And I
sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more
dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money
to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling
futurity on a large scale.
I salute you with constant friendship and respect.
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER CXXXII.--TO FRANCIS W. GILMER, June 7,1816
TO FRANCIS W. GILMER.
Monticello, June 7,1816.
Dear Sir,
I received a few-days ago from Mr. Dupont the enclosed manuscript, with
permission to read it, and a request, when read, to forward it to
you, in expectation that you would translate it. It is well worthy of
publication for the instruction of our citizens, being profound, sound,
and short. Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful
limits of their powers: that their true office is to declare and enforce
only our natural rights and duties, and to take none of them from us.
No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights
of another; and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him:
every man is under the natural duty of contributing to the necessities
of the society; and this is all the laws should enforce on him: and, no
man having a natural right to be the judge between himself and another,
it is his natural duty to submit to the umpirage of an impartial third.
When the laws have declared and enforced all this, they have fulfilled
their functions, and the idea is quite unfounded, that on entering into
society we give up any natural right.
Pages:
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472