Thomas Jefferson's Autobiography Governor of Virginia
by Thomas Jefferson
On the 1st of June 1779. I was appointed Governor of the
Commonwealth and retired from the legislature. Being elected also
one of the Visitors of Wm. & Mary college, a self-electing body, I
effected, during my residence in Williamsburg that year, a change in
the organization of that institution by abolishing the Grammar
school, and the two professorships of Divinity & Oriental languages,
and substituting a professorship of Law & Police, one of Anatomy
Medicine and Chemistry, and one of Modern languages; and the charter
confining us to six professorships, we added the law of Nature &
Nations, & the Fine Arts to the duties of the Moral professor, and
Natural history to those of the professor of Mathematics and Natural
philosophy.
Being now, as it were, identified with the Commonwealth itself,
to write my own history during the two years of my administration,
would be to write the public history of that portion of the
revolution within this state. This has been done by others, and
particularly by Mr. Girardin, who wrote his Continuation of Burke's
history of Virginia while at Milton, in this neighborhood, had free
access to all my papers while composing it, and has given as faithful
an account as I could myself. For this portion therefore of my own
life, I refer altogether to his history. From a belief that under
the pressure of the invasion under which we were then laboring the
public would have more confidence in a Military chief, and that the
Military commander, being invested with the Civil power also, both
might be wielded with more energy promptitude and effect for the
defence of the state, I resigned the administration at the end of my
2d. year, and General Nelson was appointed to succeed me.
Soon after my leaving Congress in Sep. '76, to wit on the last
day of that month, I had been appointed, with Dr. Franklin, to go to
France, as a Commissioner to negotiate treaties of alliance and
commerce with that government. Silas Deane, then in France, acting
as agent [2] for procuring military stores, was joined with us in
commission. But such was the state of my family that I could not
leave it, nor could I expose it to the dangers of the sea, and of
capture by the British ships, then covering the ocean. I saw too
that the laboring oar was really at home, where much was to be done
of the most permanent interest in new modelling our governments, and
much to defend our fanes and fire-sides from the desolations of an
invading enemy pressing on our country in every point. I declined
therefore and Dr. Lee was appointed in my place. On the 15th. of
June 1781. I had been appointed with Mr. Adams, Dr. Franklin, Mr.
Jay, and Mr. Laurens a Minister plenipotentiary for negotiating
peace, then expected to be effected thro' the mediation of the
Empress of Russia. The same reasons obliged me still to decline; and
the negotiation was in fact never entered on. But, in the autumn of
the next year 1782 Congress receiving assurances that a general peace
would be concluded in the winter and spring, they renewed my
appointment on the 13th. of Nov. of that year. I had two months
before that lost the cherished companion of my life, in whose
affections, unabated on both sides, I had lived the last ten years in
unchequered happiness. With the public interests, the state of my
mind concurred in recommending the change of scene proposed; and I
accepted the appointment, and left Monticello on the 19th. of Dec.
1782. for Philadelphia, where I arrived on the 27th. The Minister of
France, Luzerne, offered me a passage in the Romulus frigate, which I
accepting. But she was then lying a few miles below Baltimore
blocked up in the ice. I remained therefore a month in Philadelphia,
looking over the papers in the office of State in order to possess
myself of the general state of our foreign relations, and then went
to Baltimore to await the liberation of the frigate from the ice.
After waiting there nearly a month, we received information that a
Provisional treaty of peace had been signed by our Commissioners on
the 3d. of Sept. 1782. to become absolute on the conclusion of peace
between France and Great Britain. Considering my proceeding to
Europe as now of no utility to the public, I returned immediately to
Philadelphia to take the orders of Congress, and was excused by them
from further proceeding. I therefore returned home, where I arrived
on the 15th. of May, 1783.
[2. His ostensible character was to be that of a merchant,
his real one that of agent for military supplies, and also for
sounding the dispositions of the government of France, and seeing how
far they would favor us, either secretly or openly. His appointment
had been by the Committee of Foreign Correspondence, March, 1776.]
