ersons. But great heavens! Who could
have conceived in 1789, that within ten years we should have to combat
such windmills. Adieu. Yours affectionately.

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CCLIV.--TO WILSON C. NICHOLAS, September 5, 1799

TO WILSON C. NICHOLAS.

Monticello, September 5, 1799.

Dear Sir,

Yours of August the 30th came duly to hand. It was with great regret
we gave up the hope of seeing you here, but, could not but consider the
obstacle as legitimate. I had written to Mr. Madison, as I had before
informed you, and had stated to him some general ideas for consideration
and consultation when we should meet. I thought something essentially
necessary to be said, in order to avoid the inference of acquiescence;
that a resolution or declaration should be passed, 1. answering the
reasonings of such of the States as have ventured into the field of
reason, and that of the committee of Congress, taking some notice, too,
of those States who have either not answered at all, or answered
without reasoning. 2. Making firm protestation against the precedent and
principle, and reserving the right to make this palpable violation of
the federal compact the ground of doing in future whatever we might now
rightfully do, should repetitions of these and other violations of
the compact render it expedient. 3. Expressing in affectionate and
conciliatory language our warm attachment to union with our sister
States, and to the instrument and principles by which we are united;
that we are willing to sacrifice to this every thing but the rights of
self-government in those important points which we have never yielded,
and in which alone we see liberty, safety, and happiness; that not at
all disposed to make every measure of error or of wrong, a cause of
scission, we are willing to look on with indulgence, and to wait with
patience, till those passions and delusions shall have passed over,
which the federal government have artfully excited to cover its own
abuses and conceal its designs, fully confident that the good sense of
the American people, and their attachment to those very rights which we
are now vindicating, will, before it shall be too late, rally with us
round the true principles of our federal compact. This was only meant to
give a general idea of the complexion and topics of such an instrument.
Mr. M. who came, as had been proposed, does not concur in the
reservation proposed above; and from this I recede readily, not o