`Re-discovered' Jefferson letter shows support for religious liberty. (People & Events).A recently re-discovered 201-year-old letter from Thomas Jefferson underscores the third president's strong support for religious liberty. The missive, dated July 2, 1801, was sent to the Delaware Baptist Association; it was written in response to a note the association had sent to Jefferson expressing support for his strong stands in favor of upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of. See also: favor religious freedom and congratulating him on his election to the presidency. Baptists were an often-persecuted minority at that time, and they were strong believers in church-state separation. Many were pleased to see Jefferson win the election of 1800 and wrote to express their appreciation for Jefferson's long history of supporting religious liberty. Wrote Jefferson in reply, "I join you, fellow citizens, in rendering the tribute of thankfulness to the Almighty ruler, who, in the order of his providence Providence, city (1990 pop. 160,728), state capital and seat of Providence co., NE R.I., a port at the head of Providence Bay; founded by Roger Williams 1636, inc. as a city 1832. , hath hath v. Archaic Third person singular present tense of have. willed that the human mind shall be free in this portion of the globe; that society shall here know that the limit of it's [sic Latin, In such manner; so; thus. A misspelled or incorrect word in a quotation followed by "[sic]" indicates that the error appeared in the original source. ] rightful power is the enforcement of social conduct; while the right to question the religious principles producing that conduct is beyond their cognisance COGNISANCE, pleading. Where the defendant in an action of replevin (not being entitled to the distress or goods which are the subject of the replevin) acknowledges the taking of the distress, and insists that such taking was legal, not because he himself had a right to distrain on his own ." Jefferson goes on to write, "I rejoice too with you in the happy consequences of our revolution, namely our separation from the bloody horrors which are depopulating the other quarters of the earth, the establishment here of liberty, equality of social rights, exclusion of unequal privileges civil & religious, & of the usurping domination domination the relationship between animals and humans in which little consideration is given to the rights of the animals. The prevailing sentiment is one of proprietary domination. of one sect over another." The five-paragraph letter was found in a box March 23 at Hollingsworth House, a Colonial-era home in Elkton, Md. The house is currently being convened into a museum, and volunteer Martha Alford came across the letter while searching through the box during a clean-up. A draft of the Baptist letter to Jefferson was also found. The Historic Elk Landing Foundation, which is restoring the house, asked a document specialist at Christie's auction house to authenticate (1) To verify (guarantee) the identity of a person or company. To ensure that the individual or organization is really who it says it is. See authentication and digital certificate. (2) To verify (guarantee) that data has not been altered. the Jefferson reply. The expert, Chris Coover, said the process did not take long. "Essentially, I knew it at a glance," Coover said. "The handwriting HANDWRITING, evidence. Almost every person's handwriting has something whereby it may be distinguished from the writing of others, and this difference is sometimes intended by the term. 2. is unmistakable." The letter was not completely unknown before the find. The Library of Congress has a copy Jefferson made by pressing another piece of paper over the letter while the ink was still wet. But that version, known as a "press copy" is so light as to be virtually unreadable. The Foundation plans to display the letter at the house at some point. For now, it is being stored in a safe-deposit box. |
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