Previous | Next
Part: 12 Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536 Page 971972973974975976977978979980981982983984985986987988989990991992993994995996997998 of 1143
Then he said, “What next?” And I said, “I want to give you a letter that I have for you for the Johnson library. It's a letter from Jefferson. Can I go and get it from my car?” It was a warm night, although it was the middle of February, and he said, “Yes.” So I ran out of the windows of his office, to try to find my car which was parked in the southwest gate of the White House. Of course, all the guards came out after me, because they couldn't imagine what I was doing without a coat, running out in the night. They thought some emergency had taken place. I finally got my chauffeur, who got the letter, which was framed in a leather book which held a transcript of the letter.
The letter is a marvellous Jefferson letter, which was written in June of 1778, to Fabroni, a friend in Florence. He talks about the numbers of casualties of the British as compared with the Americans, says that the Americans are sure to win because of the recently obtained support of the French, that he would like to correspond with Mr. Fabroni about the American climate as compared with the climate in his country, that he takes temperature readings every day at 4 o'clock 4th a Fahrenheit thermometer, says he'd be glad to exchange botanical specimens with him and that his friends know much more about it than he does. Then he comes to the port of the letter, saying that he lives in a country that's in a deplorable state of barbariam and that one of the joys of his life is music and that he isn't rich enough to afford private orchestras, so he would like to
© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help