o the rights of man. The general spread
of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable
truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on
their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them
legitimately, by the grace of God. These are grounds of hope for others.
For ourselves, let the annual return of this day for ever refresh our
recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.

I will ask permission here to express the pleasure with which I
should have met my ancient neighbors of the city of Washington and
its vicinities, with whom I passed so many years of a pleasing social
intercourse; an intercourse which so much relieved the anxieties of the
public cares, and left impressions so deeply engraved in my affections,
as never to be forgotten. With my regret that ill health forbids me the
gratification of an acceptance, be pleased to receive for yourself,
and those for whom you write, the assurance of my highest respect and
friendly attachments.

Th: Jefferson.

*****

*****

ANA.--EXPLANATION OF THE THREE VOLUMES BOUND IN MARBLED PAPER

_Explanation of the Three Volumes bound in Marbled Paper_.*

In these three volumes will be found copies of the official opinions
given in writing by me to General Washington, while I was Secretary of
State, with sometimes the documents belonging to the case. Some of
these are the rough draughts, some press copies, some fair ones. In the
earlier part of my acting in that office, I took no other note of the
passing transactions; but after a while, I saw the importance of doing
it in aid of my memory. Very often, therefore, I made memorandums on
loose scraps of paper, taken out of my pocket in the moment, and laid
by to be copied fair at leisure, which, however, they hardly ever were.
These scraps, therefore, ragged, rubbed, and scribbled as they were, I
had bound with the others by a binder, who came into my cabinet, did it
under my own eye, and without the opportunity of reading a single paper.
At this day, after the lapse of twenty-five years, or more, from their
dates, I have given to the whole a calm revisal, when the passions of
the time are passed away, and the reasons of the transactions act alone
on the judgment. Some of the informations I had recorded, are now cut
out from the rest, because I have seen that they were incorrect, or
doubtful, or merely personal or private, with which we