demanded　by　their　Senate；　of　that　offered　by　Bonaparte；　and　of　that
  granted　by　Louis　XVIII。　　The　idea　then　is　rooted；　and　will　be
  established；　altho'　rivers　of　blood　may　yet　flow　between　them　and
  their　object。　　The　allied　armies　now　couching　upon　them　are　first　to
  be　destroyed；　and　destroyed　they　will　surely　be。　　A　nation　united　can
  never　be　conquered。　　We　have　seen　what　the　ignorant　bigotted　and
  unarmed　Spaniards　could　do　against　the　disciplined　veterans　of　their
  invaders。　　What　then　may　we　not　expect　from　the　power　and　character
  of　the　French　nation？　　The　oppressors　may　cut　off　heads　after　heads；
  but　like　those　of　the　Hydra；　they　multiply　at　every　stroke。　　The
  recruits　within　a　nation's　own　limits　are　prompt　and　without　number；
  while　those　of　their　invaders　from　a　distance　are　slow；　limited；　and
  must　come　to　an　end。　　I　think　too　we　percieve　that　all　these　allies
  do　not　see　the　same　interest　in　the　annihilation　of　the　power　of
  France。　　There　are　certainly　some　symptoms　of　foresight　in　Alexander
  that　France　might　produce　a　salutary　diversion　of　force　were　Austria
  and　Prussia　to　become　her　enemies。　　France　too　is　the　natural　ally　of
  the　Turk；　as　having　no　interfering　interests；　and　might　be　useful　in
  neutralizing　and　perhaps　turning　that　power　on　Austria。　　That　a
  re…acting　jealousy　too　exists　with　Austria　and　Prussia　I　think　their
  late　strict　alliance　indicates；　and　I　should　not　wonder　if　Spain
  should　discover　a　sympathy　with　them。　　Italy　is　so　divided　as　to　be
  nothing。　　Here　then　we　see　new　coalitions　in　embrio　which　after
  France　shall　in　turn　have　suffered　a　just　punishment　for　her　crimes；
  will　not　only　raise　her　from　the　earth　on　which　she　is　prostrate；　but
  give　her　an　opportunity　to　establish　a　government　of　as　much　liberty
  as　she　can　bear；　enough　to　ensure　her　happiness　and　prosperity。　　When
  insurrection　begins；　be　it　where　it　will；　all　the　partitioned
  countries　will　rush　to　arms；　and　Europe　again　become　an　Arena　of
  gladiators。　　And　what　is　the　definite　object　they　will　propose？　　A
  restoration　certainly　of　the　status　quo　prius；　of　the　state　of
  possession　of　89。　　I　see　no　other　principle　on　which　Europe　can　ever
  again　settle　down　in　lasting　peace。　　I　hope　your　prophecies　will　go
  thus　far；　as　my　wishes　do；　and　that　they；　like　the　former；　will　prove
  to　have　been　the　sober　dictates　of　a　superior　understanding；　and　a
  sound　calculation　of　effects　from　causes　well　understood。　　Some
  future　Morgan　will　then　have　an　opportunity　of　doing　you　justice；　and
  of　counterbalancing　the　breach　of　confidence　of　which　you　so　justly
  complain；　and　in　which　no　one　has　had　more　frequent　occasion　of
  fellow…feeling　than　myself。　　Permit　me　to　place　here　my　affectionate
  respects　to　Mrs。　Adams；　and　to　add　for　yourself　the　assurances　of
  cordial　friendship　and　esteem。
  THE　WARD　SYSTEM
  _To　Joseph　C。　Cabell_
  _Monticello；　February　2；　1816_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favors　of　the　23d　and　24th　ult。；　were　a　week
  coming　to　us。　　I　instantly　enclosed　to　you　the　deeds　of　Capt。　Miller；
  but　I　understand　that　the　Post　Master；　having　locked　his　mail　before
  they　got　to　the　office；　would　not　unlock　it　to　give　them　a　passage。
  Having　been　prevented　from　retaining　my　collection　of　the　acts
  and　journals　of　our　legislature　by　the　lumping　manner　in　which　the
  Committee　of　Congress　chose　to　take　my　library；　it　may　be　useful　to
  our　public　bodies　to　know　what　acts　and　journals　I　had；　and　where
  they　can　now　have　access　to　them。　　I　therefore　enclose　you　a　copy　of
  my　catalogue；　which　I　pray　you　to　deposit　in　the　council　office　for
  public　use。　　It　is　in　the　eighteenth　and　twenty…fourth　chapters　they
  will　find　what　is　interesting　to　them。　　The　form　of　the　catalogue　has
  been　much　injured　in　the　publication；　for　although　they　have
  preserved　my　division　into　chapters；　they　have　reduced　the　books　in
  each　chapter　to　alphabetical　order；　instead　of　the　chronological　or
  analytical　arrangements　I　had　given　them。　　You　will　see　sketches　of
  what　were　my　arrangements　at　the　heads　of　some　of　the　chapters。
  The　bill　on　the　obstructions　in　our　navigable　waters　appears　to
  me　proper；　as　do　also　the　amendments　proposed。　　I　think　the　State
  should　reserve　a　right　to　the　use　of　the　waters　for　navigation；　and
  that　where　an　individual　landholder　impedes　that　use；　he　shall　remove
  that　impediment；　and　leave　the　subject　in　as　good　a　state　as　nature
  formed　it。　　This　I　hold　to　be　the　true　principle；　and　to　this　Colonel
