The Life of Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States: With ... - George Tucker - Google Libros

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CONTENTS.

The life of Thomas Jefferson peculiarly instructive-illustrated by the

history of his native state. First settlement of Virginia. Difficulties

of the first settlers. Introduction of slaves, and the cultivation of to-

bacco-their influence on the character and condition of the inhabitants.

Towns small and few. Habits and manners of the people. Religion.

Government. Aristocracy. Jealous of their civil rights. Collisions

with the crown. Subsequent harmony until the stamp act.

Birth and parentage of Thomas Jefferson. His Education. Sent to

College. Dr. Small. His amusements. Description of his person.

His familiar letters to John Page. Governor Fauquier. Studies law

under George Wythe. Visits Annapolis and Philadelphia. His cha-

racter as a lawyer. Patrick Henry. The stamp act. Is elected to

the General Assembly. It denies the right of Great Britain to tax the

colonies. The members meet at the Raleigh Tavern. Progress of

discontents.
26

His Marriage. Committees of Correspondence. Boston Port Bill.

Members of Assembly enter into articles of Association. Propose a

General Congress. First Convention in Virginia. His vindication

of the rights of America. Proceedings of the Convention-choose

Deputies to a General Congress. Character of that Body. The Con-

vention of Virginia assemble at Richmond. Its Proceedings. Mr.

Jefferson chosen a Deputy to Congress. The Powder withdrawn from

the Public Magazine by Lord Dunmore. The popular irritation it

B

excited. General Assembly convened. Mr. Jefferson prepares a reply

to Lord North's propositions. Collision between the Governor and

House of Burgesses. Conduct of Lord Dunmore.

Declaration by Congress of the causes of taking up arms. The mani-

festos of Congress. Mr. Jefferson's share in those papers. Is re-elected

to Congress. His previous views on Independence. Progress of Pub-

lic Sentiment. Proceedings of the Virginia Convention. Declaration

of Independence moved in Congress. Mr. Jefferson prepares the

draught. When adopted and signed. Its character. He retires from

Congress. Elected to the General Assembly of Virginia. Abolition

of entails-Primogeniture. Their effects considered. Church estab-

lishment in Virginia. Its gradual abolition. Entire freedom of religion.

Its consequences.

Mr. Jefferson proposes a general revision of the laws. Appointed one of

the Committee. His objections to Codification. Distribution of the

labour. Character of the Revisal. Edmund Pendleton. Criminal

Law. James Madison. The right of Expatriation declared. System

of Education. Jefferson's opinions on Slavery. Arguments for and

against the practicability of Emancipation. His hospitable and humane

attentions to the English prisoners quartered in Albemarle. Prevents

their removal from the county.
103

Mr. Jefferson elected Governor of Virginia. Difficulties of his situation.

George Rogers Clarke. Retaliation on Governor Hamilton and others.

Its effects. Claims of Virginia to the Western Territory. Resisted

by other States. Her cession of the Territory. Difficulty of providing

military supplies and of transporting them. Arnold's predatory incur-

sion. Its success explained. Abortive attempts to capture Arnold.

Invasion under Phillips and Arnold. Their operations. Correspon-

dence between the Governor and General Phillips. Meeting of the

Legislature. It adjourns to Charlottesville. Lord Cornwallis invades

Virginia. The Governor declines a re-election. His motives. Tarlton

detached to Charlottesville. Mr. Jefferson and the members of As-

sembly narrowly escape capture.

Public discontents in Virginia. Clamours against Governor Jefferson.

He is threatened with impeachment. The charges against him can-

vassed. His vindication. Writes the notes on Virginia. Character

of that work. Is elected to the Legislature. Invites an investigation

into his conduct. The legislature unanimously vote him their thanks.

Is appointed an Envoy to negotiate peace. Declines. The death of

Mrs. Jefferson. His appointment renewed and accepted. His em-

barkation prevented by the news of peace. Is elected to Congress.

Recommends a common money of account-adopted by Congress.

Plan of a standing Executive Committee-its failure. General Wash-

ington resigns his command. Abuses of debate in deliberative bodies.

Debate on the ratification of the Treaty of Peace-its final ratification.

The committees of which he was a member. His report on the foreign

relations of the United States. The Cincinnati Association-it becomes

an object of jealousy. General Washington consults Mr. Jefferson on

this subject. His views. Its dissolution.
149

Mr. Jefferson appointed Minister to France. Embarks at Boston. Meet-

ing with Dr. Franklin in Paris. State of Society there. They endeav-

our to make commercial treaties. Their partial success and its causes.

