細節
JEFFERSON, Thomas. Autograph letter signed ("Th:Jefferson") to William Tudor (1779-1830), Monticello, 31 January 1819. 1 page, 4to, repair to seal tear on verso of page 2, slight spotting on page 1, otherwise fine.
RETIREMENT AT MONTICELLO: "SO ENTIRELY AM I WITHDRAWN FROM PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SO...SATISFIED TO LEAVE THEM TO THE GENERATION IN PLACE..."
In 1809, Jefferson finally left Washington for his long-awaited retirement at Monticello. Tudor, a founder of the Boston Athenaeum and active in the Massachusetts Historical Society, was engaged in research for his biography The Life of James Otis of Massachussetts (1823). In response to Tudor's inquiry about Otis, Jefferson replies: "I extremely regret that it is not in my power to give you any information on the subject of Mr. James Otis. My acquaintance with the Eastern characters began with the first Congress. Mr. Otis not being a member, I had never any personal acquaintance or correspondence with him." He refers Tudor to Richard Henry Lee, who had "an active correspondence, from the early dawn of our revolution, with gentlemen of that quarter, and with none more probably than Mr. Otis, who was then so conspicuous in the principles of the day. It is probable that he preserved Mr. Otis' letters, and that his family now possesses them...a certain & easy channel for your communication with them would be thro' any member of Congress from your state, and the member from the Westmoreland district of ours," whom he admits he does not know, "so entirely am I withdrawn from all attention to public affairs, and so thoroughly satisfied to leave them to the generation in place, in whose hands, from the advancing state of knolege [sic], they will be at least as wisely conducted as they have been by their predecessors."
James Otis (1725-1783) had served as king's advocate general when royal customs collectors sought the right to search for evidence of violations of the 1733 Sugar Act; he resigned his office to serve as counsel to Boston merchants, and served in the Massachussetts legislature from 1761, leading the opposition to revenue acts. R.H. Lee (1732-1794) was a delegate to Congress for Virginia, introduced the 1776 independence resolution, and served for a time as President of Congress.
RETIREMENT AT MONTICELLO: "SO ENTIRELY AM I WITHDRAWN FROM PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SO...SATISFIED TO LEAVE THEM TO THE GENERATION IN PLACE..."
In 1809, Jefferson finally left Washington for his long-awaited retirement at Monticello. Tudor, a founder of the Boston Athenaeum and active in the Massachusetts Historical Society, was engaged in research for his biography The Life of James Otis of Massachussetts (1823). In response to Tudor's inquiry about Otis, Jefferson replies: "I extremely regret that it is not in my power to give you any information on the subject of Mr. James Otis. My acquaintance with the Eastern characters began with the first Congress. Mr. Otis not being a member, I had never any personal acquaintance or correspondence with him." He refers Tudor to Richard Henry Lee, who had "an active correspondence, from the early dawn of our revolution, with gentlemen of that quarter, and with none more probably than Mr. Otis, who was then so conspicuous in the principles of the day. It is probable that he preserved Mr. Otis' letters, and that his family now possesses them...a certain & easy channel for your communication with them would be thro' any member of Congress from your state, and the member from the Westmoreland district of ours," whom he admits he does not know, "so entirely am I withdrawn from all attention to public affairs, and so thoroughly satisfied to leave them to the generation in place, in whose hands, from the advancing state of knolege [sic], they will be at least as wisely conducted as they have been by their predecessors."
James Otis (1725-1783) had served as king's advocate general when royal customs collectors sought the right to search for evidence of violations of the 1733 Sugar Act; he resigned his office to serve as counsel to Boston merchants, and served in the Massachussetts legislature from 1761, leading the opposition to revenue acts. R.H. Lee (1732-1794) was a delegate to Congress for Virginia, introduced the 1776 independence resolution, and served for a time as President of Congress.