part17-第5部分

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rewards　and　penalties　established　by　the　laws；　and　ultimately　the

prospects　of　a　future　state　of　retribution　for　the　evil　as　well　as

the　good　done　while　here。　　These　are　the　correctives　which　are

supplied　by　education；　and　which　exercise　the　functions　of　the

moralist；　the　preacher；　and　legislator；　and　they　lead　into　a　course

of　correct　action　all　those　whose　disparity　is　not　too　profound　to　be

eradicated。　　Some　have　argued　against　the　existence　of　a　moral　sense；

by　saying　that　if　nature　had　given　us　such　a　sense；　impelling　us　to

virtuous　actions；　and　warning　us　against　those　which　are　vicious；

then　nature　would　also　have　designated；　by　some　particular　ear…marks；

the　two　sets　of　actions　which　are；　in　themselves；　the　one　virtuous

and　the　other　vicious。　　Whereas；　we　find；　in　fact；　that　the　same

actions　are　deemed　virtuous　in　one　country　and　vicious　in　another。

The　answer　is　that　nature　has　constituted　_utility_　to　man　the

standard　and　best　of　virtue。　　Men　living　in　different　countries；

under　different　circumstances；　different　habits　and　regimens；　may

have　different　utilities；　the　same　act；　therefore；　may　be　useful；　and

consequently　virtuous　in　one　country　which　is　injurious　and　vicious

in　another　differently　circumstanced。　　I　sincerely；　then；　believe

with　you　in　the　general　existence　of　a　moral　instinct。　　I　think　it

the　brightest　gem　with　which　the　human　character　is　studded；　and　the

want　of　it　as　more　degrading　than　the　most　hideous　of　the　bodily

deformities。　　I　am　happy　in　reviewing　the　roll　of　associates　in　this

principle　which　you　present　in　your　second　letter；　some　of　which　I

had　not　before　met　with。　　To　these　might　be　added　Lord　Kaims；　one　of

the　ablest　of　our　advocates；　who　goes　so　far　as　to　say；　in　his

Principles　of　Natural　Religion；　that　a　man　owes　no　duty　to　which　he

is　not　urged　by　some　impulsive　feeling。　　This　is　correct；　if　referred

to　the　standard　of　general　feeling　in　the　given　case；　and　not　to　the

feeling　of　a　single　individual。　　Perhaps　I　may　misquote　him；　it　being

fifty　years　since　I　read　his　book。




　　　　　　　　The　leisure　and　solitude　of　my　situation　here　has　led　me　to　the

indiscretion　of　taxing　you　with　a　long　letter　on　a　subject　whereon

nothing　new　can　be　offered　you。　　I　will　indulge　myself　no　farther

than　to　repeat　the　assurances　of　my　continued　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　BONAPARTE　AND　PLATO




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　July　5；　1814_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR　　Since　mine　of　Jan。　24。　yours　of　Mar。　14。　was

recieved。　　It　was　not　acknoleged　in　the　short　one　of　May　18。　by　Mr。

Rives；　the　only　object　of　that　having　been　to　enable　one　of　our　most

promising　young　men　to　have　the　advantage　of　making　his　bow　to　you。

I　learned　with　great　regret　the　serious　illness　mentioned　in　your

letter：　and　I　hope　Mr。　Rives　will　be　able　to　tell　me　you　are　entirely

restored。　　But　our　machines　have　now　been　running　for　70。　or　80。

years；　and　we　must　expect　that；　worn　as　they　are；　here　a　pivot；　there

a　wheel；　now　a　pinion；　next　a　spring；　will　be　giving　way：　and　however

we　may　tinker　them　up　for　awhile；　all　will　at　length　surcease　motion。

Our　watches；　with　works　of　brass　and　steel；　wear　out　within　that

period。　　Shall　you　and　I　last　to　see　the　course　the　seven…fold

wonders　of　the　times　will　take？　　The　Attila　of　the　age　dethroned；　the

ruthless　destroyer　of　10。　millions　of　the　human　race；　whose　thirst

for　blood　appeared　unquenchable；　the　great　oppressor　of　the　rights

and　liberties　of　the　world；　shut　up　within　the　circuit　of　a　little

island　of　the　Mediterranean；　and　dwindled　to　the　condition　of　an

humble　and　degraded　pensioner　on　the　bounty　of　those　he　had　most

injured。　　How　miserably；　how　meanly；　has　he　closed　his　inflated

career！　　What　a　sample　of　the　Bathos　will　his　history　present！　　He

should　have　perished　on　the　swords　of　his　enemies；　under　the　walls　of

Paris。




　

