DC Building/Jefferson Quote: Help!

[Captain_Amazing]

@bibliophage

The hard and fast distinction between its and it’s wasn’t fully developed until almost the middle of the nineteenth century.

And looking around, it still isn’t today.

[rjciii]

What initially struck me about the supposed quote was the use of the word “democracy”. This country wasn’t typically refered to as a democracy until the early 1900’s, IIRC. (Could be way off, though). Also, wasn’t Jefferson fairly anti-democracy, pro-republic, along with many of the founders?

Okay, sorry for the vague reply. I’ll try to find more, but I suspect we’re barking up the wrong politician.

[rjciii]

Here we go:

Jefferson rarely used the term “democracy,” and more often used the term “republic,” even referring to “pure” republics.

“It must be acknowledged that the term “republic” is of very vague application in every language… Were I to assign to this term a precise and definite idea, I would say purely and simply it means a government by its citizens in mass, acting directly and personally according to rules established by the majority; and that every other government is more or less republican in proportion as it has in its composition more or less of this ingredient of direct action of the citizens.” --Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1816.

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7970/jefpco55.htm