Publishes his notes on Virginia.. Theory of the degeneracy of animals

in America. Statue of Washington. Remains sole minister. Nego-

tiations against the tobacco monopoly. Asserts the doctrine of free

trade. His qualifications of it. His opinion of a navy. Sends a model

for the capitol at Richmond. The Barbary powers. Proposes a plan

of resistance by combined forces. Causes of its failure. His multifa-

rious correspondence. Negotiations with the Barbary states. Confer-

ence with the French minister on American commerce. Oglethorpe's

heirs. Case of Lister Asquith. Taste for country life.

Mr. Jefferson joins Mr. Adams in London. Their cold reception. Policy

of the British government towards America. Treaty with Portugal

not ratified. Unsuccessful negotiation with the Tripoline minister.

Mr. Jefferson's description of England. His contributions to the En-

cyclopedie Methodique. The progress of population in the United

States. Inland Navigation. Elk horns. Live oak. Fossil shells.

Debts of Virginians. New federal government for the United States

proposed. Houdon's statue of Washington. Proposes a donation to

La Fayette. British debts in Virginia. Objects to the proposed extent

of some new states. His opinion of the powers of Congress. Act of

religious freedom. Popular instruction. Harbour of Cherbourg. Phi-

losophical dialogue. Easterly winds. Connexion between the Atlantic

and Pacific. The Cincinnati. His schemes of future happiness. As-

sists Ledyard, the traveller-his enterprises. Complains that his de-

spatches had been published. Carriage wheels.
198

Political troubles of France. Meeting of the Notables. Shay's Insur-

rection in Massachusetts. Newspapers. Thoughts on Government.

Navigation of the Mississippi. Visits the South of France. His

style of travelling. Nismes. Secret overtures from a Brazilian and

a Mexican. His views of the new Constitution of the United States.

Debt due to French officers. Is joined by his younger daughter. Note

to the French minister. Cultivation of the vine and olive compared.

His opinions on the power of coercion on the states-Moral philosophy

-Religion-Travelling. Advice in a law question. Statuary costume.

Increasing discontents in France. Effects of European wars on the

United States. Progress of the French Revolution. Letter to Mr.

Wythe. Imports the bones of a Moose. Imputed project of the Eng-

Mr. Jefferson's views of the Federal Constitution. His two principal

objections. Visits Holland. National credit in Amsterdam. Prisoners

in Algiers. Plan of liberating them. Expenses of American ministers.

Consular convention. Gordon's History of the American Revolution.

Some opinions in physical science-faith in its improvements. Silas

Deane's letter book. Claims of French officers. Memoir on the ad-

mission of American fish oil into France. Asks leave to return home.

Views of the future policy of the United States. Progress of the

French Revolution. Meeting of the states-general. Scarcity of

bread in Paris. Complaints of French officers against the United

Further opinions on the Federal Constitution. Mr. Madison's and Mr.

Jefferson's respective views on Declarations of Rights. Discoveries

and improvements in Science. Progress of the French Revolution.

Mr. Jefferson submits a Bill of Rights to La Fayette. Visits Versailles

almost daily. Connexion of Lake Erie with the Ohio. Views of the

French Revolution. Titular distinctions in the United States. The

doctrine that one generation cannot bind another. Mr. Madison's

views on this subject. Further objections to the doctrine. State of

parties in Paris. His mode of passing his time there. Leaves France.

Stops at the Isle of Wight. Arrival at Norfolk. His papers narrowly

escape conflagration. Return to Monticello. Reception by his slaves.

Appointed Secretary of State. Marriage of his eldest daughter. Sets

out for New York. Interview with Dr. Franklin.

Mr. Jefferson arrives at New York. Sketch of parties after the Revo-

lution. Sense of the necessity of union. Local jealousies. Federal-

ists and anti-federalists. Partiality for the British Constitution. Illu-

sions of rank. Mr. Jefferson's sentiments. Proceedings of the first

Congress. Impost. Permanent seat of government. Mr. Hamilton's

report on public credit. Discrimination in favour of the original public

creditors proposed by Mr. Madison. Arguments for and against it. -

Public opinion on the question. Assumption of state debts. Mr. Jef-

ferson's impressions of the arguments urged for and against the

assumption. The proposition rejected. Mr. Jefferson joins in affect-

ing a compromise. Merits of the question. Local division of the

Mr. Jefferson's party attachments. Injurious effects of the assumption.

Leading measures of Congress. Discriminating duties. Commercial

retaliation proposed. Closed doors of the Senate. Navigation of

the Mississippi. Diplomatic intercourse with England. Mr. Jeffer-

son's reports on a copper coinage-on weights and measures-the

fisheries. Excise. Mr. Hamilton's report on public credit. He pro-

poses a national bank. Arguments for and against its constitutional-

ity. Letter to the National Assembly in memory of Franklin. Navi-

gation of the Mississippi. Tonnage duty. Political sentiments of John

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