Kevin Hardwick wrote (in response to remarks by Herb Barger): 
>"What Kukla says, in essence, is that in his view, the evidence suggests (but does not prove) that Jefferson had a sexual relationship with Hemings.  Kukla's view is more or less the same as mine, and I would submit that of most reasonable people who have examined the evidence.

I doubt we will ever know for certain whether Jefferson and Hemings had a sexual relationship.  But the circumstantial evidence suggests that there was one.  It is just circumstantial evidence--it is suggestive, but not definitive.  But then, that is what I take Kukla to be saying when he writes "the available evidence now suggests."  We don't know for sure, but the extant evidence in favor of Jefferson's paternity of (some of) Heming's children is sufficiently persuasive to allow a reasonable, if tentative conclusion that Jefferson did in fact have sex with Hemings."

What Kevin is pointing out is exactly what academic historians are trained to do: to take evidence, analyze it -- ask reasonable questions of it -- and then build an interpretation based on that analysis.  This is intended to move us in the direction of a better understanding of the past.  But Mr. Barger rejects the reasonableness of the question that Jon Kukla (and others -- including myself in that number) has asked.  Indeed, Mr. Barger's depiction of the issue of a possible Jefferson paternity as somehow libelous or part of a conspiracy to destroy Jefferson makes is difficult to make reasonable inquiries  Mr. Barger's questions however set the bar too high -- in the direction of ascertaining Truth.  But the evidence is so murky -- so many contradictory accounts, so many axes ground from callender onward, so many layers of familial protections, such uncertain science now -- as to preclude ever actually finding that Truth.  No doubt this is the most vexing problem for the self-appointed protectors of Jefferson's reputation: it cannot be proved conclusively either way -- as much as Mr. Barger and others have whittled away at the evidence in favor of paternity, I still have seen no compelling evidence that demonstrates _conclusively_ that Jefferson did not father children by Sally Hemings.

Which gets us to stalemate here: academic historians accept that there are some questions the answers to which are at best just "suggested" by the available evidence, and other historians looking at the same evidence might come up with reasonable intepretations of their own.  This is our professional obligation.

David Kiracofe



David Kiracofe
History
Tidewater Community College
Chesapeake Campus
1428 Cedar Road
Chesapeake, Virginia 23322
757-822-5136

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