At the risk of making my good friend Deane Mills scream, I'll say that we
SHOULD be judging the people of the past. We live under their laws, their
Constitution, their customs, so we have a right to inquire about the
character of those people who made the world we live in. When we write books
that heap praise on the Founders, that's a judgement too. 

Lyle Browning asks for a succinct summary of this Hemings question. You
could look at the Monticello report on their website, which is very clearly
presented, and then look at Herb's website for another view. 

Jon Kukla said what I have been thinking of saying but haven't gotten around
to -- the personal attacks on Dan Jordan of Monticello are way, way out of
line. He is a superb scholar, committed to a full and frank discussion of
the Jeffersonian legacy. He presided over the creation of the magnificent
International Center for Jefferson Studies, where scores of scholars come
from around the world to study, discuss, and advance Jefferson studies in an
open and impartial atmosphere. We owe Dan a lot. 

Henry Wiencek
Charlottesville

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