then　descend　childless　to　the　grave。　　Three　sons；　and　hopeful　ones
  too；　are　a　rich　treasure。　　I　rejoice　when　I　hear　of　young　men　of
  virtue　and　talents；　worthy　to　receive；　and　likely　to　preserve　the
  splendid　inheritance　of　self…government；　which　we　have　acquired　and
  shaped　for　them。
  The　complement　of　midshipmen　for　the　Tripoline　squadron；　is
  full；　and　I　hope　the　frigates　have　left　the　Capes　by　this　time。　　I
  have；　however；　this　day；　signed　warrants　of　midshipmen　for　the　two
  young　gentlemen　you　recommended。　　These　will　be　forwarded　by　the
  Secretary　of　the　Navy。　　He　tells　me　that　their　first　services　will　be
  to　be　performed　on　board　the　gun　boats。
  Accept　my　friendly　salutations；　and　assurances　of　great　esteem
  and　respect。
  〃THE　OFFICE　OF　HANGMAN〃
  _To　Larkin　Smith_
  _Washington；　Nov。　26；　1804_
  SIR；　　Your　letter　of　the　10th　came　to　hand　yesterday　evening。
  It　was　written　with　frankness　and　independance　and　will　be　answered
  in　the　same　way。　　You　complain　that　I　did　not　answer　your　letters
  applying　for　office。　　But　if　you　will　reflect　a　moment　you　may　judge
  whether　this　ought　to　be　expected。　　To　the　successful　applicant　for
  an　office　the　commission　is　the　answer。　　To　the　unsuccessful
  multitude　am　I　to　go　with　every　one　into　the　reasons　for　not
  appointing　him？　　Besides　that　this　correspondence　would　literally
  engross　my　whole　time；　into　what　controversies　would　it　lead　me。
  Sensible　of　this　dilemma；　from　the　moment　of　coming　into　office　I
  laid　it　down　as　a　rule　to　leave　the　applicants　to　collect　their
  answer　from　the　facts。　　To　entitle　myself　to　the　benefit　of　the　rule
  in　any　case　it　must　be　observed　in　every　one：　and　I　never　have
  departed　from　it　in　a　single　case；　not　even　for　my　bosom　friends。
  You　observe　that　you　are；　or　probably　will　be　appointed　an　elector。
  I　have　no　doubt　you　will　do　your　duty　with　a　conscientious　regard　to
  the　public　good　&　to　that　only。　　Your　decision　in　favor　of　another
  would　not　excite　in　my　mind　the　slightest　dissatisfaction　towards
  you。　　On　the　contrary　I　should　honor　the　integrity　of　your　choice。
  In　the　nominations　I　have　to　make；　do　the　same　justice　to　my　motives。
  Had　you　hundreds　to　nominate；　instead　of　one；　be　assured　they　would
  not　compose　for　you　a　bed　of　roses。　　You　would　find　yourself　in　most
  cases　with　one　loaf　and　ten　wanting　bread。　　Nine　must　be
  disappointed；　perhaps　become　secret；　if　not　open　enemies。　　The
  transaction　of　the　great　interests　of　our　country　costs　us　little
  trouble　or　difficulty。　　There　the　line　is　plain　to　men　of　some
  experience。　　But　the　task　of　appointment　is　a　heavy　one　indeed。　　He
  on　whom　it　falls　may　envy　the　lot　of　a　Sisyphus　or　Ixion。　　Their
  agonies　were　of　the　body：　this　of　the　mind。　　Yet；　like　the　office　of
  hangman　it　must　be　executed　by　some　one。　　It　has　been　assigned　to　me
  and　made　my　duty。　　I　make　up　my　mind　to　it　therefore；　&　abandon　all
  regard　to　consequences。　　Accept　my　salutations　&　assurances　of
  respect。
  BLUEPRINT　OF　THE　UNIVERSITY
  _To　Littleton　Waller　Tazewell_
  _Washington；　Jan。　5；　1805_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　December　24　never　came　to　my　hands
  till　last　night。　　It's　importance　induces　me　to　hasten　the　answer。
  No　one　can　be　more　rejoiced　at　the　information　that　the　legislature
  of　Virginia　are　likely　at　length　to　institute　an　University　on　a
  liberal　plan。　　Convinced　that　the　people　are　the　only　safe
  depositories　of　their　own　liberty；　&　that　they　are　not　safe　unless
  enlightened　to　a　certain　degree；　I　have　looked　on　our　present　state
  of　liberty　as　a　short…lived　possession　unless　the　mass　of　the　people
  could　be　informed　to　a　certain　degree。　　This　requires　two　grades　of
  education。　　First　some　institution　where　science　in　all　it's　branches
  is　taught；　and　in　the　highest　degree　to　which　the　human　mind　has
  carried　it。　　This　would　prepare　a　few　subjects　in　every　State；　to
  whom　nature　has　given　minds　of　the　first　order。　　Secondly　such　a
  degree　of　learning　given　to　every　member　of　the　society　as　will
  enable　him　to　read；　to　judge　&　to　vote　understandingly　on　what　is
  passing。　　This　would　be　the　object　of　the　township　schools。　　I
  understand　from　your　letter　that　the　first　of　these　only　is　under
  present　contemplation。　　Let　us　receive　with　contentment　what　the
  legislature　is　now　ready　to　give。　　The　other　branch　will　be
  incorporated　into　the　system　at　some　more　favorable　moment。
  The　first　step　in　this　business　will　be　for　the　legislature　to
