time　the　present　C。　J。　came　to　the　bench。　　Whether　he　carried　the
  practice　of　Mr。　Pendleton　to　it；　or　who；　or　when　I　do　not　know；　but　I
  understand　from　others　it　is　now　the　habit　of　the　court；　&　I　suppose
  it　true　from　the　cases　sometimes　reported　in　the　newspapers；　and
  others　which　I　casually　see；　wherein　I　observe　that　the　opinions　were
  uniformly　prepared　in　private。　　Some　of　these　cases　too　have　been　of
  such　importance；　of　such　difficulty；　and　the　decisions　so　grating　to
  a　portion　of　the　public　as　to　have　merited　the　fullest　explanation
  from　every　judge　seriatim；　of　the　reasons　which　had　produced　such
  convictions　on　his　mind。　　It　was　interesting　to　the　public　to　know
  whether　these　decisions　were　really　unanimous；　or　might　not　perhaps
  be　of　4。　against　3。　and　consequently　prevailing　by　the　preponderance
  of　one　voice　only。　　The　Judges　holding　their　offices　for　life　are
  under　two　responsibilities　only。　　1。　　Impeachment。　　2。　Individual
  reputation。　　But　this　practice　compleatly　withdraws　them　from　both。
  For　nobody　knows　what　opinion　any　individual　member　gave　in　any　case；
  nor　even　that　he　who　delivers　the　opinion；　concurred　in　it　himself。
  Be　the　opinion　therefore　ever　so　impeachable；　having　been　done　in　the
  dark　it　can　be　proved　on　no　one。　　As　to　the　2d　guarantee；　personal
  reputation；　it　is　shielded　compleatly。　　The　practice　is　certainly
  convenient　for　the　lazy；　the　modest　&　the　incompetent。　　It　saves　them
  the　trouble　of　developing　their　opinion　methodically　and　even　of
  making　up　an　opinion　at　all。　　That　of　seriatim　argument　shews　whether
  every　judge　has　taken　the　trouble　of　understanding　the　case；　of
  investigating　it　minutely；　and　of　forming　an　opinion　for　himself；
  instead　of　pinning　it　on　another's　sleeve。　　It　would　certainly　be
  right　to　abandon　this　practice　in　order　to　give　to　our　citizens　one
  and　all；　that　confidence　in　their　judges　which　must　be　so　desirable
  to　the　judges　themselves；　and　so　important　to　the　cement　of　the
  union。　　During　the　administration　of　Genl。　Washington；　and　while　E。
  Randolph　was　Attorney　General；　he　was　required　by　Congress　to　digest
  the　judiciary　laws　into　a　single　one；　with　such　amendments　as　might
  be　thought　proper。　　He　prepared　a　section　requiring　the　Judges　to
  give　their　opinions　seriatim；　in　writing；　to　be　recorded　in　a
  distinct　volume。　　Other　business　prevented　this　bill　from　being　taken
  up；　and　it　passed　off；　but　such　a　volume　would　have　been　the　best
  possible　book　of　reports；　and　the　better；　as　unincumbered　with　the
  hired　sophisms　and　perversions　of　Counsel。
  What　do　you　think　of　the　state　of　parties　at　this　time？　　An
  opinion　prevails　that　there　is　no　longer　any　distinction；　that　the
  republicans　&　Federalists　are　compleatly　amalgamated　but　it　is　not
  so。　　The　amalgamation　is　of　name　only；　not　of　principle。　　All　indeed
  call　themselves　by　the　name　of　Republicans；　because　that　of
  Federalists　was　extinguished　in　the　battle　of　New　Orleans。　　But　the
  truth　is　that　finding　that　monarchy　is　a　desperate　wish　in　this
  country；　they　rally　to　the　point　which　they　think　next　best；　a
  consolidated　government。　　Their　aim　is　now　therefore　to　break　down
  the　rights　reserved　by　the　constitution　to　the　states　as　a　bulwark
  against　that　consolidation；　the　fear　of　which　produced　the　whole　of
  the　opposition　to　the　constitution　at　it's　birth。　　Hence　new
  Republicans　in　Congress；　preaching　the　doctrines　of　the　old
  Federalists；　and　the　new　nick…names　of　Ultras　and　Radicals。　　But　I
  trust　they　will　fail　under　the　new；　as　the　old　name；　and　that　the
  friends　of　the　real　constitution　and　union　will　prevail　against
  consolidation；　as　they　have　done　against　monarchism。　　I　scarcely　know
  myself　which　is　most　to　be　deprecated；　a　consolidation；　or
  dissolution　of　the　states。　　The　horrors　of　both　are　beyond　the　reach
  of　human　foresight。
  I　have　written　you　a　long　letter；　and　committed　to　you　thoughts
  which　I　would　do　to　few　others。　　If　I　am　right；　you　will　approve
  them；　if　wrong；　commiserate　them　as　the　dreams　of　a　Superannuate
  about　things　from　which　he　is　to　derive　neither　good　nor　harm。　　But
  you　will　still　receive　them　as　a　proof　of　my　confidence　in　the
  rectitude　of　your　mind　and　principles；　of　which　I　pray　you　to　receive
  entire　assurance　with　that　of　my　continued　and　great　friendship　and
  respect。
  RELIGION　AND　THE　UNIVERSITY
  _To　Dr。　Thomas　Cooper_
  _Monticello；　November　2；　1822_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　October　the　18th　came　to　hand
