Butcantheybemadeunchangeable?Canonegenerationbindanother，andallothers，insuccessionforever?Ithinknot。TheCreatorhasmadetheearthfortheliving，notthedead。Rightsandpowerscanonlybelongtopersons，nottothings，nottomerematter，unendowedwithwill。Thedeadarenoteventhings。Theparticlesofmatterwhichcomposedtheirbodies，makepartnowofthebodiesofotheranimals，vegetables，orminerals，ofathousandforms。Towhatthenareattachedtherightsandpowerstheyheldwhileintheformofmen?Agenerationmaybinditselfaslongasitsmajoritycontinuesinlife；whenthathasdisappeared，anothermajorityisinplace，holdsalltherightsandpowerstheirpredecessorsonceheld，andmaychangetheirlawsandinstitutionstosuitthemselves。
Nothingthenisunchangeablebuttheinherentandunalienablerightsofman。
Iwasgladtofindinyourbookaformalcontradition，atlength，ofthejudiciaryusurpationoflegislativepowers；forsuchthejudgeshaveusurpedintheirrepeateddecisions，thatChristianityisapartofthecommonlaw。Theproofofthecontrary，whichyouhaveadduced，isincontrovertible；towit，thatthecommonlawexistedwhiletheAnglo-SaxonswereyetPagans，atatimewhentheyhadneveryetheardthenameofChristpronounced，orknewthatsuchacharacterhadeverexisted。Butitmayamuseyou，toshewwhen，andbywhatmeans，theystolethislawinuponus。Inacaseof_quareimpedit_intheYear-book34。H。6。folio38。anno1458，
aquestionwasmade，howfartheecclesiasticallawwastoberespectedinacommonlawcourt?AndPrisot，ChiefJustice，giveshisopinioninthesewords，`Atielleisqu’ilsdeseintegliseonten_ancienscripture_，covientanousadonnercredence；carceocommonleysurquelstoutsmannersleissontfondes。Etauxy，Sir，noussumusoblegesdeconustrelourleydesainteglise：etsemblablementilssontobligesdeconustrenostreley。Et，Sir，sipoitappereroranousquel’evesqueadfaitcomeunordinaryferaentielcas，adongnousdevonsceoadjugerbon，ouautermentnemy，’&c。
SeeS。C。Fitzh。Abr。Qu。imp。89。Bro。Abr。Qu。imp。12。Finchinhisfirstbook，c。3。isthefirstafterwardswhoquotesthiscase，andmistakesitthus。`Tosuchlawsofthechurchashavewarrantin_holyscripture_，ourlawgivethcredence。’AndcitesPrisot；
mistranslating_`ancienscripture，’_into_`holyscripture。’_WhereasPrisotpalpablysays，`tosuchlawsasthoseofholychurchhavein_antientwriting_，itisproperforustogivecredence；’towit，totheir_antientwritten_laws。Thiswasin1613，acenturyandahalfafterthedictumofPrisot。Wingate，in1658，erectsthisfalsetranslationintoamaximofthecommonlaw，copyingthewordsofFinch，butcitingPrisot。Wing。Max。3。AndSheppard，title，`Religion，’in1675，copiesthesamemistranslation，quotingtheY。
B。FinchandWingate。Haleexpressesitinthesewords；
`ChristianityisparcelofthelawsofEngland。’1Ventr。293。3Keb。
607。Buthequotesnoauthority。Bytheseechoingsandre-echoingsfromonetoanother，ithadbecomesoestablishedin1728，thatinthecaseoftheKing_vs。_Woolston，2Stra。834，thecourtwouldnotsufferittobedebated，whethertowriteagainstChristianitywaspunishableinthetemporalcourtatcommonlaw?Wood，therefore，409，venturesstilltovarythephrase，andsay，thatallblasphemyandprofanenessareoffencesbythecommonlaw；andcites2Stra。
ThenBlackstone，in1763，IV。59，repeatsthewordsofHale，that`ChristianityispartofthelawsofEngland，’citingVentrisandStrange。Andfinally，LordMansfield，withalittlequalification，inEvans’case，in1767，says，that`theessentialprinciplesofrevealedreligionarepartofthecommonlaw。’ThusingulphingBible，Testamentandallintothecommonlaw，withoutcitinganyauthority。
Andthuswefindthischainofauthoritieshanginglinkbylink，oneuponanother，andallultimatelyononeandthesamehook，andthatamistranslationofthewords_`ancienscripture，’_usedbyPrisot。
