THANK YOU, THAT 'S ALL I WANTED TO KNOW.
MS GARDENS
----- Original Message -----
From: "paul finkelman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 12:08 AM
Subject: Re: "the wolf by the ear"


> I have been out of town for a while and just found this; since it involves
my
> article, later revised as a chapter in my book SLAVERY AND THE FOUNDERS, I
> suppose I should answer Ms. or Mr. Gardens.
>
> At one level the difference is quite minor, and simply illustrates that
> professional historians should try to get the details right, even if they
are
> minor.
>
> At another level, it might suggest a slightly different image.  The "wolf
by the
> ear" implies an even more precarious situation than the wolf by the
"ears," in
> that holding the wolf by one "ear" might mean the wolf could more easily
turn
> and bite you, while by both ears, especially from behind, or perhaps on
the
> wolf's back, implies greater control over the wolf.  The "wolf" was of
course
> slavery.
>
> My point in the article was  a much larger one, however, which was that
the
> traditional understanding of Jefferson's image of the wolf  seems wrong.
If you
> have a wild animal by the "ear" and let it go, the animal is probably not
going
> to turn on you, but instead will run away, and that the only danger is
holding
> on the animal.  The real danger was in holding on to the animal, and not
in the
> letting go.  Indeed, it was in holding on to slavery that South harmed
itself
> and created great dangers; had the South taken steps to end slavery, it
had
> nothing to fear from the "wolf"; however, that would have undermined the
> lifestyle of southern masters, like Jefferson.  Thus, ironically, we might
see
> that the "self-preservation" was not a physcial one (the wolf of slavery
will
> turn on the former masters) but rather a material one; let the slaves go
and the
> material well being of Jefferson and others would be harmed.
>
> --
> Paul Finkelman
> Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law
> University of Tulsa College of Law
> 3120 East 4th Place
> Tulsa, OK  74104-3189
>
> phone 918-631-3706
> Fax   918-631-2194
> e-mail:   [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
> "COUNTRY.GARDENS" wrote:
>
> > Pardon my ignorance, but what difference does it make?
> > DFM
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Trenton Hizer" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 10:13 AM
> > Subject: Re: "the wolf by the ear"
> >
> > > Paul Finkleman's "Thomas Jefferson and Antislavery: The Myth Goes On"
in
> > the
> > > Virginia Magazine of History and Biography mentions how researchers at
the
> > > Jefferson papers told him about this.  VMHB, vol. 102, #2, (April
1994) p.
> > > 205 fn 39.
> > >
> > > Trenton Hizer
> > > Library of Virginia
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Constantine Gutzman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 9:46 AM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: "the wolf by the ear"
> > >
> > >
> > > Fellow VA-HIST Subscribers,
> > >
> > >     I recall that some years ago there was excitement among Jefferson
> > > scholars over the discovery that Jefferson had written of having "the
wolf
> > > by the ear," rather than "the wolf by the ears."  Does anyone recall
where
> > > this discovery appeared in print?  If so, please let me know.
> > >     Many anticipatory thanks,
> > >     Constantine Gutzman
> > >
> > > Prof. K.R. Constantine Gutzman
> > > Department of History
> > > Western Connecticut State University
> > >
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