our produce will be found very convenient to this
country for her own consumption. Others will be
convenient, as being more commerciable in her hands
than those she will give in exchange for them. If
there be any which she can neither consume, nor
dispose of by exchange, she will not buy them of us,
and of course we shall not bring them to her. If Am-
erican produce can be brought into the ports of France,
the articles of exchange for it will be taken in those
ports : & the only means of drawing it hither is to let
the merchant see that he can dispose of it on better
terms here than anywhere else. If the market price of
this country does not in itself offer this superiority, it
maybe worthy of consideration whether it should be ob-
tained by such abatements of duties, and even by such
other encouragements as the importance of the article
may justify. Should some loss attend this in the begin-
1786] THOMAS JEFFERSON. 257
ning, it can be discontinued when the trade shall be
well established in this channel.
With respect to the West India commerce, I must
apprise you that this estimate does not present it's
present face. No materials have enabled us to say
how it stands since the war. We can only shew what
it was before that period. New regulations have
changed our situation there much for the worse.
This is most sensibly felt in the Exports of fish, and
flour. The surplus of the former, which these regu-
lations throw back on us, is forced to Europe, where,
by increasing the quantity, it lessens the price : the
surplus of the latter is sunk : and to what other ob-
jects this portion of industry is turned, or turning, I
am not able to discover. The Imports too of Sugar
& Coffee are thrown under great difficulties. These
increase the price : and being articles of food for the
poorer class (as you may be sensible on observing the
quantities consumed) a small increase of price places
them above the reach of this class, which being very
numerous, must occasion a great diminution of con.
sumption. It remains to see whether the American
will endeavour to baffle these new restrictions in
order to indulge his habits ; or will adapt his habits
to other objects which may furnish emploiment to
the surplus of industry formerly occupied in raising
that bread which no longer finds a vent in the West
Indian market. If, instead of either of these meas-
ures, he should resolve to come to Europe for
coffee & sugar, he must lessen equivalently his con-
sumption of some other European articles in order to
VOL. IV. 17
258
THE WRITINGS OF
[1786
pay for his coffee & sugar, the bread with which he
formerly paid for them in the West Indies not being
demanded in the European market. In fact the cata-
logue of Imports offers several articles more dis-
pensable than coffee & sugar. Of all these subjects,
the committee and yourself are the more competent
judges. To you therefore I trust them with every
wish for their improvement, & with sentiments of that
perfect esteem & respect with which I have the
honour to be, Dear Sir, your most obedient, & most
humble servt. 1
11 ESTIMATE OF THE EXPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
TO EUROPE.
TO WEST INDIES.
TOTAL.
Louis.
Louis.
Lout's.
Fish
. . . 107,000
5O,OOO
I57,OOO
Fish Oil
... l8l,688
9-562
191,250
Fjsh Bones
8,400
8,400
Salted Meats
131,500
I3I,5OO
Live Stock
99,OOO
99,OOO
Butter, Cheese
l8,000
iS.OOO
Flour, Bread, 660,000 barrels
33O,OOO
' 330,000
66O,OOO
Wheat, 2, 2 10,000 bushels
331,000
331.000
Indian Corn Pulse
3O,OOO
6l,OOO
9I,OOO
Rice, 130,000 barrels
... 189,350
70,650
26O,COO
Indigo
51,700
51,7000
Tobacco, 87,000 hogsheads
. . . 1,306,000
1,306,000
Potash, 20,000 barrels
49,OOO
49.OOO
Peltry
. . . 184,900
184,900
Flax Seed
79,500
79,500
Hemp
2I,OOO
2I,OOO
Iron, Copper -.
84,OOO
6.OOO
90,OOO
Turpentine, &c., 60,000 barrels. . .
29,410
I,84O
31,250
Timber, Lumber
82,OOO
l64,OOO
246,OOO
Hops, 300
. . . 2l6,500
2l6,5OO
Miscellanies
22,000
22,000
3,302,448
941,552
4,244,000
i 7 86]
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
259
TO THE MARQUIS DE ST. LAMBERT.
J.MSS.
Louis. I. s~
3,039,000 o o
AUG. 8, 1786.
