thing; and nothing cannot own something. Where
there is no substance, there can be no accident. This corporeal globe,
and every thing upon it, belong to its present corporeal inhabitants,
during their generation. They alone have a right to direct what is the
concern of themselves alone, and to declare the law of that direction:
and this declaration can only be made by their majority. That majority,
then, has a right to depute representatives to a convention, and to make
the constitution what they think will be best for themselves. But how
collect their voice? This is the real difficulty. If invited by private
authority to county or district meetings, these divisions are so large,
that few will attend; and their voice will be imperfectly or falsely
pronounced. Here, then, would be one of the advantages of the ward
divisions I have proposed. The mayor of every ward, on a question like
the present, would call his ward together, take the simple yea or nay of
its members, convey these to the county court, who would hand on those
of all its wards to the proper general authority; and the voice of
the whole people would be thus fairly, fully, and peaceably expressed,
discussed, and decided by the common reason of the society. If this
avenue be shut to the call of sufferance, it will make itself heard
through that of force, and we shall go on, as other nations are doing,
in the endless circle of oppression, rebellion, reformation; and
oppression, rebellion, reformation, again; and so on, for ever.

These, Sir, are my opinions of the governments we see among men, and of
the principles by which alone we may prevent our own from falling into
the same dreadful track. I have given them at greater length than your
letter called for. But I cannot say things by halves; and I confide them
to your honor, so to use them as to preserve me from the gridiron of the
public papers. If you shall approve and enforce them, as you have done
that of equal representation, they may do some good. If not, keep them
to yourself as the effusions of withered age, and useless time. I
shall, with not the Less truth, assure you of my great respect and
consideration.

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CXXXVI.--TO JOHN TAYLOR, July 21, 1816

TO JOHN TAYLOR.

Monticello, July 21, 1816.

Dear Sir,

Yours of the 10th is received, and I have to acknowledge a copious
supply of the turnip-seed requested. Besides taking care myself, I
shall endeavor again to com