　that　been　regularly　modifiable　almost　ad

infinitum。　　Their　rule　was　that　whenever　their　language　furnished　or

adopted　a　root；　all　it's　branches；　in　every　part　of　speech　were

legitimated　by　giving　them　their　appropriate　terminations。

｛adelphos｝　＇〃brother〃＇；　｛adelphe｝　＇〃sister〃＇；　｛adelphidion｝　＇〃little

brother〃＇；　｛adelphotes｝　＇〃brotherly　affection〃＇；　｛adelphixis｝

＇〃brotherhood〃＇；　｛adelphidoys｝　＇〃nephew〃＇；　｛adelphikos｝　＇〃brotherly；〃

adj。＇；　｛adelphizo｝　＇〃to　adopt　as　a　brother〃＇；　｛adelphikos｝

＇〃brotherly；〃　adv。＇。　　And　this　should　be　the　law　of　every　language。

Thus；　having　adopted　the　adjective　_fraternal_；　it　is　a　root；　which

should　legitimate　fraternity；　fraternation；　fraternisation；

fraternism；　to　fraternate；　fraternise；　fraternally。　　And　give　the

word　neologism　to　our　language；　as　a　root；　and　it　should　give　us　it's

fellow　substantives；　neology；　neologist；　neologisation；　it's

adjectives　neologous；　neological；　neologistical；　it's　verb　neologise；

and　adverb　neologically。　　Dictionaries　are　but　the　depositories　of

words　already　legitimated　by　usage。　　Society　is　the　work…shop　in

which　new　ones　are　elaborated。　　When　an　individual　uses　a　new　word；

if　illformed　it　is　rejected　in　society；　if　wellformed；　adopted；　and；

after　due　time；　laid　up　in　the　depository　of　dictionaries。　　And　if；

in　this　process　of　sound　neologisation；　our　transatlantic　brethren

shall　not　choose　to　accompany　us；　we　may　furnish；　after　the　Ionians；

a　second　example　of　a　colonial　dialect　improving　on　it's　primitive。




　　　　　　　　But　enough　of　criticism：　let　me　turn　to　your　puzzling　letter　of

May　12。　on　matter；　spirit；　motion　etc。　　It's　croud　of　scepticisms

kept　me　from　sleep。　　I　read　it；　and　laid　it　down：　read　it；　and　laid

it　down；　again　and　again：　and　to　give　rest　to　my　mind；　I　was　obliged

to　recur　ultimately　to　my　habitual　anodyne；　‘I　feel：　therefore　I

exist。'　I　feel　bodies　which　are　not　myself：　there　are　other

existencies　then。　　I　call　them　_matter_。　　I　feel　them　changing　place。

This　gives　me　_motion_。　　Where　there　is　an　absence　of　matter；　I　call

it　_void_；　or　_nothing_；　or　_immaterial　space_。　　On　the　basis　of

sensation；　of　matter　and　motion；　we　may　erect　the　fabric　of　all　the

certainties　we　can　have　or　need。　　I　can　concieve　_thought_　to　be　an

action　of　a　particular　organisation　of　matter；　formed　for　that

purpose　by　it's　creator；　as　well　as　that　_attraction_　in　an　action　of

matter；　or　_magnetism_　of　loadstone。　　When　he　who　denies　to　the

Creator　the　power　of　endowing　matter　with　the　mode　of　action　called

_thinking_　shall　shew　how　he　could　endow　the　Sun　with　the　mode　of

action　called　_attraction_；　which　reins　the　planets　in　the　tract　of

their　orbits；　or　how　an　absence　of　matter　can　have　a　will；　and；　by

that　will；　put　matter　into　motion；　then　the　materialist　may　be

lawfully　required　to　explain　the　process　by　which　matter　exercises

the　faculty　of　thinking。　　When　once　we　quit　the　basis　of　sensation；

all　is　in　the　wind。　　To　talk　of　_immaterial_　existences　is　to　talk　of

_nothings_。　　To　say　that　the　human　soul；　angels；　god；　are　immaterial；

is　to　say　they　are　_nothings_；　or　that　there　is　no　god；　no　angels；　no

soul。　　I　cannot　reason　otherwise：　but　I　believe　I　am　supported　in　my

creed　of　materialism　by　Locke；　Tracy；　and　Stewart。　　At　what　age　of

the　Christian　church　this　heresy　of　_immaterialism_；　this　masked

atheism；　crept　in；　I　do　not　know。　　But　a　heresy　it　certainly　is。

Jesus　taught　nothing　of　it。　　He　told　us　indeed　that　‘God　i