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to　our　English　connection；　had　constantly　kept　us　a　year　behind　where

we　ought　to　have　been　in　our　preparations　and　proceedings。　　From

about　the　date　of　the　Virginia　instructions　of　May　15。　76。　to　declare

Independance　Mr。　Jay　absented　himself　from　Congress；　and　never　came

there　again　until　Dec。　78。　　Of　course　he　had　no　part　in　the

discussions　or　decision　of　that　question。　　The　instructions　to　their

delegates　by　the　Convention　of　New　York；　then　sitting；　to　sign　the

Declaration；　were　presented　to　Congress　on　the　15th。　of　July　only；

and　on　that　day　the　journals　shew　the　absence　of　Mr。　Jay　by　a　letter

recieved　from　him；　as　they　had　done　as　early　as　the　29th。　of　May　by

another　letter。　　And；　I　think；　he　had　been　omitted　by　the　Convention

on　a　new　election　of　Delegates　when　they　changed　their　instructions。

Of　this　last　fact　however　having　no　evidence　but　an　antient

impression；　I　shall　not　affirm　it。　　But　whether　so　or　not；　no　agency

of　_accident_　appears　in　the　case。　　This　error　of　fact　however；

whether　yours　or　mine；　is　of　little　consequence　to　the　public。　　But

truth　being　as　cheap　as　error；　it　is　as　well　to　rectify　it　for　our

own　satisfaction。




　　　　　　　　I　have　had　a　fever　of　about　three　weeks　during　the　last　and

preceding　month；　from　which　I　am　entirely　recovered　except　as　to

strength。　　Ever　and　affectionately　yours







　　　　　　　　〃THE　BEST　LETTER　THAT　EVER　WAS　WRITTEN　。　。　。〃




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　Oct。　12；　1823_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　do　not　write　with　the　ease　whichyour　letter　of

