beauty。　　It　is　plain；　neat；　convenient；　and；　taking　no　more　room　on
  the　writing　table　than　a　moderate　4to。　volume；　it　yet　displays　it
  self　sufficiently　for　any　writing。　　Mr。　Coolidge　must　do　me　the　favor
  of　accepting　this。　　Its　imaginary　value　will　increase　with　the　years；
  and　if　he　lives　to　my　age；　or　another　half　century；　he　may　see　it
  carried　in　the　procession　of　our　nation's　birthday；　as　the　relics　of
  teh　saints　are　in　those　of　the　church。　　I　will　send　it　thro'　Colonel
  Peyton；　and　hope　with　better　fortune　than　that　for　which　it　is　to　be
  a　substitute。
  I　remark　what　you　say　in　your　letter　to　your　mother；　relative
  to　Mr。　Willard　and　our　University　clock。　　Judging　from　that　that　he
  is　the　person　whom　Mr。　Coolidge　would　recommend；　and　having　recieved
  from　Dr。　Waterhouse　a　very　strong　recommendation　of　him；　you　may
  assure　the　old　gentleman　from　me　that　he　shall　have　the　making　of　it。
  We　have　lately　made　an　important　purchase　of　lands　amounting　to　7000。
  D。　and　the　government　is　taking　from　us；　under　their　old　and　new
  Tariff；　2700。　D。　duty　on　the　marble　caps　and　bases　of　the　portico　of
  our　Rotunda；　of　10　columns　only。　　These　things　try　our　funds　for　the
  moment。　　At　the　end　of　the　year　we　shall　see　how　we　stand；　and　I
  expect　we　may　be　able　to　give　the　final　order　for　the　clock　by
  February。
  I　want　to　engage　you；　as　my　agent　at　Boston；　for　certain
  articles　not　to　be　had　here；　and　for　such　only。　　But　it　will　be　on
  the　indispensable　condition　that　you　keep　as　rigorous　an　account　of
  Dollars　and　cents　as　old　Yerragan　our　neighbor　would　do。　　This　alone
  can　induce　friends　to　ask　services　freely；　which　would　otherwise　be
  the　asking　of　presents　and　amount　to　a　prohibition。　　We　should　be
  very　glad　occasionally　to　get　small　supplies　of　the　fine　dumb　codfish
  to　be　had　at　Boston；　and　also　of　the　tongues　and　sounds　of　the　Cod。
  This　selection　of　the　articles　I　trouble　you　for　is　not　of　such　as
  are　better　there　than　here；　for　on　that　ground　we　might　ask　for　every
  thing　from　thence；　but　such　only　as　are　not　to　be　had　here　to　all。
  Perhaps　I　should　trepass　on　Mr。　Coolidge　for　one　other　article。　　We
  pay　here　2。　D。　a　gallon　for　bad　French　brandy。　　I　think　I　have　seen
  in　Degrand's　Price　current　Marseilles　brandy；　from　Dodge　and　Oxnard；
  advertised　good　at　1。　Dollar；　and　another　kind　called　Seignettes；
  which　I　am　told　is　good　Cognac　at　1。25。　D。　　I　will　ask　of　you　then　a
  supply　of　a　kental　of　good　dumb　fish；　and　about　20　or　30　lbs。　of
  tongues　and　sounds；　and　of　Mr。　Collidge　a　30　gallon　cask　of　Dodge　and
  Oxnard's　Marseilles　brandy；　if　tolerable　good　at　1。　D。　or
  thereabouts；　but　double　cased　to　guard　against　spoliation。　　Knowing
  nothing　of　the　prices　of　the　fish；　I　will　at　a　venture；　desire　Col。
  Peyton　to　remit　60。　D。　to　Mr。　Coolidge　immediately；　and　any　little
  difference　between　this　and　actual　cost　either　way；　may　stand　over　to
  your　next　account。　　We　should　be　the　better　perhaps　of　your　recipe
  for　dressing　both　articles。
  I　promised　Mr。　Ticknor　to　inform　him　at　times　how　our
  University　goes　on。　　I　shall　be　glad　if　you　will　read　to　him　that
  part　of　this　letter　which　respects　it；　presuming　Mr。　Coolidge　may
  have　communicated　to　him　the　facts　of　my　former　letter　to　him。　　These
  facts　may　be　used　ad　libitum；　only　keeping　my　name　out　of　sight。
  Writing　is　so　irksome　to　me；　especially　since　I　am　obliged　to　do　it
  in　a　recumbent　posture；　that　I　am　sure　Mr。　Ticknor　will　excuse　my
  economy　in　this　exercise。　　To　you　perhaps　I　should　apologize　for　the
  want　of　it　on　this　occasion。　　The　family　is　well。　　My　own　health
  changes　little。　　I　ride　two　or　three　miles　in　a　carriage　every　day。
  With　my　affectionate　salutations　to　Mr。　Coolidge；　be　assured　yourself
  of　my　tender　and　constant　love。
  CONSOLIDATION！
  _To　William　Branch　Giles_
  _Monticello；　December　26；　1825_
  DEAR　SIR；　　I　wrote　you　a　letter　yesterday；　of　which　you　will
  be　free　to　make　what　use　you　please。　　This　will　contain　matters　not
  intended　for　the　public　eye。　　I　see；　as　you　do；　and　with　the　deepest
  affliction；　the　rapid　strides　with　which　the　federal　branch　of　our
  government　is　advancing　towards　the　usurpation　of　all　the　rights
  reserved　to　the　States；　and　the　consolidation　in　itself　of　all
  powers；　foreign　and　domestic；　and　that；　too；　by　constructions　which；
  if　legitimate；　leave　no　limits　to　their　power。　　Take　together　the
  decisions　of　the　federal　court；　the　doctrines　of　the　President；　and
