This  part  of  the  scheme  he  was  compelled,  at  a  critical  moment,  to
drop;  but  he  did  so  only  to  avoid  the  peril  of  a  more  important
failure.  Dut  he  held  to  the  principle.  He  would  have  no  espionage
npon  the  students;  but  left  all  of  them  free  to  improve  their  oppor-
tunities in  their  own  way,  provided  the  laws  of  the  land  were  not
broken,  and  the  rights  of  others  were  respected.  His  trust  was  in
the  conscience  and  good  sense  of  the  students,  in  the  moral  influ-
ence of  a  superior  corps  of  instructors,  and  in  an  elevated  public
(pinion.
704  LIFB  OF  THOMAS  JEFFERSON.