FinchquotesPrisot；Wingatedoesthesame。SheppardquotesPrisot，FinchandWingate。Halecitesnobody。ThecourtinWoolston’scase，citeHale。WoodcitesWoolston’scase。BlackstonequotesWoolston’scaseandHale。AndLordMansfield，likeHale，venturesitonhisownauthority。HereImightdefythebestreadlawyertoproduceanotherscripofauthorityforthisjudiciaryforgery；andImightgoonfurthertoshew，howsomeoftheAnglo-SaxonpriestsinterpolatedintothetextofAlfred’slaws，the20th，21st，22ndand23rdchaptersofExodus，andthe15thoftheActsoftheApostles，fromthe23rdtothe29thverses。Butthiswouldleadmypenandyourpatiencetoofar。Whataconspiracythis，betweenChurchandState！
SingTantarara，roguesall，roguesall，SingTantarara，roguesall！
Imuststilladdtothislongandramblingletter，myacknowledgmentsforyourgoodwishestotheUniversitywearenowestablishinginthisState。Therearesomenoveltiesinit。Ofthatofaprofessorshipoftheprinciplesofgovernment，youexpressyourapprobation。Theywillbefoundedintherightsofman。Thatofagriculture，Iamsure，youwillapprove：andthatalsoofAnglo-Saxon。Asthehistoriesandlawsleftusinthattypeanddialect，mustbethetextbooksofthereadingofthelearners，theywillimbibewiththelanguagetheirfreeprinciplesofgovernment。
Thevolumesyouhavebeensokindastosend，shallbeplacedinthelibraryoftheUniversity。HavingatthistimeinEnglandapersonsentforthepurposeofselectingsomeProfessors，aMr。Gilmerofmyneighborhood，Icannotbutrecommendhimtoyourpatronage，counselandguardianship，againstimposition，misinformation，andthedeceptionsofpartialandfalserecommendations，intheselectionofcharacters。Heisagentlemanofgreatworthandcorrectness，myparticularfriend，welleducatedinvariousbranchesofscience，andworthyofentireconfidence。
Yourageofeighty-fourandmineofeighty-oneyears，insureusaspeedymeeting。Wemaythencommuneatleisure，andmorefully，onthegoodandevil，which，inthecourseofourlonglives，wehavebothwitnessed；andinthemeantime，Iprayyoutoacceptassurancesofmyhighvenerationandesteemforyourpersonandcharacter。
THEPROGRESSOFSOCIETY
_ToWilliamLudlow_
_Monticello，September6，1824_
SIR，——TheideawhichyoupresentinyourletterofJuly30th，oftheprogressofsocietyfromitsrudeststatetothatithasnowattained，seemsconformabletowhatmaybeprobablyconjectured。
Indeed，wehaveunderoureyestolerableproofsofit。LetaphilosophicobservercommenceajourneyfromthesavagesoftheRockyMountains，eastwardlytowardsoursea-coast。Thesehewouldobserveintheearlieststageofassociationlivingundernolawbutthatofnature，subscribingandcoveringthemselveswiththefleshandskinsofwildbeasts。Hewouldnextfindthoseonourfrontiersinthepastoralstate，raisingdomesticanimalstosupplythedefectsofhunting。Thensucceedourownsemi-barbarouscitizens，thepioneersoftheadvanceofcivilization，andsoinhisprogresshewouldmeetthegradualshadesofimprovingmanuntilhewouldreachhis，asyet，mostimprovedstateinourseaporttowns。This，infact，isequivalenttoasurvey，intime，oftheprogressofmanfromtheinfancyofcreationtothepresentday。Iameighty-oneyearsofage，bornwhereInowlive，inthefirstrangeofmountainsintheinteriorofourcountry。AndIhaveobservedthismarchofcivilizationadvancingfromtheseacoast，passingoveruslikeacloudoflight，increasingourknowledgeandimprovingourcondition，insomuchasthatweareatthistimemoreadvancedincivilizationherethantheseaportswerewhenIwasaboy。Andwherethisprogresswillstopnoonecansay。Barbarismhas，inthemeantime，beenrecedingbeforethesteadystepofamelioration；andwillintime，Itrust，disappearfromtheearth。Youseemtothinkthatthisadvancehasbroughtontoocomplicatedastateofsociety，andthatweshouldgaininhappinessbytreadingbackourstepsalittleway。
Ithink，myself，thatwehavemoremachineryofgovernmentthanisnecessary，toomanyparasiteslivingonthelaboroftheindustrious。
Ibelieveitmightbemuchsimplifiedtothereliefofthosewhomaintainit。Yourexperimentseemstohavethisinview。Asocietyofseventyfamilies，thenumberyouname，mayverypossiblybegovernedasasinglefamily，subsistingontheircommonindustry，andholdingallthingsincommon。Someregulatorsofthefamilyyoustillmusthave，anditremainstobeseenatwhatperiodofyourincreasingpopulationyoursimpleregulationswillceasetobesufficienttopreserveorder，peace，andjustice。Theexperimentisinteresting；Ishallnotlivetoseeitsissue，butIwishitsuccessequaltoyourhopes，andtoyourselfandsocietyprosperityandhappiness。
