In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Keywords: litigation, appellate practice, Thomas Jefferson Dennis Owens is an appellate attorney in Kansas City, Missouri.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Meacham does an inadequate job of dealing with Jefferson’s many contradictions. He was planning on running for president when he wrote it. We have always loved Jefferson’s comments while vice president: “My books, my family, my friends, and my farm furnish more than enough to occupy me for the remainder of my life.” The books come first! Of course it was all pious nonsense.
It was shame, not modesty, that caused him not to mention it on his headstone. Indeed, Jefferson was undone by his complete ignorance of economics. Jefferson’s popularity took a deep nose-dive. In response to European interference with our ships at sea, Jefferson imposed the embargo of 1807–09, closing our ports. Representatives of the United States bought Louisiana, but Jefferson opposed it as unconstitutional. Much has been made of Jefferson’s headstone inscription: author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, and author of the statute for religious liberty-and no mention of his having been president of the United States! But, the reason for this is that Jefferson and most of the country considered his tenure an utter failure. Rather, his book is an adoring portrait of a highly conflicted man. Meacham does not try to supply us with a biography. ” Having mentioned this book, Meacham then ignores it entirely in the body of his text. Of O’Brien’s ground-breaking work, Meacham recites in a footnote, “For the case against Jefferson on the French question, see Conor Cruise O’Brien’s.
O’Brien’s book should have ended that affair.
Subsequent scholarship followed suit in a long affair of adoration of Jefferson. Malone’s foundational book did not address these shocking letters, but merely noted that Jefferson had written some letters that did not reflect the real Jefferson. (Thousands were beheaded!) Jefferson wrote that he did not care if France’s population was reduced to one Adam and one Eve. The thrust of O’Brien’s book was this: Jefferson wrote letters that stated indifference to the killing of innocents in the Reign of Terror.
0 kommentar(er)
