ts blessed effects? I leave this
to those who will live to see their accomplishment, and to enjoy a
beatitude forbidden to my age. But I leave it with this admonition, to
rise and be doing. A million and a half are within their control;
but six millions (which a majority of those now living will see them
attain), and one million of these fighting men, will say, 'We will not
go.'

I am aware that this subject involves some constitutional scruples.
But a liberal construction, justified by the object, may go far, and
an amendment of the constitution, the whole length necessary. The
separation of infants from their mothers, too, would produce some
scruples of humanity. But this would be straining at a gnat, and
swallowing a camel.

I am much pleased to see that you have taken up the subject of the duty
on imported books. I hope a crusade will be kept up against it, until
those in power shall become sensible of this stain on our legislation
and shall wipe it from their code, and from the remembrance of man, if
possible.

I salute you with assurances of high respect and esteem.

Th: Jefferson"

LETTER CLXXX.--TO EDWARD LIVINGSTON, April 4, 1824

TO EDWARD LIVINGSTON.

Monticello, April 4, 1824.

Dear Sir,

It was with great pleasure I learned that the good people of New Orleans
had restored you again to the councils of our country. I did not doubt
the aid it would bring to the remains of our old school in Congress, in
which your early labors had been so useful. You will find, I suppose,
on revisiting our maritime States, the names of things more changed than
the things themselves; that though our old opponents have given up their
appellation, they have not, in assuming ours, abandoned their views, and
that they are as strong nearly as they ever were. These cares, however,
are no longer mine. I resign myself cheerfully to the managers of the
ship, and the more contentedly, as I am near the end of my voyage. I
have learned to be less confident in the conclusions of human reason,
and give more credit to the honesty of contrary opinions. The radical
idea of the character of the constitution of our government, which I
have adopted as a key in cases of doubtful construction, is, that the
whole field of government is divided into two departments, domestic and
foreign, (the States in their mutual relations being of the latter) that
the former department is reserved exclusively to the respective States
within thei