Myletterofthe24thult。conveyedtoyouthegroundsofthetwoarticlesobjectedtotheCollegebill。Yourlastpresentsoneoftheminanewpointofview，thatofthecommencementofthewardschoolsaslikelytorenderthelawunpopulartothecountry。Itmustbeaveryinconsiderateandroughprocessofexecutionthatwoulddothis。Myideaofthemodeofcarryingitintoexecutionwouldbethis：Declarethecounty_ipsofacto_dividedintowardsforthepresent，bytheboundariesofthemilitiacaptaincies；somebodyattendtheordinarymusterofeachcompany，havingfirstdesiredthecaptaintocalltogetherafullone。Thereexplaintheobjectofthelawtothepeopleofthecompany，puttotheirvotewhethertheywillhaveaschoolestablished，andthemostcentralandconvenientplaceforit；getthemtomeetandbuildalogschool-house；havearolltakenofthechildrenwhowouldattendit，andofthoseofthemabletopay。Thesewouldprobablybesufficienttosupportacommonteacher，instructinggratisthefewunabletopay。Ifthereshouldbeadeficiency，itwouldrequiretootriflingacontributionfromthecountytobecomplainedof；andespeciallyasthewholecountywouldparticipate，wherenecessary，inthesameresource。Shouldthecompany，byitsvote，decidethatitwouldhavenoschool，letthemremainwithoutone。Theadvantagesofthisproceedingwouldbethatitwouldbecomethedutyofthealdermanelectedbythecounty，totakeanactivepartinpressingtheintroductionofschools，andtolookoutfortutors。If，however，itisintendedthattheStategovernmentshalltakethisbusinessintoitsownhands，andprovideschoolsforeverycounty，thenbyallmeansstrikeoutthisprovisionofourbill。IwouldneverwishthatitshouldbeplacedonaworsefootingthantherestoftheState。Butifitisbelievedthattheseelementaryschoolswillbebettermanagedbythegovernorandcouncil，thecommissionersoftheliteraryfund，oranyothergeneralauthorityofthegovernment，thanbytheparentswithineachward，itisabeliefagainstallexperience。Trytheprincipleonestepfurther，andamendthebillsoastocommittothegovernorandcouncilthemanagementofallourfarms，ourmills，andmerchants’
　　stores。No，myfriend，thewaytohavegoodandsafegovernment，isnottotrustitalltoone，buttodivideitamongthemany，distributingtoeveryoneexactlythefunctionsheiscompetentto。
　　Letthenationalgovernmentbeentrustedwiththedefenceofthenation，anditsforeignandfederalrelations；theStategovernmentswiththecivilrights，laws，police，andadministrationofwhatconcernstheStategenerally；thecountieswiththelocalconcernsofthecounties，andeachwarddirecttheinterestswithinitself。Itisbydividingandsubdividingtheserepublicsfromthegreatnationalonedownthroughallitssubordinations，untilitendsintheadministrationofeveryman’sfarmbyhimself；byplacingundereveryonewhathisowneyemaysuperintend，thatallwillbedoneforthebest。Whathasdestroyedlibertyandtherightsofmanineverygovernmentwhichhaseverexistedunderthesun?Thegeneralizingandconcentratingallcaresandpowersintoonebody，nomatterwhetheroftheautocratsofRussiaorFrance，orofthearistocratsofaVenetiansenate。AndIdobelievethatiftheAlmightyhasnotdecreedthatmanshallneverbefree，anditisablasphemytobelieveit，thatthesecretwillbefoundtobeinthemakinghimselfthedepositoryofthepowersrespectinghimself，sofarasheiscompetenttothem，anddelegatingonlywhatisbeyondhiscompetencebyasyntheticalprocess，tohigherandhigherordersoffunctionaries，soastotrustfewerandfewerpowersinproportionasthetrusteesbecomemoreandmoreoligarchical。Theelementaryrepublicsofthewards，thecountyrepublics，theStatesrepublics，andtherepublicoftheUnion，wouldformagradationofauthorities，standingeachonthebasisoflaw，holdingeveryoneitsdelegatedshareofpowers，andconstitutingtrulyasystemoffundamentalbalancesandchecksforthegovernment。Whereeverymanisasharerinthedirectionofhisward-republic，orofsomeofthehigherones，andfeelsthatheisaparticipatorinthegovernmentofaffairs，notmerelyatanelectiononedayintheyear，buteveryday；whenthereshallnotbeamanintheStatewhowillnotbeamemberofsomeoneofitscouncils，greatorsmall，hewilllettheheartbetornoutofhisbodysoonerthanhispowerbewrestedfromhimbyaCaesaroraBonaparte。Howpowerfullydidwefeeltheenergyofthisorganizationinthecaseofembargo?IfeltthefoundationsofthegovernmentshakenundermyfeetbytheNewEnglandtownships。TherewasnotanindividualintheirStateswhosebodywasnotthrownwithallitsmomentumintoaction；andalthoughthewholeoftheotherStateswereknowntobeinfavorofthemeasure，yettheorganizationofthislittleselfishminorityenabledittooverruletheUnion。
