appeal；　where　that　of　other　nations　is　at　once　to　force。
  I　rejoice　in　the　example　you　set　of　_seriatim_　opinions。　　I
  have　heard　it　often　noticed；　and　always　with　high　approbation。　　Some
  of　your　brethren　will　be　encouraged　to　follow　it　occasionally；　and　in
  time；　it　may　be　felt　by　all　as　a　duty；　and　the　sound　practice　of　the
  primitive　court　be　again　restored。　　Why　should　not　every　judge　be
  asked　his　opinion；　and　give　it　from　the　bench；　if　only　by　yea　or　nay？
  Besides　ascertaining　the　fact　of　his　opinion；　which　the　public　have　a
  right　to　know；　in　order　to　judge　whether　it　is　impeachable　or　not；　it
  would　show　whether　the　opinions　were　unanimous　or　not；　and　thus
  settle　more　exactly　the　weight　of　their　authority。
  The　close　of　my　second　sheet　warns　me　that　it　is　time　now　to
  relieve　you　from　this　letter　of　unmerciful　length。　　Indeed；　I　wonder
  how　I　have　accomplished　it；　with　two　crippled　wrists；　the　one
  scarcely　able　to　move　my　pen；　the　other　to　hold　my　paper。　　But　I　am
  hurried　sometimes　beyond　the　sense　of　pain；　when　unbosoming　myself　to
  friends　who　harmonize　with　me　in　principle。　　You　and　I　may　differ
  occasionally　in　details　of　minor　consequence；　as　no　two　minds；　more
  than　two　faces；　are　the　same　in　every　feature。　　But　our　general
  objects　are　the　same；　to　preserve　the　republican　form　and　principles
  of　our　constitution　and　cleave　to　the　salutary　distribution　of　powers
  which　that　has　established。　　These　are　the　two　sheet　anchors　of　our
  Union。　　If　driven　from　either；　we　shall　be　in　danger　of　foundering。
  To　my　prayers　for　its　safety　and　perpetuity；　I　add　those　for　the
  continuation　of　your　health；　happiness；　and　usefulness　to　your
  country。
  〃RIVERS　OF　BLOOD　MUST　YET　FLOW〃
  _To　John　Adams_
  _Monticello；　Sep。　4；　1823_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　Aug。　15。　was　recieved　in　due　time；
  and　with　the　welcome　of　every　thing　which　comes　from　you。　　With　it's
  opinions　on　the　difficulties　of　revolutions；　from　despotism　to
  freedom；　I　very　much　concur。　　The　generation　which　commences　a
  revolution　can　rarely　compleat　it。　　Habituated　from　their　infancy　to
  passive　submission　of　body　and　mind　to　their　kings　and　priests；　they
  are　not　qualified；　when　called　on；　to　think　and　provide　for
  themselves　and　their　inexperience；　their　ignorance　and　bigotry　make
  them　instruments　often；　in　the　hands　of　the　Bonapartes　and　Iturbides
  to　defeat　their　own　rights　and　purposes。　　This　is　the　present
  situation　of　Europe　and　Spanish　America。　　But　it　is　not　desperate。
  The　light　which　has　been　shed　on　mankind　by　the　art　of　printing　has
  eminently　changed　the　condition　of　the　world。　　As　yet　that　light　has
  dawned　on　the　midling　classes　only　of　the　men　of　Europe。　　The　kings
  and　the　rabble　of　equal　ignorance；　have　not　yet　recieved　it's　rays；
  but　it　continues　to　spread。　　And；　while　printing　is　preserved；　it　can
  no　more　recede　than　the　sun　return　on　his　course。　　A　first　attempt　to
  recover　the　right　of　self…government　may　fail；　so　may　a　2d。　a　3d。
  etc。；　but　as　a　younger；　and　more　instructed　race　comes　on；　the
  sentiment　becomes　more　and　more　intuitive；　and　a　4th。　a　5th。　or　some
  subsequent　one　of　the　ever　renewed　attempts　will　ultimately　succeed。
  In　France　the　1st。　effort　was　defeated　by　Robespierre；　the　2d。　by
  Bonaparte；　the　3d。　by　Louis　XVIII。　and　his　holy　allies；　another　is
  yet　to　come；　and　all　Europe；　Russia　excepted；　has　caught　the　spirit；
  and　all　will　attain　representative　government；　more　or　less　perfect。
  This　is　now　well　understood　to　be　a　necessary　check　on　kings；　whom
  they　will　probably　think　it　more　prudent　to　chain　and　tame；　than　to
  exterminate。　　To　attain　all　this　however　rivers　of　blood　must　yet
  flow；　and　years　of　desolation　pass　over。　　Yet　the　object　is　worth
  rivers　of　blood；　and　years　of　desolation　for　what　inheritance　so
  valuable　can　man　leave　to　his　posterity？　　The　spirit　of　the　Spaniard
  and　his　deadly　and　eternal　hatred　to　a　Frenchman；　gives　me　much
  confidence　that　he　will　never　submit；　but　finally　defeat　this
  atrocious　violation　of　the　laws　of　god　and　man　under　which　he　is
  suffering；　and　the　wisdom　and　firmness　of　the　Cortes　afford
  reasonable　hope　that　that　nation　will　settle　down　in　a　temperate
  representative　government；　with　an　Executive　properly　subordinated　to
  that。　　Portugal；　Italy；　Prussia；　Germany；　Greece　will　follow　suit。
  You　and　I　shall　look　down　from　another　world　on　these　glorious
  atchievements　to　man；　which　will　add　to　the　joys　even　of　heaven。
  I　observe　your　toast　of　Mr。　Jay　on　the　4th。　of　July；　wherein
  you　say　that　the　omission　of　his　signature　to　the　Declaration　of
  Independance　was　by　_accident_。　　Our　impressions　as　to　this　fact
  being　different；　I　shall　be　glad　to　have　mine　corrected；　if　wrong。
  Jay；　you　know；　had　been　in　constant　opposition　to　our　laboring
  majority。　　Our　estimate；　at　the　time；　was　that　he；　Dickinson　and
  Johnson　of　Maryland　by　their　ingenuity；　perseverance　and　partiality
  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　h