THE WRITINGS OF



        THOMAS JEFFERSON











        Definitive Edition







        CONTAINING HIS







        AUTOBIOGRAPHY, NOTES ON VIRGINIA, PARLIA-



        MENTARY MANUAL, OFFICIAL PAPERS,



        MESSAGES AND ADDRESSES, AND OTHER



        WRITINGS, OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE,



         NOW COLLECTED AND







        PUBLISHED IN THEIR ENTIRETY FOR THE FIRST TIME



        INCLUDING







        ALL OF THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS, DEPOSITED IN THE DEPARTMENT



        OF STATE AND PUBLISHED IN 1953 BY ORDER OF THE







        JOINT COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS







        WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS







        AND



        A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYTICAL INDEX















        ALBERT ELLERY BERGH



        EDITOR











        VOL. XIX.



















        ISSUED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF



        THE THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION



        OF THE UNITED STATES



        WASHINGTON, D. C.



        1907

















        COPYRIGHT,  1905







        By



        THE THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL



        ASSOCIATION

















        JEFFERSON AS A MAN OF SCIENCE.















  It is an interesting tribute to the value of the



scientific mind that two of the men among the most



important in the establishment of the United States



of America were at the same time its earliest and most



distinguished students of the natural and physical



sciences, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson,



and while the time of both of these men 'was



largely given to public affairs, their chief intellectual



interest lay in the discovery and the setting forth of



new truths. Jefferson wrote to a correspondent,



" Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of



science, by rendering them my supreme delight,"



but he was likewise impressed with the fact that



there was a relationship between science and repub-



lican institutions. To Monsieur d'Ivernois he uses



the phrase : " Freedom, the first-born of science, " and



to General Kosciusko he says: "The main objects



of all science are the freedom and happiness of man, "



while to another correspondent he declares that



" Science is more important in a republican than in



any other government. "







 The first public demonstration of Jefferson's capa-



bility as a man of science was the preparation and

















iv        Jefferson as a Man of Science







publication in 1781. of his " Notes on Virginia. " " This, "



according to the late G. Brown Goode, assistant sec-



retary of the Smithsonian Institution and the his-



torian of American science, "was the first compre-



hensive treatise upon the topography, natural history



and natural resources of one of the United States,



and was the precursor of the great library of scientific



reports which have since been issued by the State and



Federal governments. Though hastily prepared to



meet a special need, if measured by its influence it is



the most important scientific work as yet published in



America. " In this work he successfully overthrew



many of the arguments of Buffon, who was at the



time considered the highest living authority on natu-



ral history subjects ; and later, when he came to know



Buffon in Paris, the latter admitted some of the



errors that he had made.







  In a valuable paper published in the Magazine of



American History for 1885, Frederick C. Luther



points out that Jefferson " had a more or less prac-



tical knowledge of surgical anatomy, civil engineer-



ing, physics, meteorology, mechanics and astronomy;



and was at home in many departments of pure and



applied science, but it was in natural history that he



was most interested, and as a naturalist he made his



only original contribution to scientific knowledge."



* * * " He seems to have acquired nearly all the



knowledge the world then possessed of geology and



zoology, and while many of the theories advanced in



his ` Notes on Virginia ' have been rejected by mod-

















        Jefferson as a Man of Science.     v







ern science, in some of his conclusions Jefferson was



quite in advance of the best specialists of the age, and



notably so in the department of palaeontology."







 In fact palaeontology in the United States. had its



beginning in a paper filed with the American Philo-



sophical Society by Jefferson under date of March



10, 1797, announcing his discovery of the Megalonyx



Jeffersoni; this paper was published under the title,



"Memoir on the Discovery of a Quadruped in the



Western Parts of Virginia, " in the Transactions of



the American Philosophical Society. The original



specimen was deposited in the American Philosoph-



ical Society and subsequently transferred to the



Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, where



it may still be seen. The announcement of this dis-



covery was coincident with his arrival in Philadelphia



to be inaugurated as Vice-President of the United



States, and upon that occasion he brought with him



a collection of fossil bones of the specimen in question,



which he had obtained in Greenbrier County, Vir-



ginia.







  But his interest in palaeontology did not stop here.



In February, 1801, during the excitement of the con-



test with Aaron Burr, he was corresponding with



Doctor Wistar with regard to some bones of the



mammoth which he had just procured from Shawan-



gunk, in New York.







 In 1808, when the excitement over the embargo



was highest and his policy was under the severest



denunciation, he was carrying on palaeontological

















vi        Jefferson as a Man of Science







studies in the White House. Under his direction



upwards of 300 specimens of fossil bones had been



brought from the famous Big Bone Lick, and spread



in one of the large unfinished rooms of the Presiden-



tial mansion. Doctor Wistar was asked to come



from Philadelphia and select such as were needed to



complete the collection of the Philosophical Society.



The exploration of the Lick was made at the private



expense of Jefferson, through the agency of General



William Clarke, and this may fairly be recorded as



the beginning of American governmental work in



palaeontology.







  But palaeontology was not the only scientific sub-



ject which engaged his attention. He was, when



Secretary of State in Washington's Cabinet, chairman



of a committee organized by the American Philo-



sophical Society in 1792, to collect materials for the



natural history of the Hessian Fly, whose ravages in



the wheat-fields threatened so great a danger to the



prosperity of the country. This appears to be the



first organized effort in economic entomology in the



United States.







  He was greatly interested in the discovery and



cultivation of plants useful in agriculture. He had



a table beautifully drawn up, giving the average



earliest and latest appearance of thirty-seven varie-



ties of vegetables in the Washington market during



the whole eight years of his presidency, and on his



journeys abroad he was always looking out for new



plants which might with profit be transplanted to

















        Jefferson as a Man of Science     xvii







America. When in later life he drew up a list of the



services he believed he had rendered his countrymen;



he enumerated, along with the disestablishment of a,



State Church, the abolition of entails. the prohibition



of slave importation, and the drafting of the Declara-



tion of Independence, " the introduction of olive plants



and heavy upland rice into South Carolina and Geor-



gia, " declaring that " the greatest service which can



be rendered to any country is to add a useful plant



to its culture. "







 His interest in agriculture even went in the direc-



tion of the invention of a new plow. As far back as



1788 Jefferson entered upon some speculations con-



cerning the improvement of plows, and attempted to



sketch an original and uniform mathematical rule for



shaping the mould-board of a plow, the object being



to secure the regular inversion of a certain depth of



the surface soil with the least application of force.



By 1796 his new plows were in use. A Mr. Strick-



land, a member of the English Board of Agriculture,



being on a visit to Monticello, saw there plows in



operation constructed on this principle, and mention-



ing them favorably on his return, the Board, through



its president; Sir John Sinclair, requested from Mr.



Jefferson a model and a description. These were



forwarded to England in 1798. The description was



published in the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia and in



the fourth volume of the Transactions of the Ameri- 



can Philosophical Society. The invention also



attracted attention in France. He is likewise

















viii        Jefferson as a Man of Science







credited with being the inventor of the copying



press. , He made observations in meteorology and



had a good collection of philosophical apparatus.







 It has been declared by Mr. Goode that "it is



probable that no two men have done so much for



science in America as Jefferson and Agassiz-not so



much by their direct contributions to knowledge, as



by the immense weight which they gave to scientific



interests by their advocacy."







 This statement is fully borne out by the impetus



which Jefferson gave to the relationship of the Gov-



ernment to scientific work. The inception of the



system of scientific surveys of the public domain was



the outcome of more than twenty years of earnest



endeavor on his part. It was he who suggested to



John Ledyard, of Connecticut, the enterprise of



exploring the western part of our continent by pass-



ing through St. Petersburg to Kamchatka, and pro-



curing passage in some Russian vessel to the United



States-a project which failed because of the arrest



of Ledyard. In 1792 he proposed to the American



Philosophical Society to set on foot a subscription to



explore the great West, and for this subscription



became responsible for raising one thousand guineas.



This was to have been undertaken jointly by Captain



Meriwether Lewis and Michaux, the botanist, but it



also failed. In 1803 he recommended to Congress



in a confidential message, the sending of an exploring



party to trace the Missouri to its source, to cross the



highlands, to follow the best water communication

















        Jefferson as a Man of Science    ix







which offered itself from thence to the Pacific Ocean.



Congress approved the proposition and voted a sum



of money for carrying it into execution. Captain



Lewis, who had been with Jefferson nearly two years



as private secretary, immediately renewed his request



to have direction of the party. The second expedi-



tion toward the West was also sent out during Jeffer-



son 's administration, being that under command of



General Z. M. Pike, who was, sent to explore the



sources of the Mississippi River and the western parts



of Louisiana, continuing as far west as Pike's Peak



the name of which still remains as a memorial of this



enterprise. It was during Jefferson's administration



too, that the project of founding the Coast Survey



arose. This was recommended to Congress by the



President in 1807.







     It was under his Presidency that the idea of Wash-



ington for the establishment of a Military Academy



at West Point was fulfilled, and Jefferson also had a



plan, realized later, for the establishment of a National



Observatory. It was he who proposed the unit of the



present coinage of the United States.







 He was elected President of the American Philo-



sophical Society in January, 1797, and held that



office until 1814, when he resigned on account of his



age. His connection with the Society, as may be



seen from the statements above, was by no means



perfunctory. During his residence in Paris he kept



four of the principal American colleges, Harvard,



Yale, William and Mary, and the College of Phila-

















x        Jefferson as a Man of Science







delphia, informed of all that happened in the scien-



tific circles of Europe. Even such a subject as aerial



invention attracted his attention. His letters of



1785 contain several references to the Montgolfier



balloon. At a time when the natural sciences were



but little cultivated in the established universities,



he wrote to Doctor Willard, the President of Harvard



urging their pursuit. " What a field, " he said, " have



we at our doors to signalize ourselves in. The botany



of America is far from being exhausted, its miner-



alogy is untouched, and its natural history or zoology,



totally mistaken and misrepresented."







  His devotion to science, coincident with his active



public life and the bitter enmities which it engen-



dered, gave the opportunity for much public criti-



cism, yet it afforded Jefferson, as it did to Franklin,



especial consideration as representative of the new



nation in France ; it earned him election in numerous



learned societies in Europe and gave an impetus to



the organization of science both in the learned socie-



ties, in the colleges and in connection with the Gov-



ernment of the United States, such as could only



have been exercised by a man who had occupied the



exalted office of President of the United States.

























        CONTENTS.







JEFFERSON AS A MAN OF SCIENCE.By Cyrus Adler,



Ph. D., Librarian of the Smithsonian Institution,



Washington, D. C.

...........................................................................    

            i











SUPPLEMENTARY MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE GOVERN-



MENT COLLECTION. (Letters written from, 1780-



1825)..........................................................................

...................................1-288



To Horatio Gates, November 4,

1780................................................................1



To William Carmichael, June 22,

1785...............................................................2   



To Francis Hopkinson, July 6,

1785...................................................................5



To George Washington, July 10,

1785................................................................8



To St. John De Crevecoeur, August 22,

1785...................................................10



To James Currie, September 27,

1785..............................................................11



To Rev James Madison, October 28,

1785.......................................................15



To Francis Eppes, December 11,

1785.............................................................20



To George Washington, January 4,

1786..........................................................23



To William Carmichael, January 13,

1786.........................................................26



To James Madison, April 25,

1786...................................................................29



To Philip Mazzei, April 4,

1787........................................................................32



To I,'Abbe D'Arnal, July 9,

1787......................................................................34



To John Adams, July 23,

1787.........................................................................36



To Benjamin Franklin, August 6,

1787..............................................................38



To John Adams" December 31,

1787...............................................................39



To Edward Bancroft, January 26,

1788............................................................41



To Countess Barziza, July 8,

1788....................................................................45



To C. W. F. Dumas, July 30,

1788..................................................................46



To John Jay, September 5,

1788......................................................................47



To Francis Hopkinson, December 5,

1788.......................................................48













        Contents







SUPPLEMENTARY MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE GOVERN-



MENT COLLECTION-CONTINUED                                                      

 page



To John Jay; March 1,

1789........................................................................52



To John Paul Jones, March, 23,

1789..........................................................54



To John Adams, May 20,

1789...................................................................60



To Nathaniel Cutting, June 7,

1789..............................................................62



To Thomas Paine, July 13,

1789.................................................................63



To John Bondfield, July 16,

1789................................................................64



To John Jay, August 5,

1789.......................................................................65



To Gen. Henry Knox, September 12,

1789.................................................67



To William Bingham, September 25,

1789...................................................69



To Baron De Geismer, November 20,

1789................................................71



To David Rittenhouse, June 12,

1790..........................................................73



To the Secretary of the Treasury (Alexander



Hamilton), June 25,

1791...........................................................................

.75



To T. M. Randolph, July 3,

1791................................................................76



To James Madison, July 21,

1791...............................................................79



To Gov. William Blount, August 12,

1791...................................................81



To George Hammond (British Minister),December 15, 1791.......................82



To George Washington, January 10,

1792..................................................86



To Peter Charles L'Enfant, February 27,

1792............................................87



To Thomas Johnson, David Stuart and Daniel



Carroll,March 8,

1792...........................................................................

....88



To Louis XVI, March 14,

1792.................................................................92



To Benjamin Hawkins, April 1,

1792.........................................................93



To Thomas Johnson, David Stuart and Daniel



Carroll, April 20,

1792...........................................................................

....94



To His Majesty George III, of England, June 6,

1792..................................96



To the Queen of England, June 6,

1792.......................................................97



To Stephen Cathalan, December 2,

1792....................................................98



To Gov. John Hancock,

[1793].................................................................101



To David Humphreys, January 3,

1793......................................................102



To John Garland Jefferson, April 14,

1793.................................................103













xii        Contents







SUPPLEMENTARY MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE GOVERN-



MENT COLLECTION-CONTINUED...............................................PAGE



To Edmond C. Genet, August 16,

1793....................................................105



To Maria Jefferson, November 17,

1793..................................................106



To Alexander Hamilton, December 12,

1793............................................107



To the President of Bank of the United States,



January.-,

1794...........................................................................

.............108



To George Washington, February 23,

1795..............................................108



To Aaron Burr, January 7,

1797...............................................................114



To Louis, Prince of Parma, May 23,

1797................................................115



To Gov. James Monroe, April 13,

1800...................................................119



To Andrew Ellicott, December 18,

1800..................................................121



To Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko, March 14,

1801.......................................122



To James Madison, April 30,

1801...........................................................124



To John Langdon, May 22,

1801..............................................................125



To James Monroe, March 31,

1802..........................................................126



To Abraham Baldwin, April 14,

1802........................................................128



To Thomas Law, May 31,

1802................................................................130



To William Punbar, March 3,

1803............................................................131



To Dr. Benjamin Rush, April 23,

1803.......................................................133



To Henry Dearborn, August 23,

1803........................................................134



To the Emperor of Morocco, December 20,

1803.....................................135



To John Langdon, December 22,

1803......................................................136



To Gov. John Page, December 23,

1803...................................................138



To the Dey of Algiers, March 27,

1804......................................................139



To F.. H. Alexander von Humboldt, May 28,

1804....................................140



To the Secretary of  War (Henry Dearborn),June 6,

1804..........................141



To Alexander, Emperor of Russia, June 15,

1804.......................................142



To the Brothers of the Choctaw Nation, March 13,

1805...........................144



To the Chiefs of the Cherokee Nation, January 10,

1806............................146



To William H. Harrison, January 16,

1806.................................................150

















        Contents      xiii







SUPPLEMENTARY MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE GOVERN-



MENT

COLLECTION-Continued...........................................................

..page



To Rev. Doctor G. C. Jenner, May 14,

1806.............................................152



To Albert Gallatin, June 21,

1806...............................................................153



To Pierre Auguste Adet, June 29,

1806......................................................154



To Andrew Jackson; December 3,

1806....................................................156



To John Langdon, December 22,

1806......................................................157



To Henry Lee, February 1,

1807................................................................158



To Andrew Jackson, March 21,

1807........................................................159



To Joel Barlow, June 14,

1807...................................................................161



To George Hay, October 11,

1807.............................................................162



To F. A. Delacroix, December 21,

1807.....................................................162



To George Hay, February 16,

1808............................................................164



To G. Hyde de Neuville, February 17,

1808................................................165



To Marquis de Lafayette, April 28,

1808.....................................................166



To Thomas Paine, July 17,

1808..................................................................170



To Archibald Stuart, October 22,

1808.......................................................171



To Robert. Fulton, April 16,

1808...............................................................172



To Dr. William Eustis, May 30,

1810..........................................................174



To W. B. Giles, November 12,

1810..........................................................175



To James Madison; December 8,

1810.......................................................176



To James Monroe, January 8,

1811............................................................179



To Rev. James Madison, December 29,

1811.............................................183



To Andrew Ellicott, June 24,

1812..............................................................185



To William Barton, October 2,

1812...........................................................186



To Alrichs and Dixon, January 14,

1813......................................................186



To Robert Fulton, March 8,

1813...............................................................187



To Elbridge Gerry, June 19,

1813...............................................................189



To James Madison, July 13,

1813...............................................................190



To Robert Fulton, July 21,

1813..................................................................192



To Abigail Adams (Mrs. John Adams), August 22,

1813.............................193



To Dupont de Nemours, November 29,

1813.............................................195



To Thaddeus Kosciusko, November 30,

1813.............................................200



To James Monroe, January 27,

1814...........................................................206

















xiv        Content            







SUPPLEMENTARY MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE GOVERN-



MENT

COLLECTION--CONTINUED....................................................PAGE



To J. Correa de Serra, April  19,

1814.........................................................209



To Peter Carr, September 7,

1814...............................................................211



To William Caruthers, December 3,

1814.....................................................221



To B. S. Barton, February 26,

1815.............................................................223



To J. Correa De Serra, January 1,

1816.......................................................224



To Thomas Appleton, January 14,

1816.......................................................228



To P. S..Duponceau; January 22,

1816........................................................231



To Albert Gallatin, April 11,

1816................................................................233



To J. F. Dumoulin, May 7,

1816..................................................................236



To Marquis de Lafayette, May 17,

1816......................................................237



To Francis Eppes, May 21,

1816.................................................................241



To James Barbour, January 19,

1817...........................................................242



To James Monroe, April 8,

1817.................................................................243



To Joseph Delaplaine, April 12,

1817..........................................................246



To Jean Baptiste Say, May 14,

1817...........................................................248



To Joseph C. Cabell, October 24,

1817......................................................250



To the Secretary of the Treasury (William H.



Crawford), January 5,

1818........................................................................252



To Gen. John Armstrong, January 19,

1818................................................253



To Count Dagnani (Papal Nuncio), February



14,

1818...........................................................................

.........................254



To Albert Gallatin, February 15,

1818........................................................258



To Jacob Bigelow, April 11,

1818.............................................................259



To Charles. Jared Ingersoll, July 20,

1818..................................................262



To Joseph Milligan, October 25,

1818.......................................................263



To Nathaniel Bowditch, October 26,

1818.................................................264



To Marquis de Lafayette, November 23,

1818...........................................268



To Henry Dearborn, July 5,

1818...............................................................270



To Elijah Griffith, May 15,

1820.................................................................273



To James Monroe, August 13,

1821..........................................................274



To Levett Harris, December 12,

1821........................................................277



To John Quincy Adams, July 18,

1824.......................................................278



To James Madison; September 24,

1824...................................................278

















        Contents      xv







SUPPLEMENTARY MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE GOVERN-



MENT COLLECTION-Continued.



To Messrs. Adams, Fitzuhuylson and Brocken-



brough, October 18,

1824......................................................................279



To Marquis de Lafayette, January 16,

1825............................................280



To William H. Crawford, February 15,

1825..........................................282



To Edward Everett, July 21,

1825..........................................................283



To Marquis de Lafayette, August 8,

1825...............................................285



To James Madison, October 18,

1825....................................................286







MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY



COLLECTION. (Letters written from 1780-1781)........................ 293-356



To the Quarter-Masters of Frederick, Hampshire



and Berkeley, December 24,

1780........................................................293



To Major-General Baron Steuben, January 12, 1781............................294



To Major-General Baron Steuben, January 14, 1781............................294



To Colonel Timothy Pickering, January 15,

1781..................................296



To General Nelson, January 16,

1781...................................................297



To Colonel Carvington, January 16,

1781.............................................298



To Baron Steuben, January 19,

1781....................................................298



To Baron Steuben, January 19,

1781....................................................300



To Baron Steuben, January 29,

1781....................................................300



To Governor Nash, of North Carolina, February 2, 1781......................301



To Baron Steuben, February 7,

1781....................................................302



To Baron Steuben, February 7,

1781....................................................303



To the Virginia Delegates in Congress, February 7, 1781

......................304



To General Nelson, February 10,

1781.................................................305



To Baron Steuben, February 12,

1781..................................................306



To Speaker Harrison (House of Burgesses), 



February 12,  

1781...........................................................................

..309



To Baron Steuben, February 13,

1781.................................................310

















xvi        Contents







MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY



COLLECTION---Continued.........................................................

..page



To Baron Steuben, February 15,

1781.............................................311



To Baron Steuben, February 17,

1781.............................................312



To Baron Steuben, February 18,

1781.............................................313



To General Greene, February 19,

1781............................................314



To Baron Steuben, February 21,

1781.............................................315



To the Officer Commanding the Naval Force of



His Most Christian Majesty on the Coast of



Virginia,. February  28,

1781...........................................................316



To Colonel. Pickering, March 4,

1781.............................................317



To the Honorable Judges of the High Court of



Chancery, March 5,

1781...............................................................319



To the Speaker of the House of Delegates, March



9,

1781...........................................................................

...............320



To General Muhlenberg, March 16, 1781.......................................321



To the Speaker of the House of Delegates, March



17,

1781...........................................................................

.............322



To the Speaker of the House of Delegates,



March 17,

1781...........................................................................

..322



To His Excellency the Governor of Hispaniola,



March 24,

1781...........................................................................

..323



To His Excellency Governor Nash, March 24, 1781.......................324



To General Greene, March 24,

1781..............................................326



To Marquis de Lafayette, March 28, 1781.....................................328



To Baron Steuben, April 3,

1771...................................................330



To General Muhlemberg, April 3,

1781..........................................331



To Baron Steuben, April 6,

1781...................................................333



To Major General Nathaniel Greene, April 5, 1781........................334



To Colonel Henry Lee, April 13,

1781...........................................336



To Baron Steuben, April 14,

1781.................................................337



To the County Lieutenants of Fauquier, Lou-



doun, Caroline, Albezriarle, Fluvanna, Gooch-



land and Henrico, April  14,

1781..................................................338



vol xix - B

















        Contents     xvii







MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY



COLLECTION--Continued



To the Honorable Richard Henry Lee, April 16,1781......................340



To General Muhlenberg, April 16,

1781..........................................341



To John Page, April 18,

1781.........................................................342



To Baron Steuben, April 20,

1781..................................................343



To Marquis de Lafayette, April 23,

1781........................................344



To the President of the Board of War, April 25, 1781.....................345   

  



To Baron Steuhen, April 26,

1781..................................................346



To Marquis de Lafayette, May 6,

1781..........................................348



To His Excellency General Washington and the



Honorable Virginia Delegates in Congress,



May 10,

1781...........................................................................

....348



To His Excellency President Reid, May 22, 1781...........................349



To Major Richard Claiborne, May 23, 1781..................................350



To Marquis de Lafayette, May 29,

1781........................................352



To the County Lieutenants of York, New Kent,



Hanover, Gloucester, King and Queen, King



William, Middlesex, Essex, Caroline, Spotsyl-



vania, Lancaster, Richmond, King George,



Northumberland, Westmoreland, Stafford,



Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun and Berke-



ley, May 29,

1781........................................................................353



To Marquis de Lafayette, May 30, 1781.......................................354



To Marquis de Lafayette, May 30, 1781.......................................355



To the Surveyor of the County of Monongalia,



June 3,

1781...........................................................................

......356











MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA



COLLECTION. An Exact Transcript of the



Minutes of the Board of Visitors of the Uni-



versity of Virginia during the Rectorship of



Thomas

Jefferson..................................................................361-

499























        SUPPLEMENTARY



        MANUSCRIPTS



        FROM



        THE GOVERNMENT COLLECTION













        INTRODUCTORY NOTES.



















   After the publication of the Congressional Edition of the Writings



of Thomas Jefferson, in 1853, a great number of valuable letters and



papers were given to the world. These were mainly drawn from the



archives of the State Department. While the Congressional Edition



served the purpose of a representative selection of the immense



amount of Jefferson manuscripts at Washington, there still remained



(even after later examination and use) an interesting residuum worthy



of preservation in print. To this end a new research was instituted



which resulted in the collection to be found under the " Supplementary



Manuscripts" in the following pages. Therefore, excepting two



letters, one to the Reverend James Madison, October 28, 1785, and



the other to Edward Bancroft, January 26, 1788, both published by



the late Paul Leicester Ford, all these letters and notes are printed for



the first time in the present edition of Jefferson's Writings.







   While it was the original intention to incorporate in this division



of "Supplementary Manuscripts" material never before presented to



the public in connection with Jefferson's works, the two letters to



Madison and Bancroft were considered too important from an his-



torical standpoint to be omitted. In these letters Jefferson expresses



in a most forceful manner his impressions of the French peasantry



before the Revolution of 1789, and. his attitude toward the slave ques-



tion in the United States. Many of the letters touch upon serious



points and problems connected with the acquisition of the Louisiana



territory.







   Manuscripts of the letters are addressed to the celebrated men of



the period such as Washington, Monroe, Kosciusko, the Emperor of



Russia, Humboldt, and equally eminent personages. The group of



letters to Lafayette are probably more interesting than any hitherto



published. This new quota of correspondence covers a period



between 1780-1826, in fact up to a month of the writer s death.







   At Jefferson's death, the great mass of his manuscript papers



Came into the possession of his grandson and namesake, Thomas



Jefferson Randolph. A rough division was made of these papers

















xxiv        Introductory Notes











which separated those of a private nature from those of public char-



acter. In time the public papers were for sale to the United States



Government. The Congress, by an act of the 12th of April, 1848,



made an appropriation of 20,000 for the purpose of purchase. The



Supplementary Manuscripts have all been drawn from the Government



collection. The letters and memoranda have been selected with a



view to sustaining the standard of the preceding volumes. Not



alone do they embrace many of Jefferson's letters to notable corres-



pondents, but maintain the range of abstract thought and practical



suggestion that have placed Jefferson in the foremost rank of the



world's great letter-writers.





















        JEFFERSON'S WORKS.











        MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT COLLECTION.







        TO HORATIO GATES.







             RICHMOND, NOVEMBER 4, 1780.



 SIR,-Since my last to you the enemy have with-



drawn their force from the north side of James river



and have taken post at Portsmouth which we are



told they are fortifying. They have been some dis-



tance above Suffolk, but at present have retired below



that place. More accurate information of their force



than we at first had gives us reason to suppose them



from 2,500 to 3,000, of which 60 or 70 are cavalry.



They are commanded by Major-General Leslie and



were conveyed by the Romulus of 40 guns, the



Blonde of 32, the Delight sloop of 16, a 20-gun ship



of John Goodriche's and 2 row gallies conveying a



32-pounder in their bows, commanded by Commo-



dore Gayton. We are not yet assured that they



have landed their whole force ; indeed they give out



themselves that after drawing the force of this State



to Suffolk they mean to go to Baltimore. Their







  VOL. XIX-I

















2        Jefferson's Works







movements here had induced me to think they came



in expectation of meeting Lord Cornwallis in this



country; that his precipitate retreat has left them



without concerted object and that they wait for



further orders. Information yesterday said that on



being informed of Lord Cornwallis's retreat and a



public paper produced to them, wherein were printed



the dispatches you sent on. that head, they unladed



a vessel and sent her off either to Charleston or New



York. The fate of this army of theirs hangs on a



very slender naval force indeed.







  I am, with the greatest esteem and respect, Sir,



your obedient and most humble servant.















          TO WILLIAM CARMICHAEL.







                     PARIS, June 22, 1755.



  SIR,-Your letter of April 4 came to my hands on



the 16th of that month and was acknowledged by



mine of May 3. That which you did me the honor



to write on the 5th of April never came to hand till



the 10th of May, unwards of a month after the one



of the day before. I have hopes of sending the



present by a Mr. Jarvis who went from hence to Hol-



land some time ago. About this date I suppose him



to be at Brussels and that from thence he will inform



me whether in his way to Madrid he will pass by this



place. If he does, this shall be accompanied by a



cypher for our future use ; if he does not, I must still



await a safe opportunity. Mr. Jarvis is a citizen of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     3







the United States, from New York, a gentleman of



intelligence, in the mercantile line, from whom you



will be able to get considerable information of Ameri-



can affairs. I think he left America in January. He



informed us that Congress were about to appoint a



Mr. Lambe of Connecticut their consul to Morocco



and to send him to their ministers commissioned to



treat with the Barbary powers for instructions. Since



that, Mr. Jay inclosed to Mr. Adams, in London, a



resolution of Congress deciding definitely on amicable



treaties with the Barbary States in the usual way and



informing him that he had sent a letter and instruc-



tions to us by a Mr. Lambe. Though it is near three



weeks since we received a communication of this



from Mr. Adams, yet we hear nothing further of Mr.



Lambe. Our powers of treating with the Barbary



States are full, but in the amount of the expense we



are limited. I believe you may safely assure them



that they will soon receive propositions from us, if



you find such an assurance necessary to keep them



quiet. Turning at this instant to your letter dated



April 5 and considering it attentively I am persuaded



it must have been written on the 5th of May. Of



this little mistake I ought to have been sooner sensi-



ble. Our latest letters from America are of the



middle of April and are extremely barren of news.



Congress had not yet proposed a time for their recess



though it was thought a recess would take place.



Mr. Morris had retired and the treasury was actually



administered by commissioners. Their land office

















4        Jefferson's Works







was not yet opened. The settlements of Kaskaskia



within the territory ceded to them by Virginia had



prayed the establishment of a regular government



and they were about sending a commissioner to them.



