The following letter was written by
Enoch Smith (b 21 June
1750,Stafford County, Va) a Revolutionary War soldier
and early Kentucky
Surveyor and pioneer, who settled in Montgomery County
as early as 1775.
Smith was a son of Henry Smith and Sarah Crosby. According
to a history of
Mt. Sterling, Ky., 1792-1819 by Carl M. Boyd Jr. and
Hazel Mason Boyd,
Smith who owned 1400 acres in the area, was one of four
men who donated
land for the town of Mt. Sterling in 1792. He served
as one of the town's
original trustees and helped found Montgomery Academy
in Mt. Sterling in
1798. Smith is said to have been a friend of General
George Rogers Clark
and Daniel Boone. He was a brother of U.S. Senator Daniel
Smith of Tenn. He
married 1. Nancy Belfield Land and 2. Frances Wren(born
16 June 1766,
Fairfax County, Va.) and was the father of by first
wife Nancy Smith b 21
Nov 1779,married William Reed, Joseph Smith b 31 May
1781, and married
Margaret Smith, Mary Smith b 18 Mar 1783, m Daniel Smith
Lane and Sarah
Smith b 25 May 1786 and had 2 marriages Thomas Jamison
and James Hardage
Lane. Children by marriage to Frances Wren were Susan
b 1789, d 1848 m
William Ferguson 27 Nov 1807, Anna married Thomas
I Garrett, Bettie,
Frances b 17 Dec 1797 m Josiah Ferguson 1812 d 31 Jan
1812, Enoch II m
Sallie Grimes, Sanford m Adeline Cammpbell 26 Feb 1829
and Franklin Smith.
Mrs Franklin is a ggggg grand daughter of Enoch Smith.
No Changes have been
made to original text, with the exception of the inclusion
of modern
punctuation.
(Bettie Cline McCaleb added the Children and marriages
Will book c page82,
Montgomery Co Ky).
To my dear
children, I am now 61 years old. I never expect to have
another child. Much of my time has been spent studying
the nature and order
of things. Permit me therefore to give you council (sic)
which perhaps may
be good and profitable to you when I am gone to the dust
nevermore having
the opportunity of doing it.
First as you
grow up be careful of your moral character, if this is
lost your usefulness and happiness is also lost. Have
respect to the
Scriptures, it is the best of books and contains a fund
of instruction and
knowledge. And when you read them do it with --attention;
not only read but
think; look to Him that can give you the Spirit that
dictated them and then
you can more easily understand them. From them I have
got my religious and
political sentiments , with the help of Other Men's opinions
which I have
been careful to bring to the Standard. And
I now take the scriptures of
the old and new Testament for my rule of faith- and practice
and lay aside
all Confessions of faith and religious creeds. They are
works of Man and
imperfect. They Shakle Men's minds and when they see
into inconsistences
they have been Tought (sic) by them, they cannot
shake their fetters and
travel in more pure air.
If Soloman
made use of the law of nature to find out who was the
mother of the live Child as mentioned in the first book
of Kings 3 chapter
25th verse--surely it is good policies for all legislators
to make now laws
inconsistent with the laws of nature. If they do, wil
(sic) find them hard
to execute; amendments upon amendments follow, a set
of Rapacious Lawyers
wil (sic) rise up among them from interested motives
and will lead their
clients through laws; the management of the----and the
command of the army
(are) two (sic) much power for any human being to possess.
Aristocracy
according to the modern definition of the word is a government
in the hands
of Nobles. But this government is more ancient than nobility
itself. It was
an instinct created in human nature and it was an Aristocracy
that Moses
instituted among the children of Isaac and it appears
that the number
seventy composed the (sanctum?) of the Jewish nation.
Some politicians
have been for choosing a Senate for life to attach
them to the government. Some think it more safe to have
transient
elections. Others have thought that it would answer a
better to; find the
choice in familys (sic). Others have gloried much in
a good constitution
for a basis in government which may answer a valuable
purpose to bad powers
of government divided. Those who are legislative to another,
those who are
Judicial to another and those who are Executive to another.
But I have
extended my ideas still farther and believe that it is
a government that
has its existence in human nature and that self love
in this body politic
is the Jenius (sic) that supports it in peace and prosperity,
and on the
contrary, individual self love though a species of Aristocracy
is the
abandon or destroyer of this government.