  pass　an　act　of　establishment　equivalent　to　a　charter。　　This　should
  deal　in　generals　only。　　It's　provisions　should　go　1。　to　the　object　of
  the　institution。　　2。　it's　location。　　3。　it's　endowment。　　4。　it's
  Direction。　　On　each　of　these　heads　I　will　hazard　a　first　thought　or
  two。　　1。　It's　object　should　be　defined　only　generally　for　teaching
  the　useful　branches　of　science；　leaving　the　particulars　to　the
  direction　of　the　day。　　Science　is　progressive。　　What　was　useful　two
  centuries　ago　is　now　become　useless；　e。g。　one　half　the　professorships
  of　Wm　&　Mary。　　What　is　now　deemed　useful　will　in　some　of　it's　parts
  become　useless　in　another　century。　　The　visitors　will　be　the　best
  qualified　to　keep　their　institution　up　in　even　pace　with　the　science
  of　the　times。　　Every　one　knows　that　Oxford；　Cambridge；　the　Sorbonne；
  etc。　are　now　a　century　or　two　behind　the　science　of　the　age。　　2。　The
  location。　　The　legislature　is　the　proper　judges　of　a　general
  position；　within　certain　limits；　as　for　instance　the　county　in　which
  it　shall　be。　　To　fix　on　the　spot　identically　they　would　not　be　so
  competent　as　persons　particularly　appointed　to　examine　the　grounds。
  This　small　degree　of　liberty　in　location　would　place　the　landholders
  in　the　power　of　the　purchasers：　to　fix　the　spot　would　place　the
  purchaser　in　the　power　of　the　landholder。　　3。　It's　endowment。　　Bank
  stock；　or　public　stock　of　any　kind　should　be　immediately　converted
  into　real　estate。　　In　the　form　of　stock　it　is　a　dead　fund；　it's
  depreciation　being　equal　to　it's　interest。　　Every　one　must　see　that
  money　put　into　our　funds　when　first　established　（in　1791）　with　all
  its　interest　from　that　day　would　not　buy　more　now　than　the　principal
  would　then　have　done。　　Mr。　Pitt　states　to　parliament　that　the
  expenses　of　living　in　England　have；　in　the　last　20　years；　increased
  50。　percent：　that　is　that　money　has　depreciated　that　much。　　Even　the
  precious　metals　depreciate　slowly　so　that　in　perpetual　institutions；
  as　colleges；　that　ought　to　be　guarded　against。　　But　in　countries
  admitting　paper；　the　abusive　emissions　of　that　produces　two；　three　or
  four　courses　of　depreciation　&　annihilation　in　a　century。　　Lands　will
  keep　_advancing_　nominally　so　as　to　keep　_even_　really。　　Canal　shares
  are　as　good　as　lands；　perhaps　better：　but　the　whole　funds　should　not
  be　risked　in　any　one　form。　　They　should　be　vested　in　the　visitors；
  without　any　power　given　them　to　lessen　their　capital；　or　even　to
  _change_　what　is　real。　　4。　The　Direction。　　This　would　of　course　be　in
  the　hands　of　Visitors。　　The　legislature　would　name　the　first　set；　&
  lay　down　the　laws　of　their　succession。　　On　death　or　resignation　the
  legislature　or　the　Chancellor　might　name　three　persons　of　whom　the
  visitors　should　chuse　one。　　The　visitors　should　be　few。　　If　many；
  those　half　qualified　would　by　their　numbers　bring　every　thing　down　to
  the　level　of　their　own　capacities；　by　out…voting　the　few　of　real
  science。　　I　doubt　if　they　should　exceed　five。　　For　this　is　an　office
  for　which　good　sense　alone　does　not　qualify　a　man。　　To　analyse
  science　into　it's　different　branches；　to　distribute　these　into
  professorships；　to　superintend　the　course　practiced　by　each
  professor；　he　must　know　what　these　sciences　are　and　possess　their
  outlines　at　least。　　Can　any　state　in　the　union　furnish　more　than　5。
  men　so　qualified　as　to　the　whole　field　of　the　sciences。　　The　Visitors
  should　receive　no　pay。　　Such　qualifications　are　properly　rewarded　by
  honor；　not　by　money。
  The　charter　being　granted　&　the　Visitors　named；　these　become
  then　the　agents　as　to　every　thing　else。　　Their　first　objects　will　be
  1。　the　special　location。　　2。　the　institution　of　professorships。　　3。
  the　employment　of　their　capital。　　4。　the　necessary　buildings。　　A　word
  on　each。　　1。　Special　location　needs　no　explanation。　　2。
  Professorships。　　They　would　have　to　select　all　the　branches　of
  science　deemed　useful　at　this　day；　&　in　this　country：　to　groupe　as
  many　of　these　together　as　could　be　taught　by　one　professor　and　thus
  reduce　the　number　of　professors　to　the　minimum　consistent　with　the
  essential　object。　　Having　for　some　years　entertained　the　hope　that
  our　country　would　some　day　establish　an　institution　on　a　liberal
  scale；　I　have　been　taking　measures　to　have　in　readiness　such
  materials　as　would　require　time　to　collect。　　I　have　from　Dr。
  Priestley　a　designation　of　the　branches　of　science　grouped　into
  professors