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whom　nature　has　given　minds　of　the　first　order。　　Secondly　such　a

degree　of　learning　given　to　every　member　of　the　society　as　will

enable　him　to　read；　to　judge　&　to　vote　understandingly　on　what　is

passing。　　This　would　be　the　object　of　the　township　schools。　　I

understand　from　your　letter　that　the　first　of　these　only　is　under

present　contemplation。　　Let　us　receive　with　contentment　what　the

legislature　is　now　ready　to　give。　　The　other　branch　will　be

incorporated　into　the　system　at　some　more　favorable　moment。




　　　　　　　　The　first　step　in　this　business　will　be　for　the　legislature　to

pass　an　act　of　establishment　equivalent　to　a　charter。　　This　should

deal　in　generals　only。　　It's　provisions　should　go　1。　to　the　object　of

the　institution。　　2。　it's　location。　　3。　it's　endowment。　　4。　it's

Direction。　　On　each　of　these　heads　I　will　hazard　a　first　thought　or

two。　　1。　It's　object　should　be　defined　only　generally　for　teaching

the　useful　branches　of　science；　leaving　the　particulars　to　the

direction　of　the　day。　　Science　is　progressive。　　What　was　useful　two

centuries　ago　is　now　become　useless；　e。g。　one　half　the　professorships

of　Wm　&　Mary。　　What　is　now　deemed　useful　will　in　some　of　it's　parts

become　useless　in　another　century。　　The　visitors　will　be　the　best

qualified　to　keep　their　institution　up　in　even　pace　with　the　science

of　the　times。　　Every　one　knows　that　Oxford；　Cambridge；　the　Sorbonne；

etc。　are　now　a　century　or　two　behind　the　science　of　the　age。　　2。　The

location。　　The　legislature　is　the　proper　judges　of　a　general

position；　within　certain　limits；　as　for　instance　the　county　in　which

it　shall　be。　　To　fix　on　the　spot　identically　they　would　not　be　so

competent　as　persons　particularly　appointed　to　examine　the　grounds。

This　small　degree　of　liberty　in　location　would　place　the　landholders

in　the　power　of　the　purchasers：　to　fix　the　spot　would　place　the

purchaser　in　the　power　of　the　landholder。　　3。　It's　endowment。　　Bank

stock；　or　public　stock　of　any　kind　should　be　immediately　converted

into　real　estate。　　In　the　form　of　stock　it　is　a　dead　fund；　it's

depreciation　being　equal　to　it's　interest。　　Every　one　must　see　that

money　put　into　our　funds　when　first　established　（in　1791）　with　all

its　interest　from　that　day　would　not　buy　more　now　than　the　principal

would　then　have　done。　　Mr。　Pitt　states　to　parliament　that　the

expenses　of　living　in　England　have；　in　the　last　20　years；　increased

50。　percent：　that　is　that　money　has　depreciated　that　much。　　Even　the

precious　metals　depreciate　slowly　so　that　in　perpetual　institutions；

as　colleges；　that　ought　to　be　guarded　against。　　But　in　countries

admitting　paper；　the　abusive　emissions　of　that　produces　two；　three　or

four　courses　of　depreciation　&　annihilation　in　a　century。　　Lands　will

keep　_advancing_　nominally　so　as　to　keep　_even_　really。　　Canal　shares

are　as　good　as　lands；　perhaps　better：　but　the　whole　funds　should　not

be　risked　in　any　one　form。　　They　should　be　vested　in　the　visitors；

without　any　power　given　them　to　lessen　their　capital；　or　even　to

_change_　what　is　real。　　4。　The　Direction。　　This　would　of　course　be　in

the　hands　of　Visitors。　　The　legislature　would　name　the　first　set；　&

lay　down　the　laws　of　their　succession。　　On　death　or　resignation　the

legislature　or　the　Chancellor　might　name　three　persons　of　whom　the

visitors　should　chuse　one。　　The　visitors　should　be　few。　　If　many；

those　half　qualified　would　by　their　numbers　bring　every　thing　down　to

the　level　of　their　own　capacities；　by　out…voting　the　few　of　real

science。　　I　doubt　if　they　should　exceed　five。　　For　this　is　an　office

for　which　good　sense　alone　does　not　qualify　a　man。　　To　analyse

science　into　it's　different　branches；　to　distribute　these　into

professorships；　to　superintend　the　course　practiced　by　each

professor；　he　must　know　what　these　sciences　are　and　possess　their

outlines　at　least。　　Can　any　state　in　the　union　furnish　more　than　5。

men　so　qualified　as　to　the　whole　field　of　the　sciences。　　The　Visitors

should　receive　no　pay。　　Such　qualifications　are　properly　rewarded　by

honor；　not　by　money。




　　　　　　　　The　charter　being　granted　&　the　Visitors　named；　these　become

then　the　agents　as　to　every　thing　else。　　Their　first　objects　will　be

1。　the　special　location。　　2。　the　institution　of　professorships。　　3。

the　employment　of　their　capital。　　4。　the　necessary　buildings。　　A　word

on　each。　　1。　Special　location　needs　no　explanation。　　2。

Professorships。　　They　would　have　to　select　all　the　branches　of

science　deemed　useful　at　this　day；　&　in　this　country：　to　groupe　as

many　of　these　together　as　could　be　taught　by　one　professor　and　thus

reduce　the　number　of　professors　to　the　minimum　consistent　with　the

essential　object。　　Having　for　some　years　entertained　the　hope　that

our　country　would　some　day　establish　an　institution　on　a　liberal

scale；　I　have　been　taking　measures　to　have　in　readiness　such

materials　as　would　require　time　to　collect。　　I　have　from　Dr。

Priestley　a　designation　of　the　branches　of　science　grouped　into