General Knox was appointed their secretary of the



War Office. These I think are the only facts we have



learnt which are worth communicating to you. The



inhabitants of Canada have sent a sensible petition



to their king praying the establishment of an assem-



bly, the benefits of the habeas corpus laws and other



privileges of British subjects. The establishment



of an assembly is denied, but most of their other



desires granted. We are now in hourly expectation



of the arrival of the packet which should have sailed



from New York in May. Perhaps that may bring



us matter which may furnish the subject of a more



interesting letter. In the meantime I have the honor



to be with the highest respect, Sir, your most obedient



and most humble servant.











 July 14, 1785. I have thus long waited day after



day hoping to hear from Mr. Jarvis that I might send



a cypher with this, but now give up the hope. No



news yet of Mr. Lambe. The packet is arrived, but



brings no intelligence except that it is doubtful



whether Congress will adjourn this summer. The



Assembly of Pennsylvania propose their bank on



principles of policy.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     5















          TO FRANCIS HOPKINSON.







                     PARIs, July 6, 1785.



  DEAR SIR,-My last to you was of the 13th of



January. About ten days after that date I received



yours of November 18th ,and about three weeks ago



that of March 28th came, to hand. Soon after the



receipt of the first I published your proposition for



improving the quilling of the harpsicord. I enclose



you a copy of the advertisement. One application



only was made and that was unsuccessful. I do not



despair yet of availing you of it as soon as I can get



acquainted with some of the principal musicians;



but that probably will not be till the beginning of



winter, as all the beau monde leave Paris in the sum-



mer, during which the musical entertainments of a



private nature are suspended. I communicated to



Dr. Franklin your idea of mesmerising the harpsicord.



He has not tried it, probably because his affairs have



been long packed and packing. As I do not play on



that instrument I cannot try it myself.







  The Doctor carries with him a pretty little instru-



ment. It is the sticcado, with glass base instead of



wooden ones, and with keys applied to it. Its prin-



cipal defect is the want of extent, having but three



octaves. I wish you would exercise your ingenuity



to give it an upper and a lower octave, by finding out



other substances which will yield tones on those



parts of the scale, bearing a proper affinity to those



of glass bars. The middle octave of this is very

















6        Jefferson's Works







sweet. Have you any person on Dr. Franklin's



departure to attend to the receiving and forwarding



your volumes of the Encyclopedic as they come out?



If you have not, be pleased to lay your commands



on me. Do not be anxious about remitting the



prices as it would be a convenience to me to have



some little fund in Philadelphia to answer little pur-



poses. I wrote you for newspapers from thence and



shall hope to begin soon to receive them. The dearth



of American information places us as to our own



country in the silence of the grave. I also petitioned



you to know whether I am yet at liberty to permit a



copy to be taken of General Washington's picture,



because till I am I cannot trust it in the hands of a



painter to be finished. Another petition was for a



copy of our " Battle of the Kegs."







  Having slipped the opportunity of sending copies



of my " Notes " .for yourself and Mr. Rittenhouse



when Dr. Franklin's baggage went, T am doubtful



whether he can take them with him. If he can, you



shall receive them by him; if not, then by the first



good opportunity. I am obliged t : pray that they



may not be permitted to get into the hands of the



public till I know whether they will promote or



retard certain reformations in my own country. I



have written to Mr. Madison to inform me on that



head.







  No news. A tolerable certainty of peace leaves



us without that unfortunate species of intelligence



which war furnishes. My daughter is well. I

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      7







enclose a letter from my daughter to Mrs. Hopkinson,



which she wrote four months ago, and has lain by



me till I should write to you. Justice to her obliges



me to take this censure on myself. I take the liberty



of using your cover also for her letter to Miss Hetty



Rittenhouse.







 Present my most friendly respects to Mrs. Ritten-



house both of that name, to Mr. Rittenhouse and



family and accept assurances of the esteem with



which I am, dear Sir, your friend and servant.







 July 8th. P. S. Since writing the above, yours



of April 20 is put into my hands. I will pray you



to send the newspapers-trimming off the margins-



as the postage is not an object of so much value with



me as the knowing something of what is passing in



my own country. Whenever I find an opportunity



of sending you a copy of my " Notes " I shall send



also the Bibliotheque Physique to you. It is a col-



lection of all the improvements in the arts which have



been made for some time past. Let me add another



commission to those above given you, that is, to pre-



sent mine and my daughter's affectionate remem-



brance to Mrs. House and to Mrs. Trist if she be



returned. From the latter I shall hope for letters



as soon as she returns. I would write to her but for



the uncertainty where she is.

















8        Jefferson's Works











          TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.







                     PARIS, July 10, 1785.



 DEAR SIR,-Mr. Houdon would much sooner have



the honor of attending you but for a spell of sickness



which long gave us to despair of his reco very and from



which he is but recently recovered. He comes now



for the purpose of lending the aid of his art to trans-



mit you to posterity. He is without rivalship in it,



being employed from all parts of Europe in whatever



is capital. He has had a difficulty to withdraw him-



self from an order of the Empress of Russia a diffi-



culty which arose from a desire to show her respect,



but which never gave him a moment's hesitation



about his present voyage which he considers as



promising the brightest chapter in his history. I



have spoken of him as an artist only; but I can



assure you also that as a man he is disinterested,



generous, candid. and panting after glory ; in every



circumstance meriting your good opinion. He will



have need to see you much while he will have the



honor of being with you, which you can the more



freely admit as his eminence and merit give him



admission into genteel societies here. He will need



an interpreter. I supposed you could procure some



person from Alexandria who might be agreeable to



yourself to perform this office. He brings with him



a subordinate workman or two, who of course will



associate with their own class only.







  On receiving the favor of your letter of February

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      9







25, I communicated the plan for clearing the Poto-



mac, with the act of assembly and an explanation



of its probable advantages, to Mr. Grand, whose



acquaintance and connection with the moneyed men



here enabled him best to try its success. He has



done so, but, to no end. I enclose you his letter. I



am pleased to hear in the meantime that subscrip-



tions were likely to be filled up at home. This is



infinitely better, and will render the proceedings of



the companies much more harmonious. I place an



immense importance to my own country on this



channel of connection with the new western states.



I shall continue uneasy till I know that Virginia has



assumed her ultimate boundary to the westward.



The late example of the State of Franklin separated



from North Carolina increases my anxieties for Vir-



ginia.







  The confidence you are so good as to place in me



on the subject of the interest lately given you by



Virginia in the Potomac company is very flattering



to me. But it is distressing also, inasmuch as to



deserve it it obliges me to give my whole opinion.



My wishes to see you made perfectly easy' by receiv-



ing these just returns of gratitude from our country,



to which you are entitled, would induce me to be



contented with saying, what is a certain truth, that



the world would be pleased with seeing them heaped



on you, and would consider your receiving them as



no derogation from your reputation. But I must



own that declining them will add to that reputation

















10        Jefferson's Works







as it will show that your motives have been pure and



without any alloy. This testimony, however, is not



wanting either to those who know you or who do not.



I must therefore repeat that I think the receiving



them will not in the least lessen the respect of the



world if from any circumstances they would be con-



venient to you. The candor of my communication



will find its justification, I know, with you.







  A tolerable certainty of peace leaves little interest-



ing in the way of intelligence. Holland and the



Emperor will be quiet; if anything is brewing, it is



between the latter and the Porte. Nothing in pros-



pect as yet from England; we shall bring them,



however, to decision now that Mr. Adams is received



there. I wish much to hear that the canal through



Dismal is resumed€















          TO ST. JOHN DE CREVECOEUR.







                    PARIS, August 22, 1785



   SIR,-I have duly received your favor of the 15th



instant as I had before done that of May 18, but had



not answered it, supposing you would be on your



' passage. Mr. Mazzei delivered safely the packet you



mention. I should have been happy to have seen



you here ; but we are not to expect that pleasure, it



seems, till the fall. The derangement of the packet



boats will need your aid ; and there are doubtless



other circumstances here which may be improved



by your presence. The loss sustained by your

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    11







friend the Countess d'Houdetot in the death of her



brother, has doubtless been participated by you as



by all others of his and her acquaintance. I had



become of that number just early enough to take a



share in it which I did very sincerely.







  The confinement of the Cardinal de Rohan in the



Bastile has doubtless reached you. The public is



not yet possessed of the truth of his story, but from



his character and all other circumstances I have



little doubt that the final decision must be against



him.







  My daughter is well and thanks you for your kind



enquiries. I hope you found all your family and



friends well. I am with great esteem, dear Sir, your



most obedient and humble servant.















             TO JAMES CURRIE.







                PARIs, September 27, 1785



  DEAR SIR,-Your favor of August 5th came to



hand on the 18th instant, and I mark well what you



say, " that my letters shall be punctually answered. "



This is encouraging, and the more so as it proves to



you that in sending your letters in time to arrive at



New York the middle of the month, when the French



packet sails, they get to hand very speedily. The



last was but six weeks from you to me. I thank you



again and again for the details it contains, these



being precisely of the nature I would wish. Of politi-



cal correspondents I can find enough, but I can per-

















12        Jefferson's Works







suade nobody to believe that the small facts which



they see passing daily under their eyes are precious



to me at this distance ; much more interesting to the



heart than events of higher rank. Fancy to yourself



a being who is withdrawn from his connections of



blood, of marriage, of friendship, of acquaintance in



all their gradations, who for years should hear nothing



of what has passed among them, who returns again



to see them and finds the one-half dead. This strikes



him like a pestilence sweeping off the half of man-



kind. Events which had they come to him one by



one and in detail he would have weathered as other



people do, when presented to his mind all at once



are overwhelming. Continue then to give me facts,



little facts, such as you think every one imagines



beneath notice, and your letters will be the most



precious to me. They will place me in imagination



in my own country, and they will place me where I



am happiest. But what shall I give you in return?



Political events are scarcely interesting to a man



who looks on them from high ground. There is



always war in one place, revolution in another, pesti-



lence in a third, interspersed with spots of quiet.



These chequers shift places but they do not vanish,



so that to an eye which extends itself over the whole



earth there is always uniformity of prospect. ,







  For the moment Europe is clear of war. The



Emporor and Dutch have signed articles. These are



not published; but it is believed the Emperor gets



ten millions of florins, the navigation of the Scheld

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     13







to Saptinghen, and two forts, so that your conjecture



is verified and the Dutch actually pay the piper. The



league formed in the Germanic body by the King of



Russia is likely to circumscribe the ambitious views



of the Emperor on that side and there seems to be



no issue for them but on the side of the Turk. Their



demarkation does not advance. It is a pity the



Emperor would not confine himself to internal regu-



lation. In that way he has done much good. One



would think it not so difficult to discover that the



improvement of the country we possess is the surest



means .of increasing our wealth and power. This,



too, promotes the happiness of mankind while the



others destroy it and are always uncertain of their



object. England seems not to permit our friendship



to enter into her political calculations as an article of



any value. Her endeavor is not how to recover our



affections or to bind us to her by alliance, but by



what new experiments she may keep up an existence



without us; thus leaving us to carry our full



weight, present and future, into the scale of her



enemy. and seeming to prefer our enmity to our



neutrality.







  The Barbary corsairs have committed depreda-



tionson us. The Emperor of Morocco took a vessel



last winter which he has since restored with the crew



and cargo. The Algerines took two vessels in July.



These are the only captures which were known of



at Algiers on the 24th of August. I mention this



because the English papers would make the world

















14        Jefferson's Works







believe we have lost an infinite number. I hope soon



to be able to inform our countrymen that these



dangers are ceased







  There is little here to communicate in the arts and



sciences. The great desideratum which was to render



the discovery of the balloon useful, is not absolutely



desperate. There are two artists at Javel, about four



miles from here, who are able to rise and fall at will



without expending their gas, and to deflect 45 degrees from



the course of the wind. The investigations of air



and fire which have latterly so much occupied the



chemists,have not presented anything very interest-



ing for some time past.







  I send you four books, Rolend, Sigaud de la Fond,



Metherie, and Scheele, which will put you in posses-



sion of whatever has been discovered as yet on that



subject. They are packed in a trunk directed to J.



Madison of Orange, which will be carried to Rich-



mond. They are in French, which you say you do



not understand well. You lose infinitely by this,



as you may be assured that the publications in that



language at present far exceed those of England in



science. With respect to the Encyclopedic it is



impossible for me to judge whether to send it to you



or not, as I do not know your degree of knowledge



in the language nor your intentions as to increasing



it. Of this you must decide for yourself and instruct



me accordingly.







  I was unlucky as to the partridges, pheasants,



hares and rabbits which I had ordered to Virginia.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     15







The vessel in which I came over was to have returned



to Virginia and to Warwick. I knew I could rely on



the captain's care. A fellow-passenger undertook



to provide them. He did so, but the destination of



the vessel was changed and the poor colonists all died



while my friend was looking out for another convey-



ance.







  If I can be useful to your circulating library, the



members may be assured of my zealous services. All



books except English, Latin and Greek are bought



here for about two-thirds of what they cost in Eng-



land. They had better distribute their invoices



accordingly. .I must trouble you to present assur-



ances of my friendship to Mr. and Mrs. Randolph of



Tuckahoe, Mr. Cary, and their families. My attach-



ment to them is sincere. I wish I could render them



useful to them. Tell Mr. Cary I shall enjoy a very



real pleasure whenever he shall carry his intentions



of writing me into execution and that there is no one



who more fervently wishes him well.







 Accept yourself assurances of the esteem with



which I am, dear Sir, your friend and servant.















        TO REVEREND JAMES MADISON.







             FONTAINEBLEAU, Oct. 28, 1785



  DEAR SIR,-Seven o'clock, and retired to my fire-



side, I have determined to enter into conversation



with you. This is a village of about 15,000 inhab-



itants when the court is not here, and 20,000 when

















16        Jefferson's Works







they are, occupying a valley through which runs a



brook and on each side of it a ridge of small moun-



tains, most of which are naked rock. The King comes



here, in the fall always, to hunt. His court attend



him, as do also the foreign diplomatic corps ; but as



this is not indispensably required and my finances do



not admit the expense of a continued residence here,



I propose to come occasionally to attend the King's



levees, returning again to Paris, distant forty miles.



This being the first trip, I set out yesterday morning



to take a view of the place. For this purpose I



shaped my course towards the highest of the moun-



tains in sight, to the top of which was about a league







  As soon as I had got clear of the town I fell in with



a poor woman walking at the same rate with myself



and going the same course. Wishing to know the



condition of the laboring poor I entered into conver-



sation with her, which I began by enquiries for the



path which would lead me into the mountain: and



thence proceeded to enquiries into her vocation, con-



dition and circumstances. She told me she was a day



laborer at 8 sous or 4d. sterling the day : that she had



two children to maintain, and to pay a rent of 30



livres for her house (which would consume the hire



of 75 days), that often she could get no employment



and of course was without bread. As we had walked



together near a mile and she had so far served me as



a guide, I gave her, on parting, 24 sous. She burst



into tears of a gratitude which I could perceive was



unfeigned because she was unable to utter a word.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    17







She had probably never before received so great an



aid. This little attendrissement, with the solitude of



my walk, led me into a train of reflections on that



unequal division of property which occasions the



numberless instances of wretchedness which I had



observed in this country and is to be observed all over



Europe.







  The property of this country is absolutely con-



centred in a very few hands, having revenues of from



half a million of guineas a year downwards. These



employ the flower of the country as servants, some



of them having as many as 200 domestics, not labor-



ing. They employ also a great number of manufac-



turers and tradesmen; and lastly the class of laboring



husbandmen. But after all there comes the most



numerous of all classes, that is, the poor who



cannot find work. I asked myself what could be the



reason so many should be permitted to beg who are



willing to work, in a country where there is a very



considerable proportion of uncultivated lands ? These



lands are undisturbed only for the sake of game. it



should seem then that it must be because of the enor-



mous wealth of the proprietors which places them



above attention to the increase of their revenues by



permitting these lands to be labored. I am con-



scious that an equal division of property is imprac-



ticable, but the consequences of this 'enormous



inequality producing so much misery to the bulk



of mankind, legislators cannot invent too many



devices for subdividing property, only taking care







   VOL. XIX-2

















18        Jefferson's Works







to let their subdivisions go hand in hand with the



natural affections of the human mind. The descent



of property of every kind therefore to all the children,



or to all the brothers and sisters, or other relations in



equal degree, is a politic measure and a practicable



one. Another means of silently lessening the in-



equality of property is to exempt all from taxation



below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions



or property in geometrical progression as they rise.



Whenever there are in any country uncultivated lands



and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of



property have been so far extended as to violate



natural right. The earth is given as a common stock



for man to labor and live on. If for the encourage-



ment of industry we allow it to be appropriated, we



must take care that other employment be provided



to those excluded from the appropriation. If we do



not, the fundamental right to labor the earth returns



to the unemployed. It is too soon yet in our country



to say that every man who cannot find employment,



but who can find uncultivated land, shall be at liberty



to cultivate it, paying a moderate rent. But it is



not too soon to provide by every possible means that



as few as possible shall be without a little portion of



land. The small landholders are the most precious



part of a state.







 The next object which struck my attention in my



walk was the deer with which the wood abounded.



They were of the kind called " Cerfs, " and not exactly



of the same species with ours. They are blackish

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     19







indeed under the belly, and not white as ours, and



they are more of the chestnut red; but these are



such small differences as would be sure to happen



in two races from the same stock breeding separately



a number of ages. Their hares are totally different



from the animals we call by that name; but their



rabbit is almost exactly like him. The only differ-



ence is in their manners ; the land on which I walked



for some time being absolutely reduced to a honey-



comb by their burrowing. I think there is no



instance of ours burrowing. After descending the



hill again I saw a man cutting fern. I went to him



under pretence of asking the shortest road to town,



and afterwards asked for what use he was cutting



fern. He told me that this part of the country fur-



nished a great deal of fruit to Paris. That when



packed in straw it acquired an ill taste, but that dry



fern preserved it perfectly without communicating



any taste at all.







  I treasured this observation for the preservation



of my apples on my return to my own country. They



have no apples here to compare with our Redtown



pippin. They have nothing which deserves the



name of a peach ; there being not sun enough to ripen



the plum-peach and the best of their soft peaches



being like our autumn peaches. Their cherries and



strawberries are fair, but I think lack flavor. Their



plums I think are better; so also their gooseberries,



and the pears infinitely beyond anything we possess.



They have nothing better than our sweet-water ; but

















20        Jefferson's Works







they have a succession of as good from early in the



summer till frost. I am to-morrow to get (to) M.



Malsherbes (and uncle of the Chevalier Luzerne's)



about seven leagues from hence, who is the most



curious man in France as to his trees. He is making



for me a collection of the vines from which the Bur-



gundy, Champagne, Bordeaux, Frontignac, and



other of the most valuable wines of this country are



made. Another gentleman is collecting for me the



best eating grapes, including what we call the raisin.



I propose also to endeavor to colonize their hare,



rabbit, red and grey partridge, pheasants of different



kinds, and some other birds. But I find that I am



wandering beyond the limits of my walk and will



therefore bid vou adieu. Yours affectionately.















            TO FRANCIS EPPES.







                 PARIs, December 11, 1785.



 DEAR SIR,-I wrote you by Mr. Fitzhugh Aug. 30



and to Mrs. Eppes by the same conveyance Sept. 22;



in those as in my former letters I had troubled you



on the subject of sending my daughter to me. To the



cautions then suggested I am obliged to add another,



which our situation with respect to the Barbary



powers calls for. You have doubtless heard loose



stories as to their captures on us without being able



to know the certainty. The truth is that the Empe-



ror of Morocco took one vessel from us the last winter,



but he did it merely to induce us to treat. He took

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     21







care of the crew, vessel and cargo and delivered the



whole up for us to the Spanish coast, clothing the



crew well. There is nothing further to be feared from



him, as I think he will settle matters with us on toler-



able terms.







  But the Algerines this fall took two vessels from



us and now have twenty-two of our citizens in.



slavery. Their dispositions are more hostile and



they very possibly will demand a higher tribute



than America will pay. In this event they will



commit depredations on our trade next summer.



I do not think the insurance against them on vessels



coming to France will be worth one-half per cent,



but who can estimate the value of a half per cent on



the fate of a child? My mind revolts at the possi-



bility of a capture, so that unless you hear from



myself-not trusting the information of any other



person on earth-that peace is made with the Alge-



rines, do not send her but in a vessel of French or



English property; for these vessels alone are safe



from prize by the barbarians. Mr. Barclay, our



consul here, expects to go to Philadelphia in the



spring and to return again here. He offers to take



charge of her. She would be then in the best hands



possible and should the time of his return become



well ascertained I will write you on the subject. In



the meantime it need not prevent your embracing



any opportunity which occurs of a sound French or



English ship, neither new nor old, sailing in the



months of April, May, June or July, under the care

















22        Jefferson's Works







of a trusty person. You see how much trouble I



give you till I get this little charge out of your hands.



 Europe is quiet. The treaty between the Emperor



and Dutch signed, and one between France and the



Dutch, very fatal to England. It is called a defen-



sive treaty only, but it is such a one as cannot but



give to France the aid of the Dutch in case of war



with England. Patsy enjoys a perfect state of



health; mine is become more firm. If I continue



through the winter as well as I am now I shall resume



confidence in my constitution. Mr. Short is at



present indisposed with the jaundice. We all pant



for America as will every American who comes to



Europe. Present -us affectionately to Mrs. Eppes



and the little ones. I make her always the bearer



of my kisses to dear Poll. Assure Mrs. and Mr.



Skipwith also of our love and believe me to be, with



the highest esteem, dear Sir, your sincere friend and



servant.







  P. S. I saw in a Virginia paper that somebody



gave me as the author of information that we had



nothing to fear from the Algerines. No such infor-



mation ever went from me. The writer probably.



had not distinguished between the pirates of Algiers



and Morocco. Of the peaceful disposition of the



latter I have written, but never of the former.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     23















          TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.







                   PaRIs, January 4, 1786.



 SIR,-I have been honored with your letter of



September 26, which was delivered me by Mr. Hou-



don, who is safely returned. He has brought with



him a mould of the face only, having left the other



parts of his work with his workmen to come by some



other conveyance. Doctor Franklin, who was joined



with me in the superintendence of this just monu-



ment, having left us before what is called the costume



of the statue was decided on, I cannot so well satisfy



myself as I am persuaded I should not so Well satisfy



the world as by consulting your own wish or inclina-



tion as to this arrangement. Permit me, therefore,



to ask you whether there is any particular dress or



any particular attitude which you would rather wish



to be adopted? I shall take a singular pleasure in



having your own idea executed if you will be so good



as to make it known to me.







  I thank you for the trouble you have taken in



answering my inquiries on the subject of Bushnel's



machine.  Colonel Humphreys could only give me



a general idea of it from the effects produced rather



than the means contrived to produce them.







  I sincerely rejoice that three such works as the



opening the Potomac, the James river, Virginia canal



from the Dismal, are like to be carried through.



There is still a fourth, however, which I had the



honor, I believe, of mentioning to you in a letter of

















24        Jefferson's Works







March 15, 1784, from Annapolis. It is the cutting a



canal which shall unite the heads of Cayahoga and



the Beaver creek. The, utility of this and even the



necessity of it, if we mean to aim at the trade of the



lakes, will be palpable to you. The only question is



its practicability. The best information I could get



as to this was from General Hand, who described the



country as champaign and these waters as heading



in lagoons which would be easily united. Maryland



and Pennsylvania are both interested to concur with



us in this work.







  The institutions you propose to establish by the



shore in the Potomac. and James river companies,



given you by the assembly, and the particular objects



of these institutions are most worthy. It occurs to



me, however, that if the bill for the more general



diffusion of knowledge which is in the revisal should



be passed, it would supersede the use and obscure



the existence of the charity schools you have thought



of. I' suppose in fact that that bill, or some other



like it, will be passed. I never saw one received with



more enthusiasm than that was by the House of



Delegates in the year 1778 and ordered to €be printed



and it seemed afterwards that nothing but the



extreme distress of our resources prevented it being



carried into execution even during the war. It is an



axiom in my mind that our liberty can never be safe



but in the hands of the people themselves, and that;



too, of the people with a certain degree of instruction.



This it is the business of the state to effect, and on a

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    25







general plan. Should you see a probability of this,



however, you can never be at a loss for worthy objects



of this donation. Even the remitting that propor-



tion of the toll on all articles transported would



present itself under many favorable considerations,



and it would in effect be to make the state do, in a



certain proportion, what they ought to have done



wholly ; for I think they should clear all the rivers



and lay them open and free to all. However, you



are infinitely the best judge how the most good may



be effected with these shares.







 All is quiet here. There are, indeed, two specks



in the horizon, the exchange of Bavaria and the



demarcation between the Emperor and Turks. We



may add as a third the interference by the King of



Prussia in the domestic disputes of the Dutch. Great



Britain, it is said, begins to look towards us with a



little more good humor. But how true this may



be I cannot say with certainty. We are trying to



render her commerce as little necessary to us as pos-



sible by finding other markets for our produce. A



most favorable reduction of duties on whale oil has



taken place here, which will give us a vent for that



article, paying a duty of a guinea and a half a tun



only.







 I have the honor to be, with the highest esteem and



respect, dear Sir, your most obedient and most hum-



ble servant.

















26        Jefferson's Works











        TO WILLIAM CARMICHAEL.







                   PARIS, January 13, 1786.



   DEAR SIR,-I had the honor of receiving on the



1st instant your favor of Dec. 17. I had before that,



in a letter of Dec. 8, explained to you the cause of



the bill not being paid which appeared here in your



name, so far as I had been obliged to meddle in it.



My letter to Mr. Grand which I inclosed to you will



have shown you that I advised him to follow what



had been his practice as to your bills. I do assure



you, Sir, most solemnly that as to myself no question



ever arose in my mind but whether the bill was



genuine or not; and that had that been ascertained



I should never have presumed to doubt the propriety



of the draught. Of that you alone are the judge in



my opinion and accountable to nobody but Congress ;



but least of all to me who have nothing to do with the



application of the moneys here and am only forced



into the temporary interference by Mr. Grand's



refusal to pay anything but on my order. I have



sent representations on this subject to the board of



the treasury, and shall expect ere long to communi-



cate their orders to Mr. Grand for exercising this



office himself according to the rules they shall lay



down for his government.







 The mention made in your letter of some articles



of expense occasions me to observe to you that post-



age and couriers are allowed to be charged by an



express resolution of Congress. That etrennes and





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    27







house-rent have likewise been charged by the minis-



ters and allowed in the settlement of their accounts.



I conceive that illuminations and gala may with some



propriety be charged. I think it is the universal



custom tb allow all ministers charges of these descrip-



tions. I think Dr. Franklin told me he had made



diligent enquiry here of the diplomatic corps and had



only charged those things which were sanctioned by



general usage in the diplomatic accounts. I take the



liberty of mentioning these things to you that the



want of information may not occasion you to place



yourself on a worse footing than that on which you



have just title to stand. At the same time I will pray



you to make use of the information only for the erect-



ing of your accounts, as I should be unwilling to be



named as the author of an advice in which I might



seem to be interested. I omitted to observe on the



subject of your bill of exchange that I have not had



an opportunity of recurring to the letters written by



yourself and Mr. Grand to which you refer me. We



have been in expectation of receiving a renewal of



the bill and that you would be so good as to accom-



pany it with a letter of advice, a precaution which



the innumerable forgeries of this city are thought to



render necessary even in private cases.







  I suppose you will have heard that Dr. Franklin



is appointed President of Pennsylvania and has



accepted the office. Houdon went over on account



of the State of Virginia to take the moulds of General



Washington in order to make his statue. He is







,

















28        Jefferson's Works







returned. He tells me that he heard of the safe



arrival of the ass which the King of Spain had been



so generous as to send to the General. He could not



tell me where he was arrived. A letter from General



Washington of Nov. 2 informs me that of L50,000



sterling necessary for opening the Potomac, L44,000



was actually made up and no fear of procuring the



balance so that the work is begun. The whole money



for opening James river is made up. This is the only



American news I have worth communicating.







 This government has lately reduced the duties on



American whale oil to a guinea and a half a tun which



will draw that commerce from London wholly to this



country. Mr. Adams having made complaint to the



court of London of the ill behavior of Captain Stan-



hope I am informed though not from him that they



disavow his conduct and have severely reprimanded



him and given this official information to Mr. Adams.



He also required a re-delivery of our prisoners sent



to the East Indies. They have informed him that



they have given orders for their being brought back.



Mr. Barclay will have the honor of delivering you this



and of supplying any intelligence I may omit. I am



sure you will give him all the aid in your power as



to his object. Accept from me assurances of the



sincere esteem with which I have the honor to



be, dear Sir, your most obedient and most humble



servant.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts 29















        TO JAMES MADISON.











  LONDON, April 25, 1786.







  DEAR SIR,-Some of the objects of the joint com-



mission with which we were honored by Congress



called me to this place about six weeks ago. To-



morrow I set out on my return to Paris. With this



nation nothing is done and it is now decided that



they intend to do nothing with us. The King is



against a change of measures, his ministers are



against it, some from principle, others from attach-



ment to their places, and the merchants and people



are against it. They sufficiently value our com-



merce, but they are quite persuaded they shall enjoy



it on their own terms. This political speculation



fosters the warmest feeling in the King's heart, that



is his hatred to us. If ever he should be forced to



make any terms with us it will be by events which



he does not foresee. He takes no pains at present



to hide his aversion. Our commission expiring m a



fortnight there is an end of all further attempts on our



part to arrange matters between the two countries.



The treaty of peace being yet unexecuted it remains



that each party conduct themselves as the combined



considerations of justice and of caution require.







  We have had conversations on the subject of



our debts with the chairman of the committee of



American merchants here. He was anxious for



arrangements. He was sensible that it was for the



interest of the creditors as well as debtors to allow







i





















30        Jefferson's Works







time for the payment of the debts due to this country



and did not seem to think the time taken by Virginia



was more than enough. But we could not help



agreeing with him that the courts should be open



to them immediately, judgments recoverable, the



executions to be divided into so many equal and



annual parts as will admit the whole to be paid by



the year 1790 and that the payments should be in



money and not in anything else. IE our law is not



already on this footing I wish extremely it were put



on it.







