Thomas Branagan to Thomas Jefferson, 17 November 1805
From Thomas Branagan
Philadelphia Nov. 17: 1805
Dear Sir
I take the liberty to Send you a Copy of Avenia, and I am truly sorry, for your Sake, that it is so inacurate: but such as it is I send to you, well convinced that You will be naturally inclined to make allowances for local imperfections. I was was really astonished at your Condiscention in answering my Letter to you, Per Dr. Logan my gratitude for the Same I Can scarce find Words sufficiently sonorous to express any-thing like adulation I despise. Yet I would refer You to my “notes Explanatory & missaleneous” Page 331 for my sentiments, respecting yourself All I can at present Say is to ardently wish and pray for your real happiness Spiriritual & Temporall & refer you to a sentiment of Christ, full of Matter to Wit What does it profit a man to gain the Whole World and lose his own Soul I never expect to see you in this world but will undoubtedly See You in the resurcection & I hope to see you there happy etternally happy Adieu my dear Sir and that you may act officially and sperutually as you would wish You had done when you Come to die is the Sincere wish & prayr of your humbel ob Servant with Veneration admiration esteem & Respect
Thos Branagan
NB though few performances but What is of english manufactory are in any respect encoureged hire I am happy to inform you that my Works have met with much encouragement in consequence of Which I have met with some-essential friend amongst Which our Governer Bloomfield of Trenton near which I am to remove next Wednesday to keep a small school you can direct any Comunicatons You think proper to him for me I will be glad to have an oppertunity to prove my esteem for you in deeds as well as words
RC (DLC); address page clipped; addressed: “[. . .]as Jefferson [. . .]dent of the United States Washington”; endorsed by TJ as received 2 Dec. and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: Thomas Branagan, Avenia: or, A Tragical Poem, on the Oppression of the Human Species, and Infringement on the Rights of Man (Philadelphia, 1805); No. 4515.
my Letter to you: Branagan to TJ, 7 May. TJ requested that George Logan intercede on his behalf by answering Branagan in person; see TJ to Logan, 11 May.
my sentiments: Branagan, in annotation to a passage on Napoleon wrote, “While I feel the most implacable indignation and disgust at the despot, who robs his country and fellow men of their dearest rights and natural privileges, I can scarcely avoid almost idolizing the patriot, who, regardless of the solicitations of ambition, who, deaf to the calls of interested motives, who, dead to the fascinating love of popularity, and the excitements of power and opportunity to aggrandize himself, walks in the paths of political rectitude and republican consistency, and who, with a philosophical patience, scarcely to be equalled and never exceeded, in ancient or modern times, treats with silent contempt the accumulated calumnies of the votaries of aristocracy and despotism; indeed, I do not know which to admire most, the political or the philosophical rectitude of Mr. Jefferson; with respect to the first, I would compare him to a Cincinnatus, and to the second, to the lion, looking back with sovereign contempt on the baying of the stupid ass mentioned in the fable” (Branagan, Avenia, 331-2).
What does it profit a man: Mark 8:36.