Thomas Jefferson
Someone sent me the following article:
“Thomas Jefferson was a remarkable man.
At 5, he began studying under his cousin’s tutor.
At 9, he studied Latin, Greek, and French.
At 14, he studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, he entered the College of William and Mary.
At 19, he studied Law for 5 years.
At 23, he started his own law practice.
At 25, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, he wrote the widely circulated ‘Summary View of the Rights of
British America’ and retired from his law practice.
At 32, he was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
At 33, he took three years to revise Virginia’s legal code and wrote
a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, he was elected the second Governor of Virginia.
At 40, he served in Congress for two years.
At 41, he was the American minister to France.
At 46, he served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington. At 53, he served as Vice President and was elected president of the
American Philosophical Society.
At 55, he drafted the Kentucky Resolutions which became the basis of
‘States’ Rights.’
At 57, he was elected the third president of the United States.
At 60, he obtained the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the nation’s size.
At 61, he was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, he retired to Monticello.
At 80, he helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, he almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and
served as its first resident.
He died at 83.”
John F. Kennedy once held a dinner for a group of the brightest
minds in the nation at that time. He commented, “This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
Here are some thoughts from Thomas Jefferson:
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.”
“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
“The tree of liberty must
be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/4/2012