professorships　which　he　furnished　at　my　request。　　He　was　an　excellent

judge　of　what　may　be　called　the　old　studies；　of　those　useful　and

those　useless。　　I　have　the　same　thing　from　Mr。　Dupont；　a　good　judge

of　the　new　branches。　　His　letter　to　me　is　quite　a　treatise。　　I　have

the　plan　of　the　institutions　of　Edinburgh；　&　those　of　the　National

institute　of　France；　and　I　expect　from　Mr。　Pictet；　one　of　the　most

celebrated　professors　of　Geneva；　their　plan；　in　answer　to　a　letter

written　some　time　ago。　　From　these　the　Visitors　could　select　the

branches　useful　for　the　country　&　how　to　groupe　them。　　A　hasty　view

of　the　subject　on　a　former　occasion　led　me　to　believe　10。

professorships　would　be　necessary；　but　not　all　immediately。　　Half　a

dozen　of　the　most　urgent　would　make　a　good　beginning。　　The　salaries

of　the　first　professors　should　be　very　liberal；　that　we　might　draw

the　first　names　of　Europe　to　our　institution　in　order　to　give　it　a

celebrity　in　the　outset；　which　will　draw　to　it　the　youth　of　all　the

states；　and　make　Virginia　their　cherished　&　beloved　Alma　mater。　　I

have　good　reasons　to　believe　we　can　command　the　services　of　some　of

the　first　men　of　Europe。　　3。　The　emploiment　of　their　capital。　　On

this　subject　others　are　so　much　better　judges　than　myself　that　I

shall　say　nothing。　　4。　Buildings。　　The　greatest　danger　will　be　their

over…building　themselves；　by　attempting　a　large　house　in　the

beginning；　sufficient　to　contain　the　whole　institution。　　Large　houses

are　always　ugly；　inconvenient；　exposed　to　the　accident　of　fire；　and

bad　in　cases　of　infection。　　A　plain　small　house　for　the　school　&

lodging　of　each　professor　is　best。　　These　connected　by　covered　ways

out　of　which　the　rooms　of　the　students　should　open　would　be　best。

These　may　then　be　built　only　as　they　shall　be　wanting。　　In　fact　an

University　should　not　be　an　house　but　a　village。　　This　will　much

lessen　their　first　expenses。




　　　　　　　　Not　having　written　any　three　lines　of　this　without　interruption

it　has　been　impossible　to　keep　my　ideas　rallied　to　the　subject。　　I

must　let　these　hasty　outlines　go　therefore　as　they　are。　　Some　are

premature；　some　probably　immature：　but　make　what　use　you　please　of

them　except　letting　them　get　into　print。　　Should　this　establishment

take　place　on　a　plan　worthy　of　approbation；　I　shall　have　a　valuable

legacy　to　leave　it；　to　wit；　my　library；　which　certainly　has　not　cost

less　than　15；000　Dollars。　　But　it's　value　is　more　in　the　selection；　a

part　of　which；　that　which　respects　America；　is　the　result　of　my　own

personal　searches　in　Paris　for　6。　or　7。　years；　&　of　persons　employed

by　me　in　England；　Holland；　Germany　and　Spain　to　make　similar

searches。　　Such　a　collection　on　that　subject　can　never　again　be　made。

With　my　sincere　wishes　for　the　success　of　this　measure　accept　my

salutations　&　assurances　of　great　esteem　&　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　TWO…TERM　PRECEDENT




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Taylor_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Jan。　6；　1805_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　Dec。　26th　has　been　duly　received；

and　was　received　as　a　proof　of　your　friendly　partialities　to　me；　of

which　I　have　so　often　had　reason　to　be　sensible。　　My　opinion

originally　was　that　the　President　of　the　U。S。　should　have　been

elected　for　7。　years；　&　forever　ineligible　afterwards。　　I　have　since

become　sensible　that　7。　years　is　too　long　to　be　irremovable；　and　that

there　should　be　a　peaceable　way　of　withdrawing　a　man　in　midway　who　is

doing　wrong。　　The　service　for　8。　years　with　a　power　to　remove　at　the

end　of　the　first　four；　comes　nearly　to　my　principle　as　corrected　by

experience。　　And　it　is　in　adherence　to　that　that　I　determined　to

withdraw　at　the　end　of　my　second　term。　　The　danger　is　that　the

indulgence　&　attachments　of　the　people　will　keep　a　man　in　the　chair

after　he　becomes　a　dotard；　that　reelection　through　life　shall　become

habitual；　&　election　for　life　follow　that。　Genl。　Washington　set　the

example　of　voluntary　retirement　after　8。　years。　　I　shall　follow　it；

and　a　few　more　precedents　will　oppose　the　obstacle　of　habit　to　anyone

after　a　while　who　shall　endeavor　to　extend　his　term。　　Perhaps　it　may

beget　a　disposition　to　establish　it　by　an　amendment　of　the

constitution。　　I　believe　I　am　doing　right；　therefore；　in　pursuing　my

principle。　　I　had　determined　to　declare　my　intention；　but　I　have

consented　to　be　silent　on　the　opinion　of　friends；　who　think　it　best

not　to　put　a　continuance　out　of　my　power　in　defiance　of　all

circumstances。　　There　is；　however；　but　one　circumstance　which　could

engage　my　acquiescence　in　another　election；　to　wit；　such　a　division

about　a　successor　as　might　bring　in　a　Monarchist。　　But　this

circumstance　is　impossible。　　While；　therefore；　I　shall　make　no　formal

declarations　to　the　public　of　my　purpose；　I　have　freely　let　it　be

understood　in　private　conversation。　　In　this　I　am　persuaded　yourself

&　my　friends　generally　will　approve　of　my　views：　and　should　I　at　the

end　of　a　2d　term　carry　into　retirement　all　the　favo