 When we proceeded to discuss the sum which



should be paid we concurred in thinking that the



principal and interest preceding and subsequent to



the war should be paid. As to interest during the



war the chairman thought it justly demandable ; we



thought otherwise. I need not recapitulate to you



the topics of arguments on each side. He said the



renunciation of this interest was a bitter pill which



they could not swallow. Perhaps he would have



agreed to say nothing about it, not expecting to



receive it in most cases, yet willing to take the chance



of it where debtors or juries should happen to be



favorably disposed. We should have insisted on



an express declaration that this interest should not



be demandable. These conferences were intended



as preparatory to authoritative propositions, but the



minister not condescending to meet us at all on the



subject they ended in nothing. I think the mer-



chants here do not expect to recover interest during





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    31







the war in general though they are of opinion they



are entitled to it.







  I wrote you in a former letter on the subject of a



Mr. Paradise who owns an estate in Virginia in right



of his wife and who has a considerable sum due him



in our loan office. Since I came here I have had



opportunity of knowing his extreme personal worth



and his losses by the lace war. He is from principle



a pure republican while his father was as warm a tory.



His attachment to the American cause and his candid



warmth brought him sometimes into altercations on



the subject with his father, and some persons inter-



ested in their variance artfully brought up this sub-



ject of conversation whenever they met. It pro-



duced a neglect in the father. He had already settled



on him a sum of money in the funds, but would do no



more and probably would have undone that if he



could. When remittances from Virginia were for-



bidden the profits of the Virginia estate were carried



into our loan office. Paradise was then obliged to



begin to eat his capital in England; from that to



part with conveniences and to run in debt.







  His situation is now distressing and would be com-



pletely relieved could he receive what is due him from



our state. He is coming over to settle there. His



wife and family will follow him. I never ask unjust



preferences for anybody ; but if by any just means he



can be helped to his money, I own I would be much



gratified. The goodness of his heart, his kindness



to Americans before, during and since the war, the





















32        Jefferson's Works







purity of his political and moral character, interest



me in the events pending over him arid which will



infallibly be ruinous if he fails to receive his money.



I ask of you on his behalf that in pursuing the path



of right you will become active for him instead of



being merely quiescent were his merit and his mis-



fortunes unknown to you.







  I have put into the hands of Mr. Fulwar Skipwith



for you a packet containing some catalogues which



he will forward. I am with sincere esteem, ' dear Sir,



your friend and servant.



















             TO PHILIP MAZZEI.











                MARSEILLES, April 4, 1787







  DEAR SIR; I have had the pleasure of finding your



friend Soria alive, and one of the most considerable



merchants here. I delivered him your letter and he



has shown me all the attentions which the state of



his mind would permit. A few days before my



arrival his only son had eloped with jewels and



money to the value of ,40,000 livres and I believe



is not yet heard of. He speaks of you with friend-



ship and will be happy to see you on your way south-



wardly. He has promised to make me acquainted



with a well-informed gardener whom I expect to find



among the most precious of my acquaintances. From



men of that class I have derived the most satisfactory



information in the course of my journey and have



sought their acquaintance with as much industry as





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     33







I have avoided that of others who would have made



me waste my time (illegible] good society. For these



objects one need not leave Paris. I find here several



interesting articles of culture; the best [illegible]



the best grapes for drying, a smaller [illegible] the



same purposes without a seed, from Smyrna, olives,



capers, pistachio nuts, almonds. All these articles



may succeed on or southward of the Chesapeake.



From hence my inclination would lead me no further



[illegible] as I. am to see little more than a rocky



coast. But I am [illegible) here with the hopes of



finding something useful in the rice-fields of Pied-



mont, which are said to be but a little way beyond



the Alps. It will probably be the middle of June



before I get back to Paris. In the meantime I wish



to observe that if this absence, longer than you had



calculated, should render an earlier pecuniary supply



necessary, lodge a line for me at Aix poste restant



where I shall find it about the last of this month and



I shall with great pleasure do what may be needful



for you.







  Be so good as to present my respects to the Maison



de ia Rochefoucault and accept yourself my sincere



assurances of esteem and regard from, dear Sir, your



affectionate friend and humble servant.



























   VOL. xix-3





















34        Jefferson's Works















            TO LABBE D'ARNAL.











                      PARIS, July 9, 1787







  DEAR SIR,-I had the honor of informing you when



at Nismes that we had adopted in America a method



of hanging the upper stone of a grist mill which had



been found so much more convenient than the



ancient as to have brought it into general use.



Whether we derive the invention from Europe or



have made it ourselves I am unable to say. The



difference consists only in the spindle and horns.



On the former plan the horns were of a single piece



of iron in the form of a cross with a square hole in



the middle, which square hole fitted on the upper end



of the spindle. The horns were then fixed in cross



grooves in the bottom of the upper stone which was



to be laid on the spindle so as that the place of its



grinding surface would be perfectly perpendicular



to the spindles. This was a difficult and tedious



operation and was to be repeated every time the



stones were dressed. According to our method two



distinct pieces of iron are substituted for the horns.







The one in this form a of such breadth



and thickness as to support the whole weight of the



stone. Its straight ends are to be firmly fixed in one



of the cross grooves of the stone, the circular part



should rise through the hole in the center of the



stone so as to be near its upper surface ; in the middle



of this semicircular part and on the under surface-





















        Supplementary Manuscripts      35







at " 'a '-should be a dimple to which the upper end of



the spindle should be adjusted by giving it a convexity



fitted? to the concavity of the dimple. The other piece



of iron is only a straight bar to be firmly fixed in



the other of the cross grooves of the stone and to







have a square hole in its center, thus : --o- --



the corresponding part of the spindle must be squared



to fit this hole. The office of the first piece of iron



is to suspend the stone, that of the last is to give and



continue its motion. The stones being dressed and



these pieces firmly fixed in it, it is turned over on



the spindle so that the point of the spindle may enter



the dimple of the semicircular iron, and the stone



be suspended on it freely. It will probably not take



at first its true position, which is that of the plane of



its grinding surface being truly perpendicular to the



spindle.







  The workman must, therefore, chip it at the top



with a chisel till it hangs in that just position. This



being once done it is done forever ; for whenever they



dress the stone afterwards they have only to return



the upper one to its point and it will resume its



equilibrium. It sometimes happens that one side



of the stone being softer than the other wears faster



and so the equilibrium is lost in time. Experience



has shown that a small departure from the equili-



brium will be rectified by the bed stone which serves



as a guide to the running stone till it assumes its



motion in a true plane which it will afterwards keep.

























36        Jefferson's Works











But should a defect of the stone render this departure



from the equilibrium too considerable it may be



necessary to set it to rights at certain periods by



chipping it again on the top. I had promised, when



I had the honor of seeing you at Nismes, to send you



a model of this manner of fixing the mill-stones, but



the expense of sending a model by post, the danger



of its being lost or destroyed by the messagerie, and



the hope that I could render it intelligible by a



description and figures, have induced me to prefer



the latter method. I shall with great pleasure give



any further explanations which may be necessary for



your perfect comprehension of it, and the more so



as it will furnish me with new occasions of assuring



you of those sentiments of respect and esteem with



which I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient



and most humble servant.







                        TO JOHN ADAMS.











                                PARIS, July 23, 1797







             DEAR SIR--Frouille, the bookseller here who is



engaged in having your book translated and printed,



understanding that you are about publishing a sequel



to it, has engaged me to be the channel of his prayers



to you to favor his operation by transmitting hither



the sheets of the sequel as they shall be printed ; and



he will have them translated by the same hand,



which is a good one.







  It is necessary for one to explain the passage in





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     37







Mr. Barclay's letter of July 13 of which he writes me



he had sent you a duplicate wherein he mentions that



I had given him a full dispensation from waiting on



you in London. Mr. Barclay was arrested in Bor-



deaux for debt and put into prison. The Parliament



released him after five days on the footing of his



being consul and minister from the United States to



Morocco. His adversaries applied here to deprive



him of his privilege. I spoke on the subject to the



minister. He told me that the character of consul



was no protection at all from private arrest, but that



he would try to avail him of the other character. I



found, however, that the event might be doubtful



and stated the whole in a letter to Mr. Barclay,



observing at the same time that I knew of nothing



which rendered it necessary for him to come to Paris



before his departure for America. He determined,



therefore, to go to America immediately, which



indeed was his wisest course as he would have been



harassed immediately by his creditors.







  Our funds here have been out some time and Mr.



Grand is at the length of his tether in advancing for



us. He has refused very small demands for current



occasions and I am not clear he will not refuse my



usual one for salary. He has not told me so, but I



am a little diffident of it. I shall know in a few days



whether he does or not. I cannot approve of his



protesting small and current calls. Having had



nothing to do with any other banker I cannot say



what their practice is, but I suppose it their practice

















38        Jefferson's Works







to advance for their customers when their funds



happen to be out in proportion to the sums which



they pass through their hands. Mr. Grand is a very



sure banker, but a very timid one, and I fear he thinks



it possible that he may lose his advances for the



United States. Should he reject my draught, would



there be any prospect of its being answered in Hol-



land? Merely for my own and Mr. Short's salaries,



say 4,500 livres a month? You will have heard that



the Emperor has put troops into march on account



of the disturbances in Brabant. The situation of



affairs in Holland you know better than I do. How



will they end ? I have the honor to be, with senti-



ments of the most profound esteem and respect, dear



Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant.







          TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.











                   PARIS, August 6, 1787.







 DEAR SIR,-This will be handed you by Doctor



Gibbons, a young gentleman who after studying



physic and taking his degrees at Edinburgh has



passed some time ,here. He has desired the honor



of being known to you, and I find a pleasure in being



the instrument of making him so. It is a tax to



which your celebrity submits you. Every man of



the present age will wish to have the honor of having



known, and being known to you. You will find



Doctor Gibbons to possess learning, genius and merit.



A.s such I ask leave to present him to you, and of













        Supplementary Manuscripts     39







assuring you at the same time of the sentiments of



profound respect and esteem, with which I have the



honor to be your Excellency's most obedient and



most humble servant.







             TO JOHN ADAMS.







                 PARIS, December 31, 1787.







  DEAR SIR,-Mr. Parker furnishes me an oppor-



tunity of acknowledging the receipt of your favors of



November I o, December 6, 10, 18, and 25, which I



avoid doing through post. The orders on the sub-



ject of our captives at Algiers have come to me by



the last packet. They are to be kept secret even



from the captives themselves lest a knowledge of



the interference of government should excite to



extravagant demands. The settlement of the prices



in the first instance is important as a precedent.



Willincks and Van Staphorsts answered that they



had money enough to pay the February interest and



our draughts for salary for some time, but that the



payment of Fiseaux's capital would oblige them to



advance of their own money. They observed, too,



that the payment of such a sum without the orders



of the treasury would lay them under an unnecessary



responsibility. I therefore concluded the business



by desiring them to pay the year's interest becoming



due to-morrow and paying Mr. Fiseaux to quiet the



lenders with that till I could procure the orders of



the treasury to whom I wrote immediately an account





















40        Jefferson's Works







of the whole transaction. I was the better satisfied



with this on receiving your letter of the z 5th by which



I find it your opinion that our credit may not suffer



so materially. The declining the payment came



from the Willincks, the Van Staphorsts having



offered to advance their money. I enclose you a



letter I have received from the Comptroller General



and an asset on the subject of our commerce. They



are the proof sheets, as, at the moment of my writing



my letter I have not yet received the fair ones, but



the French columns are correct enough to be under-



stood. I would wish them not to be public till they



are made so on the other side of the water. I think



the alliance of this court with the two imperial ones



is going on well. You will have heard of the Em-



peror's having attempted to surprise Belgrade and



failed in the attempt. This necessarily engaged him



in the war and so tends to continue it. I think it



settled that this court abandons the Turks.







  Mr. Parker takes charge of the ten ounces of double



Florence for Mrs. Adams, the silk stockings are not



yet ready. I had ordered them to be made by the



hermits of Mont Calvaire who are famous for the



excellence and honesty of their work and prices.



They will come by the first good opportunity. Be



so good as to present my respects to her and to be



assured of the sineere attachment and respect of,



dear Sir, your most obedient and most humble



servant.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    41







          TO EDWARD BANCROFT.







                 PARIS, January 26, 1788.







 DEAR SIR,-I have deferred answering your letter



on the subject of slaves because you permitted me



to do it till a moment of leisure, and that moment



rarely comes, and because, too, I could not answer



you with such a degree of certainty as to merit



any notice. I do not recollect the conversation



at Vincennes to which you allude, but can repeat



still on the same ground on which I must have done



then that as far as I can judge from the experiments



Which have been made to give liberty to, or rather



abandon, persons whose habits have been formed in



slavery is like abandoning children. Many Quakers



in Virginia seated their slaves on their lands as ten-



ants; they were distant from me, and therefore I



cannot be particular in the details because I never



had very particular information. I cannot say



whether they were to pay a rent in money or a share



of the produce, but I remember that the landlord was



obliged to plan their crops for them, to direct all their



operations during every season and according to the



weather ; but what is more afflicting, he was obliged



to watch them daily and almost constantly to make



them work and even to whip them. A man's moral



sense must be unusually strong if slavery does not



make him a thief. He who is permitted by law to



have no property of his own can with difficulty con-



ceive that property is founded in anything but force.

















42        Jefferson's Works







These slaves chose to steal from their neighbors



rather than work ; they became public nuisances and



in most instances were reduced to slavery again.



But I will beg of you to make no use of this imperfect



information (unless in common conversation). I



shall go to America in the spring and return in the



fall. During my stay in Virginia I shall be in the



neighborhood where many of these trials were made.



I will inform myself very particularly of them and



communicate the information to you.







  Besides these there is an instance since I came



away of a young man (Mr. Mays) who died and



gave freedom to all his slaves, about zoo; this is



about a year ago. I shall know how they have



turned out. Notwithstanding the discouraging re-



sult of these experiments I am decided on my final



return to America to try this one. I shall endeavor



to import as many Germans as I have grown slaves.



I will settle them and my slaves on farms of fifty



acres each, intermingled, and place all on the footing



of the Metayers (Medictani) of Europe. Their chil-



dren shall be brought up as others are in habits of



property and foresight, and I have no doubt but that



' they will be good citizens. Some of their fathers will



be so, others I suppose will need government; with



these all that can be done is to oblige them to



labor as the laboring poor of Europe do, and to



apply to their comfortable subsistence the produce



of their labor, retaining such a moderate portion of



it as may be a just equivalent for the use of the





















        Supplementary Manuscripts      43







lands they labor and the stocks and other necessary



advances.







 A word now on Mr. Paradise's affairs. You were



informed at the time of the arrangement they had



established in their affairs, to wit, reserving four hun-



dred pounds a year for their subsistence, abandoning



the rest of their income, about four hundred pounds



more, all their credits (one which is eight hundred



pounds from an individual and another is one thou-



sand pounds from the State), and the cutting of a



valuable wood, to their creditors. Their whole debts



amounting but to two thousand three hundred



pounds, the term of payment cannot be long if this



arrangement can be preserved. I had hoped that



the journey to Italy would have fixed Mrs. Paradise



with her daughter and left him free to travel or tarry



where he liked best, but this journey has been a bur-



den instead of a relief to their affairs. In fact it is



evident to me that the society of England is neces-



sary for the happiness of Mrs. Paradise and is perhaps



the most agreeable to Mr. Paradise also; it is an



object, therefore, to obtain the concurrence of their



creditors in the arrangements taken. The induce-



ment to be proposed to them is Miss Paradise joining



in a deed in which these dispositions shall be stipu-



lated (which by the laws of Virginia will bind her



property there) so that the creditors would be



secured of their debts in the event of Mr. Para-



dise's death. The inducement to Mr. and Mrs.



Paradise is that their persons and property shall

















44        Jefferson's Works







be free from molestation and their substance not



consumed at law.







 We suppose that the creditors will name one trus-



tee and Mr. Paradise another (yourself), fully and



solely authorized to receive all remittances from



America, to pay to them first their subsistence money



and the rest to the creditors till they are fully paid.







 Miss Paradise will set out in a few days for London



to set her hand to this accommodation ; in the mean-



time they hope you will prepare the ground by nego-



tiating the settlement with the creditors; as far as



I have any influence with Mr. or Mrs. Paradise I used



it and shall use it for the joint interests, of their



creditors and themselves, for I view it was clearly



their interest to reduce themselves to as moderate



an expense as possible till their debts are paid ; if this



can be effected before my departure in April I will



not only aid it here, but have anything done which



may be necessary in Virginia when I go there, such



as the recording the deed, etc. This journey of Mr.



Paradise's will also be an experiment whether their



distresses will not be lighter when separated than



while together. I shall always be glad to hear from



you. Since Mr. Adams' departure I have need of



information from that country and should rely much



on yours; it will always therefore be acceptable. I



am with very sincere esteem, dear Sir, your friend



and servant.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     45











        TO THE COUNTESS BARZIZA.











                      PARIS, July 8, 1788.







  MADAM,-The letter of March 15, which you did



me the honor to address me, came during my absence



on a journey through Holland and Germany, and my



first attentions after my return were necessarily



called to some objects of business of too pressing a



nature to be postponed. This has prevented my



acknowledging as soon as I could have wished the



honor of receiving your letter. The welcome recep-



tion which Mr. and Mrs. Paradise met with in Vir-



ginia was due to their own merit which had been



well known there before their arrival, and to the



esteem for your family entertained in that country.



You would experience the same, Madam, were any



consideration to tempt you to leave for a while your



present situation to visit the. transatlantic seat of



your ancestors. Heaven has already blessed you



with one child, for which accept my sincere congratu-



lations. It may perhaps multiply these blessings



on you and in that event your family estate in Vir-



ginia may become a handsome and happy establish-



ment for a younger child. It will be a welcome



present to a country which will continue to think it



has some claims on you. I felicitate you on the



prospect of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Paradise at Venice.



The happiness of your situation, your virtues and



those of the Count Barziza will contribute to re-estab-



lish that tranquillity of mind which an unhappy loss

















46        Jefferson's Works







has disturbed and continues to disturb. Sensibility



of mind is indeed the parent of every virtue, but it is



the parent of much misery too. Nobody is more its



victim than Mr. Paradise. Your happiness, your



affection and your attentions can alone restore his



serenity of mind. I am sure it will find repose in



these sources, and that your virtues and those of the



Count Barziza will occupy his mind in thinking on



what he possesses rather than on what he has lost,



and in due time to deliver him up fully to your



affections.







  I wish to you, Madam, a continuance of all those



circumstances of happiness which surround you, and



have the honor to be, with sentiments of the most



perfect esteem and respect, Madam, your most obe-



dient and most humble servant.







            TO C. W. F. DUMAS.







                    PARIS, July 30, 1788.







 SIR,-Your favor of the 24th has just come to hand



and that of the 20th June had never been acknowl-



edged. I congratulate you on the news just received



of the accession of New Hampshire to the new Con-



stitution, which suffices to establish it. I have the



honor to inclose you details on that subject, as also



on the reception of Mr. Adams, which you will be so



good as to reduce to such a size as may gain admis-



sion into the Leyden gazette. We may take a little



glory to ourselves, too, on the victory of our Paul





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     47







Jones over the Turks commanded by the Captain



Pacha, and we may be assured, if it has, been as signal



as the Russians say, that Constantinople will be bom-



barded by that officer. Why did the Swedish fleet



salute the Russian instead of attacking it ? It would



make one suspect that their whole movements had



in view to divert the Russian fleet from going round



if it could be done by hectoring without engaging in



the war, well understood that Turkey pays and



England guarantees them against all events. It is



scarcely possible, however, that all these things can



pass over without a war. I think the internal affairs



of this country will be settled without bloodshed.



I have the honor to be, with very great esteem and



respect, Sir, your most obedient humble servant.







              TO JOHN JAY.











                 PARIS, September 5, 1788.







 SIR,-I wrote you the 3d instant and have this



day received Mr. Remsen 's favor of July 25, written



during your absence at Poughkeepsie, and enclosing



the ratification of the loan of a million florins for



which Mr. Adams had executed bonds at Amsterdam



in March last. The expediency of that loan resulting



from an estimate made by Mr. Adams and myself, and



that estimate having been laid before Congress, their



ratification of the loan induces a presumption that



they will appropriate the money to the objects of the



estimate. I am in hopes, therefore, that orders are

















48        Jefferson's Works







given by the Treasury Board to the commissioners of



loans at Amsterdam to apply these moneys accord-



ingly and especially to furnish as soon as they shall



have it what may be necessary for the redemption



of our captives at Algiers, which is a pressing call.



I am not without anxiety however on this subject,



because in a letter of July 22d, received this day from



the Treasury Board, they say nothing on that subject



nor on the arrearages of the foreign officers. They



indorse me the order of Congress of the 18th of July



for sending to the Treasury Board the books and



papers of the office of foreign accounts. I shall



accordingly put them into the hands of a person



who goes from Paris to-morrow morning by the way



of Havre to America and shall endeavor to prevail



on him to attend them from the place of his landing



to New York that the board may receive them from



the hand which receives them from me.







  The re-establishment of the parliament and revo-



cation of everything which was done on the 8th of



May is expected to take place in three or four days.







  I have the honor to be, with sentiments of the most



perfect esteem and respect, Sir, your most obedient,



and most humble servant.







          TO FRANCIS HOPKINSON.







                PARIS, December 21, 1788.







 DEAR SIR,-My last to you was of May 8 and July



6, that of the latter date was only to enclose a book-





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     49







seller's proposals for sending books to America. The



one of May 8 acknowledged the receipt of yours of



Dec. 16. I informed you also in the letter of May 8



that the vinegar was at length lodged for you in the



hands of M. Limousin at Havre to be forwarded to



the first vessel to Philadelphia. He has never sent



it till the last month and then by a vessel bound to



Baltimore as you will see by the enclosed bill of



lading. However it was in the care of a Mr. Vanet



who was to go in to New York and who I hope



would give you notice of it. The books also which



were lodged with M. Limousin for yourself, Dr.



Franklin and Mr. Rittenhouse remained the whole



winter at Havre. However, I hope you have long



ago received them safe. I sent you as far as the



22d livraison of the Encyclopedie. We are now at



the 29th. To that number, therefore, and what more



may come out before April I, I shall bring to you,



for I have asked of Congress a leave of five or six



months' absence of the next year to carry my family



home and to arrange my affairs there which were



left at sixes and sevens under the idea of soon return-



ing to them.







  I shall hope therefore to see you in the course of



the summer. I have no doubt about continuing to



take out your encyclopaedia because I have had your



express approbation of doing it and you would



expressly desire me to cease if you meant to discon-



tinue. But I am more doubtful as to Dr. Franklin's



because my first doing it for him was without orders











   Vol. xix--4





















50        Jefferson's Works







and he has never intimated to me a wish to continue.



However I shall bring his also, unless he expressly



desires the contrary for which he will still have time



as I shall not sail till the middle of April. Be so good



as to mention these things to him with my sincere



respects.







   Not having one scrap of news in literature or the



arts I must be contented to give you those of the



political world. This country is proceeding steadily



to form a constitution. The noise in the earlier part



of, it threatened violence, but' as yet not a life has



been lost. All hands are employed in drawing plans



of bills of rights. Their States-General will probably



meet in March. They will obtain with little or no



opposition from the court their own periodical meet-



ing, their exclusive right to tax, and a share in the



legislation. Some will aim at a habeas corpus law



and free press. These will not be so sure in the first



session. These occupations render this country very



desirous of peace. The insanity of the King of



England leaves them tolerably sure of it, as regencies



are generally peaceable and there is no other quarter



from which they feared being forced into a war. We



had supposed the war in the North in a fair way of



being stopped when all of a sudden disturbances in



Poland seem to threaten a rupture between Russia



and Poland. In this case the former must make her



peace with the Turks by the cession of the Crimea and



the scene of war will be changed. As yet, however,



the symptoms are not decisive enough to say that it





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     51







will take that turn. I am happy to find our new



Constitution is accepted and our government likely to



answer its purposes better. I hope that the addition



of a bill of rights will bring over to it a greater part



of those now opposed to it; and that this may be



added without submitting the whole to the risk of a



new convention. It would still have one fault in



my eye, that of perpetual re-eligibility of the Presi-



dent. But if my fears on that should be verified in



the experiment I trust to the good sense of our chil-



dren that they will apply the remedy which shall



suit the circumstances then existing. Remember



me affectionately to Mr. Rittenhouse and his family.



Join my daughter in the same greetings as well as in



those I desire you to present to your mother. Be



assured yourself of the sentiments of esteem and



attachment with which I am, dear Sir, your friend



and servant.







  P. S. Jan. 1, 1789. My letter having waited a



conveyance till this date I will add a word on the



rigors of the winter in which we are. They have



been excessive since the middle of November and



are likely to continue. The mercury has been here



as low as 9.5 degrees of Fahrenheit below nought, that is to



say 41.5 degrees below the freezing point, which is more than



was ever known before. I received letters from



Marseilles this morning informing me the winter is



more severe there than it was in 1709, when they



lost all their olive trees. They apprehend the same

















52        Jefferson's Works







calamity now; and it will take twenty years to



replace them.







 Jan. 12. After sealing my letter yours of Oct.



23d came to hand. I am glad to hear of Dr. Frank-



lin 's health ; having had no news of him since July



we were in quiet. I have seen Mr. and Mrs. Tellier-



the vinegar you find is on its way. You will have



the enjoyment the longer. I have not had time to



read your vagary as you call it because I opened the



letter only in the moment this is going off. I am sure



it will please me as all your vagaries do. A.dieu.







               TO JOHN JAY.



 



                    PARIS, March 1, 1789.







  SIR,-My last letters have been of the 11th, 12th



and 21st of January. The present conveyance being



through the post to Havre, from whence a vessel is



to sail for New York, I avail myself of it principally



to send you the newspapers. That of Leyden of the



24th contains a note of the Charge des Affaires of



France at Warsaw which is interesting. It shows a



concert between France and Russia ; it is a prognosti-



cation that Russia will interfere in the affairs of



Poland, and if she does it is most probable that the



King of Poland must be drawn into the war. The



revolution which has taken place in Geneva is a



remarkable and late event. With the loss of only



two or three lives, and in the course of one week, riots

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     53







begun at first on account of a rise in the price of



bread were improved and pointed to a reformation



of their constitution, and their ancient constitution



has been almost completely re-established. Nor do



I see any reason to doubt of the permanence of the



re-establishment.







  The King of England has shown such marks of



returning reason that the regency bill was postponed



in the House of Lo_rds. on the 19th inst. It seems



now probable there may be no change of the minis-



try, perhaps no regent. We may be sure, however,



that the present ministry make the most of those



favorable symptoms. There has been a riot in Brit-



tany begun on account of the price of bread but con-



verted into a quarrel between the noblesse and Tiers-



etat. Some few lives were lost in it. All is quieted



for the present moment. In Burgundy and Franche-



cornpte the opposition of the nobles to the views



of government is very warm. Everywhere else,



however, the revolution is going on quietly and



steadily and the public mind ripening so fast that



there is great reason to hope a good result from



the States-General. Their numbers-about twelve



hundred-give room to fear, indeed, that they may



be turbulent. _







  Having never heard of Admiral Paul Jones since



the action in which he took part before Oczahow, I



began to be a little uneasy. But I have now received



a letter from him dated at St. Petersburg, the 31st



of January, where he had just arrived at the desire

















54        Jefferson's Works







of the Empress. He has hitherto commanded on



the Black Sea. He does not know whether he shall



be employed there, or where, the ensuing campaign.



I have no other intelligence which would not lead me



into details improper for the present mode of convey-



ance. After observing, therefore, that the gazettes



of France and Leyden to the present date accompany



this I shall only add assurances of the sincere esteem



and respect with which I have the honor to be, dear



Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant.























           TO JOHN PAUL JONES.











                   PARIs, March 23, 1789.







           (By courier of France.)







  DEAR SIR,-Your favor of January 20/31 from St.



Petersburg came safe to hand and is the only proof



we have received of your existence since you left



Copenhagen. I mention this that reflecting how and



what you have written heretofore you may know how



and what you may write hereafter. I shall put noth-



ing into this letter but what is important to you and



unimportant to any government through which it



may pass.







  To begin with your private affairs. I received



three days ago from M. Amoureux a bill for 1,900



louis payable at three (usances ?), which I have deliv-



ered to Messrs. Grand and Co., and desired them to



receive it when due and hold it subject to your order.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     55







This Amoureux mentions as forming a une bagatelle



pres, the balance due you.







  Having been * * * * to carry into execution the



orders for the medals, I have contracted with the



workmen for them and they are all in hand. Yours



is to be executed by Dupre who is, I think, the best



among them ; and it will be done in the course of the



summer. My instructions as to these medals are



general, to wit : I am to deliver one of gold or silver-



as the case may be-to the person who is the subject ;



to send one of silver to every sovereign and one of



copper to every University of Europe (Great Britain



excepted), two hundred copies to Congress and one



apiece to Lafayette, Rochambeau, Destaing and



Degrasse. I am at liberty to deliver no others. Not



even at the orders and expense of the persons who are



the subjects of the medals. But your wish will be



fulfilled as to the Empress, because I shall send her



a suite of the whole medals under the general order.







  I had lately presented to me a demand for about



L4,000 from the French consul at Bergen, without



being told for what. My answer was that I knew of



no cause for such an application and could not pay it.



I suspect this demand has some connection with a very



large packet of official papers I received addressed to



you from Denmark or Norway in the Danish lan-



guage. By the bye, that business makes no way;



though I have written to Count Bernstorff pressing a



settlement, and often spoken to their envoy here, I



cannot obtain one word of an answer of any kind.

















56        Jefferson's Works











   Another word on the subject of your medal.