　　　　　　　　‘Leon　piagato　a　morte　Cosi　fra　l'ire　estrema

　　　　　　　　　　　　Sente　mancar　la　vita；　　　　　　　　　　　rugge；　minaccia；　e　freme；

　　　　　　　　　　　　Guarda　la　sua　ferita；　　　　　　　　　　　Che　fa　tremar　morendo

　　　　　　　　　　　　Ne　s'avilisce　ancor。　　　　　　　　　　　　Tal　volta　il　cacciator。'

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Metast　Adriano。




　　　　　　　　But　Bonaparte　was　a　lion　in　the　field　only。　　In　civil　life　a

cold…blooded；　calculating　unprincipled　Usurper；　without　a　virtue；　no

statesman；　knowing　nothing　of　commerce；　political　economy；　or　civil

government；　and　supplying　ignorance　by　bold　presumption。　　I　had

supposed　him　a　great　man　until　his　entrance　into　the　Assembly　des

cinq　cens；　18。　Brumaire　（an。　8。）　From　that　date　however　I　set　him

down　as　a　great　scoundrel　only。　　To　the　wonders　of　his　rise　and　fall；

we　may　add　that　of　a　Czar　of　Muscovy　dictating；　_in　Paris_；　laws　and

limits　to　all　the　successors　of　the　Caesars；　and　holding　even　the

balance　in　which　the　fortunes　of　this　new　world　are　suspended。　　I　own

that；　while　I　rejoice；　for　the　good　of　mankind；　to　the　deliverance　of

Europe　from　the　havoc　which　would　have　never　ceased　while　Bonaparte

should　have　lived　in　power；　I　see　with　anxiety　the　tyrant　of　the

ocean　remaining　in　vigor；　and　even　participating　in　the　merit　of

crushing　his　brother　tyrant。　　While　the　world　is　thus　turned　up　side

down；　on　which　side　of　it　are　we？　　All　the　strong　reasons　indeed

place　us　on　the　side　of　peace；　the　interests　of　the　continent；　their

friendly　dispositions；　and　even　the　interests　of　England。　　Her

passions　alone　are　opposed　to　it。　　Peace　would　seem　now　to　be　an　easy

work；　the　causes　of　the　war　being　removed。　　Her　orders　of　council

will　no　doubt　be　taken　care　of　by　the　allied　powers；　and；　war

ceasing；　her　impressment　of　our　seamen　ceases　of　course。　　But　I　fear

there　is　foundation　for　the　design　intimated　in　the　public　papers；　of

demanding　a　cession　of　our　right　in　the　fisheries。　　What　will

Massachusets　say　to　this？　　I　mean　her　majority；　which　must　be

considered　as　speaking；　thro'　the　organs　it　has　appointed　itself；　as

the　Index　of　it's　will。　　She　chose　to　sacrifice　the　liberty　of　our

seafaring　citizens；　in　which　we　were　all　interested；　and　with　them

her　obligations　to　the　Co…states；　rather　than　war　with　England。　　Will

she　now　sacrifice　the　fisheries　to　the　same　partialities？　　This

question　is　interesting　to　her　alone：　for　to　the　middle；　the　Southern

and　Western　States　they　are　of　no　direct　concern；　of　no　more　than　the

culture　of　tobacco；　rice　and　cotton　to　Massachusets。　　I　am　really　at

a　loss　to　conjecture　what　our　refractory　sister　will　say　on　this

occasion。　　I　know　what；　as　a　citizen　of　the　Union；　I　would　say　to

her。　　‘Take　this　question　ad　referendum。　　It　concerns　you　alone。　　If

you　would　rather　give　up　the　fisheries　than　war　with　England；　we　give

them　up。　　If　you　had　rather　fight　for　them；　we　will　defend　your

interests　to　the　last　drop　of　our　blood；　chusing　rather　to　set　a　good

example　than　follow　a　bad　one。'　And　I　hope　she　will　determine　to