Sep。　18。　supposes。　　Crippled　wrists　and　fingers　make　writing　slow　and

laborious。　　But；　while　writing　to　you；　I　lose　the　sense　of　these

things；　in　the　recollection　of　antient　times；　when　youth　and　health

made　happiness　out　of　every　thing。　　I　forget　for　a　while　the　hoary

winter　of　age；　when　we　can　think　of　nothing　but　how　to　keep　ourselves

warm；　and　how　to　get　rid　of　our　heavy　hours　until　the　friendly　hand

of　death　shall　rid　us　of　all　at　once。　　Against　this　tedium　vitae

however　I　am　fortunately　mounted　on　a　Hobby；　which　indeed　I　should

have　better　managed　some　30。　or　40。　years　ago；　but　whose　easy　amble

is　still　sufficient　to　give　exercise　and　amusement　to　an　Octogenary

rider。　　This　is　the　establishment　of　an　University；　on　a　scale　more

comprehensive；　and　in　a　country　more　healthy　and　central　than　our　old

William　and　Mary；　which　these　obstacles　have　long　kept　in　a　state　of

languor　and　inefficiency。　　But　the　tardiness　with　which　such　works

proceed　may　render　it　doubtful　whether　I　shall　live　to　see　it　go　into

action。




　　　　　　　　Putting　aside　these　things　however　for　the　present；　I　write

this　letter　as　due　to　a　friendship　co…eval　with　our　government；　and

now　attempted　to　be　poisoned；　when　too　late　in　life　to　be　replaced　by

new　affections。　　I　had　for　some　time　observed；　in　the　public　papers；

dark　hints　and　mysterious　innuendoes　of　a　correspondence　of　yours

with　a　friend；　to　whom　you　had　opened　your　bosom　without　reserve；　and

which　was　to　be　made　public　by　that　friend；　or　his　representative。

And　now　it　is　said　to　be　actually　published。　　It　has　not　yet　reached

us；　but　extracts　have　been　given；　and　such　as　seemed　most　likely　to

draw　a　curtain　of　separation　between　you　and　myself。　　Were　there　no

other　motive　than　that　of　indignation　against　the　author　of　this

outrage　on　private　confidence；　whose　shaft　seems　to　have　been　aimed

at　yourself　more　particularly；　this　would　make　it　the　duty　of　every

honorable　mind　to　disappoint　that　aim；　by　opposing　to　it's　impression

a　seven…fold　shield　of　apathy　and　insensibility。　　With　me　however　no

such　armour　is　needed。　　The　circumstances　of　the　times；　in　which　we

have　happened　to　live；　and　the　partiality　of　our　friends；　at　a

particular　period；　placed　us　in　a　state　of　apparent　opposition；　which

some　might　suppose　to　be　personal　also；　and　there　might　not　be

wanting　those　who　wish'd　to　make　it　so；　by　filling　our　ears　with

malignant　falsehoods；　by　dressing　up　hideous　phantoms　of　their　own

creation；　presenting　them　to　you　under　my　name；　to　me　under　your's；

and　endeavoring　to　instill　into　our　minds　things　concerning　each

other　the　most　destitute　of　truth。　　And　if　there　had　been；　at　any

time；　a　moment　when　we　were　off　our　guard；　and　in　a　temper　to　let　the

whispers　of　these　people　make　us　forget　what　we　had　known　of　each

other　for　so　many　years；　and　years　of　so　much　trial；　yet　all　men　who

have　attended　to　the　workings　of　the　human　mind；　who　have　seen　the

false　colours　under　which　passion　sometimes　dresses　the　actions　and

motives　of　others；　have　seen　also　these　passions　subsiding　with　time

and　reflection；　dissipating；　like　mists　before　the　rising　sun；　and

restoring　to　us　the　sight　of　all　things　in　their　true　shape　and

colours。　　It　would　be　strange　indeed　if；　at　our　years；　we　were　to　go

an　age　back　to　hunt　up　imaginary；　or　forgotten　facts；　to　disturb　the

repose　of　affections　so　sweetening　to　the　evening　of　our　lives。　　Be

assured；　my　dear　Sir；　that　I　am　incapable　of　recieving　the　slightest

impression　from　the　effort　now　made　to　plant　thorns　on　the　pillow　of

age；　worth；　and　wisdom；　and　to　sow　tares　between　friends　who　have

been　such　for　near　half　a　century。　　Beseeching　you　then　not　to　suffer

your　mind　to　be　disquieted　by　this　wicked　attempt　to　poison　it's

peace；　and　praying　you　to　throw　it　by；　among　the　things　which　have

never　happened；　I　add　sincere　assurances　of　my　unabated；　and　constant

attachment；　friendship　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　MONROE　DOCTRINE




　　　　　　　　_To　the　President　of　the　United　States_

　　　　　　　　（JAMES　MONROE）

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　October　24；　1823_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　The　question　presented　by　the　letters　you　have

