ever existed a
century and a half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve
its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this
people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy
is to set them right as to facts, pardon, and pacify them. What signify
a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be
refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It
is its natural manure. Our convention has been too much impressed by the
insurrection of Massachusetts: and on the spur of the moment, they are
setting up a kite to keep the hen-yard in order. I hope in God, this
article will be rectified before the new constitution is accepted. You
ask me, if any thing transpires here on the subject of South America?
Not a word. I know that there are combustible materials there, and
that they wait the torch only. But this country probably will join
the extinguishers. The want of facts worth communicating to you,
has occasioned me to give a little loose to dissertation. We must be
contented to amuse, when we cannot inform.

Present my respects to Mrs. Smith, and be assured of the sincere esteem
of, Dear Sir, your friend and servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CXV.--TO WILLIAM CARMICHAEL, December 11, 1787

TO WILLIAM CARMICHAEL.

Paris, December 11, 1787.

Dear Sir,

I am later in acknowledging the receipt of your favors of October the
15th, and November the 5th and 15th, because we have been long expecting
a packet, which I hoped would bring communications worth detailing to
you; and she arrived only a few days ago, after a very long passage
indeed. I am very sorry you have not been able to make out the cipher
of my letter of September the 25th, because it contained things which
I wished you to know at that time. They have lost now a part of their
merit; * but still I wish you could decipher them, as there remains
a part, which it might yet be agreeable to you to understand. I have
examined the cipher, from which it was written. It as precisely a copy
of those given to Messrs. Barclay and Lambe. In order that you may
examine whether yours corresponds, I will now translate into cipher, the
three first lines of my letter of June the 14th.

*****

This will serve to show, whether your cipher corresponds with mine, as
well as my manner of using it. But I shall not use it in future, till I
know from you the result of your re-examination of it