Mr. Jefferson has the honour of presenting his
compliments to Monsieur' le Marquis de St. Lam-
bert, and of thanking him for his very excellent
ESTIMATE OF THE IMPORTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
Woollen cloths of every description,
Linens of every description,
Hosiery, Hats,
Gloves, Shoes, Boots, Sadlery & other things of leather,
Silks, Gold & Silver Lace, Jewellery, Millinery, Toys,
East India goods,
Porcelaine, Glass, Earthenware,
Silver, Copper, Brass, Tin, Pewter, Lead, Steel, Iron in
every form,
Upholstery, Cabinet Work, Painters' Colours,
Cheese, Pickles, Confitures, Chocolate,
Wine, 2,000 tons, at 100 louis, 200,000 louis, Brandy, Beer,
Medicinal Drugs, Snuff, Bees' Wax,
Books, Stationery, Mill Stones, Grind Stones, Marble,
Sail Cloth, Cordage, Ship Chandlery, Fishing-tackle, Ivory,
Ebony, Barwood, Dyewood,
Slaves, Salt, 521,225 bushels, at 24 sous, 26,061 louis 6
livres,
Louis. I. s.
Salt, 500,484 bushels, at 24 sous 25,020 4 16
Fruits 2,23912
Cocoa, 576, 589 Ibs., at 12 sous 25,798 12
Coffee, 408,494 Ibs., at 16 sous 15,249 14 8
Sugar, 10,232,432 Ibs 168,007
Molasses, 3,645,464 gallons, at 24 sous 186,281 19 4
Rum, 3,888,370 gallons, at 2 livres 14 sous. 437, 441 15
Ginger, Pimento 1,395 1 4
Cotton, 356,591 Ibs., at 24 sous 17,829 13x4
Skins 7,870 6
Indigo, 4,352 Ibs., at 5 livres 8 sous 979 4 16
Ivory, Turtle Shell. 247 4 16
Lignum vitse, Sarsaparilla, Fustic, Annotta. 5,170
Logwood 13,624 21
Mahogany 23,280 ,
3,966,438 8 8
927,438 8 8
260 THE WRITINGS OF [1786
translation of the act of the Virginia Assembly. 1 An
opportunity having occurred, before the receipt of it,
of forwarding the act to some foreign courts where it
was thought it would be well received, Mr. Jefferson
had been obliged to print copies from a translation
prepared for the Encyclopedic. He shall endeavour
as soon as possible to avail the public of the better
one of M. de St. Lambert. He begs leave to present
to him, and also through him to Madame la Comtesse
d'Houditat the homage of his respects.
TO MRS. JOHN (ABIGAIL) ADAMS. J- MSS -
PARIS, Aug. 9, 1786.
DEAR MADAM, It is an age since I have had the
honor of a letter from you, and an age and a half
since I presumed to address one to you. I think my
last was dated in the reign of King Amri, but under
which of his successors you wrote, I cannot recollect,
Ocharias Zoachar, Manahem or some such hard
name. At length it is resumed ; I am honoured with
your favor of July 23, and I am at this moment writ-
ing an answer to it. And first we will despatch busi-
ness. The shoes you ordered, will be ready this day
and will accompany the present letter, but why send
money for them ? You know the balance of trade
was always against me. You will observe by the
inclosed account that it is I who am to export cash
always, tho' the sum has been lessened by the bad
1 Virginia act for Religious Freedom.
1786] THOMAS JEFFERSON. 261
bargains I have made for you & the good ones you
have made for me. This is a gaining trade, and
therefore I shall continue it, begging you will send
no more money here. Be so good as to correct the
inclosed that the errors of that may not add to your
losses in this commerce. You were right in conjec-
turing that both the gentlemen might forget to com-
municate to me the intelligence about Capt" Stan-
hope. Mr. Adams' head was full of whale oil, and
Col? Smith's of German politics. ( but don't tell
them this ) so they left it to you to give me the
news. De tout mon coeur, I had rather receive it
from you than them. This proposition about the
exchange of a son for my daughter puzzles me. I
should be very glad to have your son, but I cannot
part with my daughter. Thus you see I have such
a habit of gaining in trade with you that I always
expect it. We have a blind story here of somebody
attempting to assassinate your King. No man upon
earth has my prayers for his continuance in life more
sincerely than him. He is truly the American Mes-
sias, the most precious life that ever god gave. And
may god continue it. Twenty long years has he been
labouring to drive us to our good and he labours and
will labour still for it if he can be spared. We shall
have need of him for twenty more. The Prince of
Wales on the Throne, Lansdown & Fox in the Min-
istry & we are undone ! We become chained by our
habits to the tails of those who hate & dispise us. I
repeat it then that my anxieties are all alive for the
health and long life of the King. He has not a
262 THE WRITINGS OF [1786
friend on earth who would lament his loss as much
& so long as I should. Here we have singing, danc-
ing, laugh & merriment, no assassinations, no trea-
sons, rebellions nor other dark deeds. When our
King goes out, they fall down and kiss the earth
where he has trodden ; and then they go to kissing
one another, and this is the truest wisdom, they have
as much happiness in one year as an Englishman in
ten. The presence of the Queen's Sister enlivens
the Court, still more the birth of the princess, there
are some little bickerings between the King & his
parliament, but they end with a sic volo, sic jubes.
