The Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson
By Subject
UNITY / PARTY POLITICS / PROMOTING THE PUBLIC GOOD
The candor manifested in your letter, and which I ever believed you
to possess, has alone inspired the desire of calling your attention,
once more, to those circumstances of fact and motive by which I claim
to be judged. I hope you will see these intrusions on your time to be,
what they really are, proofs of my great respect for you. I tolerate
with the utmost latitude the right of others to differ from me in
opinion without imputing to them criminality. I know too well the
weakness and uncertainty of human reason to wonder at its different
results. Both of our political parties, at least the honest part of
them, agree conscientiously in the same object -- the public good; but
they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that
good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the
governing powers; the other, by a different one. One fears most the
ignorance of the people; the other, the selfishness of rulers
independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove.
We think that one side of this experiment has been long enough tried,
and proved not to promote the good of the many; and that the other has
not been fairly and sufficiently tried Our opponents think the
reverse. With whichever opinion the body of the nation concurs, that
must prevail. My anxieties on this subject will never carry me beyond
the use of fair and honorable means, of truth and reason; nor have
they ever lessened my esteem for moral worth, nor alienated my
affections from a single friend, who did not first withdraw himself.
Whenever this has happened, I confess I have not been insensible to
it; yet have ever kept myself open to a return of their justice. I
conclude with sincere prayers for your health and happiness, that
yourself and Mr. Adams may long enjoy the tranquillity you desire and
merit, and see in the prosperity of your family what is the
consummation of the last and warmest of human wishes.
to Abigail Adams, 11 September 1804
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