“I place economy among the first and most important virtues and public debt as the greatest dangers to be feared.”
In his private life he was quite profligate. Always had to have the finest wines, books, furniture and scientific instruments from Europe. As a result he went deeply into debt, thus being unable to free any of his slaves since he had had mortgaged them.
“I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.”
Difficult to imagine a better description of a slaveowner. A parasite indeed.
Well, even the great apostle Paul, in recognition of the extent to which he failed to live up to God’s perfection, cried out, “Oh wretched man that I am...”
It’s my understanding that in those days, debts were inheritable. His father’s estate debt, to be specific. That’s why Jefferson was so far in debt. That, and the fact that at some point, loans borrowed in scrip were later made payable only in specie (gold) that nobody had.
What I noticed in “public education” U.S. history classes, Jefferson’s voluminous utterings on the danger of public debt were always, always dismissed with his personal debt situation, to brand him as hypocritical, but of course (surprise) leaving out the true facts of the matter.
Sounds to me like the “liberal” version of Jefferson is a bit skewed. Hm.
“Difficult to imagine a better description of a slaveowner. A parasite indeed.”
In 1785, Thomas Jefferson established his Land Ordinance, which included a provision for the abolition of slavery.
It was defeated by a single vote in Congress.
"Parasite?
Thomas Jefferson developed an anti-slavery clause in the first draft of the Declaration. The clause was removed by John Adams (MA), Benjamin Franklin (MA), Robert R. Livingston (NY), and Roger Sherman (CT).
The parasites were living in Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut.
Ever wonder why?