7458. RETIREMENT, Power and.—
Never did a prisoner, released from his chains,
feel such relief as I shall on shaking off the
shackles of power. Nature intended me for
the tranquil pursuits of science, by rendering
them my supreme delight. But the enormities
of the times in which I have lived, have forced
me to take a part in resisting them, and to
commit myself on the boisterous ocean of political
passions. I thank God for the opportunity
of retiring from them without censure, and
carrying with me the most consoling proofs of
public approbation.—
To Dupont de Nemours. Washington ed. v, 432.
(W.
March 2, 1809)
