Well, TJ was in favor of state's rights; using the state gov. rather
than the national govt. to prosecute your critics (see his Kentucky
Resolution and then the Croswell Case in the NY) but when he could not
get the states do his bidding he was willing to use the Fed. Gov. to
repress his critics (See U.S. v. Hudson and Goodwin); he believed in
strict constructin of the Constitution (except when it came to buying
Louisiana and imposing his embargo on Haiti); he was a thorough going
racist, who believed that blacks were mentally inferior to whites, and
he wanted to remove all Indians to someplace else (like where I live);
he invented the Indian removal.
Unlike modern conservaitves, he believed in balanced budgets and worked
at them; he was a free trader, except when it came to the Embargo
against Haiti and then Europe.
Unlike moderns conservatives, he believed in a small military and
avoided military adventurism whenever possible.
And, unlike modern Consrvatives and Republicnas, he did, to his great
credit, believe in religious freedom and a strict separation of Church
and State.
Finally, of course, he believed in racial subordination and slavery. I
will refrain from commenting on whether that fits with the
administration or Sen. Allen
Paul Finkelman
John Maass wrote:
> Recently, Virginia Senator George Allen was quoted
> (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/03/AR2005120301347_pf.html)
>
> as saying that his supports should "stand behind 'common-sense
> Jeffersonian
> conservative principles' that have helped propel the GOP in national and
> state elections." Current politics aside (if that is possible) I was
> wondering what Viriginia historians would make of the views of TJ that
> might
> be called conservative today, and which might not be....
>
> John R. Maass
> Dept. of History
> The Ohio State University
> 230 West 17th Ave
> 106 Dulles Hall
> Columbus, OH 43210-1367
> Ph. 614/760-9625
> http://history.osu.edu/people/person.cfm?ID=1490
>
> "I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel
> myself
> infinitely the happier for it."
> Thomas Jefferson
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
--
Paul Finkelman
Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law
University of Tulsa College of Law
3120 East 4th Place
Tulsa, OK 74104-3189
918-631-3706 (office)
918-631-2194 (fax)
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