I am all for avoiding the dangers of presentism.  That said, I
think it is entirely appropriate, when judging Jefferson, to
use his own standards, as he articulated them, to judge his
conduct.  To my mind, that is the antithesis of presentism.
So, speaking as an historian, I stand by my earlier statements.

Jefferson was a better man than many of his conteporaries,
because he understood with clarity why slavery was wrong.  And
he was a worse man than some, because he failed to live by the
principles he himself articulated.  His failure was all too
human, but it is nonetheless a failure.

I should add, as an afterthought, that the natural law
principles that Jefferson articulated are, by and large, not
anywhere near so resonant in out country today as they were in
Jefferson's time.  The earlier comment about my use of the
word "criminal" demonstrates the kind of legalism that has
replaced it in much contemporary discourse.

Best,
Kevin
Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
Department of History
James Madison University

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