Thomas Jefferson.
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| Thomas Jefferson.


The Centennial Anniversary of the birth Of THOMAS


JEFFERSON, celebrated Thursday afternoon, 18th
April, by a numerous meeting of democrats, at the


County Court House, in Philadelphia. The meeting


called to order by Col. JAMES PAGE, Chairman o


the Committee of Arrangements. The Declaration o


Independence read by CHARLES J. INGERsoLL,
preaced by few brief but striking and appropriate
Marks respecting the prominent of both parties at


the time of the formation of the federal constitution


An Grafton was then pronounced by GEO. Nj. DALLAS.
The Grafton (Which publish below) is written with


that brilancy of thought and felicity of illus ration
which always characterize Mr. DIS productions, and
read in his usual happy manner The Pennsylvania
says, was received by the assemblage with repeated
and continued manifestations of appreciation. The


will be found well worthy of its exalted theme and
will doubt be read with great qualification by every
friend Of equal rights.


GRAFTON.


Nothing would seem now to be more universally
conceded, than that the popular principles which
the laws and institutions OF America have for up
wards of fifty years been improved and administer
ed owe their dissemination, success and stability,
more at least than to any other man, to Thomas
Jefferson, of Virginia. That he laid their ouDda-
tions broadly and strongly: that he maintained
them, in their early progress, with steady and un-
comprising zeal: that he brought to their support
the invincbe frnness of sincere and absolute con-
viction, the forces of masterly mind, and the ac-
complshmcnts of an active and varied experience
and that ne practically illustrated their fitness to
produce a greater amount of human happiness,
more prosperity, more peace, more power, more
wealth and more honor than were ever before at
tanned within given period of time, by human
society, facts which the solemn records of His
tory no longer permit to be contested. His dis
cples and followers then, amid the signal triumphs
of his doctrines which characterize the hundredth
anniversary of his birth, may appropriately and
gratefully celebrate him as the apostle of their
faith, and the founder of Democracy on their Con.
tlnent. propose, fellow citizens, in discharge of
the duties to which have been invited, to invig-
crate your just devotion to the principles and in
cucations of this great man, by rapidly refreshing
your recolections ofthe prominent traits of his
public service and of his political system


He was born at Shadwcll in the county of AL
bemarle, and at fourteen years of age, was leh by
the death of his father, in possession Of large
and valuable estate. Having passed through a
course Of Collegiate studies at William and Mary,
and of professional studies under able and illus
trious teacher, George Wythe, he became a mem
Der ofthe bar in 1867 While vet engaged in
preparing himself for this admission, he listened
with wrapt attention 10 the impasSioned and match
less eloquence of Patrick Henry, 'who spoke as
Homer wrote" on the Resolutions in the House
of Burgesses denouncing the British Stamp Act !;
and thenceforward his mind teemed with the vast,
bold, generous and patriotic conceptions and pur-
poses destined speedily to be developed in the
causes alike of human nature and of his country.
At the age of twenty-six Jefferson entered, as an
elected member, the Legislature of his native pro-
vince, and here, first, and long before the Justly
celebrated statute which adorns the code of our
Pennsylvania, he proposed, though unsuccessfullv
the emancipation of slaves making, on the very
threshold of his public life, STEP with which all
his subsequent achievements beautifully and nobly
harmonized. At this epoch the tones of the ap-
preaching Revolution were heard like the sounds
of rising Storm and the gallant spirits formed to
breast its fury and direct its consummaton were
calmly combining their strength, moral, intelIec-
tual and physical. Jefferson, in the midst of hon.
orable companions, pressed eagerly forward, vim
dicatng with his pen, at the hazard of an impend-
ing Bill of Attainder, "IHe Rights of British
America" looking far beyond "thc Ifvay house
Of John Dickinson into the permanent refuge of
Independence, and sagaciously foreshadowing, by
the scheme of Committees of Correspondence, that
glorious old Continental Congress whose wisdom,
virtue, courage and perseverance no representa-
tive body ofmen has ever surpassed. Soon at
the age of thirty-three, he inseparably connected
his genius and his fame, as we all know and feel,
with the 4th ofJuly l776, and never for an instant
suspended his tolls, at what he termed "the labor
ing oar ut hOme," in succession of the highest
posts ofnterest and responsibility, until the indie
pendence and peace of his new Republic, the Uni
ted States, were firmly secured After devoting


five years to forming and consolidating our foreign
relations with The nations of Europe, and receiv-
ing at the brilliant metropolis of France the afec
tionate and respectful homage of its Scientific In
stuc, he returned to aid, as the chief counsellor
of Washington, the first movements ofthe political
organization under the Federal Constitution of
1883 IA constitution whose gradual structure he
had, at the distance ofthree thousand miles, watch
ed with extreme solicitude::- whose dangerous un-
certantles as originally modelled he beheId with
alarm but whose ultimate reconciliation, by a.
mendments, to his own deep conviction of what
was essential to preserve the freedom of the Con-