　　Whatwouldtheunwieldycountiesofthemiddle，thesouth，andthewestdo?Callacountymeeting，andthedrunkenloungersatandaboutthecourthouseswouldhavecollected，thedistancesbeingtoogreatforthegoodpeopleandtheindustriousgenerallytoattend。
　　Thecharacterofthosewhoreallymetwouldhavebeenthemeasureoftheweighttheywouldhavehadinthescaleofpublicopinion。AsCato，then，concludedeveryspeechwiththewords，_”Carthagodelendaest，”_sodoIeveryopinion，withtheinjunction，”dividethecountiesintowards。”Beginthemonlyforasinglepurpose；theywillsoonshowforwhatotherstheyarethebestinstruments。Godblessyou，andallourrulers，andgivethemthewisdom，asIamsuretheyhavethewill，tofortifyusagainstthedegeneracyofonegovernment，andtheconcentrationofallitspowersinthehandsoftheone，thefew，thewell-bornorthemany。”HOPEINTHEHEAD……FEARASTERN”
　　_ToJohnAdams_
　　_Monticello，Apr。8，1816_
　　DEARSIR——IhavetoacknolegeyourtwofavorsofFeb。16。andMar。2。andtojoinsincerelyinthesentimentofMrs。Adams，andregretthatdistanceseparatesussowidely。Anhourofconversationwouldbeworthavolumeofletters。Butwemusttakethingsastheycome。
　　YouaskifIwouldagreetolivemy70。orrather73。yearsoveragain?TowhichIsayYea。Ithinkwithyouthatitisagoodworldonthewhole，thatithasbeenframedonaprincipleofbenevolence，andmorepleasurethanpaindealtouttous。ThereareindeedwhomightsayNaygloomyandhypocondriacminds，inhabitantsofdiseasedbodies，disgustedwiththepresent，anddespairingofthefuture；alwayscountingthattheworstwillhappen，becauseitmayhappen。TotheseIsayHowmuchpainhavecostustheevilswhichhaveneverhappened?Mytemperamentissanguine。IsteermybarkwithHopeinthehead，leavingFearastern。Myhopesindeedsometimesfail；butnotoftenerthantheforebodingsofthegloomy。
　　Thereare，Iacknolege，eveninthehappiestlife，someterribleconvulsions，heavyset-offsagainsttheoppositepageoftheaccount。
　　IhaveoftenwonderedforwhatgoodendthesensationsofGriefcouldbeintended。Allourotherpassions，withinproperbounds，haveanusefulobject。Andtheperfectionofthemoralcharacteris，notinaStoicalapathy，sohypocriticallyvaunted，andsountrulytoo，becauseimpossible，butinajustequilibriumofallthepassions。I
　　wishthepathologiststhenwouldtelluswhatistheuseofgriefintheeconomy，andofwhatgooditisthecause，proximateorremote。
　　DidIknowBaronGrimmwhileatParis?Yes，mostintimately。
　　Hewasthepleasantest，andmostconversiblememberofthediplomaticcorpswhileIwasthere：amanofgoodfancy，acuteness，irony，cunning，andegoism：noheart，notmuchofanyscience，yetenoughofeveryonetospeakit’slanguage。HisfortwasBelles-lettres，paintingandsculpture。Inthesehewastheoracleofthesociety，andassuchwastheempressCatharine’sprivatecorrespondentandfactorinallthingsnotdiplomatic。Itwasthro’himIgotherpermissionforpoorLedyardtogotoKamschatka，andcrossoverthencetotheWesterncoastofAmerica，inordertopenetrateacrossourcontinentintheoppositedirectiontothatafterwardsadoptedforLewisandClarke：whichpermissionshewithdrewafterhehadgotwithin200。milesofKamschatska，hadhimsiesed，broughtbackandsetdowninPoland。Altho’IneverheardGrimmexpresstheopinion，directly，yetIalwayssupposedhimtobeoftheschoolofDiderot，D’Alembert，D’Holbach，thefirstofwhomcommittedtheirsystemofatheismtowritingin`Lebonsens，’andthelastinhis`SystemedelaNature。’ItwasanumerousschoolintheCatholiccountries，whiletheinfidelityoftheProtestanttookgenerallytheformofTheism。