  Green's　amendments　go。　　All　I　ask　in　my　own　case　is；　that　the
  legislature　will　not　take　from　me　_my　own　works_。　　I　am　ready　to　cut
  my　dam　in　any　place；　and　at　any　moment　requisite；　so　as　to　remove
  that　impediment；　if　it　be　thought　one；　and　to　leave　those　interested
  to　make　the　most　of　the　natural　circumstances　of　the　place。　　But　I
  hope　they　will　never　take　from　me　my　canal；　made　through　the　body　of
  my　own　lands；　at　an　expense　of　twenty　thousand　dollars；　and　which　is
  no　impediment　to　the　navigation　of　the　river。　　I　have　permitted　the
  riparian　proprietors　above　（and　they　not　more　than　a　dozen　or　twenty）
  to　use　it　gratis；　and　shall　not　withdraw　the　permission　unless　they
  so　use　it　as　to　obstruct　too　much　the　operations　of　my　mills；　of
  which　there　is　some　likelihood。
  Doctor　Smith；　you　say；　asks　what　is　the　best　elementary　book　on
  the　principles　of　government？　　None　in　the　world　equal　to　the　Review
  of　Montesquieu；　printed　at　Philadelphia　a　few　years　ago。　　It　has　the
  advantage；　too；　of　being　equally　sound　and　corrective　of　the
  principles　of　political　economy；　and　all　within　the　compass　of　a　thin
  8vo。　　Chipman's　and　Priestley's　Principles　of　Government；　and　the
  Federalists；　are　excellent　in　many　respects；　but　for　fundamental
  principles　not　comparable　to　the　Review。　　I　have　no　objections　to　the
  printing　my　letter　to　Mr。　Carr；　if　it　will　promote　the　interests　of
  science；　although　it　was　not　written　with　a　view　to　its　publication。
  My　letter　of　the　24th　ult。　conveyed　to　you　the　grounds　of　the
  two　articles　objected　to　the　College　bill。　　Your　last　presents　one　of
  them　in　a　new　point　of　view；　that　of　the　commencement　of　the　ward
  schools　as　likely　to　render　the　law　unpopular　to　the　country。　　It
  must　be　a　very　inconsiderate　and　rough　process　of　execution　that
  would　do　this。　　My　idea　of　the　mode　of　carrying　it　into　execution
  would　be　this：　Declare　the　county　_ipso　facto_　divided　into　wards　for
  the　present；　by　the　boundaries　of　the　militia　captaincies；　somebody
  attend　the　ordinary　muster　of　each　company；　having　first　desired　the
  captain　to　call　together　a　full　one。　　There　explain　the　object　of　the
  law　to　the　people　of　the　company；　put　to　their　vote　whether　they　will
  have　a　school　established；　and　the　most　central　and　convenient　place
  for　it；　get　them　to　meet　and　build　a　log　school…house；　have　a　roll
  taken　of　the　children　who　would　attend　it；　and　of　those　of　them　able
  to　pay。　　These　would　probably　be　sufficient　to　support　a　common
  teacher；　instructing　gratis　the　few　unable　to　pay。　　If　there　should
  be　a　deficiency；　it　would　require　too　trifling　a　contribution　from
  the　county　to　be　complained　of；　and　especially　as　the　whole　county
  would　participate；　where　necessary；　in　the　same　resource。　　Should　the
  company；　by　its　vote；　decide　that　it　would　have　no　school；　let　them
  remain　without　one。　　The　advantages　of　this　proceeding　would　be　that
  it　would　become　the　duty　of　the　alderman　elected　by　the　county；　to
  take　an　active　part　in　pressing　the　introduction　of　schools；　and　to
  look　out　for　tutors。　　If；　however；　it　is　intended　that　the　State
  government　shall　take　this　business　into　its　own　hands；　and　provide
  schools　for　every　county；　then　by　all　means　strike　out　this　provision
  of　our　bill。　　I　would　never　wish　that　it　should　be　placed　on　a　worse
  footing　than　the　rest　of　the　State。　　But　if　it　is　believed　that　these
  elementary　schools　will　be　better　managed　by　the　governor　and
  council；　the　commissioners　of　the　literary　fund；　or　any　other　general
  authority　of　the　government；　than　by　the　parents　within　each　ward；　it
  is　a　belief　against　all　experience。　　Try　the　principle　one　step
  further；　and　amend　the　bill　so　as　to　commit　to　the　governor　and
  council　the　management　of　all　our　farms；　our　mills；　and　merchants'
  stores。　　No；　my　friend；　the　way　to　have　good　and　safe　government；　is
  not　to　trust　it　all　to　one；　but　to　divide　it　among　the　many；
  distributing　to　every　one　exactly　the　functions　he　is　competent　to。
  Let　the　national　government　be　entrusted　with　the　defence　of　the
  nation；　and　its　foreign　and　federal　relations；　the　State　governments
  with　the　civil　rights；　laws；　police；　and　administration　of　what
  concerns　the　State　generally；　the　counties　with　the　local　concerns　of
  the　counties；　and　each　ward　direct　the　interests　within　itself。　　It
  is　by　dividing　and　subdividing　these　republics　from　the　great
  national　one　down　through　all　its　subordinations；　until　it　ends　in