{"id":495,"date":"2004-02-16T14:32:03","date_gmt":"2004-02-16T19:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=495"},"modified":"2015-05-13T18:17:53","modified_gmt":"2015-05-13T22:17:53","slug":"thomas-jefferson-1826-let-the-annual-return-to-this-day-forever-refresh-our-recollections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=495","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Jefferson, 1826 \u201cLet the annual return to this day forever refresh our recollections\u2026\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

THOMAS JEFFERSON, in a letter to the mayor of Washington, June 24, 1826, declining an invitation to the 4th of July celebration in Washington – (Jefferson died 10 days later):<\/p>\n

May it be to the world, what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all) the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government \u0085 All eyes are opened or opening to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few, booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately by the grace of God. These are the grounds of hope for others; for ourselves, let the annual return to this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n