Immediately on the receipt of your letter I wrote



to the medallist, cul-de-sac Tetebout (his name is



Renaud), and bought a copy of the medal he had



made, which I gave to Dupre with the observations



of your letter on it. He will avail himself of so much



of the design as is good and as is permitted by the



resolution of the Academic, to whom I applied for



devices for all the medals. Gordon's history fur-



nished me a good relation of your engagement though



the author has permitted himself an impertinence or



two relative to you.







  Renaud 's account is 852, as you will see by the



inclosed state of it. Mr. Grand will pay him on



your order so much of it as you find just. Houdon



has promised to have the eight busts ready as soon



as possible, and I shall have him paid out of the same



fund. They will be ready packed against your orders



arrived as to the persons to whom they were destined.



For you will please to observe that neither your letter



of January 20/31 nor the extracts forwarded in that



of * * * and September 16 / 23 mention the names of



the persons they are to be sent to. In like manner



your letter of January 20 / 31 says it incloses an



extract of the journal of your campaign in 1779.



But none such was inclosed. Mr. Short, now in



Italy, will be here to receive your orders for the



distribution of the busts. I shall be absent in



America from the first of May to the end of Novem-



ber, as I have asked leave to go and carry my family





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     57







home and arrange my affairs, and shall return before



the winter sets in. But the busts will be finished and



paid for before I go, so that nothing will remain for



Mr. Short but to forward them. * * * * * my senti-



ments respecting the Algerines. I shall certainly



make them a subject of consultation with our gov-



ernment while I shall be in America. My favorite



project is still to procure a concurrence of the powers



at war with them; that that concurrence continue



till the strength of those barbarians at sea be totally



annihilated and that the combined force employed



in effecting this shall not be disturbed in its operation



by wars or other incidents occurring between the



powers composing it.







  Our new Constitution was acceded to in the course



of the last summer by all the states except North



Carolina and Rhode Island. Massachusetts, Vir-



ginia and New York though they accepted uncon-



ditionally yet gave it as a perpetual instruction to



their future delegates never to cease urging certain



amendments. North Carolina insisted that the



amendments should be made before she would



accede. The more important of these amendments



will be effected by adding a bill of rights ; and even



the friends of the Constitution are become sensible



of the expediency of such an addition were it only to



conciliate the opposition. In fact this security for



liberty seems to be demanded by the general voice



of America and we may conclude it will unquestion-



ably be added. New York, Virginia and North Caro-

















58        Jefferson's Works







lina have also demanded that a term be fixed after



which the President shall be no longer eligible. But



the public has been silent on this demand ; so we may



doubt its success. In the meantime the elections



for the new government were going on quietly at the



date of our last letters. We have the names of most



of the Senators but not of the representatives. There



was no question but General Washington would be



elected President ; and we know that he would accept



it, though with vast reluctance. The new Congress



was to meet the first Wednesday in this month, at



New York. The tickets of election of the President



would then be opened, and I presume that General



Washington is now at New York and the new legisla-



ture in a course of business. The only competitions



for the Vice-Presidentship were Mr. J. Adams and Mr.



Hancock. It was thought the former would be chosen.







  Though the new Constitution was adopted in



eleven states, yet in those of Massachusetts, Virginia



and New York it was by very small majorities; and



the minorities in the two last are far from the laud-



able acquiescence of that of Massachusetts. Gov-



ernor Clinton in New York and Mr. Henry in Vir-



ginia are moving heaven and earth to have a new



convention to make capital changes. But they will



not succeed. There has been just opposition enough



to produce probably further guards to liberty with-



out touching the energy of the government and this



will bring over the bulk of the opposition to the side



of the new government.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     59











  In this country things go on well. The States-



General are to meet the 27th of April. The report



of Mr. Necker to the King seems to promise the public €



1. That the King will pretend in future to no power



of laying a new tax or continuing an old one. 2.



That he will not take upon him to appropriate public



moneys to be given by the States. Of course they



are to appropriate. 3. That the States shall con-



vene at fixed epochs. 4. That the King will concur



with them in modifying lettres de cachet. 5. And



in giving a wholesome liberty to the press. 6. That



ministers shall be responsible, and 7. That all this



shall be so solemnly fixed that the King nor his suc-



cessors will have any power to change it. Nothing



has been said about giving to the States a participa-



tion in legislation,but it will be insisted on. The



States will be composed of about three hundred



clergy, three hundred nobles, and six hundred com-



moners, and their first question will be whether they



will vote by orders or persons. I think the latter will



be decided. If this difficulty be got over I see no



other to a very happy settlement of their affairs.



They will consolidate and fund their debts and this



circumstance, as well as the stability which the



changes will give to the proceedings of their govern-



ment, will enable them after the present year to take



any part they please in the settlement of its affairs.



You have heard of the insanity of the King of Eng-



land. His ministers pretend he is recovered. In



truth he is better, but not well. Time will be neces-

















60        Jefferson's Works







sary for his perfect recovery and to produce a con-



fidence that it is not merely a lucid interval.







  I shall be glad to hear from you as often as possible,



and have the honor to be, with very great esteem,



dear Sir, your most obedient and most humble



servant.



















              TO JOHN ADAMS











                     PARIS, May 10, 1789.







  DEAR SIR,-Since mine of January 14 yours of



Jan. 20, March I have been handed to me ; the former



by Mr. Jones, whom I am glad to know on your



recommendation and to make him the channel of



evidencing to you how much I esteem whatever



comes from you. The internal agitations of this



country and the inactivities to which England is



reduced by the state of imbecility in which the mad-



ness of the King has terminated, will leave the south-



western parts of Europe in peace for the present year.



Denmark will probably continue to furnish only its



stipulated succors to Russia, without engaging in



the war as a principal. Perhaps a pacification may



be effected between Sweden and Russia; though at



present there is little appearance of it and that we



may expect that the war will go on this year between



the two empires, the Turks and Swedes, without



extending any further. Even the death of the Em-



peror, should it take place, would hardly withdraw



his dominions from the war this summer.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     61











 The revolution in this country has gone on hitherto



with a quickness, a steadiness and a progress unex-



ampled, but there is danger of a balk now. The



three orders which compose the States-General seem



likely to stumble at the threshold on the great par-



liamentary question, How shall they vote, by orders



or persons? If they get well over this question



there will be no difficulty afterwards, there is so



general concurrence in the great points of constitu-



tional reformation. If they do not get over this



question-and this seems possible-it cannot be



foreseen what issue this matter will take. As yet,



however, no business being begun, no votes taken,



we cannot pronounce with certainty the exact status



of parties. This is a summary view of European



affairs.







 Though I have not official information of your



election to the Presidency of the Senate, yet I have



such information as renders it certain. Accept, I



pray you, my sincere congratulations. No man on



earth pays more cordial homage to your work, nor



wishes more fervently your happiness.







  Though I detest the appearance even of flattery,



I cannot always suppress the effusiveness of my



heart. Present me affectionately to Mrs. Adams,



Colonel and Mrs. Smith. I hope to see you all this



summer and to return this fall to my prison, for all



Europe would be a prison to me were it ten times as



big. Adieu, my dear friend. Your affectionate hum-



ble servant.





















62        Jefferson's Works















           TO NATHANIEL CUTTING.











                      PARIS, June 7, 1789.







 DEAR SIR,-Though your last letter-received



yesterday-supposes you will be setting out for



Paris before this can reach you, yet on the bare pos-



sibility of your being delayed I just write a line to



acknowledge the receipt of that letter and of one of



May 22, and to thank you particularly for the one



received yesterday, which conveyed very interesting



intelligence which I had not before. The latest



letters here from America are of April 10; since the



discontinuance of the Havre packet my intelligence



from America has been miserably defective.







  I had high hopes of a favorable issue to the revo-



lution of this country till about ten days ago there



began to be room to fear. The aspect even at this



time is discouraging though not quite as much as it



was a week ago. By the time of your arrival here



things will probably take some evident correction.







  Mr. Rutledge lodges Hotelle d'Angleterre, rue St.



Honore. There are in the same hotel Mr. Paradise,



Colonel and Mrs. Blackden and Mr. Barlow, all Ameri-



cans, so that you might like to lodge there. I sent



to Mr. Rutledge the paragraph letter respecting him.







 In hopes of seeing you here before I depart and



doubting whether this will find you at London, I will



only add assurances of esteem and attachment with



which I have the honor to be, dear Sir, your most



obedient and most humble servant.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    63



















             TO THOMAS PAINE.











                     PaRIs, July 13, 1789.







  DEAR SIR,-I wrote you the day before yesterday



by Mr. Paradise. I write now by post. The case



described in that letter, page three, line four to



eleven, has happened. Mr. Necker was dismissed



from office the evening of the 11th and set out for



Geneva. This was not generally known in Paris till



yesterday afternoon. The mobs immediately shut



up all the playhouses. The foreign troops were



advanced into the city, engagements took place



between some of them and the people. The first



was in the Place St. Louis XV, where a body of Ger-



man cavalry being drawn up the people posted them-



selves upon and behind the piles of stones collected



there for bridges, attacked and drove off the cavalry



with stones. I suspect the cavalry rallied and



returned, as I heard shortly after in the same spot a



considerable firing. This was a little before dusk



and it is now early in the morning, so I have not



ascertained any particulars. Monsieur de Mont-



morin has resigned. It is said Baron de Breteuil is



taken into the ministry, but I cannot affirm this.



The progress of things here will be subject to checks



from time to time of course. Whether they will be



great or small will depend on the army. But they



will be only checks. I am, dear Sir, with great



esteem, your most obedient humble servant.

















64        Jefferson's Works















            TO JOHN BONDFIELD.











                     PaRIs, July 16, 1789€







 DEAR SIR,-I am honored with yours of the 11th



inst. and lament much that I cannot avail myself of



so excellent an opportunity of going to America as



the Washington offers. But not having yet received



my permission I am not at liberty to go.







  The tumults in Paris which took place on the



change of the ministry, the slaughter of the people



in the assault of the Bastile, the beheading the Gov-



ernor and Lieutenant-Governor of it and the Prevost



de Merchands, excited in the King so much concern



that, bursting from the shackles of his ministers and



advisers, he went yesterday morning to the States-



General with only his two brothers, opened his heart



to them, asked them what he could do to restore



peace and happiness to his people and showed him-



self ready to do everything for that purpose, prom-



ising particularly to send away the troops. The heat



of the city is as yet too great to give entire credit to



this and they continue to arm and organize bour-



geoisie. But I think you may be assured of the



honest sincerity of the King in this last transaction



which came from himself, and that no other act of



violence will come from him. He returned to the



chateau afoot and the whole States-General with



him. I am, with great esteem, dear Sir, your most



obedient humble servant.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    65



















               TO JOHN JAY:











                    PARIS, August 5, 1789.







  SIR,-I wrote you the 19th of the last month with



a postscript of the 21st and again on the 23d and



29th. Those letters went by private conveyance;



this goes by the London post.







  Since my last some small and momentary tumults



have taken place in this city in one of which a few 'of



the rioters were killed by the city militia. No more



popular executions have taken place. The capture



of the Baron de Besenval, commandant of the Swiss



troops, as he was flying to Switzerland, and of the



Duke de la Vanguger endeavoring to escape by sea,



would endanger new interposition of the popular



arm were they to be brought to Paris. They are,



therefore, confined where they were taken. The



former of these being unpopular with the troops



under his command, on account of oppressions, occa-



sioned a deputation from their body to demand jus-



tice to be done on him and to avow the devotion of



the Swiss troops to the cause of the nation. They



had before taken side in part only.







  Mr. Necker's return contributed much to establish



tranquillity, though not quite as much as was ex-



pected. His just intercessions for the Baron de



Besenval and other fugitives dampened very sensibly



the popular ardor towards him. Their hatred is



stronger than their love. Yesterday the other min-



isters were named. The Archbishop of Bordeaux is







   vol. xix-5

















66        Jefferson's Works







Garde des Sceaux; M. de la Tourdepin, minister or



war ; the Prince of Beauvon is taken into the council



and the feuille des benefices given to the Archbishop



of Bordeaux. These are all of the popular party;



so that the ministry (M. de la Luzerne excepted) and



the council, being all in reformation principles, no



further opposition maybe expected from that quarter.







  The national assembly now seriously set their



hands to the work of the constitution. They decided



a day or two ago the question whether they should



begin by a declaration of rights, by a great majority



in the affirmative. The negatives were of the clergy



who fear to trust the people with the whole truth.



The declaration itself is now on the carpet.







  By way of corollory to it they last night mowed



down a whole legion of abuses, as you will see by the



arrette which I have the honor to inclose you. This



will stop the burning of chateaux and tranquillize the



country more than all the addresses they could send



them. I expressed to you my fears of the imprac-



ticability of debate and decision in a room of twelve



hundred persons as soon as Mr. Necker's determina-



tion to call that number was known. The incon-



veniences of their number have been distressing to



the last degree, though as yet they have been em-



ployed in work which could be done in the lump.



They are now proceeding to instruments every word



of which must be weighed with precision. Hereto-



fore. too, they were hooped together by a common



enemy. This is no longer the case. Yet a thorough





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    67







view of the wisdom and rectitude of this assembly



disposes me more to hope they will find some means



of surmounting the difficulty of their numbers, than



to fear that yielding to the unmanageableness of



debate in such a crowd, and to the fatigue of the



experiment, they may be driven to adopt in gross



some one of the many projects which will be pro-



posed. There is a germ of schism in the pretensions



of Paris to form its municipal establishment inde-



pendently of the authority of the nation. It is not



yet proceeded so far as to threaten danger. The



occasion does not permit me to send the public



papers; but nothing remarkable has taken place in



the other parts of Europe. I have the honor to



be, with the most perfect respect and esteem, Sir, your



most obedient and most humble servant.



















          TO GENERAL HENRY KNOX.











                 PARIS, September 12, 1789.







  SIR,-In a letter which I had the honor of writ-



ing to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs some



three or four years ago I informed him that a



workman had undertaken by the help of moulds



and other means to make all the parts of the musket



so exactly alike as that mixed together promiscu-



ously any one part would serve equally for every



musket. He had then succeeded as to the lock



both of the officers ' fusil and the soldiers ' musket







from a promiscuous collection of parts. I put

















68        Jefferson's Works







together myself half a dozen locks taking the first



pieces which came to hand. He has now completed



the barrels, stock and mounting of the officers'



fusil and is proceeding on those of the soldiers '



musket. This method of forming the fire-arm



appears to me so advantageous when repairs become



necessary that I have thought it my duty not only



to mention to you the progress of this artist but



to purchase and send you a half dozen of his officers'



fusils. They are packed in a box marked TI no.



36, are sent to Havre; from whence they shall be



forwarded to New York. The barrels and furni-



ture are to their stocks, to protect the warping of



the wood. The locks are in pieces. You will find



them, tools for putting them together, also a single



specimen of his soldiers' lock. He formerly told



me, and still tells me, that he will be able, after a



while, to furnish them cheaper than the common



musket of the same quality, but at first they



will not be so cheap in the first cost though econ-



omy in repairs will make them so in the end. He



cannot tell me exactly at what price he can furnish



them, nor will he be able immediately to furnish



any great quantity annually; but with the aid



of the government he expects to enlarge his estab-



lishment greatly.







 If the situation of the finances of this country



should oblige the government to abandon him he'



would prefer removing with all his people and



implements to America, if we should desire to





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    69







establish such a manufacture, and he would expect



our government to take all his implements on



their own account on what they have cost him.



He talks of about 3,000 guineas. I trouble you



with these details and with the samples : I. That



you may give the idea of such an improvement



to our own workmen, if you think it might answer



any good end. z. That all the arms he shall



have for sale may be engaged for our government



if he continues here and you think it important



to engage them. That you may consider and do



me the honor of communicating your determi-



nation, whether in the event of his establishment



being abandoned by this government, it might be



thought worth while to transfer it to the United.



States on conditions somewhat like those he has



talked of. I have the honor to be, with sentiments



of the most perfect esteem .and respect, Sir, your



most obedient humble servant.



















           TO WILLIAM BINGHAM.











                PARIs, September 25, 1789.







  DEAR SIR,-Your favor of April 16 came to my



hands but a few days ago and found me much



occupied with preparations for my visit to America



on which I set out tomorrow. It was not till



yesterday, therefore, that I could go to la Muette



where the shops are established for making the



carding and spinning apparatus. I enclose you

















70        Jefferson's Works







a note from Mr. Milne who is at the head of the



work. To the details contained in that I need



only add that a complete set of machines can be



delivered within five weeks from the date of the



order. I say nothing about models of them because



they would cost near as much as machines and



would be much less perfect. On this view of the



matter you will be able to give your orders either



for one of each kind of machine or for a complete



set which would comprehend four of the spinning



machines because one of the other kinds employs



fully four of that. Should you desire only one



of each kind it will cost less than half of the sum



named in the memorandum. Mr. Short, who



remains here during my absence, will receive and



execute any order you will be pleased to give;



but as the sum to be paid is considerable it would



be necessary to him to be furnished with it. One-



half is to be paid in advance and the other half after



a very short interval.







  I shall be happy on my return to render every



service I can to the society for encouraging manu-



factures. I have not yet been honored with the



commands of Mrs. Bingham announced in your



letter. I can only, therefore, at this moment, give



her assurances of my readiness to serve her and



add to yourself those sentiments of esteem and



respect with which I have the honor to be, Sir,



your most obedient and most humble servant.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     71



















         TO THE BARON DE GEISMER.











                PARIS, November 20, 1789.











  You have had great reason, my dear Sir, to



wonder that you have been so long receiving an



answer to your request relative to the drawing of



a cabriolet and phaeton. Your object was to



have such drawings as that a workman could work



by them. A painter's eye draught would not



have answered this purpose, and, indeed, to be sure



of having them done with the accuracy necessary



to guide a workman, I could depend on nobody



but myself. But the work was to be done prin-



cipally in an open court and there came on between



two and three months of such intense cold as



rendered this impossible. Since the season has



become milder I have devoted such little scraps



of time to this object as I was master of, and I now



enclose you the drawings. They are made with



such scrupulous exactness in every part that your



workman may safely rely on them. I must except



from this the drawing of the carriage-la train-



of the phaeton. I took less pains about this because



I did not like it. They make light crans-necks



which are preferable. This drawing was made



for the sake of the body-la caisse-the circular



ribs of that are round rods of iron about a half



inch diameter. If you would have the body of



the cabriolet higher it is made so by raising the





















72        Jefferson's Works







lock between the shaft and axle, or by putting in



its place an iron in this form,







  I must return you many thanks for your very



great attentions * * * * * * * * * *







  Our late informations from America are that our



new Constitution will begin [in] March and with an



almost universal approbation. In order to recon-



cile those who still remain opposed to it a declaration



of rights will be added. General Washington will



undoubtedly be President. I have asked leave to



pay a short visit to my own country. I expect



to go out in the ensuing spring and to return in



autumn. I shall pass two months at Monticello.



The revolution in this country-for such we may



call it-is going on smoothly and will, I think, end in



rendering the nation more free and more powerful.



Their public stocks have been rising slowly but



steadily ever since the accession of Mr. Necker.







  I forget whether I mentioned to you that my



wines from Hocheim succeed to admiration. I



enclose you a pretty little popular tune which will



amuse you for a day or so.







  I am, with the most perfect esteem and attach-



ment, dear Sir, your sincere friend and humble



servant.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts   73



















           TO DAVID RITTENHOUSE.











                 NEW YORK, June 12, 1790.







  DEAR SIR,-I know not what apology to make



for the trouble I am about to give you. I am sure



I must call your public spirit in aid of your private



friendship to me.







  You will see by the head of the enclosed report



that the House of Representatives have instructed



me to lay before them a plan for establishing uniform



weights, measures and coins. Five and twenty



years ago I should have undertaken such a task



with pleasure because the sciences on. which it rests



were then familiar to my mind and the delight of



it. But taken from them through so great a



length of time and forced by circumstances into



contemplations of a very different nature and



much less pleasing, I have grown rusty in my



former duties. To render me more. unequal to



the task it comes on me in the moment when I



am separated from all my books and papers, which



had been left in Paris and Virginia; and this place



yields fewer resources in the way of books than



could have been imagined. Thus situated I have



done what I could toward fulfilling the object of



the House of Representatives and I think myself



happy in having such a resource as your friendship



and your learning to correct what I have prepared



for them. The necessity I am under must be my



apology. It is desirable for the public that the

















74        Jefferson's Works







plan should be free from errors; it is desirable for



me that they should be corrected privately by a



friend rather than before the world at large by the



unfeeling hand of criticism.







  Do then, my dear Sir, read it over with all that



attention of which you are so much the master



and correct with severity everything you find in



it which is not mathematically just, and while I



ask your attention to every part of it I will make



some notes on particular things. It was not till



I had got through the work that I was able to get a



sight of Whitehurst's on the same subject. Mr.



Madison procured it for me from a library in Phila-



delphia, but on perusal of it his plan of two pendulums



appeared to me on the whole less eligible than



Leslie's of the vibrating rod. How has it been



inferred that Sir Isaac Newton 's calculation of the



length of the pendulum for the latitude of London



is 39.2 inches ? From his general table in the



Principia, book 3, I deduce 39.1682. Am I wrong ?



If so, I may be equally wrong in the calculation



of 39.1285 miles for latitude 38 degrees, in which an error



would be fundamentally important, and, therefore,



I ask your peculiar attention to that. What do



you think of the vibrating rod? Is it not clear



of some objections which lie against the pendulum?



and is it liable to any of which that is clear? and



which is the best on the whole? I am too little



familiar with the mechanism of the clock to know



how the rod can be adapted to a machinery which





















        Supplementary Manuscripts      75







shall maintain and count its vibrations, without



accelerating them by its power or retarding them



by its friction, in short, which shall leave the rod



free to make its vibrations uninfluenced by any



circumstance but its own length. On this point



no man in the world can judge or contrive better



than yourself. On this, then, and all the other



points of the report, pray give me the full benefit



of your assistance. In the trouble I am giving



you I feel it as a circumstance of additional nus-



fortune that I am pressed in time. The session



of Congress is drawing to a close. Nothing will



keep them together after the money bills are got



through, and this will be pretty soon. I am obliged,



therefore, to ask your immediate attention to this



subject as I must give in the report before they



rise. I suppose they will have it printed for con-



sideration to be taken up at their next meeting.







  I will not weary you with apologies though I



feel powerfully the necessity of them. I am, in



all times and places, your sincere friend and humble



servant.



















     TO THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY







          (ALEXANDER HAMILTON)











              PHILADELPHIA, June 25, 1791.







 SIR,-Your favor of the 8th inst. could only be



received on my return here and I have this morning



been considering its contents. I think with you

















76        Jefferson's Works







that it will be interesting to receive from different



countries the details it enumerates. Some of these



I am already in a regular course of receiving. Others



* * * * well executed will scarcely need to be



repeated. As to these I already possess what may



answer your views in part. I must therefore give



you the trouble to call on me in some * * * *



in order that after seeing what I possess you may



decide on the proper supplement. I think it



advisable not to trouble gentlemen abroad with



sending what we have already, because the less



we give them to do the more secure we shall be



of having it done. I am, with most respectful



esteem, dear Sir, your most obedient and most



humble servant.



















            TO T. M. RANDOLPH











               PHILADELPHIA, July 3, 1791.







  DEAR SIR,-I wrote to Maria this day sennight



and to Martha three days before, to wit, June 23.



In this letter I asked information to be obtained



from Colonel Lewis relative to my tobacco of which



I had heard nothing. But having received the



day after a letter from him giving me full infor-



mation, I mentioned in mine to Maria that no notice



should be taken of my desire expressed in the letter



to her sister ; lest any accident should have happened



to the letter to Maria I repeat here that no enquiry



of Colonel Lewis is necessary.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     77











 The President is not yet arrived, but we expect



him the day after to-morrow. He has probably pro-



tracted his journey so as to avoid the ceremonies



of to-morrow. We expect daily to hear the events



of the expedition under General Scott into the



Indian country. Perhaps you will hear it sooner



than we shall. Having nothing to communicate



in the line of public news I will state something



personal. You will observe by the enclosed and



preceding papers that I am mentioned on the



subject of Paine's pamphlet on the Rights of Man;



and you will have seen a note of mine prefixed to



that pamphlet whence it has been inferred that



I furnished the pamphlet to the printer and pro-



cured its publication. This is not true. The fact was



this : Mr. Beckley had the only copy of that pamphlet



in town. He lent it to Mr. Madison, who lent it



to me under the injunction to return it to Mr.



Beckley within the day. Beckley came for it



before I had finished reading it and desired as soon



as I had done I would send it to a Mr. Jonathan



B. Smith whose brother was to reprint it. Being



an utter stranger to Mr. J. B. Smith I explained



to him in a note that I sent the pamphlet to him



by order of Mr. Beckley, and to take off somewhat



of the dryness of the note I added that I was glad



to find it was to be reprinted here, etc., as you have



seen in the printed note. I thought so little of



this note that I did not even retain a copy of it;



and without the least information or suspicion that





















78        Jefferson's Works







it would be published, out it comes the next week



at the head of the pamphlet. I knew immediately



that it would give displeasure to some gentlemen



just by the chair of government who were in senti-



ment with Burke and as much opposed to the



sentiments of Paine.







  I could not disavow my note, because I had



written it. I could not disavow my approbation



of the pamphlet, because I was fully in sentiment



with it, and it would have been trifling to have



disavowed merely the publication of the note



approving at the same time of the pamphlet. I



determined, therefore, to be utterly silent except



so far as verbal explanations could be made.







  The Vice-President, who is at Boston, took up



the cudgels under the name of Publicola. He is



in turn assailed by a host of republican champions.



I think it probable he will be aided by some of his



compeers, but, more cautious than he, they will



mask themselves better. For my part I am deter€



mined to let them write and wrangle as they please



without intermeddling in word or deed.







  I am unable as yet to fix a time for my trip to



Virginia. It must depend on the movements of



the President. I foresee nothing in the public



affairs which threatens impediment. Present me



affectionately to my daughters, and believe me to



be, dear Sir, yours sincerely.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     79



















            TO JAMES MADISON.











              PHILADELPHIA, July 21, 1791.







 MY DEAR SIR,-Your favors of July 10 and 13



have been duly received and I now return the pam-



phlet enclosed in the latter with thanks for the



perusal. The author has the appearance of knowing



better what has passed in England than in America.



As to the latter, to be sure, he has been ignorant



enough. I am sincerely sorry that Freneau has



declined coming here. Though the printing business



be sufficiently full here, yet I think he would have



set out on such advantageous ground as to have



been sure of success. His own genius in the first



place is so superior to that of his competitors. I



should have given him the perusal of all my letters



of foreign intelligence and all foreign newspapers;



the publication of all proclamations and other



public notices within my department and the



printing of the laws, which, added to his salary,



would have been a considerable aid. Besides this,



Fenno's being the only weekly or semi-weekly



newspaper and under general condemnation for



its toryism and its incessant efforts to overturn



the government, Freneau would have found that



ground as good as unoccupied. P***e will not



be appointed to the place I had recommended him



for. I have a letter from Mazzei asking informa-



tion of his affairs. I must, therefore, ask from you



the letter you were to write me as to Dohrman; he





















80        Jefferson's Works







desires to be affectionately remembered to you.



He is declared, with the consent of the Diet, charge



des affaires of the King of the nation.







  No news yet from General Scott. Mr. Randolph



writes me that our harvest is safely in, in general.



That the quantity will be one-half as much again



as the acre usually yields and the quality of first



rate. The price offered is 5/6 at Richmond.



Tobacco there is still 18 / to 20 /. I have European



letters and papers to the 8th of May. The Empress



has notified the English factory in Russia that the



peace between her and Great Britain is likely to



be broken, but knowing their good conduct they



shall be welcome to remain in her dominions. She



pays a compliment to the British nation and says



she considers it only a war with their ministers.



Denmark has made a warm offer of mediating alone.



Prussia has notified the Porte that they are free



to conclude a peace with Russia without any medi-



ation and that it will not be disagreeable to them.



But the Porte has refused to relinquish the mediation



of Prussia and England, and has also declined



accepting that offered by Spain. France is going



on steadily with its work. On the 7th of May a



report of a committee was given in to the assembly



confirming their former plan as to the mode of the



settling the constitution of their colonies, adding



further that the colonies should have the initiative



(exclusively) as to the condition of the people of



color, and that each colony should send deputies





















        Supplementary Manuscripts      81







to the French port of St. Martins to a Congress



which should propose a general form of constitution.



This was ordered to be printed and taken up at a



future day, and there was some symptom of a



disposition in the assembly to overrule the report,



so far as it is related to the condition of people



of color. Comparing the date of this with the news



said by the gazettes to have arrived at St. Domingo



July 1st I cannot help suspending my belief of the



latter.







  I hope your health is better established. Your



friends here anxiously enquire after it.







                              Your letters



now, therefore, are doubly interesting and very



feelingly so to, dear Sir, your affectionate friend



and servant.























        TO GOVERNOR WILLIAM BLOUNT.











             PHILADELPHIA, August 12, 1791.











  SIR,-Your letter of July 17th to General Knox



having been referred to me by the President as



relating to a subject merely civil, I have the pleasure



to inform you of his consent to the absence you



there ask from the I 5th of September to the 20th



of November. As it imports highly to the people



within your government to conform to the articles



of the treaty against hunting or settling on the



Indian lands, I have no doubt you will see the



necessity of duly promulgating before your departure











   vol xix-6





















82        Jefferson's Works







these and such other parts of the treaty as are



immediately interesting to them.







 I avail myself of this occasion of acknowledging



the receipt of your favor of July 17 addressed to



myself, and of expressing my anxiety to receive



the ulterior information on the subject of the lands



of the United States which you are so good as to



promise me. Among other things it will be inter-



esting to know whereabouts the southern boundary



of North Carolina will be intersected by the north



line of the Cherokees which is to go on till it meets



the line crossing Houlston. Also to know what



and where is Campbell's line spoken in the treaties



of Hoylston and Hopwell, so that they may be



delineated on the map.







  I enclose you a paragraph from a newspaper on



the subject of a Zackariah Coxe and others which



we hope to be without foundation.







  I have the honor to be, with great esteem and



respect, Sir, your most obedient humble servant.



















