part17-第7章

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the　soi…disant　Christian　world　indeed　should　have　done　it；　is　a　piece

of　historical　curiosity。　　But　how　could　the　Roman　good　sense　do　it？

And　particularly　how　could　Cicero　bestow　such　eulogies　on　Plato？

Altho'　Cicero　did　not　wield　the　dense　logic　of　Demosthenes；　yet　he

was　able；　learned；　laborious；　practised　in　the　business　of　the　world；

and　honest。　　He　could　not　be　the　dupe　of　mere　style；　of　which　he　was

himself　the　first　master　in　the　world。　　With　the　Moderns；　I　think；　it

is　rather　a　matter　of　fashion　and　authority。　　Education　is　chiefly　in

the　hands　of　persons　who；　from　their　profession；　have　an　interest　in

the　reputation　and　the　dreams　of　Plato。　　They　give　the　tone　while　at

school；　and　few；　in　their　after…years；　have　occasion　to　revise　their

college　opinions。　　But　fashion　and　authority　apart；　and　bringing

Plato　to　the　test　of　reason；　take　from　him　his　sophisms；　futilities；

and　incomprehensibilities；　and　what　remains？　　In　truth；　he　is　one　of

the　race　of　genuine　Sophists；　who　has　escaped　the　oblivion　of　his

brethren；　first　by　the　elegance　of　his　diction；　but　chiefly　by　the

adoption　and　incorporation　of　his　whimsies　into　the　body　of

artificial　Christianity。　　His　foggy　mind；　is　forever　presenting　the

semblances　of　objects　which；　half　seen　thro'　a　mist；　can　be　defined

neither　in　form　or　dimension。　　Yet　this　which　should　have　consigned

him　to　early　oblivion　really　procured　him　immortality　of　fame　and

reverence。　　The　Christian　priesthood；　finding　the　doctrines　of　Christ

levelled　to　every　understanding；　and　too　plain　to　need　explanation；

saw；　in　the　mysticisms　of　Plato；　materials　with　which　they　might

build　up　an　artificial　system　which　might；　from　it's　indistinctness；

admit　everlasting　controversy；　give　employment　for　their　order；　and

introduce　it　to　profit；　power　and　pre…eminence。　　The　doctrines　which

flowed　from　the　lips　of　Jesus　himself　are　within　the　comprehension　of

a　child；　but　thousands　of　volumes　have　not　yet　explained　the

Platonisms　engrafted　on　them：　and　for　this　obvious　reason　that

nonsense　can　never　be　explained。　　Their　purposes　however　are

answered。　　Plato　is　canonized；　and　it　is　now　deemed　as　impious　to

question　his　merits　as　those　of　an　Apostle　of　Jesus。　　He　is

peculiarly　appealed　to　as　an　advocate　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul；

