HOW GREAT a Man Was Thomas Jefferson...?

Reaganite Republican ^ | July 11 , 2012 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

At the age of 5, Jefferson began studying 

under his cousin's tutor...

At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.

At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.

At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.

At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.

At 23, started his own law practice.

At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.

At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America" and retired from his law practice.

At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.

At 33, took three years to revise Virginia's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.

At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.

At 40, served in Congress for two years.

At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.

At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.

At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.

At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of the Democratic-Republican Party.

At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.

At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.

At 61, was elected to a second term as President.

At 65, retired to Monticello.

At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.

At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.

At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, along with John Adams

Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government.

He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man... FAR more than what most understand today.

Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future!

John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement:

"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."

Quoth 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 labours 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."

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

"To compel a man to subsidise with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."

Thomas Jefferson (1802):

"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."

I beg you to pay attention to this man of towering greatness, America (now would be a good time).

 _____________________________________

Via email, h/t Speedunque

[Sam Gamgee]

Yes, but Paul argues he would only attack the actual terrorists abroad without holding account the states that harbor them, as though terrorists are somehow free agents, and their host countries bear no responsibility.

It was a no brainer, but my point was Jefferson was not against foreign interventionism when the nation's security was at risk.

[donmeaker]

Jefferson was restricted by law from freeing his slaves. The reason why he died in debt is the law didn’t prevent him from paying his slaves a salary, which he did.

[donmeaker]

Machavelli was not Spanish. He was Italian, but wrote The Prince (De Principatibus) in Latin.

Jefferson did teach himself Arabic.

[donmeaker]

Wrong.

[PzLdr]

How was Jefferson restricted when Washington wasn’t? They both lived in Virginia, and Washington DID free his slaves.

[donmeaker]

Virginia changed the law after Washington freed his slaves. Jefferson raised the issue as governor every year, trying to change the law back, and could not get it passed.

[donmeaker]

A later version of the prince was written in Italian.

[LS]

Yeah, I corrected that above. The bio I read said he taught himself Spanish. Can’t remember the book right now.