The bottom of my page tells me it is time for me to
end with assurances of the affectionate esteem with
which I have the honor to be, Dear Madam, Your
most obedient & most humble servant.
TO JAMES MONROE. 1 j. M ss.
PARIS, Aug. n, 1786.
DEAR SIR, I wrote you last on the gth of July &
since that have received yours of the i6th of June
with the interesting intelligence it contained. I was
entirely in the dark as to the progress of that nego-
tiation, and concur entirely in the views you have
taken of it. 2 The difficulty on which it hangs is a
sine qua non with us. It would be to deceive them
& ourselves to suppose that an amity can be pre-
1 Parts in italic are in cipher.
2 With Spain, concerning the navigation of the Mississippi.
1786] THOMAS JEFFERSON. 263
served while this right is withheld. Such a supposi-
tion would argue not only an ignorance of the people
to whom this is most interesting, but an ignorance of
the nature of man, or an inattention to it. Those
who see but half way into our true interest will think
that that concurs with the views of the other party.
But those who see it in all it's extent will be sensible
that our true interest will be best promoted by mak-
ing all the just claims of our fellow citizens, wherever
situated, our own, by urging & enforcing them with
the weight of our whole influence, & by exercising
in this as in every other instance a just government
in their concerns & making common cause even where
our separate interest would seem opposed to theirs.
No other conduct can attach us together; & on this
attachment depends our happiness. The King of
Prussia still lives, and is even said to be better.
Europe is very quiet at present. The only germ of
dissension which shews itself at present is in the
quarter of Turkey. The Emperor, the Empress, &
the Venetians seem all to be pecking at the Turks.
