Paris, november 13, 1787
the british ministry have so long hired their gazetteers to repeat, and model into
every form, lies about our being in anarchy, that the world has at length believed
them, the english nation has believed them, the ministers themselves have come
to believe them, and what is more wonderful, we have believed them ourselves.
yet where does this anarchy exist? where did it ever exist, except in the single
instance of massachusetts? and can history produce an instance of rebellion so
honorably conducted? i say nothing of its motives. they were founded in
ignorance, not wickedness. god forbid we should ever be twenty years without
such a
what country before, ever existed a century and a half without a rebellion? and
what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to
time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance ? let them take arms. the
remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them.
the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots
and tyrants. it is its natural manure. our convention has been too much
impressed by the insurrection of massachusetts, and on the spur of the moment,
they are setting up a kite to keep the hen yard in order.
questions:
1. how does thomas jefferson feel about the rebellion?
2. what does he think needs to be done, now that a rebellion took place?
3. what can the government do in order to fix the problems that shays rebellion was
about?