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Show JEFFERSON'S EPITAPH. The anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson on April 13, revived re-vived many historical anecdotes of the third president of the United States, and serves to remind his countrymen coun-trymen of his brilliant service to the struggling young nation. Jefferson's dominating trait was his love of liberty, and it was as a champion of human freedom that he desired to be known to posterity. This was illustrated by. his epitaph, written writ-ten by himself for inscription upon his tomb: "Here is buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence; Indepen-dence; and of the statutes of Virginia Vir-ginia for religious freedom; and father fa-ther of the University of Virginia." No reference is made to his services ser-vices as governor of Virginia, member mem-ber of congress, minister to France, secretary of state, vice-president and twice president of the United States. In his own. estimation his services in the cause of liberty stood above all these. Freedom of government, freedom of education were the paramount objectives ob-jectives of his life, as epitomized in his epitaph. Born an aristocrat, Thomas Thom-as Jefferson became the ardent defender de-fender of the masses and the greatest great-est exponent of human liberty the world has ever known. |