Homage to Jefferson

"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the Atmosphere." Thomas Jefferson, Feb 22 1787.

As a conservative, I admit to practically worship at the alter of Jefferson. I have a great deal of respect for the whole of our founding fathers but I see T.J. as a true "free thinker".

I spend my down time reading his letters, thousands of them, to his friends, families and even political assotiates. He often reminded those who were working with him on writing our founding documents that they were reacting from a natural instinct to repeat the mistakes of the Monarchy because that was all that they had know. He respectfully encouraged others to think outside the box and to resist their first impulse.


In a letter titled "THE HOMAGE OF REASON" To Peter Carr, Paris, Aug. 10, 1787, he laid out some personal beliefs. It was interesting to read this and consider the way things were during those historical times. Below are some of his writings...

"Spanish. Bestow great attention on this, & endeavor to acquire an accurate knowlege of it. Our future connections with Spain & Spanish America will render that language a valuable acquisition. The antient history of a great part of America, too, is written in that language. I send you a dictionary."

"Moral philosophy. I think it lost time to attend lectures in this branch. He who made us would have been a pitiful bungler if he had made the rules of our moral conduct a matter of science. For one man of science, there are thousands who are not. What would have become of them? Man was destined for society. His morality therefore was to be formed to this object. He was endowed with a sense of right & wrong merely relative to this."

"Religion. Your reason is now mature enough to examine this object. In the first place divest yourself of all bias in favour of novelty & singularity of opinion. Indulge them in any other subject rather than that of religion. It is too important, & the consequences of error may be too serious. On the other hand shake off all the fears & servile prejudices under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."... "you must lay aside all prejudice on both sides, & neither believe nor reject anything because any other persons, or description of persons have rejected or believed it. Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven, and you are answerable not for the rightness but uprightness of the decision."

He was clearly an intuitive man with great patience and insight. Just for those of you who have had little exposure to his writings, here are some exerpts...

"The people cannot be all, & 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.".."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 & pacify them.".."The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is it's natural manure." To William S. Smith, Nov. 13, 1787.

" How do you like our new constitution? I confess there are things in it which stagger all my dispositions to subscribe to what such an assembly has proposed. The house of federal representatives will not be adequate to the management of affairs either foreign or federal. Their President seems a bad edition of a Polish king. He may be reelected from 4. years to 4. years for life. Reason and experience prove to us that a chief magistrate, so continuable, is an officer for life. When one or two generations shall have proved that this is an office for life, it becomes on every succession worthy of intrigue, of bribery, of force, and even of foreign interference. It will be of great consequence to France and England to have America governed by a Galloman or Angloman. Once in office, and possessing the military force of the union, without either the aid or check of a council, he would not be easily dethroned, even if the people could be induced to withdraw their votes from him. I wish that at the end of the 4. years they had made him for ever ineligible a second time. Indeed I think all the good of this new constitution might have been couched in three or four new articles to be added to the good, old, and venerable fabrick, which should have been preserved even as a religious relique." To John Adams, Nov. 13, 1787.

" Let me add that a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no just government should refuse, or rest on inferences."

"The inconveniences of the Declaration are that it may cramp government in it's useful exertions. But the evil of this is short-lived, trivial & reparable. The inconveniences of the want of a Declaration are permanent, afflicting & irreparable. They are in constant progression from bad to worse." To James Madison, Mar 15, 1789


"No body wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that nature has given to our black brethren, talents equal to those of the other colors of men, and that the appearance of a want of them is owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in Africa & America. I can add with truth, that no body wishes more ardently to see a good system commenced for raising the condition both of their body & mind to what it ought to be, as fast as the imbecility of their present existence, and other circumstances which cannot be neglected, will admit." To Benjamin Banneker, Aug. 30, 1791.

These are just some of the thoughts of our greatest forefather. I hope that someday you will get the time and take the innitiative to read some of his writings. He provides a great amount of insight for those who intend to keep our nation as he (and his friends) built it. In my doing so, I feel as if I have become friends with him and I am bound by that friendship to stand in his honor.

Sorry if this post was boring but I felt that people needed to know that Thomas Jefferson was more than the guy on the money. He was a brave and wise man who risked his life and lost any chance to be really close to his family, so that you and I can have a debate over whose ideas were the best... his or Marx.