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T
 J
.
The subject of this narrative was born in Virginia, in the year 1743, on the
2nd day of April. As young Jefferson was born to affluence and was
bountifully blessed with all the educational advantages which wealth will
bring, many of our young readers may say—well, I could succeed, perhaps,
had I those advantages. We will grant that you could provided you took
means similar to those used by Jefferson, for while we must admit that all
cannot be Jeffersons, nor Lincolns, nor Garfields, still we are constantly
repeating in our mind the words of the poet:—
"Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time,"
it has been said that where twenty enter the dry-goods trade nineteen will
fail and from their despair behold the odd one succeed—utilizing the very
weapons within their own grasp to bring about his success. This is true, not
only of the dry-goods trade but of all trades, of all professions, and to
resume our subject—Jefferson had much with which to contend.
He finally attended school at William and Mary College for two years.
Here he strove to cultivate friendly feelings with all whom he met, with
excellent success, becoming very popular with both companions and
teachers. It was while a student that he heard the famous speech of Patrick
Henry; and those immortal words, "
,"
seemed to kindle within him a patriotic spirit which grew until it burst forth
in that noble statue to his memory,—the Declaration of Independence,
which was the work of his pen. He studied law for a time, after a two years'
college course, when, in 1767 he began its practice.

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As Mr. Jefferson is described as tall and spare with gray eyes and red hair,
surely his success is not due to his personal appearance. At the beginning of
his practice he was not considered what might be termed brilliant, but the
fact that he was employed on over two hundred cases within the first two
years of his practice proves the secret of his success to have been his
undefatigable energy. It is also stated that he rarely spoke in public which
shows his good sense in discovering where his strength lay,—then pushing
on that line to success.
He was elected by his countrymen to the house of Burgesses where he at
once took a decided stand against parliamentary encroachment. It was in
this first of his legislative efforts that he brought forward a bill tending to
the freedom of slaves, provided their masters felt so disposed, but this
measure was defeated. The house of Burgesses appointed him a member of
the committee of correspondence. The duty of this committee was to
disseminate intelligence upon the issues of the day, notably the system of
taxation which the mother-country was trying to impose upon the colonies.
His article entitled: "A Summary View of the Rights of British America,"
was a masterly production, clearly defining the right of the colonies to resist
taxation, and it was the principles here set forth that were afterwards
adopted as the Declaration of Independence. This, paper was printed, not
only in America, but in England, where its author was placed on the roll of
treason and brought before parliament. This document also placed Jefferson
in America among the foremost writers of that age; it also showed him to be
a bold and uncompromising opponent of oppression, and an eloquent
advocate of constitutional freedom.
He was sent to the Continental Congress. On the floor he was silent but he
had the 'reputation of a masterly pen,' says John Adams, and in committee
was a most influential member. He drafted the Declaration of
Independence, and on June 28th it was laid before Congress and finally
adopted, with but a few verbal changes. This document probably has the
greatest celebrity of any paper of like nature in existence.
He now resigned his seat in Congress to push needed reform in his State
preparatory to the new order of affairs. The first thing needed was a State

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constitution. Jefferson aided much in the framing of this. He was placed on
the committee to reorganize the State laws, and to Jefferson is due the
abolition of Primogenitureship—the exclusive right of the first-born to all
property of the family. The measure establishing religious freedom,
whereby people were not to be taxed for the support of a religion not theirs,
was also the work of his hand. These measures were very democratic
indeed and owing to the aristocratic views of the people at that time, excited
great opposition, but they were finally passed and since have been law.
Thus it will be seen that Jefferson was the author of many of our dearest
ideas of equality. In 1778 he procured the passage of a bill forbidding future
importation of slaves and the next year he was elected governor of Virginia,
to succeed Patrick Henry. He assumed the duties of this office in a most
gloomy time. The enemy were preparing to carry the war into the South,
and Jefferson knew they would find Virginia almost defenseless. Her
resources were drained to the dregs to sustain hostilities in South Carolina
and Georgia, and her sea coast was almost wholly unprotected. The State
was invaded by the enemy several times and once the Governor was almost
captured by Tarleton.
Jefferson declined a re-election as he perceived that a military leader was
needed, and he was succeeded by General Nelson. Jefferson was appointed
one of the Ministers of the Colonies to Europe to assist Adams and Franklin
in negotiating treaties of commerce. He was the means which brought about
our system of coins, doing away with the old English pounds, shillings and
pence, substituting the dollar and fractions of a dollar, even down to a cent.
He became our Minister to France in 1785 in place of Franklin who had
resigned. Here he did good service for his country by securing the
admission into France of tobacco, flour, rice and various other American
products.
Being offered the head of Washington's cabinet, he accepted it.
Immediately upon his entrance into the cabinet, in 1790, began the struggle
between the Federalist and Republican parties, their leaders, Hamilton and
now Jefferson, both being members of the cabinet. Jefferson was probably
the real originator of the State sovereignity idea, and the constitution did not
wholly meet his approval. He thought better of it, however, when he

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became President and felt more forcibly the need of authority in such a
trying position.
He had just returned from an extended trip through Europe, and he
contended that the world was governed too much. He was intensely
Democratic in his belief and as the head of the then rising Republican party
—now the Democratic—opposed all measures which tended toward
centralizing in one government, characterizing all such measures as leading
to monarchy.
Washington was a Federalist, and in all the leading measures gave his
support to Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Jefferson's opponent. As it was out of the
question for Jefferson to remain in the cabinet of an executive wholly at
variance with him politically, he accordingly resigned in 1793 and retired to
his farm at 'Monticello' to attend to his private affairs as he was
embarrassed financially at this time, and his attention was very much
needed.
In 1796, Washington designing to retire from public service, the two great