Thomas Cooper to Thomas Jefferson, 17 September 1817
From Thomas Cooper
Monday Sepr 17. 1817
Dear Sir
my letter to you respecting Williamsburgh was put in the post before I recd yours. The Professorship which you do me the honour to propose is yet in the distance. I long to be settled somewhere, almost any where, provided I move to pecuniary advantage; for having the common motive of a family to provide for, I must act on that motive.
I have written to Varro at Frankfort. When I am prepared to give you my Opinion1 you shall hear from me without delay.
| Thomas Cooper |
| Philadelphia |
I see Des Tut Tracy has extended his Ideology to four thick volumes; Mr Maclure has imported it for Mr Cabel. It is the best system I have seen, but I fancy you dare not introduce it. Patience, & all will be better if not well.
As my lectures begin in October, I fear I cannot avail myself of your kind Invitation.2
RC (ViU: TJP); endorsed by TJ as received 6 Oct. 1817 and so recorded in SJL.
17 Sept. 1817 was a Wednesday, not a monday. A newspaper advertisement placed by a classical professor with ten years of teaching experience and “a critical acquaintance of the Greek, Latin, French and English Languages, the Mathematics, &c.,” indicated that he was “desirous of obtaining the situation of principal or assistant in some respectable college, academy school, or private family” and asked that letters be “addressed to ‘Varro’” via the post office in Frankford (frankfort), Pennsylvania (Washington Daily National Intelligencer, 27 Aug. 1817).
For the fourth volume of Destutt de Tracy’s ideology, see enclosure to Lafayette to TJ, 17 Feb. 1816, and note.
1. Manuscript: “Opinin.”
2. Manuscript: “Invitatin.”
Index Entries
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; and Destutt de Tracy’s writings search
- Central College; professors for search
- Cooper, Thomas; academic career of search
- Cooper, Thomas; and Central College search
- Cooper, Thomas; invited to visit Monticello search
- Cooper, Thomas; letters from search
- Cooper, Thomas; on Destutt de Tracy’s publication search
- Destutt de Tracy, Antoine Louis Claude; Traité de la volonté et de ses effets search
- Maclure, Mr.; imports book search
- Traité de la volonté et de ses effets (Destutt de Tracy) search
- Varro (pseudonym); as classics professor search