Paradise

[dwhannah]

Jefferson was ever the diplomat and this became more evident as the result of his experiences in France. He derived an internal dexterity that allowed him to psychologically disassociate himself from the matters that presented themselves to him. In other words, he seemed to keep secrets from himself. For instance, while in France he was told that it was illegal to have a slave, however, if one did not mention it the slave boy would not claim his freedom. Thus, his own black servant James Hemings was never freed in France. Jefferson was repulsed by confrontation which led him to use his gift of letter writing and his way with words to seemingly target one audience while another would be oblivious to his intentions. He desired to please the one to whom he was speaking (104-105).
Jefferson would also develop his most radical beliefs about politics while in Paris. Due to the distance he was from the happenings in Philadelphia, he was able to have perspective on the activities that took place there. He was able to witness the French Revolution and gain insight as a result of those years that would lead to a new way of thinking about government (116).
He would also lead to delusional ideas about generational sovereignty as a means of governmental ideas. This may have something to do with the mounting debt that he had accumulated from living beyond his salary. He was also acutely aware of the debt that he had inherited from his father-in-law, and that he would more than likely not be able to repay.