Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CCXLI.—­TO STEPHENS THOMPSON MASON, October 11, 1798

TO STEPHENS THOMPSON MASON.

Monticello, October 11, 1798.

Dear Sir,

I have to thank you for your favor of July the 6th, from Philadelphia.  I did not immediately acknowledge it, because I knew you would have come away.  The X. Y. Z. fever has considerably abated through the country, as I am informed, and the alien and sedition laws are working hard.  I fancy that some of the State legislatures will take strong ground on this occasion.  For my own part, I consider those laws as merely an experiment on the American mind, to see how far it will bear an avowed violation of the constitution.  If this goes down, we shall immediately see attempted another act of Congress, declaring that the President shall continue in office during life, reserving to another occasion the transfer of the succession to his heirs, and the establishment of the Senate for life.  At least, this may be the aim of the Oliverians, while Monk and the Cavaliers (who are perhaps the strongest) may be playing their game for the restoration of his Most Gracious Majesty George the Third.  That these things are in contemplation, I have no doubt; nor can I be confident of their failure, after the dupery of which our countrymen have shown themselves susceptible.

You promised to endeavor to send me some tenants.  I am waiting for them, having broken up two excellent farms with twelve fields in them of forty acres each, some of which I have sowed with small grain.  Tenants of any size may be accommodated with the number of fields suited to their force.  Only send me good people, and write me what they are.  Adieu.

Yours affectionately,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CCXLII.—­TO JOHN TAYLOR, November 26, 1798

TO JOHN TAYLOR.

Monticello, November 26, 1798,

Dear Sir,

We formerly had a debtor and creditor account of letters on farming:  but the high price of tobacco, which is likely to continue for some short time, has tempted me to go entirely into that culture, and in the mean time, my farming schemes are in abeyance, and my farming fields at nurse against the time of my resuming them.  But I owe you a political letter.  Yet the infidelities of the post-office and the circumstances of the times are against my writing fully and freely, whilst my own dispositions are as much against mysteries, innuendoes, and half confidences.  I know not which mortifies me most, that I should fear to write what I think, or my country bear such a state of things.  Yet Lyon’s judges, and a jury of all nations, are objects of national fear.  We agree in all the essential ideas of your letter.  We agree particularly in the necessity of some reform, and of some better security for civil liberty.  But perhaps we do