sent　me；　is　the　most　momentous　which　has　ever　been　offered　to　my

contemplation　since　that　of　Independence。　　That　made　us　a　nation；

this　sets　our　compass　and　points　the　course　which　we　are　to　steer

through　the　ocean　of　time　opening　on　us。　　And　never　could　we　embark

on　it　under　circumstances　more　auspicious。　　Our　first　and　fundamental

maxim　should　be；　never　to　entangle　ourselves　in　the　broils　of　Europe。

Our　second；　never　to　suffer　Europe　to　intermeddle　with　cis…Atlantic

affairs。　　America；　North　and　South；　has　a　set　of　interests　distinct

from　those　of　Europe；　and　peculiarly　her　own。　　She　should　therefore

have　a　system　of　her　own；　separate　and　apart　from　that　of　Europe。

While　the　last　is　laboring　to　become　the　domicil　of　despotism；　our

endeavor　should　surely　be；　to　make　our　hemisphere　that　of　freedom。

One　nation；　most　of　all；　could　disturb　us　in　this　pursuit；　she　now

offers　to　lead；　aid；　and　accompany　us　in　it。　　By　acceding　to　her

proposition；　we　detach　her　from　the　bands；　bring　her　mighty　weight

into　the　scale　of　free　government；　and　emancipate　a　continent　at　one

stroke；　which　might　otherwise　linger　long　in　doubt　and　difficulty。

Great　Britain　is　the　nation　which　can　do　us　the　most　harm　of　any　one；

or　all　on　earth；　and　with　her　on　our　side　we　need　not　fear　the　whole

world。　　With　her　then；　we　should　most　sedulously　cherish　a　cordial

friendship；　and　nothing　would　tend　more　to　knit　our　affections　than

to　be　fighting　once　more；　side　by　side；　in　the　same　cause。　　Not　that

I　would　purchase　even　her　amity　at　the　price　of　taking　part　in　her

wars。　　But　the　war　in　which　the　present　proposition　might　engage　us；

should　that　be　its　consequence；　is　not　her　war；　but　ours。　　Its　object

is　to　introduce　and　establish　the　American　system；　of　keeping　out　of

our　land　all　foreign　powers；　of　never　permitting　those　of　Europe　to

intermeddle　with　the　affairs　of　our　nations。　　It　is　to　maintain　our

own　principle；　not　to　depart　from　it。　　And　if；　to　facilitate　this；　we

can　effect　a　division　in　the　body　of　the　European　powers；　and　draw

over　to　our　side　its　most　powerful　member；　surely　we　should　do　it。

But　I　am　clearly　of　Mr。　Canning's　opinion；　that　it　will　prevent

instead　of　provoking　war。　　With　Great　Britain　withdrawn　from　their

scale　and　shifted　into　that　of　our　two　continents；　all　Europe

combined　would　not　undertake　such　a　war。　　For　how　would　they　propose

to　get　at　either　enemy　without　superior　fleets？　　Nor　is　the　occasion

to　be　slighted　which　this　proposition　offers；　of　declaring　our

protest　against　the　atrocious　violations　of　the　rights　of　nations；　by

the　interference　of　any　one　in　the　internal　affairs　of　another；　so

flagitiously　begun　by　Bonaparte；　and　now　continued　by　the　equally

lawless　Alliance；　calling　itself　Holy。




　　　　　　　　But　we　have　first　to　ask　ourselves　a　question。　　Do　we　wish　to

acquire　to　our　own　confederacy　any　one　or　more　of　the　Spanish

provinces？　　I　candidly　confess；　that　I　have　ever　looked　on　Cuba　as

the　most　interesting　addition　which　could　ever　be　made　to　our　system

of　States。　　The　control　which；　with　Florida　Point；　this　island　would

give　us　over　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　and　the　countries　and　isthmus

bordering　on　it；　as　well　as　all　those　whose　waters　flow　into　it；

would　fill　up　the　measure　of　our　political　well…being。　　Yet；　as　I　am

sensible　that　this　can　never　be　obtained；　even　with　her　own　consent；

but　by　war；　and　its　independence；　which　is　our　second　interest；　（and

especially　its　independence　of　England；）　can　be　secured　without　it；　I

have　no　hesitation　in　abandoning　my　first　wish　to　future　chances；　and

accepting　its　independence；　with　peace　and　the　friendship　of　England；

rather　than　its　association；　at　the　expense　of　war　and　her　enmity。




　　　　　　　　I　could　honestly；　therefore；　join　in　the　declaration　proposed；

that　we　aim　not　at　the　acquisition　of　any　of　those　possessions；　that

we　will　not　stand　in　the　way　of　any　amicable　arrangement　between　them

and　the　mother　country；　but　that　we　will　oppose；　with　all　our　means；

the　forcible　interposition　of　any　other　power；　as　auxiliary；

stipendiary；　or　under　any　other　form　or　pretext；　and　most　especially；

their　transfer　to　any　power　by　conquest；　cession；　or　acquisition　in

any　other　way。　　I　should　th