Thomas Jefferson, in a Different Light In "The Monster of Monticello" (Op-Ed, Dec. 1), Paul Finkelman accurately describes Thomas Jefferson as a "brutal hypocrite" on the question of slavery, but his impassioned finger-pointing obscures a larger point about American history. Jefferson, Madison and the other tireless architects of the nation had a stark choice to make: either liberty for black Americans or union. They could not have it both ways, so they made a devil's bargain: to preserve the Union, they preserved slavery. One has only to look at the records of the Constitutional Convention and the Missouri Compromise to know that, had our early leaders not compromised on the tinderbox of slavery, the Southern states would have seceded in 1787 or 1820. A walkout by those states would have precipitated civil war. Is this hypocrisy? Perhaps it is, but Mr. Finkelman does not acknowledge that the founders were acting out of political exigency more than moral failing. Our early history is much more complex than he lets on in his criticism of an admittedly flawed, racist man. The writer has just completed a book about the founders" fears of disunion and civil war. Paul Finkelman is to be applauded for his willingness to tell it like it is regarding Thomas Jefferson's racist views and cruel treatment of slaves. For far too long apologists have trotted out lame excuses for Jefferson, although many of the founding fathers - such as John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin - had far more enlightened attitudes, even if they failed to include them in the Constitution. For visitors to the National Mall, it is fitting that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."s imposing statue is now situated directly across from Jefferson's memorial. Some have criticized King's stern countenance, but that is entirely appropriate, as his statue now stands as a national refutation of Jefferson's abhorrent beliefs. If we judge the great men and women of the past by the moral standards of the present, then surely we ourselves will be found wanting in the future, since some of our own actions and philosophies will seem primitive and cruel to a more enlightened age. Rather than condemning Thomas Jefferson for his human imperfections, let us celebrate his contribution to human liberty. While the man himself may not have seen it, his ideas and words made slavery untenable, and continue to further freedom here and around the world.