Priestley　a　designation　of　the　branches　of　science　grouped　into
  professorships　which　he　furnished　at　my　request。　　He　was　an　excellent
  judge　of　what　may　be　called　the　old　studies；　of　those　useful　and
  those　useless。　　I　have　the　same　thing　from　Mr。　Dupont；　a　good　judge
  of　the　new　branches。　　His　letter　to　me　is　quite　a　treatise。　　I　have
  the　plan　of　the　institutions　of　Edinburgh；　&　those　of　the　National
  institute　of　France；　and　I　expect　from　Mr。　Pictet；　one　of　the　most
  celebrated　professors　of　Geneva；　their　plan；　in　answer　to　a　letter
  written　some　time　ago。　　From　these　the　Visitors　could　select　the
  branches　useful　for　the　country　&　how　to　groupe　them。　　A　hasty　view
  of　the　subject　on　a　former　occasion　led　me　to　believe　10。
  professorships　would　be　necessary；　but　not　all　immediately。　　Half　a
  dozen　of　the　most　urgent　would　make　a　good　beginning。　　The　salaries
  of　the　first　professors　should　be　very　liberal；　that　we　might　draw
  the　first　names　of　Europe　to　our　institution　in　order　to　give　it　a
  celebrity　in　the　outset；　which　will　draw　to　it　the　youth　of　all　the
  states；　and　make　Virginia　their　cherished　&　beloved　Alma　mater。　　I
  have　good　reasons　to　believe　we　can　command　the　services　of　some　of
  the　first　men　of　Europe。　　3。　The　emploiment　of　their　capital。　　On
  this　subject　others　are　so　much　better　judges　than　myself　that　I
  shall　say　nothing。　　4。　Buildings。　　The　greatest　danger　will　be　their
  over…building　themselves；　by　attempting　a　large　house　in　the
  beginning；　sufficient　to　contain　the　whole　institution。　　Large　houses
  are　always　ugly；　inconvenient；　exposed　to　the　accident　of　fire；　and
  bad　in　cases　of　infection。　　A　plain　small　house　for　the　school　&
  lodging　of　each　professor　is　best。　　These　connected　by　covered　ways
  out　of　which　the　rooms　of　the　students　should　open　would　be　best。
  These　may　then　be　built　only　as　they　shall　be　wanting。　　In　fact　an
  University　should　not　be　an　house　but　a　village。　　This　will　much
  lessen　their　first　expenses。
  Not　having　written　any　three　lines　of　this　without　interruption
  it　has　been　impossible　to　keep　my　ideas　rallied　to　the　subject。　　I
  must　let　these　hasty　outlines　go　therefore　as　they　are。　　Some　are
  premature；　some　probably　immature：　but　make　what　use　you　please　of
  them　except　letting　them　get　into　print。　　Should　this　establishment
  take　place　on　a　plan　worthy　of　approbation；　I　shall　have　a　valuable
  legacy　to　leave　it；　to　wit；　my　library；　which　certainly　has　not　cost
  less　than　15；000　Dollars。　　But　it's　value　is　more　in　the　selection；　a
  part　of　which；　that　which　respects　America；　is　the　result　of　my　own
  personal　searches　in　Paris　for　6。　or　7。　years；　&　of　persons　employed
  by　me　in　England；　Holland；　Germany　and　Spain　to　make　similar
  searches。　　Such　a　collection　on　that　subject　can　never　again　be　made。
  With　my　sincere　wishes　for　the　success　of　this　measure　accept　my
  salutations　&　assurances　of　great　esteem　&　respect。
  THE　TWO…TERM　PRECEDENT
  _To　John　Taylor_
  _Washington；　Jan。　6；　1805_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　Dec。　26th　has　been　duly　received；
  and　was　received　as　a　proof　of　your　friendly　partialities　to　me；　of
  which　I　have　so　often　had　reason　to　be　sensible。　　My　opinion
  originally　was　that　the　President　of　the　U。S。　should　have　been
  elected　for　7。　years；　&　forever　ineligible　afterwards。　　I　have　since
  become　sensible　that　7。　years　is　too　long　to　be　irremovable；　and　that
  there　should　be　a　peaceable　way　of　withdrawing　a　man　in　midway　who　is
  doing　wrong。　　The　service　for　8。　years　with　a　power　to　remove　at　the
  end　of　the　first　four；　comes　nearly　to　my　principle　as　corrected　by
  experience。　　And　it　is　in　adherence　to　that　that　I　determined　to
  withdraw　at　the　end　of　my　second　term。　　The　danger　is　that　the
  indulgence　&　attachments　of　the　people　will　keep　a　man　in　the　chair
  after　he　becomes　a　dotard；　that　reelection　through　life　shall　become
  habitual；　&　election　for　life　follow　that。　Genl。　Washington　set　the
  example　of　voluntary　retirement　after　8。　years。　　I　shall　follow　it；
  and　a　few　more　precedents　will　oppose　the　obstacle　of　habit　to　anyone
  after　a　while　who　shall　endeavor　to　extend　his　term。　　Perhaps　it　may
  beget　a　disposition　to　establish　it　by　an　amendment　of　the
  constitution。　　I　believe　I　am　doing　right；　therefore；　in　pursuing　my
  principle。　　I　had　determined　to　declare　my　intention；　but　I　have
  consented　to　be　silent　on　the　opinion　of　friends；　who　think　it　best
  not　to　put　a　continuance　out　of　my　power　in　defiance　of　all
