Page:Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies, from the papers of Thomas Jefferson - Volume 1.djvu/60

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The remissness of Congress, and their permanent session, hc- gan to be a subject of uneasiness ; and even some of the legisla tures had recommended to them intermissions, and periodical sessions. As the Confederation had made no provision for a visi ble head of the government, during vacations of Congress, and such a one was necessary to superintend the executive business, to receive and communicate with foreign ministers and nations, and. to assemble Congress on sudden and extraordinary emergencies, I proposed, early in April, the appointment of a committee, to be called the Committee of the States, to consist of a member from each state, who should remain in session during the recess of Con gress : that the functions of Congress should be divided into ex ecutive and legislative, the latter to be reserved, and the former, by a general resolution, to be delegated to that. Committee. This proposition was afterwards agreed to ; a Committee appointed, who entered on duty on the subsequent adjournment of Congress, quar relled very soon, split into two parties, abandoned their post, and left the government without any visible head, until the next meet ing of Congress. We have since seen the same thing take place, in the Directory of France ; and I believe it will forever take place in any Executive consisting of a plurality. Our plan, best, I be lieve, combines wisdom and practicability, by providing a plurality of Counsellors, but a single Arbiter for ultimate decision. I w r as in France when we heard of this schism, and separation of our Com mittee, and, speaking with Dr. Franklin of this singular disposition of men to quarrel, and divide into parties, he gave his sentiments, as usual, by way of Apologue. He mentioned the Eddystone light-house, in the British channel, as being built on a rock, in the mid-channel, totally inaccessible in winter, from the boisterous character of that sea, in that season ; that, therefore, for the two keepers employed to keep up the lights, all provisions for the winter were necessarily carried to them in autumn, as they could never be visited again till the return of the milder season ; that, on the first practicable day in the spring, a boat put off to them with fresh supplies. The boatmen met at the door one of the keepers, and accosted him with a How goes it, friend ? Very well. How is your companion ? I do not know. Don t know ? Is not he here ? I can t tell. Have not you seen him to-day ? No. When did you see him ? Not since last fall. You have killed him ? Not I, indeed. They were about to lay hold of him, as having certainly murdered his companion : but he desired them to go up stairs and examine for themselves. They went up, and there found the other keeper. They had quarrelled, it seems, soon after being left there, had divided into two parties, assigned