Address at the Opening of the Jefferson Letters Exhibit
Vermont State House
Deborah L. Markowitz

I would like to welcome you on behalf of the Vermont Secretary of State's office to this wonderful exhibit of letters and historical records of one of the founders of this country, Thomas Jefferson. Many of the originals of records in the exhibit are held in the State Archives which are part of the Secretary of State's office.

The Archives of the Secretary of State's office is not only responsible for preserving records with continuing value, but also for making those records as accessible to Vermonters as possible. The work of Chip Stokes and the Jefferson Legacy Foundation in putting together this exhibit is a wonderful way of making these records more accessible to all of us. This exhibition is also an example of a private-public partnership that could serve as a model for future efforts to display records from the Archives.

Jefferson is more than an icon or celebrated Founder of our country. He articulated, and implemented social and political ideals that we continue to debate and refine. Two hundred years ago the 1799 Vermont General Assembly debated Jefferson's Kentucky Resolutions which argued that the states could determine the constitutionality of federal laws. The debate between Vermont's Jeffersonians and Federalists centered around the Jefferson's statement "That confidence is everywhere the parent of despotism, free government is founded on jealousy, and not in confidence." In other words, having exercised the franchise, should we trust our elected representatives to govern wisely and in our interests, or should we constantly watch and question their actions and, if necessary, reject their laws?

In various forms we continue to debate Jefferson's assertion. How much can we trust government? How can, or should, we limit the scope of government authority? Can we function as a nation if each state chooses which federal laws it will enforce? How far should we go in expressing our "jealousy?"--Does jealousy include public examination of the private lives of our elected officials? These are questions each generation has had to answer, each answer further defining who we are as a self-governing nation.

So, as you enjoy this exhibit, do not simply view it as a collection of historical records created by one of our most important historical figures. Rather view these records as part of our on-going process of, and debate over, self-government.