Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

To Robert.

[ca. 8 Nov. 1825]

—On the manners and ways of the Students—

—First, and the worst class—

People would not be apt to think at a place so much spoken of as this, and founded by one of the most learned, as well as worthy sages of this Country, that there was such a vast difference in the character &c, of the Students—but it is no stranger, than true. We have some of all ranks, from the highest to the lowest, both in birth and reputation Some who come to this place for the purpose of prosecuting their literary pursuits, seem entirely either to have forgotten what was their intention, in coming to this Institution, or to have made a very great mistake in attempting to acquire knowledge. Instead of attending to their Books they are sauntering about from one days end to another in all kind of rascality, and mischeif. Whenever they enter into any kind of amusement with their Comrades, they always avail themselves of every opportunity to cheat them; and in event of their not having proof for any underhanded thing they may be detected in, they without any ceremony swear that they were playing with Mr. such a one, and he did the same, & said that it was right—But upon investigation you find that all he has told you about this, & that ones doing such and such a thing to be simply (what he (or they) either calls a missapprehension of what he told you, or he forgot the circumstance) a lie. If by chance he goes on for some time without being caught in his tricks, he is at once saied to be a very successful player, and about the best at the place! and what adds greatly to him, no one can cheat him, he understands the game so well, but if they should by chance once make an attempt to take the advantage, he throws down the cards, jumps up, & proclaims aloud that he will not play with Fellows that do so mean! If you dispute his word for a moment he is ready for a fight, & talks as big, as if he was a Cæsar, (when in reality it is all false honor, and courage he assumes). So he goes on, until at last they all entertain great respect for him, and think him a very fine honorable fellow indeed, so much so, that he would sooner cut his throat than take the advantage of any person. He lets them win sometimes, though persons standing by can almost guess at what he is aiming at: after a while he changes colour¹ at every little accident, continues to abuse himself for playing so badly, in a little time he gets into a violent rage bawls out, dam it, I am the most unfortunate man in the World! and I cant for my life get a good hand, if at Cards, or if a dice, that he really beleives, he never will throw higher than duce ace; But by the time they commence to beet high his luck (as he calls it) returns, and he takes the money every time, though he is careful enough every now, and then to say well, I am nearly even, I must quit, or else my luck will turn again, and lead me perhaps twenty dollars behind hand. Oh! no one cries out, I have lost something right smart, and want to see if I cannot get it back—after a little hesitation he sayes well I suppose I must let you try it once more. And so he continues to do untill his pockets hang pretty heavy. He then complains of being extremely tired and sleepy, rips out 5, or 6 oaths to confirm what he has saied, then leaves them all pretty much in the suds, and sayes he cant play any longer at present; But will give them an opportunity some other time to win their money back. When they meet again it is the same thing over, and thus he whips the Devil arround the Stump—

You may suppose that I have described characters to mean to be within the precincts of this University—but you will be yet more astonished when I tell you that there is a grade below them, and such a one, as we must always expect to see in large and mixed assemblies. Before I go further I had as well give you their name, as it will free you from suspense which at any time is truely disagreeable. I shall call them Tattlers, a name in itself detestible and sufficient to infuse in us all the contempt they so justly merit. We see them mixing in every company whether private, or not, without any ceremony—They soon feign to be very intimate with the whole congregration! flatter you to all eternicty eternity on the most trivial things; and at a time when men of penetration can easily fathom their fallacy, and flustrate their schemes. They pump you of every thing you know, when you least expect such a thing; ask your opinion of various persons, &c, so they continue like a Fly to glut themselves, until at last they grow languid, and involuntarily drop off. As soon as they regain their senses, off they go so heavily laden with mischeif, and news that it is with difficulty they can move; But all the time they seem so careless, they are adjusting what they have heard, so that they can tell it with a good grace; and are enumerating to themselves what fine sport they will have, and what Mr. such a one will do when he hears this, and that thing. They pay you visits when you had as leive See an Ass, disorder your brain by repeating every old hearsay that their corrupted imaginations think sublime, and assume all the servile tricks of an Ethiopian whose talents would never promote him higher, than an indifferent shoe black. They always have mor secrets, than is enough to injure the minds of six persons to recollect; and take care to corroborate their lies, &c, with an oath, or something of the sort, before you might have manifested the least doubt of what they say; and thus the poor Tattlers think they have rought miracles, and gained universal applause, by their magnanimous conduct, when in fact from their very commencement they have incured the ill will of all with whom they are acquainted, and shuned both by friends, and foes—