  yesterday。　　The　atmosphere　of　our　country　is　unquestionably　charged
  with　a　threatening　cloud　of　fanaticism；　lighter　in　some　parts；　denser
  in　others；　but　too　heavy　in　all。　　I　had　no　idea；　however；　that　in
  Pennsylvania；　the　cradle　of　toleration　and　freedom　of　religion；　it
  could　have　arisen　to　the　height　you　describe。　　This　must　be　owing　to
  the　growth　of　Presbyterianism。　　The　blasphemy　and　absurdity　of　the
  five　points　of　Calvin；　and　the　impossibility　of　defending　them；
  render　their　advocates　impatient　of　reasoning；　irritable；　and　prone
  to　denunciation。　　In　Boston；　however；　and　its　neighborhood；
  Unitarianism　has　advanced　to　so　great　strength；　as　now　to　humble　this
  haughtiest　of　all　religious　sects；　insomuch　that　they　condescend　to
  interchange　with　them　and　the　other　sects；　the　civilities　of
  preaching　freely　and　frequently　in　each　others'　meeting…houses。　　In
  Rhode　Island；　on　the　other　hand；　no　sectarian　preacher　will　permit　an
  Unitarian　to　pollute　his　desk。　　In　our　Richmond　there　is　much
  fanaticism；　but　chiefly　among　the　women。　　They　have　their　night
  meetings　and　praying　parties；　where；　attended　by　their　priests；　and
  sometimes　by　a　hen…pecked　husband；　they　pour　forth　the　effusions　of
  their　love　to　Jesus；　in　terms　as　amatory　and　carnal；　as　their　modesty
  would　permit　them　to　use　to　a　mere　earthly　lover。　　In　our　village　of
  Charlottesville；　there　is　a　good　degree　of　religion；　with　a　small
  spice　only　of　fanaticism。　　We　have　four　sects；　but　without　either
  church　or　meeting…house。　　The　court…house　is　the　common　temple；　one
  Sunday　in　the　month　to　each。　　Here；　Episcopalian　and　Presbyterian；
  Methodist　and　Baptist；　meet　together；　join　in　hymning　their　Maker；
  listen　with　attention　and　devotion　to　each　others'　preachers；　and　all
  mix　in　society　with　perfect　harmony。　　It　is　not　so　in　the　districts
  where　Presbyterianism　prevails　undividedly。　　Their　ambition　and
  tyranny　would　tolerate　no　rival　if　they　had　power。　　Systematical　in
  grasping　at　an　ascendency　over　all　other　sects；　they　aim；　like　the
  Jesuits；　at　engrossing　the　education　of　the　country；　are　hostile　to
  every　institution　which　they　do　not　direct；　and　jealous　at　seeing
  others　begin　to　attend　at　all　to　that　object。　　The　diffusion　of
  instruction；　to　which　there　is　now　so　growing　an　attention；　will　be
  the　remote　remedy　to　this　fever　of　fanaticism；　while　the　more
  proximate　one　will　be　the　progress　of　Unitarianism。　　That　this　will；
  ere　long；　be　the　religion　of　the　majority　from　north　to　south；　I　have
  no　doubt。
  In　our　university　you　know　there　is　no　Professorship　of
  Divinity。　　A　handle　has　been　made　of　this；　to　disseminate　an　idea
  that　this　is　an　institution；　not　merely　of　no　religion；　but　against
  all　religion。　　Occasion　was　taken　at　the　last　meeting　of　the
  Visitors；　to　bring　forward　an　idea　that　might　silence　this　calumny；
  which　weighed　on　the　minds　of　some　honest　friends　to　the　institution。
  In　our　annual　report　to　the　legislature；　after　stating　the
  constitutional　reasons　against　a　public　establishment　of　any
  religious　instruction；　we　suggest　the　expediency　of　encouraging　the
  different　religious　sects　to　establish；　each　for　itself；　a
  professorship　of　their　own　tenets；　on　the　confines　of　the　university；
  so　near　as　that　their　students　may　attend　the　lectures　there；　and
  have　the　free　use　of　our　library；　and　every　other　accommodation　we
  can　give　them；　preserving；　however；　their　independence　of　us　and　of
  each　other。　　This　fills　the　chasm　objected　to　ours；　as　a　defect　in　an
  institution　professing　to　give　instruction　in　_all_　useful　sciences。
  I　think　the　invitation　will　be　accepted；　by　some　sects　from　candid
  intentions；　and　by　others　from　jealousy　and　rivalship。　　And　by
  bringing　the　sects　together；　and　mixing　them　with　the　mass　of　other
  students；　we　shall　soften　their　asperities；　liberalize　and　neutralize
  their　prejudices；　and　make　the　general　religion　a　religion　of　peace；
  reason；　and　morality。
  The　time　of　opening　our　university　is　still　as　uncertain　as
  ever。　　All　the　pavilions；　boarding　houses；　and　dormitories　are　done。
  Nothing　is　now　wanting　but　the　central　building　for　a　library　and
  other　general　purposes。　　For　this　we　have　no　funds；　and　the　last
  legislature　refused　all　aid。　　We　have　better　hopes　of　the　next。　　But
  all　is　uncertain。　　I　have　heard　with　regret　of　disturbances　on　the
  part　of　the　students　in　your　seminary。　　The　article　of　discipline　is
  the　most　difficult　in　American