Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

You are in the right when you say man is not wholly a mean and selfish being. your friendship to me is a practical proof. Indeed I can say of you, as Louis 16th did to Dupont, “you are ever at hand when there is need of you.” Never did I more require the balm of your cordiality. The death of poor Burwell sunk deep into my heart. He had been very kind to me when I was a forlorn and melancholy boy. Then his friendship for my brother, doubly indeared him to me. The death of our friends however untimely, we must bear; it belongs to the misery of our condition. But their infamy is insupportable; it is a reflection on our choice. What think you then, of the unrivalled depravity of H. Lee. He has found an abyss lower than the lowest—beyond perdition, & blacker than despair. I have heard of it being a fortnight ago, & am now making up my mind to feel no more pain about it. Could you imagine the scoundrel would have the impudence, to write to me afterwards. without breaking the seal of his letter, I returned it in a blank envelope. You must hereafter b value my esteem the more, from the discrimination of my friendships. The truth is, no one ever took the pains to make me his friend that this incestuous, adulterous, murderous damned Villain did. From the time I was eleven years old, he has beset me, with unceasing & importunate adulation. He should be hanged, and fat the regions kites with his offall.

I should have delighted in your Albemarle expedition. The praises Mr. Jefferson gave, he had written in a letter to me, and Dr Carr repeated nearly the words which he heard him use. I am glad Mrs Randolph takes any interest in my affairs. Indeed it would be superlative phlegm if she did not. For never I believe, shall I be more attached to any one (save always a wife) than I was for years to her. Her sympathies are chiefly for her family; and not ardent for any one [. . .] out of it. as to the [. . .] montium &c. She spoke as she did, to make a shew of magnanimity & foresight. She claims historically, a sort of prophetic gift in relation to her anticipations of me. Her character is too irregular & eccentric (like her fathers) ever to make me care much about her expressions, or real opinions concerning me. She must be colder than polar snow, and harder than everlasting granite, if she do not feel some tenderness for the early & romantic devotion with which I admired her. I believe I shall “go” for a wife of less aspiring pretentions, & ambitious hopes. The more I see of those who set up for “posts of high distinction” (as Monroe says,) the more convinced am I, that they are selfish & cold hearted. I have derived small comfort from my intercourse with the great, but a deal of unprofitable flattery. The Prest would this day sooner appoint a county court demagogue to any office, than he would me, even if I had been a courtier, which god knows, I am far from having dreamed of being, at least to him. I have sometimes a great mind to turn demagogue in person, & our outshoot these fellows in their own bow. But I believe it would diminish the respectability of my character, & impair my permanent utility & success.

I subscribe most heartily to the sentiments you express of preference due to our first friends. For myself, I have a huge [. . .]t, of that exploded folly, of cherishing the sweet recollection of all the scenes of my childhood. The very spots on which our little tragedies were acted, are precious to my heart; and all the valley of the Missouri could never fill my [. . .] mind with the transports, which the peaceable possession of the barren hills of the Park, and the caresses of a family would inspire. These sentiments I find rather increase than diminish with time; and no prosperity or glory could make me consider myself any think thing but a species of captive here. I trust to occupation to enable me to bear the cheerless life which every one must lead, whose fancy has feigned no spot, which we it can call home.

That I shall be with you next summer is past all doubt. and that I am ever your devoted friend I am ready to maintain—God bless you & your household