treasure-house of books that they have thrown open to the public. Although I have, while collecting material for this book, been shown kindly courtesy in the library of the British Museum, and have visited I hardly know how many collections of books in State Capitols and in universities, I have, I think, seldom if ever visited a better managed library than is the one founded by the Astors. To its superintendent, Mr. Robbins Little, I take pleasure in expressing in this public manner my appreciation of the facilities of research which I have enjoyed within its walls. To the librarian, Mr. Frederick Saunders, who has given to the world a number of books -among which is the beautiful volume entitled "Evenings with the Sacred Poets,"-I desire to express my gratitude for kindly favors. Indeed, to every one of the gentlemen connected with that library I feel indebted for kindly courtesy.

In respect to the source from whence I have obtained the letters quoted in this volume, I will say that, as a rule, almost every one of them can be seen in one or the other of the following volumes:

"Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, from the Papers of Thomas Jefferson," edited by his grandson, T. J. Randolph, in the year 1829. "The Writings of Thomas Jefferson," "Published by the Order of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library, from the Original Manuscripts Deposited in the Department of State," in Washington, D. C., in the year 1854. "The Early History of the University of Virginia, as Contained in the Letters of Thomas Jefferson and Joseph C. Cabell, Hitherto Unpublished; with an Appendix, Consisting of Mr. Jefferson's Bill for a Complete System of Education, and Other Illustrative Documents Published in

Richmond, Virginia, in the year 1856, by J. W. Randolph.

Although Jefferson held some views in respect to the education of youth which are scarcely, if at all, mentioned in this volume,-such as the importance of young people being taught anatomy or physiology, and such as the kind of instruction which American young women should receive, and although comparatively little is said of his earnest wish to see the United States government found a great university in the city of Washington,-such as Washington and Madison may be said to have advised, in a peculiarly impressive manner, their country to establish,—and in short, although this volume does not claim to do full justice to Jefferson's patriotic labors in behalf of public education, yet it gives an idea of how one of the most distinguished of American statesmen regarded the value of public, unsectarian schools to the people of the United States. It also gives an idea of what, in the best, and in the truest, sense of the term, "Jeffersonian principles" demand that American statesmanship shall do in respect to duly cherishing the interests of learning in all parts of the Republic of the United States.

THOMAS JEFFERSON'S VIEWS

ON

PUBLIC EDUCATION.

I.

AN ADMONITION TO FRIENDS OF CIVIL LIBERTY.

IT is, one may well believe, not too much to say that every land has had at times well-meaning friends of civil liberty. In lands afflicted with a despotic form of government there have sometimes arisen men who by the heroism with which they have made sacrifices to secure to their fellow-citizens a well-ordered form of self-government have given eloquent proof of the sincerity of their patriotism. Their wish to emancipate the land of their birth and of their love from the bondage of a heartless despotism has been most noble-has been indeed worthy of the highest praise ;-but, sadly often, after having taken part in revolutions in which rivers of blood have flowed and in which uncounted treasure has been expended, they have not only failed to secure the priceless blessing of self-government, but they have with anguish seen even their efforts to secure to their country a well-ordered republican form of government result in bringing upon their countrymen a more terrible form of despotism than that from which they had sought deliverance even at the awful cost of revolution. These patriots, from Jefferson's point

of view, as will presently be seen, have sadly often made a fatal mistake in the way which they have adopted to secure the inestimably valuable blessing for which they have longed. They have failed to realize the intimate connection that must ever exist between civil liberty and at least a certain degree of intellectual culture. It may well be interesting to a thoughtful student of the science of government to notice the convictions of such a statesman as was Thomas Jefferson respecting the possibility of illiterate nations enjoying the blessing of self-government, and of the way in which friends of civil liberty-especially the way in which the government of a Republic-should look upon public schools.

Among Jefferson's correspondents was the learned and very celebrated Baron Alexander von Humboldt, whose brother Karl Wilhelm Humboldt was the first Minister of Public Instruction of Prussia after the disastrous battle of Jena a battle which one might have supposed would prove the utter ruin of Germany. Karl Humboldt was called by Frederick William III. to help in regenerating almost ruined Prussia by establishing a good school system. The system which he adopted is still to a large extent in use in Germany. There is reason to infer that he adopted his educational system in part from ideas which he received from Jefferson. Jefferson in a book which he published, entitled "Notes on Virginia," dwelt upon an educational bill which he had himself presented. in the Legislature of Virginia in the year 1778. This book was published in France. Karl Wilhelm Humboldt who resided in Paris probably there met with the book. Jefferson, as will presently be seen, presented a copy of the work to Karl Humboldt's celebrated brother who at one time was himself requested by the king of Prussia to act as Minister of Public Instruction. Baron Alexander

von Humboldt was Jefferson's guest for three weeks when he visited the United States.

It may readily be supposed that Jefferson's views respecting public education would be highly interesting to the Humboldts. Whoever will read the conclusions of Jefferson on public education as expressed in his "Notes on Virginia," and compare the public-school system which he suggested in his justly celebrated "Bill for the Better Diffusion of Knowledge," and will compare them with the educational system which one of the Humboldts especially helped to give to Prussia, may well feel that American statesmanship has exerted a vastly weightier influence on Germany's history than is generally known.

Two days after retiring from the Presidency of the United States, Jefferson wrote a letter to Alexander von Humboldt, a part of which reads thus: "You have wisely located yourself in the focus of the science of Europe. I am held by the cords of love to my family and country, or I should certainly join you. Within a few days I shall now bury myself in the groves of Monticello, and become a mere spectator of the passing events. On politics I will say nothing, because I would not implicate you by addressing to you the republican ideas of America, deemed horrible heresies in Europe."

In another letter to Baron Humboldt, under date of April 14th, 1811, Jefferson wrote: "The interruption of our intercourse with France for some time past, has prevented my writing to you. A conveyance now occurs by Mr. Barlow or Mr. Worden, both of them going in a public capacity. It is the first safe opportunity offered of acknowledging your favor of September 23rd, and the receipt at different times of the IIIrd part of your valuable work 2d, 3rd, and 5th, livraisons and the IVth part of 2d, 3d, and 4th, livraisons, with the Tableaux de la