it　the　most　of　this　ingredient。　　And　I　sincerely　believe；　with　you；
  that　banking　establishments　are　more　dangerous　than　standing　armies；
  and　that　the　principle　of　spending　money　to　be　paid　by　posterity；
  under　the　name　of　funding；　is　but　swindling　futurity　on　a　large
  scale。
  I　salute　you　with　constant　friendship　and　respect。
  REFORM　OF　THE　VIRGINIA　CONSTITUTION
  _To　Samuel　Kercheval_
  _Monticello；　July　12；　1816_
  SIR；　　I　duly　received　your　favor　of　June　the　13th；　with　the
  copy　of　the　letters　on　the　calling　a　convention；　on　which　you　are
  pleased　to　ask　my　opinion。　　I　have　not　been　in　the　habit　of
  mysterious　reserve　on　any　subject；　nor　of　buttoning　up　my　opinions
  within　my　own　doublet。　　On　the　contrary；　while　in　public　service
  especially；　I　thought　the　public　entitled　to　frankness；　and
  intimately　to　know　whom　they　employed。　　But　I　am　now　retired：　I
  resign　myself；　as　a　passenger；　with　confidence　to　those　at　present　at
  the　helm；　and　ask　but　for　rest；　peace　and　good　will。　　The　question
  you　propose；　on　equal　representation；　has　become　a　party　one；　in
  which　I　wish　to　take　no　public　share。　　Yet；　if　it　be　asked　for　your
  own　satisfaction　only；　and　not　to　be　quoted　before　the　public；　I　have
  no　motive　to　withhold　it；　and　the　less　from　you；　as　it　coincides　with
  your　own。　　At　the　birth　of　our　republic；　I　committed　that　opinion　to
  the　world；　in　the　draught　of　a　constitution　annexed　to　the　〃Notes　on
  Virginia；〃　in　which　a　provision　was　inserted　for　a　representation
  permanently　equal。　　The　infancy　of　the　subject　at　that　moment；　and
  our　inexperience　of　self…government；　occasioned　gross　departures　in
  that　draught　from　genuine　republican　canons。　　In　truth；　the　abuses　of
  monarchy　had　so　much　filled　all　the　space　of　political　contemplation；
  that　we　imagined　everything　republican　which　was　not　monarchy。　　We
  had　not　yet　penetrated　to　the　mother　principle；　that　〃governments　are
  republican　only　in　proportion　as　they　embody　the　will　of　their
  people；　and　execute　it。〃　Hence；　our　first　constitutions　had　really　no
  leading　principles　in　them。　　But　experience　and　reflection　have　but
  more　and　more　confirmed　me　in　the　particular　importance　of　the　equal
  representation　then　proposed。　　On　that　point；　then；　I　am　entirely　in
  sentiment　with　your　letters；　and　only　lament　that　a　copy…right　of
  your　pamphlet　prevents　their　appearance　in　the　newspapers；　where
  alone　they　would　be　generally　read；　and　produce　general　effect。　　The
  present　vacancy　too；　of　other　matter；　would　give　them　place　in　every
  paper；　and　bring　the　question　home　to　every　man's　conscience。
  But　inequality　of　representation　in　both　Houses　of　our
  legislature；　is　not　the　only　republican　heresy　in　this　first　essay　of
  our　revolutionary　patriots　at　forming　a　constitution。　　For　let　it　be
  agreed　that　a　government　is　republican　in　proportion　as　every　member
  composing　it　has　his　equal　voice　in　the　direction　of　its　concerns
  （not　indeed　in　person；　which　would　be　impracticable　beyond　the　limits
  of　a　city；　or　small　township；　but）　by　representatives　chosen　by
  himself；　and　responsible　to　him　at　short　periods；　and　let　us　bring　to
  the　test　of　this　canon　every　branch　of　our　constitution。
  In　the　legislature；　the　House　of　Representatives　is　chosen　by
  less　than　half　the　people；　and　not　at　all　in　proportion　to　those　who
  do　choose。　　The　Senate　are　still　more　disproportionate；　and　for　long
  terms　of　irresponsibility。　　In　the　Executive；　the　Governor　is
  entirely　independent　of　the　choice　of　the　people；　and　of　their
  control；　his　Council　equally　so；　and　at　best　but　a　fifth　wheel　to　a
  wagon。　　In　the　Judiciary；　the　judges　of　the　highest　courts　are
  dependent　on　none　but　themselves。　　In　England；　where　judges　were
  named　and　removable　at　the　will　of　an　hereditary　executive；　from
  which　branch　most　misrule　was　feared；　and　has　flowed；　it　was　a　great
  point　gained；　by　fixing　them　for　life；　to　make　them　independent　of
  that　executive。　　But　in　a　government　founded　on　the　public　will；　this
  principle　operates　in　an　opposite　direction；　and　against　that　will。
  There；　too；　they　were　still　removable　on　a　concurrence　of　the
  executive　and　legislative　branches。　　But　we　have　made　them
  independent　of　the　nation　itself。　　They　are　irremovable；　but　by　their
  own　body；　for　any　depravities　of　conduct；　and　even　by　their　own　body
  for　the　imbecilities　of　dotage。　　The　justices　of　the　inferior　courts
  are　self…chosen；　are　for　life；　and　perpetuate　their　own　body　in
