Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER XCV.—­TO M. DESTUTT TRACY, January 26, 1811

TO M. DESTUTT TRACY.

Monticello, January 26, 1811.

Sir,

The length of time your favor of June the 12th, 1809, was on its way to me, and my absence from home the greater part of the autumn, delayed very much the pleasure which awaited me of reading the packet which accompanied it.  I cannot express to you the satisfaction which I received from its perusal.  I had, with the world, deemed Montesquieu’s a work of much merit; but saw in it, with every thinking man, so much of paradox, of false principle, and misapplied fact, as to render its value equivocal on the whole.  Williams and others had nibbled only at its errors.  A radical correction of them, therefore, was a great desideratum.  This want is now supplied, and with a depth of thought, precision; of idea, of language, and of logic, which will force conviction into every mind.  I declare to you, Sir, in the spirit of truth and sincerity, that I consider it the most precious gift the present age has received.  But what would it have been, had the author, or would the author, take up the whole scheme of Montesquieu’s work, and following the correct analysis he has here developed, fill up all its parts according to his sound views of them.  Montesquieu’s celebrity would be but a small portion of that which would immortalize the author.  And with whom?  With the rational and high-minded spirits of the present and all future ages.  With those whose approbation is both incitement and reward to virtue and ambition.  Is then the hope desperate?  To what object can the occupation of his future life be devoted so usefully to the world, so splendidly to himself?  But I must leave to others who have higher claims on his attention, to press these considerations.

My situation, far in the interior of the country, was not favorable to the object of getting this work translated and printed.  Philadelphia is the least distant of the great towns of our States, where there exists any enterprise in this way; and it was not till the spring following the receipt of your letter, that I obtained an arrangement for its execution.  The translation is just now completed.  The sheets came to me by post, from time to time, for revisal; but not being accompanied by the original, I could not judge of verbal accuracies.  I think, however, it is substantially correct, without being an adequate representation of the excellences of the original; as indeed no translation can be.  I found it impossible to give it the appearance of an original composition in our language.  I therefore think it best to divert inquiries after the author towards a quarter where he will not be found; and with this view, propose to prefix the prefatory epistle now enclosed.  As soon as a copy of the work can be had, I will send it to you by duplicate.  The secret of the author