fight　for　them。　　With　this　however　you　and　I　shall　have　nothing　to

do；　ours　being　truly　the　case　wherein　‘non　tali　auxilio；　nec

defensoribus　istis　Tempus　eget。'　Quitting　this　subject　therefore　I

will　turn　over　another　leaf。




　　　　　　　　I　am　just　returned　from　one　of　my　long　absences；　having　been　at

my　other　home　for　five　weeks　past。　　Having　more　leisure　there　than

here　for　reading；　I　amused　myself　with　reading　seriously　Plato's

republic。　　I　am　wrong　however　in　calling　it　amusement；　for　it　was　the

heaviest　task…work　I　ever　went　through。　　I　had　occasionally　before

taken　up　some　of　his　other　works；　but　scarcely　ever　had　patience　to

go　through　a　whole　dialogue。　　While　wading　thro'　the　whimsies；　the

puerilities；　and　unintelligible　jargon　of　this　work；　I　laid　it　down

often　to　ask　myself　how　it　could　have　been　that　the　world　should　have

so　long　consented　to　give　reputation　to　such　nonsense　as　this？　　How

the　soi…disant　Christian　world　indeed　should　have　done　it；　is　a　piece

of　historical　curiosity。　　But　how　could　the　Roman　good　sense　do　it？

And　particularly　how　could　Cicero　bestow　such　eulogies　on　Plato？

Altho'　Cicero　did　not　wield　the　dense　logic　of　Demosthenes；　yet　he

was　able；　learned；　laborious；　practised　in　the　business　of　the　world；

and　honest。　　He　could　not　be　the　dupe　of　mere　style；　of　which　he　was

himself　the　first　master　in　the　world。　　With　the　Moderns；　I　think；　it

is　rather　a　matter　of　fashion　and　authority。　　Education　is　chiefly　in

the　hands　of　persons　who；　from　their　profession；　have　an　interest　in

the　reputation　and　the　dreams　of　Plato。　　They　give　the　tone　while　at

school；　and　few；　in　their　after…years；　have　occasion　to　revise　their

college　opinions。　　But　fashion　and　authority　apart；　and　bringing

Plato　to　the　test　of　reason；　take　from　him　his　sophisms；　futilities；

and　incomprehensibilities；　and　what　remains？　　In　truth；　he　is　one　of

the　race　of　genuine　Sophists；　who　has　escaped　the　oblivion　of　his

brethren；　first　by　the　elegance　of　his　diction；　but　chiefly　by　the

adoption　and　incorporation　of　his　whimsies　into　the　body　of

artificial　Christianity。　　His　foggy　mind；　is　forever　presenting　the

semblances　of　objects　which；　half　seen　thro'　a　mist；　can　be　defined

neither　in　form　or　dimension。　　Yet　this　which　should　have　consigned

him　to　early　oblivion　really　procured　him　immortality　of　fame　and

reverence。　　The　Christian　priesthood；　finding　the　doctrines　of　Christ

levelled　to　every　understanding；　and　too　plain　to　need　explanation；

saw；　in　the　mysticisms　of　Plato；　materials　with　which　they　might

build　up　an　artificial　system　which　might；　from　it's　indistinctness；

admit　everlasting　controversy；　give　employment　for　their　order；　and

introduce　it　to　profit；　power　and　pre…eminence。　　The　doctrines　which

flowed　from　the　lips　of　Jesus　himself　are　within　the　comprehension　of

a　child；　but　thousands　of　volumes　have　not　yet　explained　the

Platonisms　engrafted　on　them：　and　for　this　obvious　reason　that

nonsense　can　never　be　explained。　　Their　purposes　however　are

answered。