It is not probable however that either of the two
first will do anything to bring on an open rupture
while the K of Prussia lives. You will perceive, by
the letters I inclose to Mr. Jay that Lambe, under
the pretext of ill health, declines returning either to
Congress, Mr. Adams or myself. This circumstance
makes me fear some malversation. The money ap-
propriated to this object being in Holland, & having
been always under the care of Mr. Adams, it was
concerted between us that all the draughts should
264 THE WRITINGS OF [1786
be on him. I know not therefore what sums may
have been advanced to Lambe. I hope however
nothing great. I am persuaded that an angel sent
on this business, & so much limited in his terms,
could have done nothing. But should Congress pro-
pose to try the line of negotiation again, I think they
will perceive that Lambe is not a proper agent. I
have written to Mr. Adams on the subject of a set-
tlement with Lambe. There is little prospect of
accommodation between the Algerines & the Portu-
guese & Neapolitans. A very valuable capture too,
lately made by them on the Empress of Russia, bids
fair to draw her on them. The probability is there-
fore that these three nations will be at war with
them, & the possibility that could we furnish a couple
of frigates, a convention might be formed with those
powers, establishing a perpetual cruise on the coast
of Algiers which would bring them to reason. 1 Such
a convention being left open to all powers willing to
come into it, should have for it's object a general
peace, to be guaranteed to each by the whole. Were
only two or three to begin a confederacy of this kind,
I think every power in Europe would soon fall into
it except France, England, & perhaps Spain & Hol-
land. Of these, there is only England who would
give any real aid to the Algerines. Morocco, you
perceive, will be at peace with us. Were the honour
& advantage of establishing such a confederacy out
of the question, yet the necessity that the U S should
have some marine force, & the happiness of this as
1 See vol. I., p. 91.
1786] THOMAS JEFFERSON. 265
the ostensible cause for beginning it, would decide
on it's propriety. It will be said there is no money
in the treasury. There never will be money in the
treasury till the confederacy shows it's teeth. The
states must see the rod ; perhaps it must be felt by
some one of them. I am persuaded all of them would
rejoice to see every one obliged to furnish it's con-
tributions. It is not the difficulty of furnishing them
which beggars the treasury, but the fear that others
will not furnish as much. Every rational citizen
must wish to see an effective instrument of coercion,
& should fear to see it on any other element but the
water. A naval force can never endanger our lib-
erties, nor occasion bloodshed : a land force would
do both. It is not in the choice of the states whether
they will pay money to cover their trade against the
Algerines. If they obtain a peace by negotiation
they must pay a great sum of money for it ; if they
do nothing they must pay a great sum of money in
the form of insurance ; and in either way as great a
one & probably less effectual than in the way of
force. I look forward with anxiety to the approach-
ing moment of your departure from Congress. Be-
sides the interest of the Confederacy & of the State
I have a personal interest in it. I know not to whom
I may venture confidential communications after you
are gone. Lee I scarcely know. Gray son is lazy.
Carrington is industrious bitt not always as discreet
as well-meaning, yet on the whole I believe he would
be the best if you find him disposed to the correspond-
ence. Engage him to begin it. I take the liberty of
266 THE WRITINGS OF [1786
placing here my respects to Mrs. Monroe and assur-
ances of the sincere esteem with which I am Dear Sir
your friend & servant.
TO GEORGE WYTHE. j. M ss.
PARIS, August 13, 1786.
DEAR SIR, Your favors of Jan. 10 & Feb. 10,
came to hand on the 2Oth & 2d of May. I availed
myself of the first opportunity which occurred, by a
gentlemen going to England, of sending to Mr. Joddrel
a copy of the Notes on our country, with a line
informing him that it was you who had emboldened
me to take that liberty. Madison, no doubt, in-
formed you of the reason why I had sent only a
single copy to Virginia. Being assured by him that
they will not do the harm I had apprehended, but on
the contrary may do some good, I propose to send
thither the copies remaining on hand, which are fewer
than I had intended. But of the numerous correc-
tions they need, there are one or two so essential
that I must have them made, by printing a few new
leaves & substituting them for the old. This will be
done while they are engraving a map which I have
constructed of the country from Albemarle sound to
Lake Erie, & which will be inserted in the book. A
bad French translation which is getting out here, will
probably oblige me to publish the original more
freely, which it neither deserved nor was ever in-
tended. Your wishes, which are laws to me, will
1786] THOMAS JEFFERSON. 267
justify my destining a copy for you, otherwise I
should as soon have thought of sending you a horn-
book ; for there is no truth there that which is not
familiar to you, and it's errors I should hardly have
proposed to treat you with.
Immediately on the receipt of your letter, I wrote
to a correspondent at Florence to inquire after the
family of Tagliaferro as you desired. I received his
answer two days ago, a copy of which I now inclose.
The original shall be sent by some other occasion.
I will have the copper-plate immediately engraved.
This may be ready within a few days, but the proba-
bility is that I shall be long getting an opportunity of
sending it to you, as these rarely occur. You do not
mention the size of the plate but, presuming it is in-
tended for labels for the inside of books, I shall have
it made of a proper size for that. I shall omit the
word agisos, according to the license you allow me,
because I think the beauty of a motto is to con-
dense much matter in as few words as possible.
The word omitted will be supplied by every reader.