If true it
would be prudent in the choice of senators to consider
how much property they possess of what kind it is, and
what kind of manners
they have. For great men are not always wise, though
they have more to
attach them to government than the poor. But if
the poor are justly dealt
with they may be divulged on by government. Also for
the aristocratical
beast must resemble the face of a calf--a clean beast
that chews the cud
with every member of the body--receives nourishment and
strength by which
every member is protected and guarded with care. Even
as in a natural
Aristocracy every body receives nourishment and strength,
every member is
treated with care----his natural rights such as life,
liberty and property.
A maze of expense
delays and disappointments; and take it for
general rule, Nation that has two (sic) much law,has
two (sic) much
property, held by the laws of society, and that nature
or natures God
neaver (sic) designed should be so. Instance the Kentucky
land law and
Slave law.
I believe there
are four kinds of government, three of which have
their existence in human nature and one Divine government
that rules and
over rules all things which four governments proclaim
the Almighty to be a
holy Lord (See Revelations the 4 chapter 7&8 verses.
Ezekiel the first
chapter. Zachariah the 6th chapter 5 verse).
As the first
government Parential appears to be the Senior
golvernment and the jenius (Sic) that supports it is
natural affection,
like that of a father to his children. If this is lost
the foundation is
destroyed and the structure will fall to the ground and
through the
Legislature, Executive and Judiciary powers of government
are lodged in the
hands of the parent, which makes him resemble the face
of a Lyon (sic),
that is, fear. It is right as should be so. As those
that are to be
governed are not capable of exercising in their Infantile
years their
reason and therefore it is the best government they can
conceive.
The parents
wish is the best of law to them until they are capable
of a better government and there is not much dainger
(sic) of the Parent
abusing his power as long as he has natural affection
for his offspring.
If government is executed by one void of natural affection
he soon
degenerates into despotism. Power intoxicates him and
makes him forget what
manner of man he is.
Though Kingly
government has been much practiced, it has no
foundation in nature. Ignorance and wickedness have a
natural tendency
when they cohabit together to beget Kings a mongril (sic)
offspring, who by
their craft and cunning by which they derive their name,
deprive their
subjects of their natural rights and plain diffinition
(sic) of Monarchy
seem to be that of a state in which a single person by
whatever name he may
be distinguished,is intrusted with the execution of the
opportunity of
acquiring the property that is essential in a natural
Aristocracy that is
better basis and---to attach and bind Mankind faster
to government than
consolidation, metamorphising, altering the nature--thereof
can do ;which
wil (sic) find (?)it on a foundation that is not to be
found in nature.
Democracy and
government in the hands of the people and by some
politicians held up with contempt to the world as having
a natural tendency
to disunion and faction. Perhaps this is a natural consequence
that flows
from their not being qualified to receive this government
as being ignorant
and wicked for knowledge and virtue are the pillars of
a Democracy and
whatsoever is reasonable is right in this government.
Hence it is a
Democratic heart has the face of man and the jenius (sic)
that supports its
reason; therefore in this government every citizen ought
to be a well
informed virtuous man and then they may enjoy the government
by Christ
himself is appointed(sic) for the Church. (See Matthew
the 18 chapter).
Theocracy is
a government superintended by God himself,which many
philosophers of Old believed in and the Scriptures abundantly
testify of
it--Read Moses' Song, Deutronomy Chapter 22 which
is a wonderful effect of
Inspiration no human being could have such exhalted ideas
of God without
the assistance of his Spirit.
The man of
God describes the dealings of God, providence to that
nation in language wonderfully striking as an Eagle.
It stirreth up her
nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth (abroad?)
her wings. So the lord
did lead him and there was no strange God with Him, which
makes me believe
this Government has the aspect of an Eagle which flies
high and by some
called the Heaven (circles?) sometimes out of our sight.
So is providence
of Almighty God.
Now dear children,
I know now how better to conclude than in the
words of the wise Man Solomon, let us hear the conclusion
of the whole
matter. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is
the whole duty of
man his whole interest his whole honor his whole happiness
in short his
all. May God bless you all is the prayers of your affectionate
Father.
Enoch Smith
Read this book and the book of Nature and become wise.
The way to greatness ought in a natural Aristocracy ought
to be kept open
and as plain as the way to market.