           TO GEORGE HAMMOND







            (BRITISH MINISTER).











          PHILADELPHIA, December 15, 1791.







  SIR,-I am to acknowledge the honor of your



letter of November 30 and to express the satis-



faction with which we learn that you are instructed



to discuss with us the measures which reason and



practicability may dictate for giving effect to the





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     83







stipulations of our treaty yet remaining-to be



executed. I can assure you, on the part of the



United States, of every disposition to lessen difficulties



by passing over whatever is of smaller concern and



insisting on those matters only which either justice



to individuals or public policy renders indispensable.



And in order to simplify our discussions by defining



precisely their objects I have the honor to propose



that we shall begin by specifying on each side the



particular acts which each considers to have been



done by the other in contravention of the treaty.



I shall set the example.







 The provisional and definitive treaties in their



v€ article stipulated that "his British Majesty



should, with all convenient speed, and without



causing any destruction, or carrying away any



negroes or other property of the American inhab-



itants, withdraw all his armies, garrisons and fleets



from the said United States and from every port,



place and harbor within the same. "







  But 1. The British garrisons were not with-



drawn with all convenient speed, nor have they



yet been withdrawn from







Michillimachinac, on Lake Michigan.



Detroit, on Lake Erie.



Niagara and Oswego, on Lake Ontario



Oswegatchie, on the river St. Lawrence.



Point au fer and Dutchman's Point, on Lake



Champlain.







  2. The British officers have undertaken to exer-





















84        Jefferson's Works







cise a jurisdiction over the country and inhabitants



in the vicinities of the forts; and







  3. They have excluded the citizens of the United



States from navigating even on our side of the



middle line of the rivers and lakes established as



the boundary between the two nations.







  By these proceedings we have been intercepted



entirely from the commerce of furs with the Indians



to the northward, a commerce which had ever



been of great importance to the United States, not



only for its intrinsic value but as it was a means



of cherishing peace with those Indians and of



superseding the necessity of that expensive war-



fare we have been obliged to carry on with them,



during the time that those posts have been in other



hands.







  On withdrawing the troops from New York,



1. A large embarkation of negroes, of the property



of the inhabitants of the United States, took place,



before the commissioners, on our part, for inspecting



and superintending embarkations had arrived there,



and without any account ever rendered thereof.







  2. Near three thousand others were publicly



carried away by the avowed order of the British



commanding officer, and under the view and against



the remonstrance of our commissioners.







  3. A very general number were carried off in



private vessels, if not by express permission, yet



certainly without opposition on the part of the



commanding officer, who alone had the means of





















        Supplementary Manuscripts      85







preventing it, and without admitting the inspection



of the American commissioners; and







  4. Of other species of property carried away,



the commanding officer permitted no examination



at all. In support of these facts I have the honor



to enclose you documents,l the list of which will be



subjoined; and in addition to them, I beg leave to



refer to a roll, signed by the joint commissioners



and delivered to your commanding officer for.trans-



mission to his court, containing .a description of



the negroes publicly carried away by his order as



before mentioned, with a copy of which you have



doubtless been furnished.







  A difference of opinion, too, having arisen as to



the river intended by the plenipotentiaries, to be



the boundary between us and. the dominion of



Great Britain, and by them called the St. Croix,



which name, it seems, is given to two different



rivers, the ascertaining of this point becomes a



matter of present urgency. It has therefore been











  1 Documents referred to and enclosed:







  Extract of a letter of May 12, 1783, from Sir Guy Carleton to



General Washington.







  Letter of May 29, 1783, from Mr. ,Morgan.







  From Sir G. Carleton to the American Commissioners.







  Remonstrance of June 9, 1783, from the American Commissioners to



Sir Guy Carleton.







  Letter of June 14, 1783, from the American Commissioners to



General Washington.







  Extract of a remonstrance of June 17, 1783, from the American



Commissioners to Sir Guy Carleton.







  Letter of Jan. 18, 1784, from the American Commissioners to General



Washington.





















86        Jefferson's Works







the subject of applications from us to the govern-



ment of Great Britain.







  There are other smaller matters between the two



nations which remain to be adjusted. But I think



it would be better to refer these for settlement



through the ordinary channels of our ministers



than to embargo the present important discussions



with them. They can never be obstacles to friend-



ship and harmony.







  Permit me now, Sir, to ask from you a specification



of the particular acts, which, being considered by



his British Majesty as a non-compliance on our



part with engagements contained in the iv, v, and



vi articles of the treaty, induced him to suspend



the execution of the v€ and render a separate



discussion of there inadmissible.







  And accept assurances of the high respect and



esteem with which I have the honor to be, Sir,



your most obedient and most humble servant.



















          TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.











            PHILADELPHIA, January 10, 1792.







 The Secretary of State having received information



that the merchants and merchandize of the United



States were subject in Copenhagen and other points



in Denmark to considerable extra duties from



which they might be released by the presence of



a consul there,







  Reports to the President of the United States:





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     87







that it would be expedient to have a consul to be



a resident in the port of Copenhagen. That he



has not been able to find that there is any citizen



of the United States residing there. That there is



a certain Hans Rudolph Saabye, a Danish subject



and merchant of that place, of good character, of



wealth and distinction and well qualified and dis-



posed to act for the United States, who would



probably accept the commission of consul, but



that that of vice-consul hitherto given by the



President to foreigners in ports where there was



no proper American citizen, would probably not



be accepted, because in this, as in some other ports



of Europe, usage has established it as a subordinate



grade.







  And that he is therefore of opinion that the said



Hans Rudolph Saabye should be nominated consul



of the United States of America for the port of



Copenhagen and such other places within the



allegiance of his Danish Majesty as shall be nearer



to the said port than to the residence of any other



consul or vice-consul of the United States within



the same allegiance.



















         TO PETER CHARLES L,ENFANT.











           PHILADELPHIA, February 27, 1792.











  SIR,-From your letter received yesterday in



answer to my last and your declaration in conversa-



tion with Mr. Lear, it is understood that you abso-

















88        Jefferson's Works







lutely decline acting under the authority of the



present commissioners. If this understanding of



your meaning be right, I am instructed by the



President to inform you that, notwithstanding the



desire he has entertained to preserve your agency



in the business, the condition upon which it is to



be done is inadmissible and your services must



be at an end. I have the honor to be, Sir, your



most obedient humble servant.























     TO THOMAS JOHNSON, DAVID STUART AND







              DANIEL CARROLL.











               PHILADELPHIA, March 8, 1792.







   DEAR SIRs,-I received your favor of February



29 the day after I had written a public letter to



the commissioners which touched on some of the



subjects of yours. I may say in this private letter



what could not be so well said in a public one that



there never was a moment 's doubt about the parting



with Major L'Enfant rather than with a single



commissioner. I must correct an error in my



public letter. I said there that the engraving



would be done zn three or four weeks; this idea



had been given, but on further enquiry I find we



cannot have it these two months. You formerly



hinted the expectancy of bringing the navigable



canal from the little falls down to Washington.



The President thinks the practicability of this





















        Supplementary Manuscripts      89







should be properly examined into, as it would



undoubtedly be useful.







  In my public letter I sent you the outlines of



a proposed loan. I now enclose you a calculation



somewhat on the plan of yours. I think there is



no doubt but that the lots will sell better after the



employment of the money than before it. Con-



sequently that it is better to raise money by a



loan and to sell for repayment after that money



shall have been employed to raise the value of



what is to be sold. The mortgages on this plan



are put on the best footing possible. No doubt it



will be well to be making sales for repayment as



fast as they may be advantageously made, even



before the lapse of the eight years. We have



questioned Mr. Ellicot very particularly whether



the plan now in hand is exact. He says the original



one mixed conjecture with fact; but that the



conjectural parts are since ascertained by exact



survey and that this plan is corrected from the



survey and may be relied on to the utmost minute-



ness. We see in fact that some whole squares of



lots in the original plan are occupied by the channel



of the creek in the corrected one. I fear your other



apprehension is better founded, to wit: that the



avenues are made to converge to the ends of a



building of supposed extent, that the building may



very possibly be of less extent, and consequently



not reach the points of view created for its use.



I believe the only remedy is acquiescence for the





















90        Jefferson's Works







present and hope for the future that our building



may extend with the fortunes of our govern-



ment. The angular buildings at the commence-



ment of the avenues may probably be offensive to



the eye, if not well managed. I have seen this



deformity obviated by terminating the house at



that end with a bow window, with a semicircular



portico and with other fancies. Should not rows



of trees in the avenues and tracts be an object of



early attention ?







   Major L'Enfant had no plans prepared for the



Capitol or Government House. He said he had



them in his head. i do not believe he will produce



them for concurrence. On speaking with the Presi-



dent on Mr. Stewart of Baltimore's idea of facing



the buildings with stone of different colors, he



seemed rather to question whether from the water-



table, perhaps from the ground upwards, brick



facings with stone ornaments would not have a



better effect, but he does not decide this. The



remains of antiquity in Europe prove brick more



durable than stone. The Roman brick appears in



these remains to have been 22 inches long, 11



inches wide and 2 inches or 2.5 inches thick. The



grain is as fine as that of our best earthenware.



Before I conclude I will mention that in bringing



the canal from the little falls into the city it is



worth while to consider whether it should not be



delivered into the canal of the Tyber to ensure the



due cleansing of that by its current. I am with













        Supplementary Manuscripts      91







great and sincere esteem, dear Sirs, your friend and



servant.











  P. S. You seem to suppose the commissioners



liable in their private fortunes on the plan of the



loan you had seen. Ours is certainly clear on that.



In its plan nothing could make the commissioners



liable but fraud, or such gross negligence as is as



impossible as fraud, and then, I presume, it could



only be each for his own individual act.







 Dates of        ³ Amount of        ³Aggr.        ³Amount of        ³Sum       

 ³Sums of



 Install-        ³ each          ³sum of         ³the        ³Actually       

³Inter-



  ments        ³Install-        ³the         ³interest        ³recieved       

³est to



        ³ ment        ³interest        ³to be         ³by the        ³be paid



        ³        ³of which        ³deducted        ³barrow-        ³by sales



        ³        ³is to be        ³from         ³ers        ³or 



        ³        ³deducted        ³each        ³        ³other-



        ³        ³from         ³install-        ³        ³wise



        ³        ³each        ³ment        ³        ³



        ³        ³payment        ³        ³        ³



ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ



1792 May 15        ³ $ 50,000        ³ $     0        ³$      0        ³$

50,000        ³



     Nov 15        ³ $ 50,000        ³$ 50,000        ³$  1,500        ³$

48,500        ³



1793 May 15        ³ $100,000        ³$100,000        ³$  3,000        ³$

97,000        ³



     Nov 15        ³ $100,000        ³$200,000        ³$  6,000        ³$

94,000        ³



1794 May 15        ³ $100,000        ³$300,000        ³$  9,000        ³$

91,000        ³



     Nov 15        ³ $100,000        ³$400,000        ³$ 12,000        ³$

88,000        ³



1795 May 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



     Nov 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



1796 May 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



     Nov 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



1797 May 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



     Nov 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



1798 May 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



     Nov 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



1799 May 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



     Nov 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



1800 May 15        ³        0        ³       0        ³       0        ³      

0        ³$15,000



     Nov 15        ³        0        ³       0          ³       0        ³     

 0        ³$15,000



        ³        ³        ³        ³        ³



        ³ $500,000        ³        ³        ³        ³$165000



        ³ $165,000        ³        ³        ³        ³



        ³ $665,000        ³        ³        ³        ³





























92        Jefferson's Works











 It appears from the above that the commissioners



will receive $468,500, and have to pay after four



considerable intervals $665,000. Now 468,000 : 665-



000 : : 100 : 142, that is for every 100 dollars they



receive they will have to pay in the long run 142



dollars, but we may certainly hope that the effect



of the $468,000, if judiciously employed, will be



to raise the value of the lots more than .42 per cent.







  Suppose the interest, after 1794, is kept down



by the sale of lots to raise it, 100 lots a year, at



$300 each, will pay the annual interest of $30,000,



say 550 lots; 1666 lots a year, at $300 each, will



pay the principal $500,000. The whole loan then



will absorb from beginning to end, at $300 each, 2216



lots.



















              TO LOUIS XVI.1











             PHILADELPHIA, March 14., 1792.







  VERY GREAT, GOOD AND DEAR FRIEND AND ALLY,-



I receive as a new proof of friendship to the United



States the letter wherein you inform me that you



have accepted the Constitution presented to you



in the name of your nation and according to which



it is henceforth to be governed. On an event so



important to your kingdom and so honorable to



yourself accept the offering of my sincere con-



gratulations and of the sentiments of the Senate











 @#(1) Written by Thomas Jefferson at the order of George Washington



and signed by the latter. @#





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     93







and Representatives of the United States expressed



in their resolutions now enclosed.







  We have watched with utmost friendly solicitude



the movements of your nation for the advancement



of their happiness ; we have regarded this great



spectacle with the feelings natural to those who



have themselves passed through like perils, and



with sincere satisfaction, we have seen this second



occasion proclaim your Majesty a second time a



friend and patron of the rights of mankind.







  That yourself, your family and people, under



the edifice which you have now completed, may



repose at length in freedom, happiness and safety,



shall be our constant prayer and that God may



ever have you, great and dear friend and ally, in



His safe and holy keeping.







 Written at Philadelphia, this fourteenth day of



March, 1792, and of our Independence the sixteenth.



Your faithful friend and ally.



















           TO BENJAMIN HAWKINS.











               PHILADELPHIA, April 1, 1792.







 DEAR SIR,-At Mrs. Trist's desire I forward to



you about a dozen beans of three different kinds,



having first taken toll of them as she had done



before. They are of the scarlet flowering kind. This



is all I know of them. The most beautiful bean



in the world is the Caracalla bean which, though



in England a green-house plant, will grow in the





















94        Jefferson's Works







open air in Virginia and Carolina. I never could



get one of these in my life. They are worth your



enquiry.







  Some friendly Indians have been killed near



Fort Pitt lately, on a trading visit, by a party of



Virginians. This will not only defeat the measures



set on foot for peace, but spread the war order.



There has been also a small fracas on our disputed



territory to the eastward, by our sheriffs levying



taxes on the inhabitants ' of Moose Island, who as



to that article wished to be neutrals. A sale of



1,200,000 acres of land by Mr. R. M. in Europe



and the purchase of five millions more is the report,



of the day. Things are going on well in France



by the last authentic accounts. The English papers



have since killed the Duke of Orleans. It seems



to be thought that the affairs of Europe are by no



means settled, and that the late pacification has



only covered a fire which will burst out again



immediately. Adieu. Yours affectionately.



















    TO THOMAS JOHNSON, DAVID STUART AND







             DANIEL CARROLL.











              PHILADELPHIA, April 20, 1792.







  GENTLEMEN,-Your favor of the 11th has been



duly received, and laid before the President. He



thinks it best to delay making any alteration in



the plan of the city. The considerations which



weigh with him are the expediency of fixing the





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     95







public opinion on the thing as stable and unalter-



able, the loss of the work done if altered, the closing



all the avenues which point to the Capitol, removing



the two Houses to a still greater distance, change



in the engraving and that it will not be necessary



to dig away the hill to the eastward, since, were



it to be dug away, the private buildings would as



effectually exclude prospect from the Capitol, except



merely along the avenues. He thinks that the



obstruction given by Mr. Young's house need not



bring in any question for years to come.







  The warrants are received and your desire shall



be attended to for releasing the lots mortgaged



pari passu with the redemption, but I do not know



that that can now be effected. You have continually



heard of the extraordinary crash which has taken



place here, at New York and Boston, of persons



dealing in paper and of good merchants and others



who had dealings with the paper; well, it has pro-



duced a general stagnation of money contracts



which will continue till it is known who stands and



who falls, during this crisis, and Blodget thinks



it prudent to suspend preparing our loan and,



indeed; we think so too. This will oblige you to



keep, Messrs. Johnson, Stuart and Carroll, back



some of your operations ; perhaps proper offers to



workmen and laborers without being addressed to



any place in particular might at this. moment draw



great numbers from New York, Boston, and this



place. The procuring of workmen from Scotland

















96        Jefferson's Works







is an object of importance, and it may be doubted



whether the importation of some Germans might



not be a good experiment as well in economy as



to have a certain dependence. They are distin-



guished for their industry and sobriety and might



be good as an example and model to be referred to.



I have the honor to be, with the most perfect respect,



Gentlemen, your most obedient and most humble



servant.



















   TO HIS MAJESTY GEORGE III OF ENGLAND.1







               PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 1792.







 GREAT AND GOOD FRIEND,-I have made CHOICE



of Thomas Pinckney, one of our distinguished



citizens, to reside near your Majesty in the quality



of Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States



of America. He is well apprised of the friendship



our Republic bears to you and of our desire to



cultivate the harmony and good correspondence so



happily subsisting between us. From a knowledge



of his fidelity, probity and good conduct, I have



entire confidence that he will render himself accept-



able to your Majesty, and give effort to our desire



of preserving and advancing, on all occasions, the



interest and happiness of the two nations. I



beseech you, therefore, to give full confidence to



whatever he shall say to you on the part of the











 @#(1)This and the following letter are copies of those enclosed to



Thomas Pinckney. See Volume VIII, page 368. @#





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     97







United States, and most of all when he shall assure



you of their friendship and wishes for your pros-



perity, and I pray God to have your Majesty in



safe and holy keeping.







  Written at Philadelphia this [sixth] day of June,



1792.



















         TO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND.











                PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 1792.







 MADAM, OUR GOOD FRIEND,-This letter will be



delivered to you by Thomas Pinckney, one of our



distinguished citizens, whom I have named Minister



Plenipotentiary to reside near the person of the



King, your husband.







 My knowledge of his good qualities gives me full



confidence that he will so conduct himself as to



merit your esteem, and I pray that you will yield



entire confidence to the assurances he will give you



of our friendship, and that God will have you always,



Madam, our good friend, in His holy keeping.







 Written at Philadelphia this [sixth] day of June,



1792.







  (To our good friend, the Queen of Great Britain.



It will be better to leave the superscription blank



to be properly filled by Mr. Pinckney on the spot,



if he find it necessary to deliver the letter.)























   vol. xix-7

















98        Jefferson's Works















           TO STEPHEN CATHALAN.











            PHILADELPHIA, December 2, 1792.







   DEAR SIR,-The small essay which has been



commenced under your kind assistance for colon-



izing the olive tree to South Carolina has induced



some patriotic gentlemen of that country to turn



their attention further toward its importance; and



to give to their efforts a more steady and permanent



form. I gave it as my opinion to them that the



best plan which could be pursued at a moderate



expense, would be to rent, near Marseilles, an acre of



ground, or say your quarterelle, which is something



less than an acre, to employ by the year a laboring



man who understands engrafting, to make it his



business to sow olives in this ground, to engraft



on them cuttings from the best kinds, and to send



to Carolina in the winter of every year all the plants



he could have in readiness, together with a quantity



of the olive berries to be sown in Carolina in order



to be engrafted on them.







  If before a given day in winter, say the first of



January, any ship should be sailing from Marseilles



to Charleston, it should be his business to pack



properly his olive berries and young plants and



put them on board; if no vessel should occur before



that, or any more convenient day, it should be



his business to proceed himself with his olive berries



and plants, through the canal of Languedoc to



Bordeaux; there to remain (under the patronage





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     99







of Fenwick) till a vessel should sail from thence



to Charleston, on board of which he should put



his cargo and then return to Marseilles to recom-



mence for the next year the same operation of



sowing, engrafting, packing and dispatching in the



same way to Charleston, ' the olive berries and



plants which he could prepare for that year, and so



to continue for a number of years. The first question



occurring was to how small a sum can we reduce this



expense annually, so as that it may be effected



and yet not too sensible a burden on the gentlemen.







  I recollect that the price of a quarterelle of the



best lands close to Marseilles was one hundred



louis, consequently its rent five louis a year. The



hire of a laboring man six louis a year, his subsistence,



considering he may have to move from Marseilles



to Bordeaux, will be more than if he were always



stationary, but still, if he uses the economy_ which



a man of his condition well understands, it need



not exceed fourteen louis a year, and all together



twenty-five louis. Therefore, to cover all errors



of calculation, accidents and contingencies, I pro-



posed double that sum, to wit: fifty louis. The



gentlemen have accordingly appropriated that sum



annually.







  The second question arising was whom we should



engage to manage this business at Marseilles? On



this there could be but one opinion, your exertions



heretofore, your goodness and your relations to this



country marked you as the person whom we must

















100        Jefferson's Works







engage to act there, and to their entreaties I must



add mine in the most earnest degree. After you



shall have put the business under way, that is to



say, after you shall have engaged a proper laborer



and piece of ground, I hope you will have no



other trouble than to receive and pay the wages



and rent, and to see the nursery now and then and



that the person does his duty. Your reward will



be the consciousness of doing good, our thanks,



and those of a grateful posterity, nor can any



objections arise from the circumstances of your own



country, as that imports more oil than it exports,



and consequently is interested to increase the



quantity produced abroad as well as at home.







  I will take it for granted, then, that you will become



the father of our olive colony by superintending



whatever is necessary to be done on that side the



water. The plants will be received and their



freight paid at their port of delivery here, which



we must entreat to make, in every possible case,



the port of Charleston. Great injury and loss



happen in shipping and unshipping in warehouses,



etc., but when a conveyance to Charleston direct



cannot be had without danger of losing the season,



then New York or Philadelphia are the next best



ports. Baltimore is too uncertain and Norfolk still



more so. I enclose you a letter from Charles Cotes-



worth Pinckney, Esquire, of Charleston, who is chair-



man of the agricultural society there, which will



inform you of the arrangements taken to have the





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     101







sum of money destined to this object, always under



your order.







 To his correspondence on the subject I must



refer you for the future and to such alterations



in my plan as he shall please to direct. It may



not be amiss to add annually a few plants of the



best figs for drying as also of the best grapes for



making what we call "dried raisins," and you, I



believe, "des panses; " only taking care that these



be really few, so that they may in no wise abridge



or interfere with the olives which are the main



object. We will,take care to procure the patronage



of Mr. Fenwick at Bordeaux for so much of the



business as must be transacted there.







  I have the honor to be, with great and sincere



esteem, dear Sir, your most obedient and humble



servant.



















         TO GOVERNOR JOHN HANCOCK.'







                                [1793?]







  SIR,-Your favor of July 20th came safely to



hand together with the memorial of Monsieur de



Latombe of the 7th of June and the resolve of



the Legislature of Massachusetts of the 24th of the



same month. On considering the nature of the



difficulties which have occurred in the execution of











 @#(1) Written by Jefferson at Washington's order. At the bottom of the



original letter, in the former's handwriting, is indited: Governor Han-



cock, from the President of the United States.  @#

















102        Jefferson's Works







the Consular Convention, they appeared to be such



as could not be removed but by a legislative act.



When these papers were received the session of



Congress was already drawn so near to a close that



it was not thought expedient to propose to them



the taking up at that time a subject which was



new and might be found difficult. It will remain,



therefore, for their consideration at their next



meeting in December.



















           TO DAVID HUMPHREYS.











            PHILADELPHIA, January 3, 1793







 DEAR SIR,-My last to you was of the 6th of



November. Since that the papers have been for-



warded to you by every opportunity from my



office as Mr. Taylor assures me, to whom I am



obliged to confide that duty.







  Your last received was number 59 as acknowl-



edged in mine. With the present you will receive



newspapers for yourself, Mr. Carmichael and Mr.



Short, whom we expect by this time to be at Madrid,



also half a dozen plans of the city of Washington,



in the District of Columbia, to be displayed wher-



ever they will be most likely to be seen by that



class of people who might be attracted to it.







 Congress is in session as you will see by the papers,



which will give you the details of their proceedings.



The western Indians have proposed to meet us in



the spring, in the neighborhood of Sandusky, to





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    103







treat of peace. The result is far from being certain.



The late election of President and Vice-President



has given us the former unanimously, the latter



by a great majority. We have now been a con-



siderable time without hearing from Mr. Barclay,



and shall always be glad to be informed by you



on this subject, as he may be in a situation not



to find means of conveying letters to us. We are



anxious€to know, too, whether the monopoly of grain



mentioned in your letter threatens really to take



place. Remember we hear nothing of the Minister



of Portugal, who has been in great demand here



lately.







  The price has been consequently high and will



be so again. The French West Indies become more



and more dependent on us for subsistence ; there is



at present some glimmering of hope that the efforts



of the free inhabitants will be directed with more



efficiency to the reduction of the common enemy.



However, we are far from certainty on that subject,



referring you for details on these subjects to the



papers which accompany this. I am, with great and



sincere esteem, dear Sir, your most obedient and



humble servant.



















        TO JOHN GARLAND JEFFERSON.











             PHILADELPHIA, April 14., 1793.







 DEAR SIR,-Your letter of March 31 came duly



to hand on the 9th instant, having been induced,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts   105







no means of doing it, and no friend in Richmond



on whom I could rely with certainty, I am obliged to



take the only measure which remains in my power,



that of referring you to Colonel Bell in Charlottes-



ville. This I know cannot be as desirable to you,



because you cannot have such a choice of supplies



there and because they are dearer. The latter



objection, therefore, I get you over by desiring



you to consider yourself free to go beyond the sum



as far as the difference of prices between Richmond



and Charlottesville. The former objection will



remain, and as to that, I must only pray you to



take the will for the deed. In or before the fall I



shall certainly see you. I shall recommend to



Dabney Carr to begin a course of law and reading



at his mother's immediately, so that you may



deliver my books to him as you finish them. I



a.m, with great and sincere esteem, dear Sir, your



affectionate kinsman.







 P. S. I enclose you a letter of credit to Colonel



Bell.







           TO EDMOND C. GENET.







             PHILADELPHIA, August 16, 1793.







 SIR,-The President of the United States has



received the letter which you addressed to him from



New York on the 13th inst. and I am desired to



observe to you that it is not the established course

















106        Jefferson's Works







for the diplomatic * * * * * residing here to have



any direct correspondence with him. The Secretary



of State is the organ through which their communi-



cations should pass.







  The President does not conceive it to be within the



line of propriety or duty for him to bear evidence



against the declarations which, whether made to him



or to others, is perhaps immaterial. He therefore



declines interfering in the case. I have the honor to



be, with great respect, Sir, your most obedient and



most humble servant.







           TO MARIA JEFFERSON.







          GERMANTOWN, November 17, 1793.







  No letter yet from my dear Marie, who is so fond



of writing, so punctual in her correspondence! I



enjoin as a penalty that the next be written in



French. Now for news. The fever is entirely



vanished from Philadelphia. Not a single person



has taken infection since the great rains about the



first of the month, and those who had it before are



either dead or recovered. All the inhabitants who



had fled are returning into the city, probably will



all be returned in the course of the ensuing week.



The President has been into the city, but will prob-



ably remain here till the meeting of Congress to form



a point of union for them before they will have had



time to gather knowledge and courage. I have not



yet been in, not because there is a shadow of danger,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    107







but because I am afoot. Thomas is returned into



my service. His wife and child went into town the



day we left. They then had the infection of the



yellow fever, were taken two or three days after and



both died. Had we staid there two or three days



longer they would have been taken at our house. I



have heard nothing of Miss Cropper, her trunk



remains at our house. Mrs. Fullarton left Phila-



delphia. Mr. and Mrs. Rittenhouse remained there,



but have escaped the fever. Follow closely your



music, reading, sewing, housekeeping, and love me



as I do you. Most affectionately.







 P. S. Tell Mr. Randolph that General Wayne has



had a convoy of twenty-two wagons of provisions and



seventy men cut off in his rear by Indians.







          TO ALEXANDER HAMILTON.







          PHILADELPHIA, December 12, 1793.







 SIR,-Colonel Humphreys having charged Mr.



Church, our consul at Lisbon, to send us information



of the truce between Algiers and Portugal by an



express vessel, he engaged one under Swedish colors



to come here with his letters. She is now lying at



New York at our expense. Thinking it material to



save as much of the expense as we can by permitting



her to be freighted back to Lisbon, to which place she



is to return, I mentioned to the President that the



officer at the head of the customs at New York would

















108        Jefferson's Works







be the most proper person to take charge of her. It



is with his approbation that I enclose you the charter-



party, stating the terms on which she has been



engaged, with a desire that you will give the neces-



sary orders to that officer to do with the vessel what €



is best for the public interest. I have the honor to



be, with great respect, your most obedient servant.







TO THE PRESIDENT OF BANK OF THE UNITED STATES.







            PHILADELPHIA, January - 1794







  SIR,-I have the honor to inform you that I have



resigned the office of Secretary of State and that



Mr. Randolph, late Attorney-General of the United



States, is appointed by the President and approved



by the Senate, as Secretary of State. You will,



therefore, be pleased to consider all authority hereto-



fore held by me over any funds in the bank belong-



ing to the Department of State as now transferred to



him. I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient



servant.







          TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.







             MoNTIcELLo, February 23, 1795







  DEAR SIR,-You were formerly deliberating on the



purpose to which you should apply the shares in the



Potomac and James River companies presented to



you by our Assembly and you did me the honor of



asking me to think on the subject. As well as I

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     109







remember some academical institution was thought



to offer the best application of the money. Should



you have finally decided in favor of this, a circum-



stance has taken place which would render the



present moment the most advantageous to carry it



into execution, by giving to it in the onset such an



eclat and such solid advantages as would ensure a



very general concourse to it of the youth from all our



states and probably from the other parts of America



which are free enough to adopt it. The revolution



which has taken place at Geneva has demolished the



college of that place which was in a great measure



supported by the former government. The colleges



of Geneva and Edinburgh were considered as the two



eyes of Europe in matters of science, insomuch that



no other pretended to any rivalship with either.







  Edinburgh has been the most famous in medicine



during the life of Cullen, but Geneva most so in the



other branches of science and much the most resorted



to from the continent of Europe because the French



language was that which was used. A M. D'Iver-



nois, a Genevan, a man of science, known as. the



author of a history of that republic, has proposed the



transplanting that college in a body to America.