  succession　forever；　so　that　a　faction　once　possessing　themselves　of
  the　bench　of　a　county；　can　never　be　broken　up；　but　hold　their　county
  in　chains；　forever　indissoluble。　　Yet　these　justices　are　the　real
  executive　as　well　as　judiciary；　in　all　our　minor　and　most　ordinary
  concerns。　　They　tax　us　at　will；　fill　the　office　of　sheriff；　the　most
  important　of　all　the　executive　officers　of　the　county；　name　nearly
  all　our　military　leaders；　which　leaders；　once　named；　are　removable
  but　by　themselves。　　The　juries；　our　judges　of　all　fact；　and　of　law
  when　they　choose　it；　are　not　selected　by　the　people；　nor　amenable　to
  them。　　They　are　chosen　by　an　officer　named　by　the　court　and
  executive。　　Chosen；　did　I　say？　　Picked　up　by　the　sheriff　from　the
  loungings　of　the　court　yard；　after　everything　respectable　has　retired
  from　it。　　Where　then　is　our　republicanism　to　be　found？　　Not　in　our
  constitution　certainly；　but　merely　in　the　spirit　of　our　people。　　That
  would　oblige　even　a　despot　to　govern　us　republicanly。　　Owing　to　this
  spirit；　and　to　nothing　in　the　form　of　our　constitution；　all　things
  have　gone　well。　　But　this　fact；　so　triumphantly　misquoted　by　the
  enemies　of　reformation；　is　not　the　fruit　of　our　constitution；　but　has
  prevailed　in　spite　of　it。　　Our　functionaries　have　done　well；　because
  generally　honest　men。　　If　any　were　not　so；　they　feared　to　show　it。
  But　it　will　be　said；　it　is　easier　to　find　faults　than　to　amend
  them。　　I　do　not　think　their　amendment　so　difficult　as　is　pretended。
  Only　lay　down　true　principles；　and　adhere　to　them　inflexibly。　　Do　not
  be　frightened　into　their　surrender　by　the　alarms　of　the　timid；　or　the
  croakings　of　wealth　against　the　ascendency　of　the　people。　　If
  experience　be　called　for；　appeal　to　that　of　our　fifteen　or　twenty
  governments　for　forty　years；　and　show　me　where　the　people　have　done
  half　the　mischief　in　these　forty　years；　that　a　single　despot　would
  have　done　in　a　single　year；　or　show　half　the　riots　and　rebellions；
  the　crimes　and　the　punishments；　which　have　taken　place　in　any　single
  nation；　under　kingly　government；　during　the　same　period。　　The　true
  foundation　of　republican　government　is　the　equal　right　of　every
  citizen；　in　his　person　and　property；　and　in　their　management。　　Try　by
  this；　as　a　tally；　every　provision　of　our　constitution；　and　see　if　it
  hangs　directly　on　the　will　of　the　people。　　Reduce　your　legislature　to
  a　convenient　number　for　full；　but　orderly　discussion。　　Let　every　man
  who　fights　or　pays；　exercise　his　just　and　equal　right　in　their
  election。　　Submit　them　to　approbation　or　rejection　at　short
  intervals。　　Let　the　executive　be　chosen　in　the　same　way；　and　for　the
  same　term；　by　those　whose　agent　he　is　to　be；　and　leave　no　screen　of　a
  council　behind　which　to　skulk　from　responsibility。　　It　has　been
  thought　that　the　people　are　not　competent　electors　of　judges　_learned
  in　the　law_。　　But　I　do　not　know　that　this　is　true；　and；　if　doubtful；
  we　should　follow　principle。　　In　this；　as　in　many　other　elections；
  they　would　be　guided　by　reputation；　which　would　not　err　oftener；
  perhaps；　than　the　present　mode　of　appointment。　　In　one　State　of　the
  Union；　at　least；　it　has　long　been　tried；　and　with　the　most
  satisfactory　success。　　The　judges　of　Connecticut　have　been　chosen　by
  the　people　every　six　months；　for　nearly　two　centuries；　and　I　believe
  there　has　hardly　ever　been　an　instance　of　change；　so　powerful　is　the
  curb　of　incessant　responsibility。　　If　prejudice；　however；　derived
  from　a　monarchical　institution；　is　still　to　prevail　against　the　vital
  elective　principle　of　our　own；　and　if　the　existing　example　among
  ourselves　of　periodical　election　of　judges　by　the　people　be　still
  mistrusted；　let　us　at　least　not　adopt　the　evil；　and　reject　the　good；
  of　the　English　precedent；　let　us　retain　amovability　on　the
  concurrence　of　the　executive　and　legislative　branches；　and　nomination
  by　the　executive　alone。　　Nomination　to　office　is　an　executive
  function。　　To　give　it　to　the　legislature；　as　we　do；　is　a　violation　of
  the　principle　of　the　separation　of　powers。　　It　swerves　the　members
  from　correctness；　by　temptations　to　intrigue　for　office　themselves；
  and　to　a　corrupt　barter　of　votes；　and　destroys　responsibility　by
  dividing　it　among　a　multitude。　　By　leaving　nomination　in　its　proper
  place；　among　executive　functions；　the　principle　of　the　distribution
  of　power　is　preserved；　and　responsibility　weighs　with　its　heaviest
  force　on　a　single　head。
  The　organ