  circumstances。　　There　is；　however；　but　one　circumstance　which　could
  engage　my　acquiescence　in　another　election；　to　wit；　such　a　division
  about　a　successor　as　might　bring　in　a　Monarchist。　　But　this
  circumstance　is　impossible。　　While；　therefore；　I　shall　make　no　formal
  declarations　to　the　public　of　my　purpose；　I　have　freely　let　it　be
  understood　in　private　conversation。　　In　this　I　am　persuaded　yourself
  &　my　friends　generally　will　approve　of　my　views：　and　should　I　at　the
  end　of　a　2d　term　carry　into　retirement　all　the　favor　which　the　1st
  has　acquired；　I　shall　feel　the　consolation　of　having　done　all　the
  goodin　my　power；　and　expect　with　more　than　composure　thetermination
  of　a　life　no　longer　valuable　to　others　or　of　im…portance　to　myself。
  Accept　my　affectionate　salutations　&　assurances　of　great　esteem　&
  respect。
  CLIMATE；　FEVERS；　AND　THE　POLYGRAPH
  _To　C。　F。　de　C。　Volney_
  _Washington；　February　8；　1805_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　November　the　26th　came　to　hand　May
  the　14th；　the　books　some　time　after；　which　were　all　distributed
  according　to　direction。　　The　copy　for　the　East　Indies　went
  immediately　by　a　safe　conveyance。　　The　letter　of　April　the　28th；　and
  the　copy　of　your　work　accompanying　that；　did　not　come　to　hand　till
  August。　　That　copy　was　deposited　in　the　Congressional　library。　　It
  was　not　till　my　return　here　from　my　autumnal　visit　to　Monticello；
  that　I　had　an　opportunity　of　reading　your　work。　　I　have　read　it；　and
  with　great　satisfaction。　　Of　the　first　part　I　am　less　a　judge　than
  most　people；　having　never　travelled　westward　of　Staunton；　so　as　to
  know　any　thing　of　the　face　of　the　country；　nor　much　indulged　myself
  in　geological　inquiries；　from　a　belief　that　the　skin…deep　scratches
  which　we　can　make　or　find　on　the　surface　of　the　earth；　do　not　repay
  our　time　with　as　certain　and　useful　deductions；　as　our　pursuits　in
  some　other　branches。　　The　subject　of　our　winds　is　more　familiar　to
  me。　　On　that；　the　views　you　have　taken　are　always　great；　supported　in
  their　outlines　by　your　facts；　and　though　more　extensive　observations；
  and　longer　continued；　may　produce　some　anomalies；　yet　they　will
  probably　take　their　place　in　this　first　great　canvass　which　you　have
  sketched。　　In　no　case；　perhaps；　does　habit　attach　our　choice　or
  judgment　more　than　in　climate。　　The　Canadian　glows　with　delight　in
  his　sleigh　and　snow；　the　very　idea　of　which　gives　me　the　shivers。
  The　comparison　of　climate　between　Europe　and　North　America；　taking
  together　its　corresponding　parts；　hangs　chiefly　on　three　great
  points。　　1。　The　changes　between　heat　and　cold　in　America；　are　greater
  and　more　frequent；　and　the　extremes　comprehend　a　greater　scale　on　the
  thermometer　in　America　than　in　Europe。　　Habit；　however；　prevents
  these　from　affecting　us　more　than　the　smaller　changes　of　Europe
  affect　the　European。　　But　he　is　greatly　affected　by　ours。　　2。　Our　sky
  is　always　clear；　that　of　Europe　always　cloudy。　　Hence　a　greater
  accumulation　of　heat　here　than　there；　in　the　same　parallel。　　3。　The
  changes　between　wet　and　dry　are　much　more　frequent　and　sudden　in
  Europe　than　in　America。　　Though　we　have　double　the　rain；　it　falls　in
  half　the　time。　　Taking　all　these　together；　I　prefer　much　the　climate
  of　the　United　States　to　that　of　Europe。　　I　think　it　a　more　cheerful
  one。　　It　is　our　cloudless　sky　which　has　eradicated　from　our
  constitutions　all　disposition　to　hang　ourselves；　which　we　might
  otherwise　have　inherited　from　our　English　ancestors。　　During　a
  residence　of　between　six　and　seven　years　in　Paris；　I　never；　but　once；
  saw　the　sun　shine　through　a　whole　day；　without　being　obscured　by　a
  cloud　in　any　part　of　it：　and　I　never　saw　the　moment；　in　which；
  viewing　the　sky　through　its　whole　hemisphere；　I　could　say　there　was
  not　the　smallest　speck　of　a　cloud　in　it。　　I　arrived　at　Monticello；　on
  my　return　from　France；　in　January；　and　during　only　two　months'　stay
  there；　I　observed　to　my　daughters；　who　had　been　with　me　to　France；
  that　twenty　odd　times　within　that　term；　there　was　not　a　speck　of　a
  cloud　in　the　whole　hemisphere。　　Still　I　do　not　wonder　that　an
  European　should　prefer　his　grey　to　our　azure　sky。　　Habit　decides　our
  taste　in　this；　as　in　most　other　cases。
  The　account　you　give　of　the　yellow　fever；　is　entirely　agreeable
  to　what　we　then　knew　of　it。　　Further　experience　has　developed　more
  and　more　its　peculiar　character。　　Facts　appear　to　have　established
  that　it　is　originate