my object too at present is peace and tranquility, neither doing nor saying any thing to be quoted, or to make me the subject of newspaper disquisitions.

Our laws, language, religion, politics, & manners are so deeply laid in English foundations, that we shall never cease to consider their history as a part of ours, and to study ours in that as it’s origin.

no one more sincerely wishes the spread of information among mankind than I do, and none has greater confidence in it’s effect towards supporting free & good government.

I would advise you, as an exercise, to write a letter to somebody every morning, the first thing after you get up. as most of the business of life, & all our friendly communications are by way of letter, nothing is more important than to acquire a facility of developing our ideas on paper;...

We are out of sallad-oil, and you know it is a necessary of life here. can any be had in Richmond? I must get you to enquire, and to be particular as to it’s quality. if fine I would be glad to have half a dozen quarts. if midling 2. or 3. bottles will do. if absolutely not good get a single...

where a new invention is supported by well known principles & promises to be useful, it ought to be tried.

I endeavor to keep their attention fixed on the main objects of all science, the freedom & happiness of man.

I have wished to know what you have entered on, what progress you have made, and how your hours are distributed. for it is only by a methodical distribution of our hours, & a rigorous, inflexible observance of it that any steady progress can be made ... I would advise you to make the...

we should then have only to include the North in our confederacy, which would be of course in the first war, and we should have such an empire for liberty as she has never surveyed since the creation: & I am persuaded no constitution was ever before so well calculated as ours for extensive...

it has a great effect on the opinion of our people & the world to have the moral right on our side