Page:Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies, from the papers of Thomas Jefferson - Volume 1.djvu/63

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be null, and would be placed on better ground, going in unex ceptionable form, though a few days too late, and rested on the small importance of this circumstance, and the physical impossibili ties which had prevented a punctual compliance in point of time ; that this would be approved by all nations, and by Great Britain herself, if not determined to renew the war, and if so determined, she would never want excuses, were this out of the way. Mr. Read gave notice, he should call for the yeas and nays ; whereon those in opposition, prepared a resolution, expressing pointedly die reasons of their dissent from his motion. It appearing, however, that his proposition could not be carried, it was thought better to make no entry at all. Massachusetts alone would have been for it; Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Virginia against it, Delaware, Maryland and North Carolina, would have been divided.

Our body was little numerous, but very contentious. Day after day, was vasted on the most unimportant questions. A mem ber, one of those afflicted with the morbid rage of debate, of an ardent mind, prompt imagination, and copious flow of words, who heard with impatience any logic which was not his own, sitting near me on some occasion of a trifling but wordy debate, asked me how I could sit in silence, hearing so much false reasoning, which a w r ord should refute ? I observed to him, that to refute indeed was easy, but to silence impossible ; that in measures brought forward by myself, I took the laboring oar, as was incumbent on me ; but that in general, I was willing to listen ; that if every sound argu ment or objection was used by some one or other of the numerous debaters, it was enough ; if not, I thought it sufficient to suggest the omission, without going into a repetition of what had been al ready said by others : that this was a waste and abuse of the time and patience of the House, which could not be justified. And I believe, that if the members of deliberate bodies were to observe this course generally, they would do in a day, what takes them a week ; and it is really more questionable, than may at first be thought, whether Bonaparte s dumb legislature, which said nothing, and did much, may not be preferable to one which talks much, and does nothing. 1 served with General Washington in the legislature of Virginia, before the revolution, and, during it, with Dr. Franklin in Congress. I never heard either of them speak ten minutes at a time, nor to any but the main point, which was to decide die question. They laid their shoulders to the great points, knowing that the little ones would follow of themselves. If the present Con gress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise, in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is, to question every thing, yield nothing, and talk by the hour ?