circumstance in Our felicities. Four and twenty years, which he will accomplish, of administration in republican forms and principles, will so consecrate them in the eyes of the people as to secure them against the danger of change.-To MARQUIS LAFAYETTE. vii, 67. FORD ED., X, 84. (M., 1817.)

5488. I had had great hopes that while in your present office you would break up the degrading practice of considering the President's house as a general tavern, and economize sufficiently to come out of it clear of difficulties. I learn the contrary with great regret. To JAMES MONROE. FORD ED., X, 246. (M., 1823.)

But I

5489. MONROE (James), Presidential contest.-I had intended to have written you to counteract the wicked efforts which the federal papers are making to sow tares between you and me, as if I were lending a hand to measures unfriendly to any views which our country might entertain respecting you. have not done it, because I have before assured you that a sense of duty, as well as of delicacy, would prevent me from ever expressing a sentiment on the subject, and that I think you know me well enough to be assured I shall conscientiously observe the line of conduct I profess. To JAMES MONROE. v, 82. (W., May 1807.)

5490.

or

I cannot, indeed, judge what falsehoods may have been written told you; and that, under such forms as to command belief. But you will soon find that so inveterate is the rancor of party spirit among us, that nothing ought to be credited but what we hear with our own ears. If you are less on your guard than we are here, at this moment, the designs of the mischief-makers will not fail to be accomplished, and brethren and friends will be made strangers and enemies to each other, without ever having said or thought a thing amiss of each other. I presume that the most insidious falsehoods are daily carried to you, as they are brought to me, to engage us in the passions of our informers, and stated so positively and plausibly as to make even doubt a rudeness to the narrator; who, imposed on himself, has no other than the friendly view of putting us on our guard. My answer is, invariably, that my knowledge of your character is better testimony to me of a negative, than an affirmative which my informant did not hear from yourself, with his own ears. In fact, when you shall have been a little longer among us, you will find that little is to be believed which interests the prevailing passions, and happens beyond the limits of our own senses. us not, then, my dear friend, embark our happiness and our affections on the ocean of slander, of falsehood and of malice, on which our credulous friends are floating. If you have been made to believe that I ever did, said, or thought a thing unfriendly to your fame and feelings, you do me injury as causeless as it is afflicting to me.-To JAMES MONROE. v, 255. FORD ED., ix, 180. (W., March 1808.)

Let

5491. In the present contest in which you are concerned, I feel no passion, I take no part, I express no sentiment. Whichever of my friends is called to the supreme cares of the nation, I know that they will be wisely and faithfully administered, and as far as my individual conduct can influence, they shall be cordially supported. For myself I have nothing further to ask of the world, than *Monroe had just returned from Europe.-EDITOR.

to preserve in retirement so much of their esteem as I may have fairly earned, and to be permitted to pass in tranquillity, in the bosom of my family and friends, the days which yet remain for me. Having reached the harbor myself, I shall view with anxiety (but certainly not with a wish to be in their place) those who are still buffeting the storm, uncertain of their fate.-To JAMES MONROE. V, 255. FORD ED., ix, 181. (W., March 1808.) See MADISON.

5492. MONROE (James), Purity of.He is a man whose soul might be turned wrong side outwards, without discovering a blemish to the world.-To W. T. FRANKLIN. i, 555. (P., 1786.)

5493. MONROE (James), Randolph and.-One popular paper is endeavoring to maintain equivocal ground; approving the administration in all its proceedings, and Mr. [John] Randolph in all those which have heretofore merited approbation, carefully avoiding to mention his late aberration. The ultimate view of this paper is friendly to you; and the editor, with more judgment than him who assumes to be at the head of your friends, sees that the ground of opposition to the administration is not that on which it would be advantageous to you to be planted. The great body of your friends are among the firmest adherents to the administration; and in their support of you, will suffer Mr. Randolph to have no com

munications with them. * * * But it is unfortunate for you to be embarrassed with such a soi-disant friend. You must not commit yourself to him.-TO JAMES MONROE. V, IO. FORD ED., viii, 448. (W., May 1806.)

were

* *

5494. MONROE (James), Recall from France.-I should not wonder if Monroe recalled [from France], under the idea of his being of the partisans of France, whom the President [Washington] considers as the partisans of war and confusion, * * * and as disposed to excite them to hostile measures, or at least to unfriendly sentiments; a most infatuated blindness to the true character of the sentiments entertained in favor of France.-To W. B. GILES. iv, 127. FORD ED., vii, 44. (M., Dec. 1795.)

5495. MONROE (James), Republicanism of. I know them both [Mr. Madison and Mr. Monroe] to be of principles as truly republican as any men living.-To THOMAS RITCHIE. vii, 191. FORD ED., x, 170. (M.,

1820.)

5496. MONROE (James), Secretary of State.-Although I may not have been among the first, I am certainly with the sincerest, who congratulate you on your entrance into the national councils. Your value there has never been unduly estimated by those whom personal feelings did not misguide.-TO JAMES MONROE. v, 597. FORD ED., ix, 323. (M., May 1811.) 5497. MONROE (James), Selection of a home.-On my return from the South of France, I shall send you * * * a plan of your house. I wish to heaven you may continue in the disposition to fix it in Albemarle. Short will establish himself there, and perhaps Madison may be tempted to do so. This will be society enough, and it will be the great sweetener of our lives. Without society, and a society to our taste, men are never contented. The one here supposed, we can regulate to our minds, and we may extend our regulations to the sumptuary department so as to set a good

example to a country which needs it, and to preserve our own happiness clear of embarrassment.

