LETTER CLXXXIX.--TO CLAIBORNE W. GOOCH, January 9, 1826
TO CLAIBORNE W. GOOCH.
Monticello, January 9, 1826.
Dear Sir,
I have duly received your favor of December the 31st, and fear, with
you, all the evils which the present lowering aspect of our political
horizon so ominously portends. That at some future day, which I hoped
to be very distant, the free principles of our government might change,
with the change of circumstances, was to be expected. But I certainly
did not expect that they would not over-live the generation which
established them. And what I still less expected was, that my favorite
western country was to be made the instrument of change. I had ever
and fondly cherished the interests of that country, relying on it as a
barrier against the degeneracy of public opinion from our original and
free principles. But the bait of local interests, artfully prepared
for their palate, has decoyed them from their kindred attachments,
to alliances alien to them. Yet, although I have little hope that the
torrent of consolidation can be withstood, I should not be for giving up
the ship without efforts to save her. She lived well through the first
squall, and may weather the present one. But, Dear Sir, I am not the
champion called for by our present dangers; _Non tali auxilio, nee
defensoribus istis, tempus eget_.' A waning body, a waning mind,
and waning memory, with habitual ill health, warn me to withdraw and
relinquish the arena to younger and abler athletes.
Pages:
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715