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the concern of themselves alone; and to declare the law of that

direction; and this declaration can only be made by their majority。

That majority; then; has a right to depute representatives to a

convention; and to make the constitution what they think will be the

best for themselves。  But how collect their voice?  This is the real

difficulty。  If invited by private authority; or county or district

meetings; these divisions are so large that few will attend; and

their voice will be imperfectly; or falsely pronounced。  Here; then;

would be one of the advantages of the ward divisions I have proposed。

The mayor of every ward; on a question like the present; would call

his ward together; take the simple yea or nay of its members; convey

these to the county court; who would hand on those of all its wards

to the proper general authority; and the voice of the whole people

would be thus fairly; fully; and peaceably expressed; discussed; and

decided by the common reason of the society。  If this avenue be shut

to the call of sufferance; it will make itself heard through that of

force; and we shall go on; as other nations are doing; in the endless

circle of oppression; rebellion; reformation; and oppression;

rebellion; reformation; again; and so on forever。




        These; Sir; are my opinions of the governments we see among

men; and of the principles by which alone we may prevent our own from

falling into the same dreadful track。  I have given them at greater

length than your letter called for。  But I cannot say things by

halves; and I confide them to your honor; so to use them as to

preserve me from the gridiron of the public papers。  If you shall

approve and enforce them; as you have done that of equal

representation; they may do some good。  If not; keep them to yourself

as the effusions of withered age and useless time。  I shall; with not

the less truth; assure you of my great respect and consideration。







        〃NEVER AN INFIDEL; IF NEVER A PRIEST〃




        _To Mrs。 Samuel H。 Smith_

        _Monticello; August 6; 1816_




        I have received; dear Madam; your very friendly letter of July

21st; and assure you that I feel with deep sensibility its kind

expressions towards myself; and the more as from a person than whom

no others could be more in sympathy with my own affections。  I often

call to mind the occasions of knowing your worth; which the societies

of Washington furnished; and none more than those derived from your

much valued visit to Monticello。  I recognize the same motives of

goodness in the solicitude you express on the rumor supposed to

proceed from a letter of mine to Charles Thomson; on the subject of

the Christian religion。  It is true that; in writing to the

translator of the Bible and Testament; that subject was mentioned;

but equally so that no adherence to any particular mode of

Christianity was there expressed; nor any change of opinions

suggested。  A change from what? the priests indeed have heretofore

thought proper to ascribe to me religious; or rather anti…religious

sentiments; of their own fabric; but such as soothed their

resentments against the act of Virginia for establishing religious

freedom。  They wished him to be thought atheist; deist; or devil; who

could advocate freedom from their religious dictations。  But I have

ever thought religion a concern purely between our God and our

consciences; for which we were accountable to him; and not to the

priests。  I never told my own religion; nor scrutinized that of

another。  I never attempted to make a convert; nor wished to change

another's creed。  I have ever judged of the religion of others by

their lives; and by this test; my dear Madam; I have been satisfied

yours must be an excellent one; to have produced a life of such

exemplary virtue and correctness。  For it is in our lives; and not

from our words; that our religion must be read。  By the same test the

world must judge me。  But this does not satisfy the priesthood。  They

must have a positive; a declared assent to all their interested

absurdities。  My opinion is that there would never have been an

infidel; if there had never been a priest。  The artificial structures

they have built on the purest of all moral systems; for the purpose

of deriving from it pence and power; revolts those who think for

themselves; and who read in that system only what is really there。

These; therefore; they brand with such nick…names as their enmity

chooses gratuitously to impute。  I have left the world; in silence;

to judge of causes from their effects; and I am consoled in this

course; my dear friend; when I perceive the candor with which I am

judged by your justice and discernment; and that; notwithstanding the

slanders of the saints; my fellow citizens have thought me worthy of

trusts。  The imputations of irreligion having spent their force; they

think an imputation of change might now be turned to account as a

holster for their duperies。  I shall leave them; as heretofore; to

grope on in the dark。




 

        Our family at Monticello is all in good health; Ellen speaking

of you with affection; and Mrs。 Randolph always regretting the

accident which so far deprived her of the happiness of your former

visit。  She still cherishes the hope of some future renewal of that

kindness; in which we all join her; as in the assurances of

affectionate attachment and respect。







        HORIZONTAL PLOUGHING




        _To Tristam Dalton_

        _Monticello; May 2; 1817_




        DEAR SIR;  I am indebted to you for your favor of Apr。 22;

and for the copy of the Agricultural magazine it covered; which is

indeed a very useful work。  While I was an amateur in Agricultural

science (for practical knolege my course of life never permitted me)

I was very partial to the drilled husbandry of Tull; and thought

still better of it when reformed by Young to 12 rows。  But I had not

time to try it while young; and now grown old I have not the

requisite activity either of body or mind。




        With respect to field culture of vegetables for cattle; instead

of the carrot and potato recommended by yourself and the magazine; &

the best of others; we find the Jerusalem artichoke best for winter;

& the Succory for Summer use。  This last was brought over from France

to England by Arthur Young; as you will see in his travels thro'

France; & some of the seed sent by him to Genl。 Washington; who

spared me a part of it。  It is as productive as the Lucerne; without

its laborious culture; & indeed without any culture except the

keeping it clean the first year。  The Jerusalem artichoke far exceeds

the potato in produce; and remains in the ground thro' the winter to

be dug as wanted。  A method of ploughing over hill sides

horizontally; introduced into the most hilly part of our country by

Colo。 T。 M。 Randolph; my son in law; may be worth mentioning to you。

He has practised it a dozen or 15 years; and it's advantages were so

immediately observed that it has already become very general; and has

entirely changed and renovated the face of our country。  Every rain;

before that; while it gave a temporary refreshment; did permanent

evil by carrying off our soil: and fields were no sooner cleared than

wasted。  At present we may say that we lose none of our soil; the

rain not absorbed in the moment of it's fall being retained in the

hollows between the beds until it can be absorbed。  Our practice is

when we first enter on this process; with a rafter level of 10 f。

span; to lay off guide lines conducted horizontally around the hill

or valley from one end to the other of the field; and about 30 yards

apart。  The steps of the level on the ground are marked by a stroke

of a hoe; and immediately followed by a plough to preserve the trace。

A man or a lad; with the level; and two small boys; the one with

sticks; the other with the hoe; will do an acre of this in an hour;

a

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