He has written to me on the subject as he has also



done to Mr. Adams, as he was formerly known to us



both, giving us the details of his views for effecting it.



Probably these have been communicated to you by



Mr. Adams, as D'Ivernois desired should be done, but



lest they should not have been communicated I will

















110        Jefferson's Works







take the liberty of doing it. His plan, I think, would



go to about ten or twelve professorships. He names



to me the following professors as likely if not certain



to embrace the plan.







  Monchon, the present President, who wrote the



analytical table for the Encyclopaedists, and which



sufficiently proves his comprehensive science. Pic-



tet, known from his ad measurements of a degree and



other works, professor of natural philosophy. His



brother, said by M. D'Ivernois to be also great.



Serebier, an author of commentaries on Spallarrani



and of other works in natural philosophy and



meteorology, also the translator of the Greek trage-



dies. * * * and L'Huillier, both mathematicians,



and said to be inferior to nobody in that line



except La Grange, who is without an equal. Prevost,



highly spoken of by D'Ivernois. De Saussure and



his son, formerly a professor, but who left the college



to have more leisure to pursue his geological researches



into the Alps by which work he is very advantage-



ously known.







  Most of these are said. to speak our language well.



Of these professors the names of Monchon, Pictet, de



Saussure and Serebier are well known to me. as stand-



ing foremost among the literati of Europe. Secrecy



having been necessary this plan had as yet been con-



certed only with Pictet, his brother and Prevost, who



knew, however, from circumstances that the others



would join them, and I think it very possible that the



revolution in France may have put it in our power

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     111







to associate La Grange with them, whose modest and



diffident character will probably have kept him in



the rear of the revolutionist principles, which has



been the ground on which the revolutionists of



Geneva have discarded their professors. Most of



these are men having families and, therefore, M.



D'Ivernois observes they cannot come over but on



sure grounds. In proposing a revenue of 15,000



dollars for the whole institution and supposing lands



could be appropriated to this object, he says that



one hundred Geneva families can readily be found



who will purchase and settle on the lands and deposit



for them the capital of which fifteen thousand would



be the interest. In this revenue he means to com-



prehend a college of languages preparatory to the



principal one of sciences and also a third college for



the gratuitous teaching of the * * * reading and



writing.







  It could not be expected that any propositions



from strangers unacquainted with our means and



our wants could jump at once into a perfect accommo-



dation with these. But those presented * * * would



serve to treat on, and are capable of modification



* * * leable perhaps to the views of both parties.







  I. We can well dispose with his 2d and 3d col-



leges as not being too partial for an extensive country



and the * * * sufficiently and better provided for



already by our public and private grammar schools.



I should conjecture that this would reduce one-third



of his demand for revenue, and that 10,000 d. would

















112        Jefferson's Works







then probably answer their remaining views, which



are the only important ones to us.







  2. We are not to count on raising the money from



lands, and consequently we must give up the pro-



posal of the colony of Geneva farmers. But the



wealth of Geneva in money being notorious and the



class of moneyed men being that which the new gov-



ernment is trying to get rid of, it is probable that the



capital sums could be borrowed on the credit of the



funds under consideration sufficient to meet the first



expenses of the transplantation and establishment



and to supply also the deficiency of revenue till the



profits of the shares shall become sufficiently superior



to the annual support of the college as to repay the



sums borrowed.







  3. The composition of the academy cannot be set-



tled there. It must be adapted to our circumstances,



and can, therefore, only be fixed between them and



persons here acquainted with those circumstances



and conferring for the purpose after their arrival here.



For a country so marked for agriculture as ours I



should think no professorship so important as one



not mentioned by them, a professor of agriculture,



who, before the students should leave college, should



carry them through a course of lectures on the prin-



ciples and practice of agriculture, and that this pro-



fessor should come from no country but England.



Indeed, I should mark Young as the man to be



obtained. These, however, are modifications to be



left till after their arrival here.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    113







  M. D'Ivernois observes that the professors keep



themselves disengaged till the ensuing spring attend-



ing an answer, as he had desired his proposition to be



made to our legislature, and accordingly got a mem-



ber to sound as many of his brethren on the subject



as he could, desiring if he found it would be desperate



that he would not commit the honor either of that



body or the college of Geneva, by forcing an open act



of rejection. I received his information only a fort-



night ago, that the thing was evidently impracticable.



I immediately forwarded this information to D'Iver-



nois, not giving him an idea that there was any other



resource. Thinking, however, that if you should



conclude to apply the revenues of the canal shares



to any institution of this kind, so fortunate an outset



would render * * * be obtained. I have supposed



it my duty both to you and them to * * * the cir-



cumstance to your consideration.







  A question would arise as to the place of the estab-



lishment ; as far as I can learn, it is thought just that



the State which * * * the revenue should be most



considered in the uses to which it * * * appropri-



ated. But I suppose that their expectation would



be satisfied by a location within their limits and that



this only * * * be so far from the federal city as



moral considerations would recommend and yet near



enough to it to be viewed as an appendix of that, and



that the splendor of the two objects would reflect



usefully on each other.







  Circumstances have already consumed much of the







   VOL. XIX-S

















114        Jefferson's Works







* * * allotted us. Should you think the proposition



can be brought at all within your views, your deter-



mination, as soon as * * * important occupations will



admit it, would require to be conveyed as early as



possible to M. D'Ivernois, now in London. Lest my



last letter should throw the parties into other engage-



ments, I will not trespass on your time and attention



by adding to this lengthy letter anything further than



by assurances of the high esteem and respect with



which I have the honor to be, dear Sir, your sincere



friend and humble servant.







              TO AARON BURR.







             PHILADELPHIA, January 7, 1797.







  DEAR SIR,-I wrote you some time before I left



home on the subject of my friend Currie's affair, but



lest that letter should not have been at hand I trouble



you with this merely to inquire in what state his suit



against Morris is, and I should not have done it but



that you had supposed that if terminated favorably



at all it would be before this time ; a line of informa-



tion will be acceptable.







  A want of confidence in the posts prevents my



saying anything on political subjects further than



that it is proposed (and no doubt will be agreed) to



commence a great naval power by building * * * * *



12 frigates from 28 tons * * * * vessels, say a fleet



of 50 ships, the first cost ten, fifty or ninety millions



of dollars. The annual expenses between five and

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     115







six millions. These alone will cost us annually one



and one-half dollars * * * * besides the great cost



add the army, civil list and interest of the debt and



* * * the amount. I am, dear Sir, your friend and



servant.







        TO LOUIS, PRINCE OF PARMA.







              PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 1797.







  I received from your Royal Highness the letter



with which you were pleased to honor me, through



the channel of Mr. Pinckney, then our envoy extraor-



dinary at the court of Spain, in which you expressed



your wish to establish a correspondence with some



person in the United States of America, who might



be able to furnish subjects of natural history from



this country in exchange for those of Europe. I



have never myself undertaken to form a cabinet



of natural history, nor consequently to make



myself acquainted with the methods of preparing



and preserving the different subjects. My occupa-



tions in public life have been and still continue



inconsistent with the attentions which would have



been requisite to such an undertaking. However



ardently, then, I wished I could myself€ have been



the person who should gratify the laudable desires



of your Royal Highness to enrich your cabinet



with American subjects, yet was sensible that the



way to serve you was not to undertake what I



should have executed very defectively, but to

















116        Jefferson's Works







engage some person whose habits and occupations



would enable him more completely to fulfill your



wishes. As to the person to whom I should address



myself, there is no doubt. Mr. Charles Wilson



Peale, a member of our Philosophical Society and



inhabitant of this city, has for many years been



engaged in forming a cabinet of natural history,



is constantly occupied in collecting and preparing



new subjects and does this with a skill unequalled by



any other among us. To him, therefore, I ventured



on behalf of your Royal Highness to propose that



he should enter into correspondence with the keeper



of your cabinet, furnish you with such subjects of



the three kingdoms as should be called for from



this region and receive from yours in exchange



such as your keeper could procure or spare. Mr.



Peale readily acceded to the proposition, limiting



his undertaking very candidly by the following



expressions in his letter.







  " I have it in my power, " says he, " to make an



exchange of animal subjects generally, of minerals



a small number, but as to vegetables I have not



had time to pay much attention to them as yet.



However, by the help of Mr. Bartram and some



others of my acquaintance in that line, the subjects



wished for may be obtained. "







 In addition to Mr. Peale, I would observe that



Mr. Bartram he mentions is the owner and keeper



of a botanical garden in the neighborhood of this



city, who provides and furnishes with great skill

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    117







and at moderate prices such trees and shrubs of



this country as the curious call for, and packs



them so carefully as to preserve their vegetable



powers through any length of voyage, within



ordinary limits, and that should you wish to enrich



your gardens as well as your cabinet with American



subjects, you may be well served through the



medium of Mr. Peale as the single correspondent



who can conveniently transact with Mr. Bartram



whatever calls may be made on him. To relieve



your Royal Highness from all doubt and embarrass-



ment as to the expectations of Mr. Peale with



respect to compensation, I will observe that he is



a private citizen having no other fortune than his



cabinet and deriving the support of that as well



as of his family from the profits made by showing



it to the curious, that by increasing its subjects



he increases the desire of seeing it and consequently



his profits arising therefrom and hence will consider



the subjects received in exchange delivered here



clear of expense as full compensation for those he



will deliver here properly packed to the Minister



of Spain, or any other agent you shall appoint.



This throws on your Royal Highness the expense



of transportation both of the subjects received



and given in exchange, but he observes that neither



his profits nor circumstances enable him to meet



any pecuniary expenses. You will be pleased,



therefore, to decide for yourself whether the con-



dition is more onerous than the object merits.

















118        Jefferson's Works







   Should the channel which I have opened for the



fulfilment of your wishes meet your approbation



the person entrusted with the keeping of your



cabinet may immediately commence his corre-



spondence with Mr. Peale by sending a list of his



wants in every line, which, to the extent of Mr.



Peale's opportunities, will be speedily complied with.



I willingly offer to your Royal Highness the con-



tinuance of my attentions to the fulfilment of your



wishes whenever I can be useful to you.







 Perhaps when we see how far your wants go



beyond the faculties of Mr. Peale, I may be able



to find some other who may make up his deficiencies.



In the meantime permit me to pay my personal



tribute to science and to your Royal Highness's



dispositions to promote it, by depositing in your



cabinet a tooth of the great animal called in Europe



the mammoth, of which we find remains in the



interior and uninhabited parts of this country;



their great distance from us renders them rare and



difficult to be obtained. This curiosity is now on



its way to this place and will be put into the hands



of the Minister of his Catholic Majesty for you,



to be forwarded as you direct.







 It is now encumbent on me to make some apology



for the delay in this answer. I live far hence in



the interior country and therefore was late in



receiving your letter. The circumstance of distance,



too, lengthened the negotiations with Mr. Peale.



I then wished to accompany my answer with the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    119







tooth before mentioned of the enormous quadruped



which once inhabited this country, and with an



account of a recent discovery of the remains of



a carnivorous animal four or five times as large



as a lion, found in the western parts of Virginia;



this account will make part of a volume of our



philosophical transactions now in the press, but



not being yet printed and returning myself shortly



from hence to my ordinary residence in Virginia,



I have determined to make a subsequent mission



of that and no longer to withhold acknowledg-



ments I owe, and the homage of those sentiments



of respect and attachment with which I have the



honor to be your Royal Highness's most obedient



and most humble servant.







        TO GOVERNOR JAMES MONROE.







              PHILADELPHIA, April 13, 1800.







 DEAR SIR,-Your favor of the 6th came to hand



last night. Mr. Erving had left town two days



before. However, it will go to-morrow morning



by a private hand; it will much more than satisfy



him ; I am persuaded he will receive it with extreme



pleasure.







 I either expressed myself badly in my letter,



or you have understood expressions too generally.



I never doubted the propriety of our adopting as



a system that of pomp and fulsome attentions by



our citizens to their functionaries. I am decidedly

















120        Jefferson's Works







against it, as it makes the citizen in his own eye



exalting his functionary and creating a distance



between the two, which does not tend to aid the



morals of either. I think it a practice which we



ought to destroy and must destroy and, therefore,



must not adopt as a general thing even for a short



time. My query was meant for the single spot of



Richmond, where I understood was a great deal



of federation and Marshallism, and this latter spirit



I thought nothing should be spared to eradicate.



I did not know whether (at] every reiteration of repub-



licanism, demonstration might not be a service



toward drawing over his less inveterate supporters.







  However, I own to you the letter had hardly



gone out of my hand before I convinced myself



that it was more in our spirit to let things come to



rights by the plain dictates of common sense than



by the practice of any artifices ; and that at any



rate I ought not to take a part in them, as therefore



I had never suggested the thought but to you at



that time, as I have done it to no one since. You



have seen the bills lately rejected by the Senate;



they have brought in a bill leaving all the states



tolerably free to model the federal as well as the



state juries, but whether they will pass it is another



question. It is believed the bill for electing the



President and Vice-President will pass the lower



House in its caucus form. I think we shall rise the



first or second week in May. We have no news



from Europe at all interesting. The elections of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    121







Massachusetts will be known in a few days and



that of the city of New York soon after it. I am



of the opinion the republicans there have been



much too sanguine as to the issue of this last. Pre-



sent my salutations and esteem and respect to Mrs.



Monroe and accept my assurance of my constant



affection to yourself. Adieu.







           TO ANDREW ELLICOTT.







           WASHINGTON, DeCember 18, 1800.







 DEAR SIR,-I received a letter before I left home



-your favor of Oct. 17- as I had in due time the



preceding one. Attractive nature and the country



employments are my apology to my friends for



being a very unpunctual correspondent while at



home; having no refuge here from my room and



writing-table, it is here that I fetch the less easy



of my correspondence. I am glad to hear you are



for printing your journal. It will be a great grati-



fication to see it. I cannot suppose the adminis-



tration can have any objection to the publication



of the charts, etc. My own opinion is that govern-



ment should by all means in their power deal out



the material of information to the public in order



that it may be reflected back on themselves in



the various forms into which public ingenuity



may throw it.







 Mr. Dunbar has been so kind as to pass through

















122        Jefferson's Works







my hand a copy of his journal made for the use



of a friend of his in London. He sent it open for



my perusal with a request to read and forward it.







 I am happy to see that the location of the



boundary has been so scientifically executed. He



gives a physical account of the country which is



interesting.







 I think you had it in contemplation to establish



an accurate meridian at this place, but whether in



one of the public buildings or where else I do not



recollect; was it done, or is there anything here



which will procure the meridian as found and



worked on by you?







 The election is under dilemma ; the two republican



candidates are probably even, and the states in



Congress which are federal are disposed to take



advantage of that circumstance to prevent an



election by Congress and permit the government



of the Union to be suspended for want of a head.



This tells, us who are entitled to the appellation of



anarchists with which they have so liberally branded



others. Accept assurances of perfect esteem.







      TO GENERAL THADDEUS KOSCIUSKO.







             WASHINGTON, March 14, 1801.







 DEAR GENERAL,-I enclose you a letter from Mr.



Barnes on the subject of your affairs here. A loan



at interest of 8 per cent having been proposed by

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     123







our government, I thought it better to convert a



part of your bank stock into that, which was done to



advantage. All the details are in the hands of Mr.



Barnes, who is worthy of all confidence. This will



be handed you by our friend, Mr. Dawson. I cannot



hail you with confidence on the return of our fellow-



citizens to the principles of '76 and to their thorough



understanding of the artifices which have been played



off on them and under the operation of which they



were while you were here. They are sensible of the



dangers into which they were suffering themselves



to be meshed and see the burdens of debt which they



have imposed on them. The people have come over



in a body to the republican side and have left such



of their leaders as were incurable to stand by them-



selves ; so that there is every reason to hope that that



love of party division which so counts here will be



totally obliterated. It would give me exquisite



pleasure to have you here a witness to our country



and to recognize the people whom you knew during



the war. For all particulars I refer you to Mr. Daw-



son, who, being an actor in the scene, can give you



all the details.







 I have not been able to learn your exact situation



since you were here. Your letters are too barren of



what I wish most to hear, I mean of things relating



to yourself. I am in constant expectation of receiv-



ing your commission to buy the one hundred acres



of land for you in my neighborhood. I am fixed



here, however, for some time. Continue to preserve

















124        Jefferson's Works







my place in your esteem and accept assurances of



my constant and affectionate friendship.







  P. S. At this moment Mr. R- appears and



delivers me your letter of which he is the bearer.







            TO JAMES MADISON.







               WASHINGTON, April 30, 1801.







  I hasten the return of the bearer that he may meet



you at Brown's and convey you information as to the



road. From Songster's I tried the road by Ravens-



worth, which comes into the turnpike road four and



a half miles below Fairfax courthouse. There are



about two miles of it which, I think, cannot be passed



by your carriage without oversetting ; and consulting



with Colonel Wren, who knows both roads, he says



there is no comparison, that you must absolutely



come by Fairfax courthouse, all that road being



practicable till you come to Little 's lane, which you



have to encounter whatever way you come. I passed



it yesterday, a wagon being then stuck fast in it, nor



do I suppose any four-wheeled carriage could then



have got through the spot where the wagon was



without stalling. But two days of wind and sun



will by to-morrow make immense odds in it, so that



I hope you will be able to pass it.







  I met with Mr. Gaines and a Mr. Beauspoke at



Brown's. They live near. I spoke of the difficulty



of your getting up the Bull-Run hill. They agreed

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     125







to take each a horse and draw your carriage up.



Accept their offer by all means, as however steady



your horses they will be in the utmost peril of balking,



and should they once begin there are other hills suf-



ficient to make them give you a great deal of vexation.



The Bull-Run hill is really the worst I ever saw on a



public road. Still, let nothing tempt you to go by



Centersville, as on that route the whole is cut by



wagons into mud holes. From Brown's to Fairfax



courthouse you have fourteen miles of very firm road,



only hilly in the beginning. You had better start as



soon as you can see to drive, breakfast at Colonel



Wren's and come on here to dinner. We shall wait



"or you till .4 o'clock. My respects to Mrs. Madison,



and affectionate esteem to yourself.



,







 P. S. I before mentioned to you what I had written



to Leiper on the subject of our letter. I have received



no answer. The same letter said something of his



disappointment of office. I suspect it has not pleased



him. I own I have thought something of his silence,



were it only on account of the use Callender is making



of his name.







            TO JOHN LANGDON.







               WASHINGTON, May 23, 1801.







 MY DEAR SIR,-After your refusal of the office of



Secretary of the Navy, it was proposed to Captain



Jones, of Philadelphia, who in like manner declined

















126        Jefferson's Works







it. General Smith then agreed to perform the duties



without being appointed or receiving any reward.



He has nearly completed the requisitions of the law



on a surmise that Captain Jones might give a different



answer on a second application. I proposed it to



him again, and he again declined it. I now learn that



it is thought possible that you might be induced to



relieve our distress by undertaking it. I lose not a



moment, therefore, in proposing it to you. The



labors of reformation and of ultimately disposing of



the vessels will all be over to your hand. The resi-



dence here is very pleasant, indeed a charming society



and not too much of it, all living on affectionate



and unceremonious terms.    It is impossible to be.



associated with more agreeable colleagues. I hope,



therefore, that you will undertake the office, and



so say by return of post. The commission shall be



forwarded on receiving your answer; and we shall



entertain the hope of seeing Mrs. Langdon and



yourself as soon after as your convenience will



admit. Accept assurances of my constant esteem



and high consideration.







            TO JAMES MONROE.







              WASHINGTON, March 31, 1802.







 DEAR SIR,-Yours of the 21st is duly received.



Chisolm is now engaged in running up for me twenty



brick pilasters to my offices, which take about four



thousand bricks, and I remember it was very doubt-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      127







ful whether we had that number. But if there be



as many over it as you need, they are at your service,



and I will give orders accordingly by the next post.



I expect to be there myself within ten days after the



rising of Congress, and to remain a fortnight. Per-



haps one of your plantation visits may be so timed



as to fall in with mine, say the first week in May.



I have not written to you on the resolutions of the



assembly respecting slaves, because it does not press,



and the issue of the affairs of St. Domingo may influ-



ence the question. I would rather, too, defer it till



we can have 'a conversation and concur in the trail



to be pursued. I have received a statement from



Gouverneur Morris on the case of Houdon. It gives



us little insight into it. I have papers at Monticello



which I think will throw some light on the subject.



I suspend answering your letter, therefore, respecting



this until I shall have visited Monticello.







 The British convention is before the Senate. It



commutes the sixth article 4,600,000 pounds sterling



payable in three annual instalments. It will meet



opposition there, and in the other House when an



appropriation is asked. It would be very ill judged



not to close, for it would revive their claim of twenty



odd millions of dollars awarded by the commissioners,



which they would hold as a rod forever over our heads,



to operate on our seaport towns and even on Congress



at will. It is now settled by our predecessors ; if the



bargain be hard, it is their work. That it is not more



hard has been the effect of our measures. If this be

















128        Jefferson's Works







given up it can never be settled but by war.  Affec-



tionate and respectful salutations to Mrs. Monroe and



yourself.







           TO ABRAHAM BALDWIN.







               WASHINGTON, April 14, 1802.







 DEAR SIR,-I have prepared a catalogue for the



Library of Congress in conformity with your ideas



that books of entertainment are not within the scope



of it, and that books in other languages, where there



are not translations of them, are to ,be admitted



freely. I have confined the catalogue to those



branches of science which belong to the delibera-



tions of the members as statesmen, and in these have



omitted those desirable books, ancient and modern,



which gentlemen generally have in their private



libraries, but which cannot properly claim a place



in a collection made merely for the purposes of



reference. '







  In history I have confined the histories to the



chronological works which give facts and dates with



a minuteness not to be found in narrations composed



for agreeable reading. Under the laws of nature



and nations I have put down everything I know of



worth possessing, because this is a branch of science



often under the discussion of Congress, and the books



written on it not to be found in private libraries. In



law I set down only general treatises for the purpose



of reference. The discussions under this head in











                   ,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     129







Congress are rarely so minute as to require or admit



that reports and special treatises should be intro-



duced. The Parliamentary section I have imagined



should be complete. It is only by having a law of



proceeding, and by every member having the means



of understanding it for himself and appealing to it,



that he can be protected against caprice and despot-



ism in the chair. The two great encyclopaedias



form a complete supplement for the sciences omitted .



in the general collection. should occasion happen to



arise for recurring to them. I have added a set of



dictionaries in the different languages, which may



be often wanting. This catalogue, combined with



what you may approve in those offered by others,



will enable you to form your general plan and to



select from it every year to the amount of the annual     '



fund of those most wanting. I have omitted on it



those which, by the printed catalogue, I find you



already possess. In estimating the amount of an



annual selection, folios may be stated as costing one



and a half guineas, quartos a guinea, octavos 12 / -,



twelve mos  4 / - in England, and in France three-



fourths of those prices, in neat but not splendid



bindings. Accept assurances of my respect and



friendly consideration.











   vol. xix---9

















130        Jefferson's Works







        TO THOMAS LAW.







               WASHINGTON, May 31, 1802.







  DEAR SIR,-I received, yesterday evening, your



letter of the 23d inst. informing me of the death



of Mrs. Washington, and I received it with great



and sincere concern. An acquaintance of five and



twenty years, in times and circumstances of great



and trying aspect, had made me a witness of her



constant course in whatsoever was benevolent and



virtuous in life, had marked her in my judgment



as one of the most estimable of women, and had



inspired me with an affectionate and respectful



attachment to her. This lesson is more felt, too.



as it renews the memory of a preceding one of



a worthy, of that degree which Providence with



its divine dispensations sees fit rarely to bestow



on us, whose services in the cause of man had



justly endeared him to the world and whose name



still is among the latest monuments of the age



wherein he lived, which time will extinguish.







 My own sense of these losses enables me to sym-



pathize sincerely in the afflictions of the family.



to whom I pray you to tender assurances, and to



accept them yourself, of my highest esteem and



respect.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     131







           TO WILLIAM DUNBAR.







              'WASHINGTON, MarCh 3, 1803.







SIR,-Your favor of the 8th of January has



been received and I have to return you thanks



for the two vocabularies. The memoir of Mr.



Durald has been forwarded to the Philosophical



Society. We shall be happy to see your history



of the Mississippi completed, as it is becoming one



of the most interesting parts of our country. The



only one where some of the tropical productions



can be maintained (?) among us. * * * * had only



a little mistaken the information I gave him * * * *



was not that you were removing altogether, but



that you meant shortly to take a trip to Europe



which I had understood from some other person



* * * * yourself.







The late interruption of our commerce at New



Orleans by the Spanish Intendant, combined with



the change of proprietors which Louisiana certainly,



and the Floridas possibly, are immediately to under-



go have produced a ' great sensation here ; while



some have wished to make it the immediate cause



of war which might damage our finances and



embarrass the administration of our government,



which, in the state of their political passions, would



be a countervail for the most serious public extrem-



ities, we have pursued what we believe a more



certain and more speedy means of restoring per-



manently the rights and conveniences of our

















132        Jefferson's Works







commerce, whether we may succeed in the acqui-



sition of the island of New Orleans and the Floridas



peaceably for a price far short of the expense of



a war, we cannot say. But that we shall obtain



peaceably an immediate and firm re-establishment



of all our rights under the Spanish treaty every



circumstance known to us leads us to believe.



If contrary to expectations war should be necessary



to restore our rights, it is surely prudent to take



a little time for availing ourselves of the division



of Europe to strengthen ourselves for that war.



Nothing but the failure of every peaceable mode



of redress, nothing but dire necessity, should force



us from the path of peace which would be our



wisest pursuit, to embark in the broils and con-



tentions of Europe and become a satellite to any



power there. Yet this must be the consequence



if we fail in all possible means of re-establishing



our rights were we to enter into the war alone.



The Mississippi would be blockaded at least during



the continuance of that war by a superior naval



power, and all our Western States be deprived of



their commerce unless they would surrender them-



selves to the blockading power.







Great endeavors have been used from this quarter



to inflame the western people to take possession



of New Orleans without looking forward to the



use they could make of it with a blockaded river,



but I trust they will be unable, that a peaceable



redress will be quickest and most for their interests.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts   133







We shall endeavor to procure the Indian right of



soil, as soon as they can be prevailed on to part



with it, the whole left bank of the Mississippi to



a respectable breadth, and encourage a prompt



settlement, and thereby plant on the Mississippi



itself the means of its own defense and present



as strong a frontier as that on our Eastern border.



I pray you to accept assurances of any great esteem



and respect.







         TO DR. BENJAMIN RUSH.







             WASHINGTON, April 23,. 1803.







DEAR SIR,-Your friendly letter of March 12



was received in due time and with a due sense of



its value. I shall with confidence avail myself of



its general prescriptions and of the special should



the state of my health alter for the worse. At



present it wears a promising aspect.







At length I send you a letter long due and even



now but a sketch of what I wished to make it.



But your candor will find my just excuse in the



indispensable occupations of my public duties. I



communicate a copy of the syllabus to Dr. Priestley



in hope he will extend his work of Socrates and



Jesus compared. He views a part of the subject



differently from myself, but in the main object



of my syllabus we go perfectly together. Accept



my affectionate salutations and assurances of great



respect.

















134        Jefferson's Works







          TO HENRY DEARBORN.







             MONTICELLO, August 23, 1803.







 DEAR SIR,-I enclose you a letter from Mr.



Simpson to Mr. Madison showing very clearly



that our plan of having the gun carriages for the



Emperor of Morocco made in Europe cannot take



place. To cut short still further delay on this



subject I think we must furnish them from home.



You observe they must be of the very best and



fitted for land service. If we have such really



good, though wanting for our own service, it will



be better to send them and immediately replace



then here by new ones. Otherwise they should



be made and sent without delay. I think it had



been agreed that you would see to the execution



of the business. -







 There is reason to apprehend that the govern-



ment of France, perhaps not well satisfied with



its bargain with us, will seize any pretext which



can be laid hold of to annul the treaty. They



have exacted from our minister a rigorous regard



for dates which will render it necessary for both



Houses of Congress to perform their respective



parts without a day's delay, and with as little



debate as possible, and that we have a public



armed ship ready to sail on the 31st day of October



to carry the ratification and if possible the stock



to France. Perhaps the last of your small vessels



which. shall go to the Mediterranean this season

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    135







may perform this office. But whether this or any



other will be best you will be so good as to consider



and have in readiness. It is best that as little as



possible be said as to the constitutional difficulty



and that on that Congress * * * * is necessary



without any explanation. An investigation of the







                                      ,



subject here among my books satisfies me that



our right to the river Perdido is solid, and to the



bay of St. Bernard very susceptible of being * * * *



Livingston and Morse express a clear opinion as



to the Perdido and advise us to act on it. Accept



my affectionate salutations and assurances of.great



esteem and regard.







 P. S. When you shall have read Simpson's letter



be so good as to return it to me with your con-



clusion as to the carriages.







       TO THE EMPEROR OF MOROCCO.







          WASHINGTON, DeCember 20, 1803.







 GREAT       AND GOOD FRIEND,-I learn With great



concern the acts of violence which took place



between some vessels of your Majesty and of the



United States, and with equal pleasure that you



had promptly interposed and arrested the progress



of the misunderstanding. This proof of your dis-



position to remain in friendship with the United



States is duly estimated on my part and will be



reciprocated on all occasions by corresponding

















136        Jefferson's Works







endeavors to preserve the peace and good under-



standing so happily subsisting between us.







Separated by a wide ocean from the nations of



Europe, and under circumstances peculiar to our-



selves, our practices and principles of intercourse



are not always the same with theirs. All religions



are equally independent here, our laws knowing



no distinction of country, of classes among indi-



viduals and with nations, our * * * * is justice



and reciprocity. In these principles of justice and



reciprocity was founded the treaty of peace and



friendship concluded with your Imperial father



and recently recognized by your Majesty. In this



recognition I willingly concur, promising that the



stipulations of that treaty shall be faithfully observed



on our part. We shall, moreover, avail ourselves of



every occasion of performing good offices to your



people and of manifesting the cordial friendship and



respect we bear to the person and character of your



Imperial Majesty and I pray God to have you, great



and good friend, in His safe and holy keeping.







