Thomas Jefferson Quote 

"If any state in the Union will declare that it prefers separation...
to a continuance in union... I have no hesitation in saying,
'let us separate.' "

by:
Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source:
letter to W. Crawford, June 20, 1816
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Reader comments about this quote:
WOW!!! originating foundational intent, not degraded by power mongers and/or unconstitutional war lords. No state has ever given up its sovereignty to unitedly associate with other states in an extended representation. The federal government was to be a representative of the several States (not an omnipotent overlord).
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
Old "Honest Abe" evidently didn't believe this, and we lost over 600,000 men in the unCivil War. Read "Lincoln Unmasked" to get another view of the man who fought to centralize govrnment power in Washington.
 -- jim k, austin		 
Folks across this nation are saying to Texas, "Go ahead and get out of the union, we want you to go!" I wonder what the feds would think of this?
 -- cal, lewisville, tx		 
Cuba in effect left its relationship with the US and stole billions of dollars of American property and we hate them for it. Most of Texas is probably owned by the DuPonts, Rockefellows etcetera. What shall be done with all of this stolen property? Maybe Texas can join with Cuba and be communists. Jefferson was a motor mouth. Brownsville Texas was founded by Stillman who later founded the First National Bank of New York which is now known as City Bank or Citi. Texas is and was nothing without the easterners. Those who died at the Alamo were not Texans they were from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana etc. I give it a thumps down because it has to many periods in it, I wonder what the entire passage really says. I will check it out.
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
"I regret that I am to die in the belief that the useless sacrifice of themselves by the generation of 1776, to acquire self-government and happiniess to their country, is to be thrown awaw by the unwise and unworthy passions of their sons, and that my only consolation is to be, that I live not to weep over it. If they would but dispassionately weigh the blessings they will throw away, against an abstract principle more likely to be effected by union than by secession, they would pause before they would perpetuate this act of suicide on themselves, and of treason against the hopes of the world. To yourself, as the faithful advocate of the union, I tender the offering of my high esteem and respect." Thomas Jefferson ltr to John Holmes 22 April 1820. While Tom is not here to weep over the comments of you all as stated above I weep in his place because of y'all daily. If Texas leaves, I suggest we ship all the people to the Sahara and fill the state up again with Unionists as we did the first time in 1848. As far as the Civil War the lives were not wasted anymore than were the lives in 1776, the Civil War redeemed those lives and Union which they set in motion. If we have to do it a third time, so be it. The sacrifices of the generation of 1776 and 1861 shall not have been in vain, and the hope of the world shall not be extinguished by the likes of the comments posted above. To take Jefferson out of context and twist his words and his life to fit your own twisted perverted opinions, Mike shame on you, shame, shame, shame on you.
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
PPSS: The way to reconcile these two quotes of Jefferson is to conclude that in the first he meant let the unwise people go (ship them out or whatever) because in the second quote he obviously is not for secession, he if for disunion. I agree for thsoe who individuals who do not want to be in the Union let'em go. As for the provines or states, no way!
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
Good Lord Waffler, that is some of the most "twisted" thinking I have ever witnessed.
 -- J Carlton, Calgary		 
How so J. The quote and the coments on it attempt to say that Jefferson was for disunion or secession. His quote from 1820 attests to his abiding belief and faith in the Union. What is twisted in your opinion?
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
I think Waffler doth protest too much. I find it amazing that he so often proposes the 'shipping off' of folks who don't like what an oppressive government does -- very Stalinistic of you. Whenever Waffler says 'we' he means 'I' and expects it to be a right to tell others. Typical arrogance of social planners. They treat people like animals who must be herded and corralled, rather than acknowledging the reason and conscience of individuals to choose their own way.
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
Archer is correct above I meant to say "If the nation (instead of we) has to fight another civil war to redeem the sacrifice made in 1861 and in 1776 and to stop Old Thomas Jefferson from turning over in his grave becasue of this secess crowd currently investing our nation I say (repeat I say) bring it on.
 -- Waffler, Smith		 
Waffler Smith, you actually think that the states united on the basis of unconditional submission to the federal government? There's certainly no document to this effect. You simply don't know what you're talking about.
 -- Brad Anderson, Los Angeles, CA		 
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