  the　misconstructions　of　the　constitutional　compact　acted　on　by　the
  legislature　of　the　federal　branch；　and　it　is　but　too　evident；　that
  the　three　ruling　branches　of　that　department　are　in　combination　to
  strip　their　colleagues；　the　State　authorities；　of　the　powers　reserved
  by　them；　and　to　exercise　themselves　all　functions　foreign　and
  domestic。　　Under　the　power　to　regulate　commerce；　they　assume
  indefinitely　that　also　over　agriculture　and　manufactures；　and　call　it
  regulation　to　take　the　earnings　of　one　of　these　branches　of　industry；
  and　that　too　the　most　depressed；　and　put　them　into　the　pockets　of　the
  other；　the　most　flourishing　of　all。　　Under　the　authority　to　establish
  post　roads；　they　claim　that　of　cutting　down　mountains　for　the
  construction　of　roads；　of　digging　canals；　and　aided　by　a　little
  sophistry　on　the　words　〃general　welfare；〃　a　right　to　do；　not　only　the
  acts　to　effect　that；　which　are　specifically　enumerated　and　permitted；
  but　whatsoever　they　shall　think；　or　pretend　will　be　for　the　general
  welfare。　　And　what　is　our　resource　for　the　preservation　of　the
  constitution？　　Reason　and　argument？　　You　might　as　well　reason　and
  argue　with　the　marble　columns　encircling　them。　　The　representatives
  chosen　by　ourselves？　　They　are　joined　in　the　combination；　some　from
  incorrect　views　of　government；　some　from　corrupt　ones；　sufficient
  voting　together　to　out…number　the　sound　parts；　and　with　majorities
  only　of　one；　two；　or　three；　bold　enough　to　go　forward　in　defiance。
  Are　we　then　_to　stand　to　our　arms_；　with　the　hot…headed　Georgian？
  No。　　That　must　be　the　last　resource；　not　to　be　thought　of　until　much
  longer　and　greater　sufferings。　　If　every　infraction　of　a　compact　of
  so　many　parties　is　to　be　resisted　at　once；　as　a　dissolution　of　it；
  none　can　ever　be　formed　which　would　last　one　year。　　We　must　have
  patience　and　longer　endurance　then　with　our　brethren　while　under
  delusion；　give　them　time　for　reflection　and　experience　of
  consequences；　keep　ourselves　in　a　situation　to　profit　by　the　chapter
  of　accidents；　and　separate　from　our　companions　only　when　the　sole
  alternatives　left；　are　the　dissolution　of　our　Union　with　them；　or
  submission　to　a　government　without　limitation　of　powers。　　Between
  these　two　evils；　when　we　must　make　a　choice；　there　can　be　no
  hesitation。　　But　in　the　meanwhile；　the　States　should　be　watchful　to
  note　every　material　usurpation　on　their　rights；　to　denounce　them　as
  they　occur　in　the　most　peremptory　terms；　to　protest　against　them　as
  wrongs　to　which　our　present　submission　shall　be　considered；　not　as
  acknowledgments　or　precedents　of　r　yeomanry。　　This　will　be　to　them　a
  next　best　blessing　to　the　monarchy　of　their　first　aim；　and　perhaps
  the　surest　stepping…stone　to　it。
  I　learn　with　great　satisfaction　that　your　school　is　thriving
  well；　and　that　you　have　at　its　head　a　truly　classical　scholar。　　He　is
  one　of　three　or　four　whom　I　can　hear　of　in　the　State。　　We　were
  obliged　the　last　year　to　receive　shameful　Latinists　into　the
  classical　school　of　the　University；　such　as　we　will　certainly　refuse
  as　soon　as　we　can　get　from　better　schools　a　sufficiency　of　those
  properly　instructed　to　form　a　class。　　We　must　get　rid　of　this
  Connecticut　Latin；　of　this　barbarous　confusion　of　long　and　short
  syllables；　which　renders　doubtful　whether　we　are　listening　to　a
  reader　of　Cherokee；　Shawnee；　Iroquois；　or　what。　　Our　University　has
  been　most　fortunate　in　the　five　professors　procured　from　England。　　A
  finer　selection　could　not　have　been　made。　　Besides　their　being　of　a
  grade　of　science　which　has　left　little　superior　behind；　the
  correctness　of　their　moral　character；　their　accommodating
  dispositions；　and　zeal　for　the　prosperity　of　the　institution；　leave
  us　nothing　more　to　wish。　　I　verily　believe　that　as　high　a　degree　of
  education　can　now　be　obtained　here；　as　in　the　country　they　left。　　And
  a　finer　set　of　youths　I　never　saw　assembled　for　instruction。　　They
  committed　some　irregularities　at　first；　until　they　learned　the　lawful
  length　of　their　tether；　since　which　it　has　never　been　transgressed　in
  the　smallest　degree。　　A　great　proportion　of　them　are　severely　devoted
  to　study；　and　I　fear　not　to　say　that　within　twelve　or　fifteen　years
  from　this　time；　a　majority　of　the　rulers　of　our　State　will　have　been
  educated　here。　　They　shall　carry　hence　the　correct　principles　of　our
  day；　and　you　may　count　assuredly　that　they　will　exhibit　their　country
  in　a　degree　of　sound　respectability　it　has　never　known；　eithe