RETURNOFTHEHERO
_ToLafayette_
_Monticello，October9，1824_
Ihavedulyreceived，mydearfriendandGeneral，yourletterofthe1stfromPhiladelphia，givingusthewelcomeassurancethatyouwillvisittheneighborhoodwhich，duringthemarchofourenemynearit，wascoveredbyyourshieldfromhisrobberiesandravages。
Inpassingthelineofyourformermarchyouwillexperiencepleasingrecollectionsofthegoodyouhavedone。Myneighbors，too，ofouracademicalvillage，whowellremembertheirobligationstoyou，haveexpressedtoyou，inaletterfromacommitteeappointedforthatpurpose，theirhopethatyouwillacceptmanifestationsoftheirfeelings，simpleindeed，butascordialasanyyouwillhavereceived。ItwillbeanadditionalhonortotheUniversityoftheStatethatyouwillhavebeenitsfirstguest。Gratifythem，then，bythisassurancetotheircommittee，ifithasnotbeendone。Butwhatrecollections，dearfriend，willthiscalluptoyouandme！
Whatahistoryhavewetorunoverfromtheeveningthatyourself，Meusnier，Bernau，andotherpatriotssettled，inmyhouseinParis，theoutlinesoftheconstitutionyouwished！AndtotraceitthroughallthedisastrouschaptersofRobespierre，Barras，Bonaparte，andtheBourbons！Thesethings，however，areforourmeeting。YoumentionthereturnofMissWrighttoAmerica，accompaniedbyhersister；butdonotsaywhatherstayistobe，norwhathercourse。
ShoulditleadhertoavisitofourUniversity，which，initsarchitectureonly，isasyetanobject，herselfandhercompanionwillnowherefindawelcomemoreheartythanwithMrs。Randolph，andalltheinhabitantsofMonticello。ThisAthenaeumofourcountry，inembryo，isasyetbutpromise；andnotinastatetorecalltherecollectionsofAthens。Buteverythinghasitsbeginning，itsgrowth，andend；andwhoknowswithwhatfuturedeliciousmorselsofphilosophy，andbywhatfutureMissWrightrakedfromitsruins，theworldmay，someday，begratifiedandinstructed?YoursonGeorgeweshallbeveryhappyindeedtosee，andtorenewinhimtherecollectionsofyourverydearfamily；andtherevolutionarymeritofM。leVasseurhasthatpassporttotheesteemofeveryAmerican，and，tome，theadditionaloneofhavingbeenyourfriendandco-operator，andhewill，Ihope，joinyouinmakinghead-quarterswithusatMonticello。Butallthesethings_arevoir_——；inthemeantimeweareimpatientthatyourceremoniesatYorkshouldbeover，andgiveyoutotheembracesoffriendship。
P。S。WillyoucomebyMr。Madison’s，orlethimormeknowonwhatdayhemaymeetyouhere，andjoinusinourgreetings?
COUNSELTOANAMESAKE
_ToThomasJeffersonSmith_
_Monticello，February21，1825_
Thisletterwill，toyou，beasonefromthedead。Thewriterwillbeinthegravebeforeyoucanweighitscounsels。YouraffectionateandexcellentfatherhasrequestedthatIwouldaddresstoyousomethingwhichmightpossiblyhaveafavorableinfluenceonthecourseoflifeyouhavetorun，andItoo，asanamesake，feelaninterestinthatcourse。Fewwordswillbenecessary，withgooddispositionsonyourpart。AdoreGod。Reverenceandcherishyourparents。Loveyourneighborasyourself，andyourcountrymorethanyourself。Bejust。Betrue。MurmurnotatthewaysofProvidence。
Soshallthelifeintowhichyouhaveentered，betheportaltooneofeternalandineffablebliss。Andiftothedeaditispermittedtocareforthethingsofthisworld，everyactionofyourlifewillbeundermyregard。Farewell。
_Theportraitofagoodmanbythemostsublimeofpoets，foryourimitation_
Lord，who’sthehappymanthatmaytothyblestcourtsrepair；
Notstranger-liketovisitthembuttoinhabitthere?
’Tishewhoseeverythoughtanddeedbyrulesofvirtuemoves；
Whosegeneroustonguedisdainstospeakthethinghisheartdisproves。
Whoneverdidaslanderforge，hisneighbor’sfametowound；
Norhearkentoafalsereport，bymalicewhisperedround。
Whoviceinallitspompandpower，cantreatwithjustneglect；
Andpiety，thoughclothedinrages，religiouslyrespect。
Whotohisplightedvowsandtrusthaseverfirmlystood；