The European papers have announced that the
assembly of Virginia were occupied on the revisal of
their code of laws. This, with some other similar
intelligence, has contributed much to convince the
people of Europe, that what the English papers are
constantly publishing of our anarchy, is false ; as they
are sensible that such a work is that of a people only
who are in perfect tranquillity. Our act for freedom
of religion is extremely applauded. The ambassadors
& ministers of the several nations of Europe resident
268 THE WRITINGS OF [1786
at this court have asked of me copies of it to send to
their sovereigns, and it is inserted at full length in
several books now in the press ; among others, in the
new Encyclopedic. I think it will produce consider-
able good even in these countries where ignorance,
superstition, poverty, & oppression of body & mind
in every form, are so firmly settled on the mass
of the people, that their redemption from them can
never be hoped. If the Almighty had begotten a
thousand sons, instead of one, they would not have
sufficed for this task. If all the sovereigns of Eu-
rope were to set themselves to work to emancipate
the minds of their subjects from their present igno-
rance & prejudices, & that as zealously as they now
endeavor the contrary, a thousand years would not
place them on that high ground on which our common
people are now setting out. Ours could not have
been so fairly put into the hands of their own com-
mon sense had they not been separated from their
parent stock & kept from contamination, either from
them, or the other people of the old world, by
the intervention of so wide an ocean. To know the
worth of this, one must see the want of it here. I
think by far the most important bill in our whole
code is that for the diffusion of knowlege among the
people. No other sure foundation can be devised,
for the preservation of freedom and happiness. If
anybody thinks that kings, nobles, or priests are
good conservators of the public happiness send them
here. It is the best school in the universe to cure
them of that folly. They will see here with their
1786] THOMAS JEFFERSON. 269
own eyes that these descriptions of men are an aban-
doned confederacy against the happiness of the mass
of the people. The omnipotence of their effect can-
not be better proved than in this country particularly,
where notwithstanding the finest soil upon earth, the
finest climate under heaven, and a people of the most
benevolent, the most gay and amiable character of
which the human form is susceptible, where such a
people I say, surrounded by so many blessings from
nature, are yet loaded with misery by kings, nobles
and priests, and by them alone. Preach, my dear
Sir, a crusade against ignorance ; establish & improve
the law for educating the common people. Let our
countrymen know that the people alone can protect us
against these evils, and that the tax which will be
paid for this purpose is not more than the thousandth
part of what will be paid to kings, priests & nobles
who will rise up among us if we leave the people in
ignorance. The people of England, I think, are less
oppressed than here. But it needs but half an eye
to see, when among them, that the foundation is laid
in their dispositions for the establishment of a des-
potism. Nobility, wealth & pomp are the objects of
their adoration. They are by no means the free-
minded people we suppose them in America. Their
learned men too are few in number, and are less
learned and infinitely less emancipated from prejudice
than those of this country. An event too seems to
be preparing, in the order of things, which will prob-
ably decide the fate of that country. It is no longer
doubtful that the harbour of Cherburg will be com-
270 THE WRITINGS OF [1786
plete, that it will be a most excellent one, & capacious
enough to hold the whole navy of France. Nothing
has ever been wanting to enable this country to in-
vade that, but a naval force conveniently stationed
to protect the transports. This change of situation
must oblige the English to keep up a great standing
army, and there is no King, who, with sufficient
force, is not always ready to make himself absolute.
My paper warns me it is time to recommend myself
to the friendly recollection of Mrs. Wythe, of Colo.
Tagliaferro & his family & particularly of Mr. R. T. ;
and to assure you of the affectionate esteem with
which I am Dear Sir your friend and servt.
TO FRANCIS HOPKINSON. J.MSS.
PARIS, Aug. 14, 1786.
DEAR SIR, * * * After the present then I shall
still be a letter in your debt. One would think that
this balance did not justify a scold. The manner of
curing the Essence d'Orient is, as you are apprised,
kept secret here. There is no getting at it therefore
openly. A friend has undertaken to try whether it
can be obtained either by proposing the partnership
you mention, or by finding out the process. You
shall have the result of these endeavors. I think I
sent you in January the 5th & 6th volumes of the
Bibliotheque physico-eccononique, which are the last
published. I have for yourself and Dr. Franklin the
1 7th & 1 8th livraisons of the Encyclopedic, & expect
1 7 86] THOMAS JEFFERSON. 271
the 1 9th will come out very soon. These will form
a respectable package & shall then be forwarded.
I will send as you propose, copies of my Notes to
the Philosophical society and the City library as soon
as I shall have received a map which I have con-
structed for them, & which is now engraving. This
will be a map of the Country from Albemarle sound
to Lake Erie, as exact as the materials hitherto pub-
lished would enable me to make it, & brought into a
single sheet. I have with great impatience hoped to
receive from some of my friends a particular descrip-
tion of the Southern & Western limits of Pennsyl-
vania. Perhaps it might still come in time, if you
could send it to me in the moment almost of your
receiving this. Indeed it would be very desirable if
you could only write me an answer to these two
queries, viz. How far Westward of F. Pitt does the
Western line of Pennsylvania pass ? At what point
of the river Ohio does that line strike it ? Should
this arrive even after they shall have begun to strike
off the map, I can have the plate altered so as that
the latter copies shall give that line right. Mr. Rit-
tenhouse will have the goodness to furnish you an-
swers to these queries. Could you prevail on him to
answer this also. When will the Lunarium be done ?
I envy your Wednesday evenings entertainments
with him & Dr. Franklin. They would be more val-
ued by me than the whole week at Paris. Will you