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Report on the Money Mint of the United States； the act of religious
freedom； &c。； &c。； these having become the acts of public bodies；
there can be no personal claim to them； and they would no more find
readers now； than the journals and statute books in which they are
deposited。
I have presented this general view of the subjects which might
have been within the scope of your contemplation； that they might be
correctly estimated before any final decision。 They belong mostly to
a class of papers not calculated for popular reading； and not likely
to offer profit； or even indemnification to the re…publisher。
Submitting it to your consideration； I tender you my salutations and
respects。
INDIAN VOCABULARIES
_To Dr。 Benjamin S。 Barton_
_Monticello； September 21； 1809_
DEAR SIR； I received last night your favor of the 14th； and
would with all possible pleasure have communicated to you any part or
the whole of the Indian vocabularies which I had collected； but an
irreparable misfortune has deprived me of them。 I have now been
thirty years availing myself of every possible opportunity of
procuring Indian vocabularies to the same set of words： my
opportunities were probably better than will ever occur again to any
person having the same desire。 I had collected about fifty； and had
digested most of them in collateral columns； and meant to have
printed them the last year of my stay in Washington。 But not having
yet digested Captain Lewis's collection； nor having leisure then to
do it； I put it off till I should return home。 The whole； as well
digest as originals； were packed in a trunk of stationary； and sent
round by water with about thirty other packages of my effects； from
Washington； and while ascending James river； this package； on account
of its weight and presumed precious contents； was singled out and
stolen。 The thief being disappointed on opening it； threw into the
river all its contents； of which he thought he could make no use。
Among these were the whole of the vocabularies。 Some leaves floated
ashore and were found in the mud； but these were very few； and so
defaced by the mud and water that no general use can ever be made of
them。 On the receipt of your letter I turned to them； and was very
happy to find； that the only morsel of an original vocabulary among
them； was Captain Lewis's of the Pani language； of which you say you
have not one word。 I therefore inclose it to you； as it is； and a
little fragment of some other； which I see is in his hand writing；
but no indication remains on it of what language it is。 It is a
specimen of the condition of the little which was recovered。 I am
the more concerned at this accident； as of the two hundred and fifty
words of my vocabularies； and the one hundred and thirty words of the
great Russian vocabularies of the languages of the other quarters of
the globe； severty…three were common to both； and would have
furnished materials for a comparison from which something might have
resulted。 Although I believe no general use can ever be made of the
wrecks of my loss； yet I will ask the return of the Pani vocabulary
when you are done with it。 Perhaps I may make another attempt to
collect； although I am too old to expect to make much progress in it。
I learn； with pleasure； your acquisition of the pamphlet on the
astronomy of the antient Mexicans。 If it be antient and genuine； or
modern and rational； it will be of real value。 It is one of the most
interesting countries of our hemisphere； and merits every attention。
I am thankful for your kind offer of sending the original
Spanish for my perusal。 But I think it a pity to trust it to the
accidents of the post； and whenever you publish the translation； I
shall be satisfied to read that which shall be given by your
translator； who is； I am sure； a greater adept in the language than I
am。
Accept the assurances of my great esteem and respect。
AMERICAN QUAKERISM
_To Samuel Kercheval_
_Monticello； January 19； 1810_
SIR； Yours of the 7th instant has been duly received； with
the pamphlet inclosed； for which I return you my thanks。 Nothing can
be more exactly and seriously true than what is there stated； that
but a short time elapsed after the death of the great reformer of the
Jewish religion； before his principles were departed from by those
who professed to be his special servants； and perverted into an
engine for enslaving mankind； and aggrandising their oppressors in
Church and State； that the purest system of morals ever before
preached to man； has been adulterated and sophisticated by artificial
constructions； into a mere contrivance to filch wealth and power to
themselves； that rational men not being able to swallow their impious
heresies； in order to force them down their throats； they raise the
hue and cry of infidelity； while themselves are the greatest
obstacles to the advancement of the real doctrines of Jesus； and do
in fact constitute the real Anti…Christ。
You expect that your book will have some effect on the
prejudices which the society of Friends entertain against the present
and late administrations。 In this I think you will be disappointed。
The Friends are men； formed with the same passions； and swayed by the
same natural principles and prejudices as others。 In cases where the
passions are neutral； men will display their respect for the
religious _professions_ of their sect。 But where their passions are
enlisted； these _professions_ are no obstacle。 You observe very
truly； that both the late and present administration conducted the
government on principles _professed_ by the Friends。 Our efforts to
preserve peace； our measures as to the Indians； as to slavery； as to
religious freedom； were all in consonance with their _professions_。
Yet I never expected we should get a vote from them； and in this I
was neither deceived nor disappointed。 There is no riddle in this；
to those who do not suffer themselves to be duped by the
_professions_ of religious sectaries。 The theory of American
Quakerism is a very obvious one。 The mother society is in England。
Its members are English by birth and residence； devoted to their own
country； as good citizens ought to be。 The Quakers of these States
are colonies or filiations from the mother society； to whom that
society sends its yearly lessons。 On these the filiated societies
model their opinions； their conduct； their passions and attachments。
A Quaker is； essentially； an Englishman； in whatever part of the
earth he is born or lives。 The outrages of Great Britain on our
navigation and commerce； have kept us in perpetual bickerings with
her。 The Quakers here have taken side against their own government；
not on their _profession_ of peace； for they saw that peace was our
object also；