and　yet　I　will　venture　to　say　that　were　there　no　better　arguments

than　his　in　proof　of　it；　not　a　man　in　the　world　would　believe　it。　　It

is　fortunate　for　us　that　Platonic　republicanism　has　not　obtained　the

same　favor　as　Platonic　Christianity；　or　we　should　now　have　been　all

living；　men；　women　and　children；　pell　mell　together；　like　beasts　of

the　field　or　forest。　　Yet　‘Plato　is　a　great　Philosopher；'　said　La

Fontaine。　　But　says　Fontenelle　‘do　you　find　his　ideas　very　clear'？

‘Oh　no！　he　is　of　an　obscurity　impenetrable。'　‘Do　you　not　find　him

full　of　contradictions？'　　‘Certainly；'　replied　La　Fontaine；　‘he　is

but　a　Sophist。'　Yet　immediately　after；　he　exclaims　again；　‘Oh　Plato

was　a　great　Philosopher。'　Socrates　had　reason　indeed　to　complain　of

the　misrepresentations　of　Plato；　for　in　truth　his　dialogues　are

libels　on　Socrates。




　　　　　　　　But　why　am　I　dosing　you　with　these　Ante…diluvian　topics？

Because　I　am　glad　to　have　some　one　to　whom　they　are　familiar；　and　who

will　not　recieve　them　as　if　dropped　from　the　moon。　　Our

post…revolutionary　youth　are　born　under　happier　stars　than　you　and　I

were。　　They　acquire　all　learning　in　their　mothers'　womb；　and　bring　it

into　the　world　ready…made。　　The　information　of　books　is　no　longer

necessary；　and　all　knolege　which　is　not　innate；　is　in　contempt；　or

neglect　at　least。　　Every　folly　must　run　it's　round；　and　so；　I

suppose；　must　that　of　self…learning；　and　self　sufficiency；　of

rejecting　the　knolege　acquired　in　past　ages；　and　starting　on　the　new

ground　of　intuition。　　When　sobered　by　experience　I　hope　our

successors　will　turn　their　attention　to　the　advantages　of　education。

I　mean　of　education　on　the　broad　scale；　and　not　that　of　the　petty

_academies_；　as　they　call　themselves；　which　are　starting　up　in　every

neighborhood；　and　where　one　or　two　men；　possessing　Latin；　and

sometimes　Greek；　a　knolege　of　the　globes；　and　the　first　six　books　of

Euclid；　imagine　and　communicate　this　as　the　sum　of　science。　　They

commit　their　pupils　to　the　theatre　of　the　world　with　just　taste

enough　of　learning　to　be　alienated　from　industrious　pursuits；　and　not

enough　to　do　service　in　the　ranks　of　science。　　We　have　some

exceptions　indeed。　　I　presented　one　to　you　lately；　and　we　have　some

others。　　But　the　terms　I　use　are　general　truths。　　I　hope　the

necessity　will　at　length　be　seen　of　establishing　institutions；　here

as　in　Europe；　where　every　branch　of　science；　useful　at　this　day；　may

be　taught　in　it's　highest　degrees。　　Have　you　ever　turned　your

thoughts　to　the　plan　of　such　an　institution？　　I　mean　to　a

specification　of　the　particular　sciences　of　real　use　in　human

affairs；　and　how　they　might　be　so　grouped　as　to　require　so　many

professors　only　as　might　bring　them　within　the　views　of　a　just　but

enlightened　economy？　　I　should　be　happy　in　a　communication　of　your

ideas　on　this　problem；　either　loose　or　digested。　　But　to　avoid　my

being　run　away　with　by　another　subject；　and　adding　to　the　length　and

ennui　of　the　present　letter；　I　will　here　present　to　Mrs。　Adams　and

yourself　the　assurance　of　my　constant　and　sincere　friendship　and

respect。







　　　　　　　　EMANCIPATION　AND　THE　YOUNGER　GENERATION




　　　　　　　　_To　Edward　Coles_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　August　25；　1814_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favour　of　July　31；　was　duly　received；　and　was

read　with　peculiar　pleasure。　　The　sentiments　breathed　through　the

whole　do　honor　to　both　the　head　and　heart　of　the　writer。　　Mine　on　the

subject　of　slavery　of　negroes　have　long　since　been　in　possession　of

the　public；　and　time　has　only　served　to　give　them　stronger　root。　　The

love　of　justice　and　the　love　of　country　plead　equally　the　cause　of

these　people；　and　it　is　a　moral　reproach　to　us　that　they　should　have

pleaded　it　so　long　in　vain；　and　should　have　produced　not　a　single

effort；　nay　I　fear　not　much　serious　willingness　to　relieve　them　&

ourselves　from　our　present　condition　of　moral　&　political

reprobation。　　From　those　of　the　former　generation　who　were　in　the

fulness　of　age　when　I　came　into　public　life；　which　was　while　our

controversy　with　England　was　on　paper　only；　I　soon　saw　that　nothing

was　to　be　hoped。　　Nursed　and　educated　in　the　daily　habit　of　seeing

the　degraded　condition；　both　bodily　and　mental；　of　those　unfortunate

beings；　not　reflecting　that　that　degradation　was　very　much　the　work

of　themselves　&　their　fathers；　few　minds　have　yet　doubted　but　that

they　were　as　legitimate　subjects　of　property　as　their　horses　and

cattle。　　The　quiet　and　monotonous　course　of　colonial　life　has　been

disturbed　by　no　alarm；　and　little　reflection　on　the　value　of　liberty。

And　when　alarm　was　taken　at　an　enterprize　on　their　own；　it　was　not

easy　to　carry　them　to　the　whole　length　of　the　principles　which　they

invoked　for　themselves。　　In　the　first　or　second　session　of　the

Legislature　after　I　became　a　member；　I　drew　to　this　subject　the

attention　of　Col。　Bland；　one　of　the　oldest；　ablest；　&　most　respected

members；　and　he　undertook　to　move　for　certain　moderate　extensions　of

the　protection　of　the　laws　to　these　people。　　I　seconded　his　motion；

and；　as　a　younger　member；　was　more　spared　in　the　debate；　but　he　was

denounced　as　an　enemy　of　his　country；　&　was　treated　with　the　grossest

indecorum。　　From　an　early　stage　of　our　revolution　other　&　more

distant　duties　were　assigned　to　me；　so　that　from　that　time　till　my

return　from　Europe　in　1789；　and　I　may　say　till　I　returned　to　reside

at　home　in　1809；　I　had　little　opportunity　of　knowing　the　progress　of

public　sentiment　here　on　this　subject。　　I　had　always　hoped　that　the

younger　generation　receiving　their　early　impressions　after　the　flame

of　liberty　had　been　kindled　in　every　breast；　&　had　become　as　it　were

the　vital　spirit　of　ev