 Done at Washington in the United States of



America, etc.







           TO JOHN LANGDON.







          WASHINGTON, December 22, 1803.







 MY DEAR SIR,-The enclosed commission was



made out immediately on the receipt of your recom-



mendation as its date will show; but as I wished

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     137







to accompany it with a line to you, it has lain by



me ever since waiting a moment of leisure to drop



you one. In the meantime the law is repealed:



but this commission will still do for existing cases.







 I have the happiness to assure you that we shall



receive Louisiana without opposition, or rather



that we have received it, as we know that our



troops embarked for Natchez the 1st and 2d instant,



and would arrive at New Orleans on the 7th, where



possession would be instantly delivered, according



to arrangements agreed to between General Wil-



kinson and the French prefect. This matter quietly



finished, and peace made with the Emperor of



Morocco dictated by ourselves, leaves nothing in



our horizon but the little speck of Tripoli, where



the substitution of Preble for Morris will probably



soon enforce peace also. From both the contending



powers of Europe we have equal proofs of friend-



ship, but most especially Great Britain; we shall,



therefore, I hope, be able to maintain an impartial



and honorable neutrality. At home we learn from



all quarters that these measures have brought over



to us nearly the whole of our candid opponents,



except in three of the New England States, and



in Delaware; these we trust will in time be con-



vinced also. This, my friend, is a rapid view of



our affairs, and is as much as incessant interruption



and business will permit me to put on paper. Accept



my affectionate salutations and assurances of con-



stant esteem.

















138        Jefferson's Works







          TO GOVERNOR JOHN PAGE.







            WASHINGTON, DeCember 23, 1803.







  DEAR SIR,-Your favor of November 16, received



November 26, is now before me, and I enclose



you a letter of Mr. Gore which I presume we may



consider as the final result of our endeavor to



procure an asylum in the colony of Sierra Leone



for such persons of the description composing that



colony as we might find it expedient to send there.



Since the date of the resolution, which has been



the subject of this correspondence, the aspect of



affairs has undergone important changes. You can



judge of the probability of their settling down in



a form which may furnish that opening which the



resolution desired. As yet, however, direct pro-



positions for that purpose would be premature.







  The acquisition of Louisiana may also procure



the opportunity desired. This will depend on the



manner in which the Legislature of the Union will



dispose of that country. An expectation of some



decision as to this had induced me to delay answering



your letter earlier; but no progress being yet made



in it, and a fear that the Legislature of Virginia



might rise before definite arrangements are taken



here, I do not venture on a further delay.







 On the whole it appears probable that St. Dom-



inique or Louisiana may open to the Legislature



of Virginia the resource which their resolution



contemplated. Accept my affectionate salutations



and assurances of great consideration and respect.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    139







          TO THE DEY OF ALGIERS.







             WASHINGTON, March 27, 1804







 GREAT AND GOOD FRIEND,-I HAVE received your



letter of the 14th of October last and in it assur-



ances of the continuance of your friendly disposi-



tions toward the United States and of your attach-



ment to the treaty which binds us together. These



assurances are the more satisfactory as we also



are disposed to a faithful observance of our treaty,



which, settling, as between friends, a fixed measure



of what the one is bound to yield and the other has



a right to receive, prevents requisitions out of the



provisions of the treaty which sometimes it is



inconvenient and sometimes impracticable to com-



ply with.







 Of the latter kind is your request of brass field-



pieces from us. The materials of which that metal



are compounded do not exist in this country, as



far as has been yet discovered. When we have



occasion for anything of brass, we seek it in the



countries of your neighborhood. We have, however,



a mine of iron, the only one perhaps which is known,



of such quality as to admit of field-pieces to be



cast as light and as strong as brass, more durable,



and less costly. This we use for field-pieces, and



knowing from our own experience its superior nature



I shall immediately order and send to you those



you request, instead of other articles of the annual€-



supplies stipulated in our treaty, I am persuaded

















140        Jefferson's Works







that in so doing I shall execute your intentions



to your greater satisfaction. Adhering substantially



to our mutual stipulations, I shall, nevertheless,



take a pleasure in any occasional modification of



that which may suit your convenience and prove



our friendship to you.







 I have just learned with great regret the loss



of the ship off Cadiz, laden by us with



naval stores for you. I regret it, not so much



for the value to us as the delay which our great



distance from you will necessarily occasion in



supplying the loss. Orders, however, are already



given to forward others without loss of time.







 I pray God, great and good friend, to have you



in His holy keeping.







     TO F. H. ALEXANDER YON HUMBOLDT.







               WASHINGTON, May 28, 1804.







 SIR,-I received last night your favor of the



24th, and offer you my congratulations on your



arrival here in good health, after a tour in the



course of which you have been exposed to so many



hardships and hazards. The countries you have



visited are of those least known and most interesting,



and a lively desire will be felt generally to receive



the information you will be able to give. No one



will feel it more strongly than myself, because



no one, perhaps, views this new world with more



partial hopes of its exhibiting an ameliorated

















        Supplementary Manuscripts       141







state of the human condition. In the new position



in which the seat of our government is fixed, We



have nothing curious to attract the observations



of a traveller, and can only substitute in its place



the welcome with which we should receive your



visit, should you find it convenient to add so much



to your journey.







 Accept, I pray you, my respectful salutations



and assurances of great respect and consideration.







        TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR







            (HENRY DEARBORN.)







               WASHINGTON, June 6, 1804.







 The division of Louisiana into districts relating



to the military as much as to the civil administration,



will you be so good as to consider those proposed



by Governor Harrison, and we will then consider



the subject. My idea would be not to fix precisely



the dividing line between the districts, as we have



not information enough for that, but to use such



a mode of designation for these as we do for the



consular districts in foreign countries where we



are equally uninformed. I Would say, for example,



"the post of St. Louis shall be the seat of admin-



istration for its district, which district shall be



composed of all those parts of Louisiana, south of.



the Missouri, which are nearer to St. Louis than



to any other district seat. " This lays off the whole



country at once on the principle of distance, which

















142        Jefferson's Works







is the chief ingredient in convenience, modified



by the division of a river where that is material.







 I think the purchases of the Delawares and Pian-



kishaws, proposed by Governor Harrison, very



interesting and that the Delawares might at once



be informed that we will purchase, with an annuity



to be paid to them whenever they shall settle;



but before we can offer lands on the other side



the Mississippi to any tribe, we should be well



informed of the title to lands there. Should it not



be well to charge Governors Harrison and Claiborne



generally with this inquiry, and the commander of



each station specially, as far as his opportunity



extends, and that this be done and reported to us



without delay? Affectionate salutations.







     TO ALEXANDER, EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.







              WASHINGTON, June 15, 1804..







 GREAT AND GOOD FRIEND,-Your friendly inter-



position for the relief of the crew of an American



frigate stranded on the coast of Tripoli -has been



recently made known to me. For this act of



benevolence and proof of your disposition to befriend



our young Republic its Secretary of State conveys



the official expression of its sensibility. But I



should illy satisfy my own feelings did I not add



my individual acknowledgments for a favor directly



tending to facilitate the administration of affairs



of my country with which I am personally charged.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     143







To the barbarians whose habitual violations of



the laws of nature have produced the occasion



of this friendly office, we have sent expressions



of very different feelings by the squadron which



has just left our ports destined for theirs. Should



the Commodore find that in consequence of your



Imperial Majesty's interposition, they shall already



have done us voluntary justice, he will let them



owe to your favor his abstinence from every act



of force. Otherwise he will endeavor, by the means



he is furnished with, to convince them it will be



their interest to injure us no more.







 I see with great pleasure the rising commerce



between our two countries. We have not gone



into the policy which the European nations have



so long tried and to so little effect of multiplying



commercial treaties. In national as in individual



dealings, more liberality will, perhaps, be found



in voluntary regulations than in those which are



measured out by the strict letter of a treaty, which,



whenever it becomes onerous, is made by forced



construction to mean anything or nothing, engenders



disputes, and brings on war. But your flag will



find in our harbors hospitality, freedom and pro-



tection and your subjects enjoy all the privileges



of the most favored nation. The favorable reception



of our consul at St. Petersburg, and the friendly



sentiments conveyed through your minister of



foreign affairs, is an earnest that our merchants



also will meet due favor in your ports.

















144        Jefferson's Works







I avail myself of this occasion of expressing the



exalted pleasure I have felt in observing the various



acts of your administration during the short time



you have yet been on the throne of your country,



and seeing in them manifestations of the virtue



and wisdom from which they flow. What has



not your country to hope from a career which



has begun from such auspicious developments!



Sound principles, pursued with a steady step,



dealing out good progressively as your people are



prepared to receive and to hold it fast, cannot



fail to carry them and yourself far in€ the improve-



ment of their condition during the course of your



life.







 I pray to God that it may long continue for



their happiness and your glory, and that too He



may always have you in His safe and holy keeping.







  TO THE BROTHERS OF THE CHOCTAW NATION.







             WASHINGTON, MarCh 13, 1805.







 MY CHILDREN,-I learn with great Satisfaction



that you have leased to us three stations of one



mile square each on the road from Chickesaws to



Natchez, and one on the Pearl river; and you desire



me to send you a paper under my own hand to



show to your warriors that these lands are not



sold but lent. I now accordingly declare that the



property in those lands remains in your nation,



that they are lent to us for a rent of four hundred

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     145







pounds weight of powder annually, and that your



nation has a right to take them back at their pleasure ;



and this paper now signed by my own hand will



be evidence of these things to future generations.



We will, according to your desire, settle but one .



white family on each section, and take care that



they conduct themselves peaceably and friendly



toward you; or being made known to me that



they do otherwise they shall be removed. They



will be placed there merely for the accommodation



of our paper carriers and travellers.







 My children, you have asked whether I did



not promise to send you ploughs to enable you



to improve in husbandry? I did promise it and



immediately sent the ploughs; but by a mistake



in forwarding them, they were delayed some time



before we knew of it. You must, however, have



received them before this time.







 You ask if I did not promise to send your deputa-



tion ten rifles for yourselves and other deserving



warriors? I did not promise it. You said they



would be acceptable, but I said nothing in reply.



But although .I did not promise, yet to show my



good will to you, I will send you the rifles.







You ask if we will allow commissions to you



according to your rank and medals and commis-



sions to such chiefs as you may appoint to assist



in the government of your country? It has not



been a custom with us to give commissions to our



friends among the red men; and it is a new thing.







  VOL. XIX-I O

















146        Jefferson's Works







We will take it into consideration. We wish to



do what is agreeable to you, if we find we can do



it with prudence.







 We shall be willing to give medals to a certain



number of distinguished chiefs who aid you in



the government of your country, and who mani-



fest dispositions to preserve peace and friendship



between your nation and ours. We wish you,



therefore, to recommend such to us.







 My children, persevere in your friendship to



the United States. We will never injure you



nor permit you to be injured by any white people,



and we trust you will take care that none of our



people are injured by yours. Encourage among



you the cultivation of the earth, raising of cattle,



spinning and weaving, and we will assist' you in



it. With plenty of food and clothing you will



raise many children, multiply, be strong and happy.



May the Great Spirit protect and prosper you in



all your just pursuits. Farewell.







 TO THE CHIEFS OF THE CHEROKEE NATION.(1)







           WASHINGTON, ; January 10, 1806.







MY FRIENDS AND CHILDREN, CHIEFLY OF THE



CHEROKEE NATION,-HAVING now finished our busi-



ness and finished it I hope to mutual satisfaction,



I cannot take leave of you without expressing the







@#(1) This letter is one of the finest examples of Jefferson's written



communications to the Aborigines, @#

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    147







satisfaction I have received from your visit. I



see with my own eyes that the endeavors we have



been making to encourage and lead you in the



way of improving your situation have not been



unsuccessful; it has been like grain sown in good



ground, producing abundantly. You are becoming



farmers, learning the use of the plough and the



hoe, enclosing your grounds and employing that



labor in their cultivation which you formerly



employed in hunting and in war; and I see hand-



some specimens of cotton cloth raised, spun and



wove by yourselves. You are also raising cattle



and hogs for your food, and horses to assist your



labors. Go on, my children, in the same way and



be assured the further you advance in it the happier



and more respectable you will be.







 Our brethren, whom you have happened to



meet here from the West and Northwest, have



enabled you to compare your situation now with



what it was formerly. They also make the com-



parison, and they see how far you are ahead of



them, and seeing what you are they are encouraged



to do as you have done. You will find your next



want to be mills to grind your corn, which by



relieving your women from the loss of time in



beating it into meal, will enable them to spin and



weave more. When a man has enclosed and



improved his farm, builds a good house on it and



raised plentiful stocks of animals, he will wish



when he dies that these things shall go to his wife

















148        Jefferson's Works







and children, whom he loves more than he does



his other relations, and for whom he will work



with pleasure during his life. You will, there-



fore, find it necessary to establish laws for this.



When a man has property, earned by his own



labor, he will not like to see another come and



take it from him because he happens to be stronger,



or else to defend it by spilling blood. You will



find it necessary then to appoint good men, as



judges, to decide contests between man and man,



according to reason and to the rules you shall



establish. If you wish to be aided by our counsel



and experience in these things we shall always



be ready to assist you with our advice.







 My children, it is unnecessary for me to advise



you against spending all your time and labor in



warring with and€ destroying your fellow-men,



and wasting your own members. You already



see the folly and iniquity of it. Your young men;



however, are not yet sufficiently sensible of it.



Some of them cross the Mississippi to go and



destroy people who have never done them an injury.



My children, this is wrong and must not be; if



we permit them to cross the Mississippi to war



with the Indians on the other side of that river,



we must let those Indians cross the river to take



revenge on you. I say again, this must not be.



The Mississippi now belongs to us. It must not



be a river of blood. It is now the water-path



along which all our people of Natchez, St. Louis,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    149







Indiana, Ohio ; Tennessee, Kentucky and the western.



parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia are constantly



passing with their property, to and from New



Orleans. Young men going to war are not easily



restrained. Finding our people on the river they



will rob them, perhaps kill them. This would



bring on a war between us and you. It is better



to stop this in time by forbidding your young



men to go across the river to make war. If they go



to visit or to live with the Cherokees on the other



side of the river we shall not object to that. That



country is ours. We will permit them to live in it.







 My children, this is what I wished to say to you.



To go on in learning to cultivate the earth and



to avoid war. If any of your neighbors injure



you, our beloved men whom we place with you



will endeavor to obtain justice for you and we



will support them in it. If any of your bad people



injure your neighbors, be ready to acknowledge



it and to do them justice. It is more honorable to



repair a wrong than to persist in it. Tell all your



chiefs, your men, women and children, that I take



them by the hand and hold it fast. That I am



their father, wish their happiness and well-being,



and am always ready to promote their good.







 My children, I thank you for your visit and pray



to the Great Spirit who made us all and planted us all



in this land to live together like brothers that He



will conduct you safely to your homes, and grant you



to find your families and your friends in good health.

















150        Jefferson's Works







         TO WILLIAM H. HARRISON.







           WASHINGTON, January 16, 1806.







 DEAR SIR,-Your several unanswered letters of



June 18, August 2 9, November I a and a o, prove



me an unpunctual correspondent. It is not because



I do less than I might do, but that I have more than



I can do. I will now summarily reply to their several



articles. And first I pray you to deliver to the legis-



lature the inclosed letter in answer to the address



they favored me with. Of the two persons chosen to



supply the place of Mr. Hay in the legislative council



I nominated Mr. Bond, which nomination has been,



with others, three weeks before the Senate. So has



that of Judge Griffin, for the Michigan territory. I



am told it is doubtful whether the Senate will con-



firm the last. I have earnestly inculcated the neces-



sity of raising the salaries of the territorial governors



and judges and it will be attempted this session,



but with what success is very doubtful.







 The British have clearly no right to trade with



the Indians in Louisiana. It is therefore decided



to keep that trade to ourselves as the only means



of governing those Indians peaceably. This Will



render it important to be particularly friendly to



the Sacs, Foxes, Kickapoos, Sioux, and other



Indians residing on the border between the British



and us and by taking their pelts and furs at higher



prices and selling them goods at lower prices than



the trade will bear without loss, to let them see



their own interest in an exclusive adhesion to us,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    151







What we lose with them we must make up from



other quarters, our principle being neither to gain



nor lose on the whole Indian trade together.







The late stroke of Pottawottomies on the Osages



must be' strongly reprimanded and no exertion



spared to recover and restore the prisoners and



make satisfaction for the killed. The Indians on



this side the Mississippi must understand that



that river is now ours and it is not to be a river



of blood. If we permit them on this side to cross



it to war against the other side we must permit



the other side to come over to this for revenge.



The safety of our settlements will not admit of



this and in the present case of Pottawottomies they



should be made to understand that unless they



make to the Osages every satisfaction in their



power and satisfy us they will cease crossing the



Mississippi to war on nations which never injured



them, we may give a free passage and support



to the Osages to come over and take such revenge



as will glut them. But it is from the Secretary



of War that you will receive what is to be considered



as official, and as your guide in this business. Among



the Mississippi Indians now here is one Pottawot-



tomi chief. Nothing has yet been said to him



on this subject, but some explanations will take



place before he leaves us, which probably will



not be till late in February.







 Accept my friendly salutations and assurances



of great esteem and respect.

















152        Jefferson's Works







   TO THE REVEREND DOCTOR G. C. JENNER.







               MONTICELLO, May 14, 1806.







SIR,-I have received a copy of the evidence



at large respecting the discovery of the vaccine



inoculation which you have been pleased to send



me, and for which I return you my thanks. Having



been among the early converts, in this part of the



globe, to its efficiency, I took an early part in



recommending it to my countrymen. I avail my-



self of this occasion of rendering you a portion of



the tribute of gratitude due to you from the whole



human family. Medicine has never before pro-



duced any single improvement of such utility.



Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood was



a beautiful addition to our knowledge of the animal



economy, but on a review of the practice of medicine



before and since that epoch, I do not see any great



amelioration which has been derived from that



discovery. You have erased from the calendar



of human afflictions one of its greatest. Yours



is the comfortable reflection that mankind can



never forget that you have lived. Future nations



will know by history only that the loathsome



small-pox has existed and by you has been extir-



pated. '







Accept my fervent wishes for your health and



happiness and assurances of the greatest respect



and consideration.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    153







           TO ALBERT GALLATIN.







               WASHINGTON, June 21, 1806.







 Judging by Price's survey of Ocracock, the only



position for the custom house which seems to



come into competition with the point B, recom-



mended by Mr. Taylor, is that part of Beacon



Island opposite to the point marked a. But,



perhaps Wallace's channel may be the most used.



The form you propose, No. I, would include Beacon



Island, and on that account would be preferable,



as it would give us greater latitude hereafter should



future representations prove a to be a more con-



venient point than B. I should prefer the mode



of designation used in your form No. 2, only vary-



ing it so as to comprehend Beacon Island in some



such way as the following:







 "So much of Ocracock Inlet and of the shores



adjacent as is contained between Shellcastle and



Beacon Islands and Portsmouth point, including the



whole of the said point which lies in the district



of Ocracock and also the whole of the said islands



and of the grounds adjacent to Shellcastle Island,



whereon a beacon or lighthouse is erected, as is the



property .of the United States."







 But this is barely suggested and left to yourself.



Affectionate salutations.

















154        Jefferson's Works







          TO PIERRE AUGUSTE ADET.







               WASHINGTON, June 29, 1806.







  SIR,-Your two letters of March 3 and 6 have



been duly received, and with them the copy of



your elementary. lessons in chemistry for which I



pray you to accept my thanks. My occupation



not permitting me to read anything but the papers



of the day, I reserve it among the treasures to be



carried into that retirement to which I shall with-



draw at the close of my present period. I hope



that in the meantime nothing will happen to lessen



that prosperity which results from our external



peace and internal tranquillity. The great body



of our citizens being engaged in the pursuit of



agriculture in sparse settlement ensure to us the



continuance of order and good government. Our



sea-port towns indeed have the vices inseparable



from crowded habitations of men. But they are



but specks on the vast surface of our country,



affecting very little the general character of the



nation.







 Dr. Deveze, who is the subject of your letter



of March 3, had I believe great merit in the services



he rendered in Philadelphia on the first visitation



of yellow fever in 'g 3. The, courage with which



he exposed himself to it, when its novelty fright-



ened away the physicians and 12 inhabitants of the



place, marked a mind of superior benevolence.



He was among the earliest, too, in noting the fact

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     155







that it is not infectious. Experience has since



well established that opinion. Not but that there



are still responsible physicians who maintain the



contrary, supporting themselves by so extending



the definition of yellow fever, as to comprehend



fevers having strong features of distinction. Still



it is unquestionable that that fever which has



afflicted our cities since 1793 and is particularly



distinguished by the name yellow fever, has never



been communicated by going into the particu-



lar part of a town where it prevails, and within



whose atmosphere only it can be taken. And



further, it is certain that this particular fever which



seizes natives as well as foreigners, has never ex-



tended further south in the United States than



Alexandria. The fevers of Norfolk, Charleston and



New Orleans, which have been gratuitously called



yellow fever, have seized new comers only, not



natives or long residents, and are truly classed



with autumnal fevers.







 With respect to Dr. Deveze's request of some



acknowledgment for his services, your knowledge



of our Constitution enables you to see that the



General Government is restrained to the exercise



of those powers only which are enumerated in



the Constitution. That all others are reserved to



the State governments and consequently the



remuneration of discoveries or improvements in



the arts and sciences, and services rendered to



the public health, his application can of course

















156.        Jefferson's Works







be received by the government of Pennsylvania



only, to which State the service was rendered.



The General Government cautiously refrains from



intermeddling with the concerns of the separate



States.







 I hope Dr. Deveze will see in these considerations



the obstacles which forbid the interference of our



National Government in these cases, while in my



personal sentiments and esteem I render him the



justice he merits.







 I pray you to accept, yourself, my salutations



and assurances of great respect and esteem.







          TO ANDREW JACKSON.







           WASHINGTON, December 3, 1806.







 SIR,-I have duly received your letter, proffering



the services of a very respectable corps of volunteers,



should the injuries offered our country render it



necessary. Always a friend to peace and believing



it to promote eminently the happiness and pros-



perity of mankind, I am ever unwilling that it



should be disturbed as long as the rights and interests



of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever



hostile aggressions on these require a resort to war,



we must meet our duty and convince the world



that we are just friends and brave enemies. Whether



our difficulties with Spain will issue in peace or



war is still uncertain, and what provisional measures



shall be taken for the latter alternative, is now

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    157







under consideration of the legislature. The offer



of service which your patriotism has now made



to your ,country is a pledge that it will not be



withheld in whatever the national councils may



authorize.







  Accept my thanks on the public behalf for the



readiness with which you have made this honor-



able tender, with respectful salutations and assur-



ances of great consideration and esteem.







            TO JOHN LANGDON.







           WASHINGTON, DeCember 22, 1806.







MY DEAR SIR,-Your letter of the 12th is this



moment put into my hands, and as it reminds



me of my default in not answering the former,



I take up my pen to answer instanter.







Our prospects are great if we can preserve external



and internal peace. With England I firmly expect



a friendly arrangement. With Spain we shall



possibly have blows; but they will hasten, instead



of preventing, a peaceable settlement. The most



instant pressure is now from among ourselves,



our Catiline is at the head of an armed body (we



know not its strength), and his object is to seize



New Orleans, from thence attack Mexico, place



himself on the throne of Montezuma, add Louisi-



ana to his empire, and the Western States from



the Alleghany if he can. I do not believe he



will attain the crown; but neither am I certain

















158        Jefferson's Works







the halter will get its due. A few days will let us



see whether the Western States suppress them-



selves this insurrectionary enterprise, or we shall



be obliged to make a great national armament



for it. In the end, I am satisfied it will exhibit to the



world another proof that the people of the United



States are qualified for self-government. Our



friends, the federalists, chuckle at all this; but



in justice I must add, we have found some faithful



among those in the West.







 Our session is proceeding with harmony. They



have great questions before them; such in my



opinion as look more to the tranquil happiness



and prosperity of a nation than ever before pre-



sented to a deliberative body. God bless you



and have you always in His holy keeping.







             TO HENRY LEE.







            WASHINGTON, February 1, 1807.







SIR,-Your letter of January 17 came to hand



last night If I ever .saw or heard of a Mr. Norris



of Baltimore, I do not remember either his name



or person. I never saw or heard of any list of



names of the adherents of Burr; still less of one



containing your name. I never have seen or heard



your name coupled with Burr's but in a newspaper



paragraph, mentioning that you were gone from



Staunton to join him. Which, as it went through



several papers, you have probably seen yourself,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    159







and certainly I never named you to any one as



having any connection with Burr, much less gave



any one liberty to announce it for me. Accept



my salutations.







 P. S. I return Mr. Harrison's letter.







           TO ANDREW JACKSON.







             WASHINGTON, MARCH 21, 1807,







 SIR,-In my letter of December 3, answering



yours which offered the service of a corps of vol-



unteers, I informed you that the legislature had



then under consideration in what way they should



authorize the Executive to accept those patriotic



tenders. They accordingly passed the act of which



I now enclose you a copy.







Although the present state of things on the



western side of the Mississippi does not threaten



any immediate collision with our neighbors in



that quarter, and it is our wish they should remain



undisturbed until an amiable adjustment may take



place, yet as this does not depend on ourselves



alone, it is prudent to be prepared to meet any



movements which may occur. The laws of a



former session of Congress for keeping a body of



100,000 militia in readiness for service at a moment's



warning, are still in force. But by the act now



included the service of volunteers may be accepted



which will, of course, render a resort to the former



act unnecessary.

















160        Jefferson's Works







 In consequence, therefore, of the patriotic zeal



which prompted your former offer, I now solicit



your best endeavors toward carrying this act into



execution. The persons who shall engage will not



be called from their homes until some aggression



committed or intended shall render it necessary.



When called into action, it will not be for a lounging



but for an active and, perhaps, distant service. I



know the effect of this consideration in kindling that



ardor which prevails for the service, and I count



on it for filling up the. numbers requisite without



delay. To yourself, I am sure, it must be as



desirable as it is to me, to transfer this service



from the great mass of the militia under your



charge, to that portion of them to whose habits



and enterprise active and distant service is most



congenial.







 With respect to the organization and officering



those who shall be engaged within your State,



the act itself, will be your guide. And it is desirable



we should be kept informed of the progress of the



business. I must pray you to report the same,



from time to time, to the Secretary of War, who



will correspond with you on all the details arising



out of it.







Accept my salutations and assurances of great



esteem and respect.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    161







            TO JOEL BARLOW.







              WASHINGTON, June 14, 1807.







 DEAR SIR,-I return you Dr. Triplett's letter



to Mr. O'Brien with thanks for the communication.



Coxe remains at Tunis only till we can find some



one of prudence and good sense equal to the station,



of honesty sufficient to be trusted with the expen-



diture of moneys without account and willing to



be located there. Do you know such a man? I



do not. Davis was an unfortunate appointment.



I knew it before he went away, but after it was



too much fixed to alter. If he carries into execution



the intention he expresses of visiting London and



Paris, it will furnish us a ground for correcting



our error.







 Before this reaches you, you will probably have



heard of the arrival of Wilkinson at Norfolk on the



10th with ten important witnesses.







When are we to see you here? I hope when



we do it will be as a resident. Will not Mrs. Barlow



and yourself meet your friends here on the birth-



day of our Constitution? Shall we not have from



our first poet a national ode for that and all other



festive days, to be to us what the Marseilles Hymn



was to the French, God Save Great George to the



English, and adapted to the exalted and already



adopted tune of the miserable ditty, " Hail Columbia"?







Should Mrs. Barlow and yourself come on, I



would propose to you for August and September







 VOL. XIX-11

















162        Jefferson's Works







a tour through the upper country of Virginia,



which you will find a very healthy and a very fine



one, tacking about at Monticello, where we shall



bc happy to detain you as long as your time will



permit. It is only one hundred and twenty miles



from this, and good roads. I salute you with



affection and respect.







             TO GEORGE HAY.







            WASHINGTON, October 11, 1807.







DEAR SIR,-As I understand by the newspapers



that the examination of. the witnesses in Burr's



case and that of the other persons accused is closed,



I must solicit as early a communication as possible



of the proceedings and evidence. Congress being



so near meeting, and a copy being to be made



out, so that each House may have one, it is evident



we shall have no time to spare. If your copy for



us is not wholly ready, perhaps you could send it



by piecemeal as it is ready, which would enable



us to be forwarding it in the same way. I salute



you with great esteem and respect.







           TO F. A. DELACROIX.







          WASHINGTON, December 21, 1807.







SIR,-Your  letter on the subject of military



service was received on the 2d instant. Our



foreign relations are certainly in a very unsettled

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     163







state, but whether they will terminate in war



cannot yet be foreseen. The decision of that ques-



tion being given by our Constitution to the legis-



lature, it would be premature in the Executive



to accept offers of military service before the



competent authority has decided on their employ-



ment. The readiness of your offer, however, still



merits the acknowledgments which I now make



for them, and when the proper moment shall arrive,



it will be my duty to avail my country of the best



talents which can be procured for its service. I



return you the paper which was enclosed in your



letter.







 Your favor of September 29 was not received



until two days ago. I have with pleasure sent



to Mr. Mackay my subscription to the book you



recommend. No period in human history merits



more to have all its truths produced than that



of the French Revolution. I am only sorry that



the new lights which your materials are to throw



upon it are to be passed through the medium of



translation only. The best translation can render



a sentiment but imperfectly, often falsely. A vast



deal of human misery has already flowed from



this revolution, accompanied by some good, but



what will be its permanent effect on the happiness



of mankind those who come after us will decide.



I salute you with great respect.

















164        Jefferson's Works







            TO GEORGE HAY.







           WASHINGTON, February 16, 1809.







 DEAR SIR,-I think it was Mr. Wythe's practice



to assign in the body of his decrees the reasons



on which they were founded. If this was done



in the case of Henderson and Peyton, you will



oblige me by obtaining a copy of the decree (to



be charged by the clerk to Mr. Peyton) and enclosing



it to 'me. Some property is offered of the value



of which I can better judge when I see the reasons



of the decree, and can estimate the probability



of affirmance or reversal.







