d
charms, and at a time when they are to choose an occupation, instead of
crowding the other classes, would return to the farms of their fathers,
their own, or those of others, and replenish and invigorate a calling,
now languishing under contempt and oppression. The charitable schools,
instead of storing their pupils with a lore which the present state of
society does not call for, converted into schools of agriculture, might
restore them to that branch, qualified to enrich and honor themselves,
and to increase the productions of the nation instead of consuming them.
A gradual abolition of the useless offices, so much accumulated in all
governments, might close this drain also from the labors of the field,
and lessen the burthens imposed on them. By these, and the better means
which will occur to others, the surcharge of the learned, might in
time be drawn off to recruit the laboring class of citizenss the sum of
industry be increased, and that of misery diminished.

Among the ancients, the redundance of population was sometimes checked
by exposing infants. To the moderns, America has offered a more humane
resource. Many, who cannot find employment in Europe, accordingly come
here. Those who can labor do well, for the most part. Of the learned
class of emigrants, a small portion find employments analogous to their
talents. But many fail, and return to complete their course of misery in
the scenes where it began. Even here we find too strong a current from
the country to the towns; and instances beginning to appear of that
species of misery, which you are so humanely endeavoring to relieve with
you. Although we have in the old countries of Europe the lesson of their
experience to warn us, yet I am not satisfied we shall have the firmness
and wisdom to profit by it. The general desire of men to live by their
heads rather than their hands, and the strong allurements of great
cities to those who have any turn for dissipation, threaten to make them
here, as in Europe, the sinks of voluntary misery. I perceive, however,
that I have suffered my pen to run into a disquisition, when I had taken
it up only to thank you for the volume you had been so kind as to send
me, and to express my approbation of it. After apologizing, therefore,
for having touched on a subject so much more familiar to you, and better
understood, I beg leave to assure you of my high consideration and
respect.

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER VII.--TO JOHN R