* * *I am in hopes that Mrs. Monroe will have, in her domestic cares, occupation and pleasure sufficient to fill her time and insure her against the tedium vitæ; that she will find that the distractions of a town and the waste of life under these can bear no comparison with the tranquil happiness of domestic life. If her own experience has not yet taught her this truth, she has in its favor the testimony of one who has gone through the various scenes of business, of bustle, of office, of rambling and of quiet retirement and who can assure her that the latter is the one point upon which the mind can settle at rest. Though not clear of inquietudes, because no earthly situation is so, they are fewer in number and mixed with more objects of contentment than in any other mode of life.-TO JAMES MONROE. ii, 71. (P., 1786.)

* * *

5499. MONROE (James), Slanderous attack on.-I have reason to believe they are preparing a batch of small stuff, such as refusing to drink General Washington's health, speaking ill of him, and the government, withdrawing civilities from those attached to him, countenancing Paine, to which they add connivance at the equipment of privateers by Americans. * * ** We are of opinion here that Dr. Edward's certificate should be reserved to repel these slanders-To JAMES MONROE. FORD ED., vii, 232. (Pa., April 1798.) 5500. I have had a consultation with Mr. Dawson on the matter respecting Skipwith. We have neither of us the least hesitation, on a view of the ground, to pronounce against your coming forward in it at all. Your name would be the watchword of party at this moment, and the question would give opportunities of slander, personal hatred, and injustice, the effect of which on the justice of the case cannot be calculated. Let it, therefore. come forward in Skipwith's name, without your appearing even to know of it. I do not think "Scipio worth your notice. * * * Your narrative and letters, wherever they are read, produce irresistible conviction, and cannot be attacked but by a contradiction of facts, on which they do not venture.-To JAMES MONroe. FORD ED., vii, 232. (Pa., April 1798.)

*

*

5501. You will have seen, among numerous addresses [to the President] and answers, one from Lancaster in Pennsylvania, and its answer; the latter travelling out of the topics of the address altogether, to mention you in a most injurious manner. Your feelings have no doubt been much irritated by it, as in truth it had all the characters necessary to produce irritation. What notice you should take of it, is difficult to say. But there is one step in which two or three with whom I have spoken concur with me, that feeble as the hand is from which this shaft is thrown, yet with a great mass of our citizens, strangers to the leading traits of the character from which it came, it will have considerable effect; and that in order to replace yourself on the high ground you are entitled to, it is absolutely necessary

that you should reappear on the public theatre, and take an independent stand, from which you can be seen and known to your fellow citizens. The House of Representatives appears the only place which can answer this end, as the proceedings of the other House åre too obscure. Cabell has said he would give way to you, should you choose to come in, and I really think it would be expedient for yourself as well as the public, that you should not wait until another election, but come to the next session. No interval should be admitted between this last attack of enmity and your reappearance with the approving voice of your constituents, and your taking a commanding attitude.

*

If this be done, I should think it best that you take no notice at all of the answer.-TO JAMES MONROE. iv, 242. FORD ED., vii, 257. (Pa., May 1798.)

66

5502. MONTESQUIEU (Baron), Author.-The history of Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws is well known. He had been a great reader, and had commonplaced everything he read. At length he wished to undertake some work into which he could bring his whole com monplace book in a digested form. He fixed on the subject of his Spirit of Laws", and wrote the book. He consulted his friend Helvetius about publishing it, who strongly dissuaded it. He published it, however, and the world did not confirm Helvetius's opinion.TO WILLIAM DUANE. v, 535. (M., 1810.)

5503.

Every man who reflects as he reads, has considered it as a book of paradoxes; having, indeed, much of truth and sound principle, but abounding also with inconsistencies, apocryphal facts and false inferences.-To WILLIAM DUANE. v, 535. (M., 1810.)

5504. I had, with the world, deemed Montesquieu's work of much merit; but saw in it, with every thinking man, so much of paradox, of false principle and misapplied fact, as to render its value equivocal on the whole. Williams and others had nibbled only at its errors. A radical correction of them, therefore, was a great desideratum. This want is now supplied, and with a depth of thought. precision of idea, of language and of logic. which will force conviction into every mind. I declare to you, in the spirit of truth and sincerity, that I consider it the most precious guit the present age has received. But what would it have been, had the author, or would the author, take up the whole scheme of Montesquieu's work, and following the correct analysis he has here developed, fill up all its parts according to his sound views of them. Montesquieu's celebrity would be but a small portion of that which would immortalize the author.-To M. DESTUTT TRACY. V, 566. FORD ED., ix, 305. (M., 1811.)

5505. MONTESQUIEU (Baron), Monarchist.-I am glad to hear of everything which reduces Montesquieu to his just level, as his predilection for monarchy, and the English monarchy in particular, has done mischief everywhere.-To WILLIAM DUANE. 539. (M., 1810.)

V.

5506. MONTICELLO, Beauties of.-And our own dear Monticello: where has nature spread SO rich a mantle under the eye? Mountains, forests, rocks, rivers! With what majesty do we there ride above the storms! How sublime to look down into the workhouse of nature, to see her clouds, hail, snow, rain, thunder, all fabricated at our feet! And the