　　Theformeralwaysinsistedthatitwasamerequestionofdefinitionbetweenthem，thehypostasisofwhichonbothsideswas`Nature’or`theUniverse：’thatbothagreedintheorderoftheexistingsystem，buttheonesupposeditfrometernity，theotherashavingbegunintime。Andwhentheatheistdescantedontheunceasingmotionandcirculationofmatterthro’theanimalvegetableandmineralkingdoms，neverresting，neverannihilated，alwayschangingform，andunderallformsgiftedwiththepowerofreproduction；theTheistpointing`totheheavensabove，andtotheearthbeneath，andtothewatersundertheearth，’askedifthesedidnotproclaimafirstcause，possessingintelligenceandpower；powerintheproduction，andintelligenceinthedesignandconstantpreservationofthesystem；urgedthepalpableexistenceoffinalcauses，thattheeyewasmadetosee，andtheeartohear，andnotthatweseebecausewehaveeyes，andhearbecausewehaveears；ananswerobvioustothesenses，asthatofwalkingacrosstheroomwastothephilosopherdemonstratingthenonexistenceofmotion。ItwasinD’Holbach’sconventiclesthatRousseauimaginedallthemachinationsagainsthimwerecontrived；andheleft，inhisConfessionsthemostbitinganecdotesofGrimm。TheseappearedafterIleftFrance；butIhaveheardthatpoorGrimmwassomuchafflictedbythem，thathekepthisbedseveralweeks。IhaveneverseentheseMemoirsofGrimm。Theirvolumehaskeptthemoutofourmarket。
　　IhavebeenlatelyamusingmyselfwithLevi’sbookinanswertoDr。Priestley。Itisacuriousandtoughwork。Hisstyleisinelegantandincorrect，harshandpetulenttohisadversary，andhisreasoningflimseyenough。Someofhisdoctrineswerenewtome，particularlythatofhistworesurrections：thefirstaparticularoneofallthedead，inbodyaswellassoul，whoaretoliveoveragain，theJewsinastateofperfectobediencetogod，theothernationsinastateofcorporealpunishmentforthesufferingstheyhaveinflictedontheJews。AndheexplainsthisresurrectionofbodiestobeonlyoftheoriginalstamenofLeibnitz，orthehomunculusinseminemasculino，consideringthatasamathematicalpoint，insusceptibleofseparation，ordivision。Thesecondresurrectionageneraloneofsoulsandbodies，eternallytoenjoydivinegloryinthepresenceofthesupremebeing。HealledgesthattheJewsalonepreservethedoctrineoftheunityofgod。Yettheirgodwouldbedeemedaveryindifferentmanwithus：anditwastocorrecttheirAnamorphosisofthedeitythatJesuspreached，aswellastoestablishthedoctrineofafuturestate。HoweverLeviinsiststhatthatwastaughtintheoldtestament，andevenbyMoseshimselfandtheprophets。Heagreesthatananointedprincewaspropheciedandpromised：butdeniesthatthecharacterandhistoryofJesushasanyanalogywiththatofthepersonpromised。HemustbefearfullyembarrassingtotheHierophantsoffabricatedChristianity；becauseitistheirownarmourinwhichheclotheshimselffortheattack。
　　Forexample，hetakespassagesofScripturefromtheircontextwhichwouldgivethemaverydifferentmeaningstringsthemtogether，andmakesthempointtowardswhatobjecthepleases；heinterpretsthemfiguratively，typically，analogically，hyperbolically；hecallsintheaidofemendation，transposition，ellipsis，metonymy，andeveryotherfigureofrhetoric；thenameofonemanistakenforanother，oneplaceforanother，daysandweeksformonthsandyears；andfinallyavailshimselfofallhisadvantageoverhisadversariesbyhissuperiorknolegeoftheHebrew，speakingintheverylanguageofthedivinecommunication，whiletheycanonlyfumbleonwithconflictinganddisputedtranslations。Suchisthiswarofgiants。
　　AndhowcansuchpigmiesasyouandIdecidebetweenthem?FormyselfIconfessthatmyheadisnotformedtantascomponerelites。
　　AndasyoubeganyourMar。2。withadeclarationthatyouwereabouttowritemethemostfrivolousletterIhadeverread，soIwillcloseminebysayingIhavewrittenyouafullmatchforit，andbyaddingmyaffectionaterespectstoMrs。Adams，andtheassuranceofmyconstantattachmentandconsiderationforyourself。”CONSTITUTIONALLYANDCONSCIENTIOUSLYDEMOCRATS”
　　_ToP。S。DupontdeNemours_
　　_PoplarForest，April24，1816_