 Burr, who gave you so much trouble, has become



absolutely invisible. There are conjectures of his



being in Philadelphia, but nobody can say they



have seen him.







 Ohio seems a second time to have done her



duty to her sister States. Mr. Giles has brought



forward a bill to amend our criminal law, but,



however necessary, I have no idea that a bill con-



taining a variety of modifications of the law can



ever get through a House where there are a hundred



lawyers. I salute you with great esteem and



respect.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    165







         TO G. HYDE DE NEUVILLE.







           WASHINGTON, February 17, 1808.







 SIR,-On the 13th instant I had the pleasure



of receiving your favor of December 22, covering



one from Madame d'Houdetot, of whom I had not



received information for several years. I am happy



to learn that she is living and enjoying a retire-



ment in comfort. The proofs of friendship I



received from her in France were such as to make



a lasting impression on my mind and to inspire



me with sincere concern for her welfare. Besides



the constant wish to render services to strangers



of merit, the interest she feels in your situation



is an additional title to my readiness to be useful



to you. In answer to your enquiries whether you



can acquire and hold lands in the United States



without becoming a citizen, I have to observe



that as far as I have learnt, it is a general policy



with the several States not to permit this. I have



made the most extensive enquiry I could on this



occasion, whether any one of these States has varied



from this policy, but I cannot find any one has



ox that there is any part of the Union where a



person not being a citizen can hold lands, except



in this District of Columbia. I am inclined also



to believe that this cannot be done through the



medium of any other person as a trustee, because



I suppose the trust would be escheat to the public



as the lands themselves would. But of this the

















166        Jefferson's Works







lawyers can give you information more to be relied



on than mine. I tender you my salutations and



assurances of respect.







        TO MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







              WASHINGTON, April 28, 1808.







 MY DEAR SIR,-I wrote you last on the 14th of



July, since which I have received your several



favors of July 8, August 11, September 20, December







 and January 12. This last has been a sincere



affliction to me. My knowledge of the extraor-



dinary worth of our deceased friend, her amiable



and excellent character, her value to yourself,



her family and friends, and the void it would make



at the house of La Grange, sufficiently apprise



me of the immensity of this loss. But on this



subject I will say no more; for experience in the



same school has taught me that time and silence



are the only medicines.







 I will now proceed to your affairs. I mentioned



in a former letter that Mr. Gallatin had compro-



mised the claims of the city of New Orleans by



a lin.e to be run 600 yards from the outer lines



of the town. So that what was beyond that became€



open to your location and left it clear of dispute.



I have not yet learned what location of the residue



has been made by Mr. Duplantier. Through an



indirect channel I know that on the 13th of Novem-



ber last he located 10,000 acres, and that on the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    167







15th of March the surveyor had finished surveying



9,000 acres of them. Where they lie particularly



I do not know, but as Mr. Duplantier had the first



choice they must be good and well situated. The



moment the surveys are brought here I will sign



the grants, which in the meantime are as secure



as if already signed. I am sorry to learn that



your necessities are so pressing as to induce you



to propose a sale of them at this time. If I am



not deceived in my anticipations of the rise in



value of property near New Orleans, they will



double in value three times within ten or twelve



years. That is to say, that twelve years hence



they will be worth eight times what they now



are. How desirable then, my dear friend, must



it be for the future welfare of yourself and family



that the necessity of selling could be postponed



for that term. The payment of interest is a mere



nothing in comparison of the rise in value. A



dozen years hence the sale of one-eighth will pay



as much as that of the whole now. And should



it be insisted that the payment of interest be



annually made, this may be done by an annual



sale of a few lots adjacent to the city of New Orleans.



I am not without hopes that in Europe, where the



safe placing of funds in these times of uncertainty



must be an object with many, that you may be able



to effect this on the hypothecation of these lands



which, from the moment of their being surveyed,



become a safe and fixed subject of hypothecation.

















168        Jefferson's Works







I spoke with Colonel Monroe on this subject



on his return and lately wrote to him. He answers



me in these words: "I think I informed you or



Mr. Madison that the Barings had agreed to wait



the term mentioned in your letter (ten years) or



some such term, for the reimbursement of the



money with interest, which they had advanced



to General Lafayette on being secured in it. Such



was the fact, it having been communicated to me



by Alexander Baring for your and Mr. Madisan's



information, just before I left London. It seems,



therefore, most desirable to proceed on that idea



and to give information of it to Lafayette. I



will, however, be happy to write Mr. Baring, if you



deem it necessary, after receiving this information. "







Thus you see the practicability of. procuring a



postponement of this portion of your wants, and



I should suppose the genius and knowledge of



our friend Mr. Parker would readily find capitalists



and effect negotiations for the further sum necessary



for you on the hypothecation of funds so solid as



these, and than which I do not think more solid



can be found on earth.







 I am the more encouraged to hope you may



avoid a sale by information I have this moment



received from Monsieur Mon-Tarbe, who is this



far on his return from Charleston, and who tells



me he is authorized by Mr: Hager of South Carolina



to inform you that he has secured for you a debt



from some General (whose name Monsieur Mon-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts       169







Tarbe does not recollect, but I presume the late



General Greene's estate) of twenty or twenty-five



thousand dollars, for which you have only to send



" vos titres " (this was his expression) and the



money would be paid instantly. With this wind-



fall, with Mr. Baring's indulgence, and the talents



and friendship of Mr. Parker, or some other of



your friends, I cannot help hoping you may post-



pone the sale of your lands and avoid the cruel



sacrifice that would now occasion.







 My zeal for your interest has occasioned me,



perhaps, to press this subject on you too much,



but you know the sincerity of the motives and



will excuse it. A short visit to this place and



New Orleans, if you cannot make a long one,



would enable you to judge for yourself better



than all your friends can€ do for you.







 I will not write news to you lest it should endanger



passage of my letter. I will barely mention that



Mr. Madison will most unquestionably be elected€



my successor, by a majority of three to one, and



rather probably by an unanimous vote. The news-



papers may deceive abroad, but all' this is well



understood here. Till the last autumn, I have



every autumn written to Madame de Tesse and



sent her a box of seeds. I saw with infinite morti-



fication that they were either carried into England



or arrived so late as to answer no purpose to her.



The state of the ocean the last fall was, and con-



tinues to be, so desperate that it is vain to attempt

















170        Jefferson's Works







anything again till that be changed. By that



time I shall be maker of my own time and can



never employ it more in gratifying my own feelings



than in doing what will be acceptable to her. Assure



her of my continued friendship, be so good as to



add my respects to Monsieur de Tesse and to accept



yourself the assurance of my affectionate attach-



ment and respect.







           TO THOMAS PAINE.







              WASHINGTON, July 17, 1808.







 DEAR SIR,-Your favor of the 8th received



some days ago. Mr. Holmes did apply to me in



the course of the late session for information



regarding some application of yours, the par-



ticulars of which I do not now recollect. But



I well remember it was on some matter which



took place while I was not a member of Congress



and, therefore, knew nothing of but what was



on the records. I was absent from Congress from



1777 to 1803, being during that interval closely



employed by my own State. I advised him to



examine the files of the Department of State and



have no doubt he obtained all the information



they furnish.







Your ideas expressed in the latter part of your



letter are undoubtedly correct. They were taken



up the moment the law passed giving a power



of suspending the embargo in whole or in part

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     171







on the repeal of the decrees or orders of council.



As yet we have reached no fruit from our endeavors.







 Proposing to absent myself from this place



during the sickly season now approaching and



much occupied with the preparations, I must



here place my salutations and assurances of great



esteem and respect.







          TO ARCHIBALD STUART.







            WASHINGTON, October 22, 1808.







 DEAR SIR,-A Mr. William Jenkings, who lives



four or five miles from the Natural Bridge, and



whom I suppose tn be a merchant, called on me



two days ago to propose to purchase my lands



at the bridge. I asked him some questions about



the adjacent land in order to get his ideas of the



value. He said the adjacent tract had been sold



two or three times at about ten dollars and some



of it as high as four pounds the acre. I enquired



if the land on mine was as good. I think he said



it was, but that it was all thin land, would not



make a good farm, but that his object was to erect



a public house there, as the curiosity of the bridge



drew great numbers to see it. I told him the



idea of selling it had never before presented itself



to my mind, and he concluded to call on me at



Monticello in March next.







You will do me the favor to make inquiry what



the land should sell for according to prices in that

















172        Jefferson's Works







neighborhood, and without taking the bridge into



consideration, which as a curiosity gives value



to the stand. To me the money would be of more



value and would be convenient on breaking up



here. You have been so kind as to attend to



the payment of the taxes and it is now several



years since I have made any reimbursement, so



that it must now amount to something sensible.



Be so good as to let me know its amount and it



shall be immediately remitted. Should the pay-



ment have escaped attention so long as to endanger



the land, I would pray it to be immediately secured.



When I come home I will find some means of relieving



you from this trouble. As soon as you can give



me information of the value I shall be happy to



hear from you. I salute you with constant friend-



ship and respect.







           TO ROBERT FULTON.







              MONTICELLO, April 16, 1810.







DEAR SIR,-I received yesterday, on my return



from a journey, your letter of March 28th and have



to thank you for the drawing of your self-moving



belier hydraulique, which a first reading shows



to be simple and ingenious, and I have no doubt



will answer. It shall have my early attention.



The object of this prompt reply to your letter,



is the offer you so kindly made of lending me your

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    173







dynamometer. It will be the greatest favor you



can do me.







The Agricultural Society of the Seine sent me



one of Guillaume's famous ploughs, famous for



taking but half the moving power of their best



ploughs before used. They, at the same time,



requested me to send them one of our best, with



my mould board to it. I promised I would, as



soon as I retired home and could see to its con-



struction myself. In the meantime I wrote to



a friend at Paris to send me a dynamometer, which



he did. Unfortunately this, with some other



valued articles of mine, were lost on its passage



from Washington to Monticello. I have made



the plough and am greatly deceived if it is not



found to give less resistance than theirs. In fact



I think it is the finest plough which has ever been



constructed in America. But it is the actual



experiment alone which can decide this, and I



was with great reluctance about to send off the



plough untried when I received your kind offer.



I will pray you to send the instrument to Mr.



Jefferson of Richmond by some careful passenger



in the stage, who will see that it does not miscarry



by the way; or by some vessel bound from New



York direct to Richmond, which is the safest



though slowest conveyance. I suppose there can



never be a week that some vessel is not coming.



I sincerely wish the torpedo may go the whole



length you expect of putting down navies. I wish

















174        Jefferson's Works







it too much not to become an easy convert and



to give it all my prayers and interest. Accept



assurances of my great esteem and respect.







          TO DR. WILLIAM EUSTIS.







            (SECRETARY OF WAR)







                MONTECILLO, May 30, 1810.







 DEAR SIR,-In the action brought against me



by E. Livingston on the subject of the batture,



the counsel employed desire me, without delay, to



furnish them with the grounds of defense, that



they may know what pleas to put in. To do this



a communication of the papers in the several public



offices material tu the case is very essential. You



will be so kind as to have selected such of those



deposited in your office as may offer either useful



information, or evidence on the subject, on my



assurance that they shall be faithfully and promptly



returned, after noting from them what I may



think important. Mr. Smith, the head clerk of



your office, is so well acquainted with this subject.



that I think he can readily make the selection



with your permission. I must particularly ask a



copy of General Dearborne's letter or order removing



the aggressors by force. This was between the



dates of 1807, Nov. 27, and Jan. 29, 1808. I



should be glad that a list of the papers sent me



be taken, that their return may be verified. Accept



the assurances of my esteem and respect

















       Supplementary Manuscripts    175







             TO W. B. GILES.







           MONTICELLO, NOVember 12, 1810.







 DEAR SIR,-You have heard of the suit brought



by E. Livingston against me on the subject of the



batture. This has rendered it necessary for me



to make a statement of the facts for the use of



my counsel, and the justification which they offer



being derived from certain systems of foreign law



in force at New Orleans, which I have had more



time to enquire into then they. I have been led



to go into a full investigation of both the law and



fact of the case. This I now enclose to you with



the following view: I am apprehensive that Living-



ston's assiduities and intrigue may induce Congress



to some vote referring his claim to judges or, com-



missioners. The countenance of such a vote would



impress a jury sensitively and unfavorably to me.



I wish the matter to rest as it does till the trial,



and Congress may leave it so with the more pro-



priety, inasmuch as Livingston himself has trans-



ferred it from before them to another tribunal.







 I have thought I might rely on your justice as



well as your friendship to allude to this case in the



Senate so far as to prevent his obtaining there



any vote injurious to a fair trial; and to satisfy



your conscience that this will do him no injustice,



I ask your perusal of the enclosed. I am sensible



it is of a revolting length, but the variety and



novelty of the points it brings forward will not

















176        Jefferson's Works







be uninteresting to you as a lawyer. When you



shall have read it, be so good as to send it by post



to Mr. Eppes for which purpose I enclose a franked



cover. I have requested of him to bestow in the



House of Representatives the same attention I ask



of you in the Senate, and from both I request



that no communication of the topics of my defense



may be made to anybody, unless indeed, any



attempts in Congress might render it necessary to



use them. You are sensible what advantage a



knowledge of them would give my adversary.



Were this case before an impartial .court it would



never give me a moment's concern, but Livingston



would never have brought it in such a court The



deep-seated enmity of one judge and utter nullity



of the other, with the precedent of Burr's case,



lessen the confidence which the justice of my case



would otherwise give me. Should the Federalists,



from Livingston's example, undertake to harass



and run me down with prosecutions before Federal



judges, I see neither rest nor safety before me.



Wishing you the pleasure of a smooth session, I



salute you with all affection. .







           TO JAMES MADISON.







            MONTICELLO, DeCember 8, 1810.







 DEAR SIR,-I found among my papers the



enclosed survey of Lafayette's lands adjacent to



New Orleans. Whether it be the legal survey or

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    177







not I do not 'know. If it is it gives a prospect



of something considerable after the six hundred



yards laid off round the ramparts. I enclose it



to you as it may possibly be of use. With me



it can be of none.







 I enclose you also a piece in manuscript from



Dupont on the subject of our system of finance



when the progress of manufactures shall have



dried up the present source of our revenue. He



is, as you know, a rigorous economist, and although



the system be not new yet he always gives some-



thing new, and places his subject in strong lights.



The application of the system to our situation also



is new. On the whole it is well worth your reading,



however oppressed with reading. When done with



it I will thank you to hand it to Mr. Gallatin, with



a request to return it to me when he shall have



read it.







 I have had a visit from Mr. Warden. A failure



in the stage detained him here ten days. I suppose



you had hardly as good an opportunity of becoming



acquainted with him. He is a perfectly good-



humored, inoffensive man, a man of science, and,



I observe, a great favorite of those in Paris, and



much more a man of business than Armstrong



had represented him. His memoirs and proceed-



ings in the cases of vessels seized show this. I



observed he had a great longing for his late office



in Paris. I explained to him distinctly the impos-



sibility of his succeeding in a competition before







  vol. xix-12

















178        Jefferson's Works







the Senate with such a man as Russell, a native,



and of high standing. That failing I endeavored



to find out what other views and prospects he



might have. I find that he is poor, and looks



ultimately to the practice of physic for an inde-



pendent livelihood; that he wishes to find some



means of living while he should be pursuing that



study. He spoke of a secretaryship in one of the



territories as desirable in that view and I believe



he would suit that office. However. any appoint-



ment [would do) which would give him present



subsistence. The consulships which rely on mer-



cantile business he does not much relish, having



no turn to shillings and pence. Having left Paris



very hastily he would be glad to go back as



the bearer of public despatches to settle his affairs



there, if there should be occasion for a messen-



ger. I collected these things from him indirectly,



believing you would wish to know his views. He



is an interesting man, perfectly modest and good,



and of a delicate mind, his principal seems to



have thrown him first on the hands of the Execu-



tive and then off of his own.







 We have not yet received your message from



which we expect to learn our situation as well



with our neighbors as beyond the Atlantic. Wish-



ing you an easy and prosperous campaign for the



winter, I renew the assurances of my constant



affection and respect.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     179







           TO JAMES MONROE.







             MONTICELLO, January 8, 1811.







 DEAR SIR,-I received your friendly letter of



December 24th on my return from Bedford, at



which place I was at its date. It conveyed me



the first notice of the attempt to draw me into



the newspapers on the subject of the propositions



which had been passed between the agents of the



Rivanna company and myself for their accommoda-



tion in passing the navigation through my lands.



I immediately inquired into it, and found it was



John Nicholas, who, having been permitted by the



agents (called directors) to read the papers, had



written long animadversions which he wished to



get with the correspondence into the newspapers.







 Although there is nothing in the correspondence



which I would wish to conceal yet I am now at



that time of life when quiet is the summum bonum,



and I do not see that the public could be either



amused or benefitted by having me dragged into



the papers and harrowed by malignant discus-



sions on every private bargain which, in the ordinary



course of things, we are all obliged to be engaged



in. I am very thankful, therefore, to Mr. Ritchie



for having rescued me from being disturbed by



this miserable scribbler.







 I enclose you the correspondence with a request



that you will be so good as to peruse it. The



sum of what has passed is this: Your gentlemen

















180        Jefferson's Works







directors, observing that my mill dam and canal



present a dead sheet of water from the entrance



of the river into the mountain, at the Secretary's



ford, to its exit at my mill, desire the use of my



dam to keep the back water at its present navigable



state. Use it. I shall maintain it for my own



purposes. But we wish to raise it two feet. Then



you must maintain the dam yourselves, because,



being raised to five feet, it will be carried away



ten times for once if it remains at three feet. Then



we will not raise it; but we wish the use of your



canal. You are welcome to it. But we wish to



widen it for batteaux. You are free to widen it,



but as admitting a greater volume of water will



certainly destroy the bank in some places you



must maintain the bank. Agreed, but we shall



want a site for our lock at the lower end. I give



it to you. Tmber, earth, stone to build it. I



give it to you, all common timber. Fine timber



trees must be paid for. Agreed, we want a site



and timber for our toll house. I give them to



you. But while we are widening the canal we



must stop your mills perhaps for a month. You



may do it and I will charge you nothing for the



rent of my manufacturing mills for a month, nor



the suspension of my [illegible) mill, the two



objects amounting to about two hundred dollars;



if, after this, your works, or the using your locks,



would stop my mills you must pay for the time.



We agree to it. And I thought the matter settled;





















        Supplementary Manuscripts      181







but I have heard that they are not satisfied nor



decided. Observe that this is not a general but



merely a local object. . It is only to carry the



navigation from Milton to Moon's ford, in other



words to Charlottesville, a question between the



two towns. The people up the river are left to



open their own navigation. Nor do I believe the



navigation will be used .when done, because a



wagon once at Charlottesville will go on to the



Shadwell mills for less than even the toll of a



barrel of flour, which is g d. besides the price of the



watermen.







 I state all these things to you and have asked



you to peruse the correspondence, because it is



well you should possess the whole subject, as perhaps



it may go to the legislature. Indeed the directors



acknowledge that the former act had done wrong



in authorizing the toll to be taken at Milton instead



of the falls next above the Shadwell mills, from



whence there is at present a perfectly safe naviga-



tion. For Mr. Randolph and myself, at our own



expense (of about three hundred dollars) have



opened a sluice through the Milton falls which we



shall still further perfect. I am told there is a law,



passed some years back, declaring there shall be no



future grants of the beds of rivers or creeks and



annulling all the past. The former is within the



power of the legislature, the latter is not. They



can neither pass a law that my head shall be stricken



from my body without trial, nor my freehold taken

















182        Jefferson's Works







from me without indemnification, and when not



necessary for a public use. In this case the public



can use the bed of the river without taking the



property of it from me. By the common law,



which was the law here till this act, the king



cannot grant away tidewaters, they are reserved



for the use of the nation. But all other waters



were ever grantable, here as well as in England.



And how is a line to be drawn between rivers and



creeks, and other brooks and branches? I think



the judges would determine the annulling former



grants as merely void. It is material in my case



only as showing, when the Shadwell mill was built



fifty years ago, no trespass was committed on the



bed of the river which was private property, and



that no wrong having been committed, it does



not subject the proprietor to any ex post facto



burden, as the building of a lock, etc. In the case



of Magruder, who did not own the bed of the river



and who got leave to build a dam after the public



had been forty years in the exercise of their right



of navigation along the river, Captain, Meriwether



and the other commissioners for improving the



navigation, gave him five hundred dollars to build



and maintain a lock. This was more, perhaps,



than he had a right to, and is mentioned only to



show the difference of measure meted to him and



to me, if it should be proposed to force me to build



and maintain a lock.







All this, however, is submitted to your con.













        Supplementary Manuscripts    183







sideration. If the matter is carried to the legisla-



ture, do what you think is right and it will be



perfectly satisfactory to me. Ever yours affec-



tionately.







      TO REVEREND JAMES MADISON.







          MONTECELLO. DeCember 29, 1811.







DEAR SIR,-Your favor of Nov. 19th arrived



here just as I had set out for Bedford, from whence



I returned a few days ago and found your letter



here. I thank you for Mr. Lambert's calculations



on my observation of the late eclipse of the sun.



I have been for some time rubbing up my mathe-



matics from the rust contracted by fifty years'



pursuits of a different kind. And thanks to the



good foundation laid at college by my old master



and friend Small, I am doing it with a delight



and success beyond my expectation. I had observed



the eclipse of September 17th with a view to cal-



culate from it myself, the longitude of Monticello;



but other occupations had prevented it before my



journey. The elaborate pa.per of Mr. Lambert



shows me it would have been a more difficult under-



taking than I had foreseen, and that probably I



should have foundered in it. I have no telescope



equal to the observation of the eclipses of Jupiter's



satellites, but as soon as I can fit up a room to fix



my instruments in, I propose to amuse myself



with further essays of multiplied repetitions and

















184        Jefferson's Works







less laborious calculations. I have a fine theodolite



and equatorial both by Ramsden, a Hadley's circle



of Bords, a fine meridian and horizon as you know.



Once ascertaining the dip' of my horizon, I 'can



use the circle as at sea, without an artificial horizon.







 Do you think of ever giving us a second edition



of your map? If you do, I may be able to furnish



you with some latitudes. I have a pocket sextant



of miraculous accuracy, considering its microscopic



graduation. With this I have ascertained the



latitude of Poplar Forest, (say New London) by



multiplied observations, and lately that of Willis



mountains by observations of any own, repeated



by my grandson, whom I am carrying on in his



different studies. Any latitudes within the circuit



of these three places I could take for you myself, to



which my grandson, whose motions will be on a



larger scale, would be able to add others. My



unremitting occupations while you were engaged



in the first publication, put it out of my power



to furnish you with some local draughts which



might have aided you. To wit : Some very accurate



surveys of James rives from Cartersville about



ten miles upwards, some of the river in this neigh-



borhood, some county lines, the country between



New Loudon and Lynchburg, etc.







Accept my friendly salutations and assurances



of great and continued esteem and respect.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    185







          TO ANDREW ELLICOTT.







               MONTICELLO, June 24, 1812.







 DEAR SIR,-I have duly received your favor



of the 3d and thank you in advance for that of



a copy of your observations, when they will be



published. There always existed a doubt whether



the source of the Savannah was not north of the



35th degree, which your labors have now removed.



A great deal is yet wanting to ascertain the true



geography of our country; more indeed as to its



longitudes than latitudes. Towards this we have



done too little for ourselves and depended too



long on the ancient and inaccurate observations



of other nations. You are wiping off this reproach,



and will, I hope, be long continued in that work.



All this will be for a future race when the super-



lunary geography will have become the object of



my contemplations. Yet I do not wish it the less.



On the same principle on which I am still planting



trees, to yield their shade and ornament half a



century hence.







With my best wishes for the success of your



labors, accept the assurances of my great esteem



and respect.

















186        Jefferson's Works







          TO WILLIAM BARTON.







             MONTICELLO, October 2, 1812.







Thomas Jefferson presents his compliments to



Mr. Barton and returns him the paper he was so



kind as to inclose him, and to which he has sub-



scribed with great pleasure. In this he has equally



gratified his affectionate reverence for the character



of Dr. Rittenhouse and his friendship and best



wishes toward his much-esteemed connections;



and he is satisfied that the life of such a man must



offer a model and useful lesson to mankind in



general. He salutes Mr. Barton with friendship



and respect.







          TO ALRICHS AND DIXON.







            MONTICELLO, January 14, 1813.







Your favor of Dec. z arrived here when I was



on a journey which occasioned me an absence of



between five and six weeks. I found it on my



return here, and learning at the same time that



the carding machine was on its way up the river



I waited till I could acknowledge the receipt of



both together. The machine arrived safely, and



has now been at work some days. The person



who directs my factory I found to be not so well



acquainted with it as I supposed. He could not



roake it produce a perfect roll until he made



some alteration (probably not for the better) which

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     187







adapted it to his own ideas. It produced at first



a roll partly flat; it now produces it perfect. The



force required to turn it is almost nothing, but



the velocity with which it must be turned is fatigu-



ing. I am putting a six-inch whirl in place of



the handle of the great cylinder, to be driven by



a two-foot wheel and band so that the hand will



make one revolution where it now makes four.



This I expect will be a less fatiguing composition



of force and velocity than the present. The addition



will be attached by two screws only, so that if



it does not answer, it will be taken off and leave



the machine exactly as it now is. I will immedi-



ately desire Messrs. Gibson and Jefferson of Rich-



mond to remit you the $97, amount of your bill.







 Your favor of Jan. 1st is just now received, there



being near me a wool-carding machine going by



water renders the question as to hand-carding



machines for that article less important. Accept



my thanks for your attention to this little com-



mission of mine and the assurances of my esteem



and respect.







           TO ROBERT FULTON.







              MONTICELLO, MarCh S, 1813.







DEAR SIR,-It has been some time since I have



tried the experiments for which you were so kind



as to lend me your dynamometer and the recon-



veyance by sea and under the care of some passenger.

















188        Jefferson's Works







This to New York never happens from our quarter,



to Philadelphia once or twice a year only, if I



knew with whom to lodge it there for .you. To



Washington I could more frequently send it. I



must, therefore, ask your instructions on this



subject.







A Mr. Abraham Howard Quincy, number 108



Chatham street, New York, informs me he has



made an improvement in fireplaces. such as that



with one-tenth of the fuel ordinarily laid on a



fire and that kept up but one hour in five, maintains



summer temperature in the room, and he has



requested me to ask some friend in whom I have



confidence to call on him and receive his demon-



strations of it. I have no acquaintance there



whose turn is mechanical, of whom I could ask



this; but it occurs to me that you may possibly



be there occasionally, and that your affection to



improvements in the arts might induce you to



take the trouble to examine this one, my con-



fidence in your judgment as to the reality of the



improvement would settle my opinion. ' I would



therefore ask you to give a leisure moment to this



examination.







 I rejoice at your success in your steamboats



and have no doubt they will be the source of great



wealth to yourself and permanent blessing to



your country.  I hope your torpedoes will equally



triumph over doubting friends and presumptuous



enemies. I sincerely condole with you on the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    189







death of our much-to-be-lamented friend Barlow.



The slender thread by which Mrs. Barlow's life



hung will probably be broken by this calamity,



and I consider the loss as irreparable to our country,



when I look for the man capable of writing its



history. In this view I lamented his going to



Europe at all. Accept the assurance of my affec-



tionate esteem and respect.







           TO ELBRIDGE GERRY.







               MONTICELLO, June 19, 1813.







 DEAR SIR,-Yours of the 11th instant is just



received, and I repeat the sincere pleasure it has



given me to see you once more come forward on



the stage of the nation.l I have never thought



the post you now occupy the most agreeable one



the nation can give, and very far preferable to



that which its highest favor confers. And I have



hoped that within three days' journey of one another,



it would afford some occasion of interview. Not



indeed at Washington, for I am too old and too



much engaged to propose such a journey of mere



indulgence to my moral feelings at the expense



of any physical ones, but the chance I look to was



that of some short and occasional adjournment



of Congress, during the interval of which, at a loss



how otherwise to fill it, you might think a tour



through some part of this State not merely super-







1 Gerry had been elected Vice-President of the United States.

















190        Jefferson's Works







vacaneous. Were this to happen, I had hoped



that an acquaintance of half a century, and a



fellow laborer in good works might be an object



in the tour. In no part of it could you be received



with more pleasure or retained with greater cor-



diality. Let me then believe this possible, and



in the meantime assure you of the unceasing



sentiments of friendship and respect of yours most



affectionately and respectfully.







           TO JAMES MADISON.







               MONTICELLO, July 13, 1813.







 DEAR SIR,-I was so unlucky as to write you



a long letter of business when, as I learned soon



afterwards, you were too ill to be troubled with



any matter of business. My comfort has been in



the confidence that care would of course be taken



not to disturb you with letters. My hope in writing



the present is of a pleasanter kind, the flattering



one that you are entirely recovered. ' If the prayers



of millions have been of avail, they have been poured



forth with the deepest anxiety. The enclosed



letter from Mr. Fulton will inform you why a



similar one did not go to you direct, and that this is



forwarded by express desire. Mr. Fulton's ingenuity



is inexhaustable and his disinterested devotion of



it to his country very laudable. If his present



device depended on me, I should try it on the



judgment of an officer so well skilled as Decatur.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    191







It is one of those experiments which neither the



personal interest nor the faculties of a private



individual can ever bring into use, while it is highly



interesting to the nation. Intersected as we are



by many and deep waters, and unable to meet



the enemy on them with an equal force, our only



hope is in the discovery of the means which inge-



nuity may devise whereby the weak may defend



themselves against the strong. This is done at



land by fortifications, and not being against any



law of nature, we may hope that something equiva-



lent may be discovered for the water.







 You know the present situation of our friend



Strode, entirely penniless. How he comes to be



left to subsist himself by his labors in subordinate



employments, while his son is at his ease, I am not



informed. Nor whether they have had any differ-



ences. Yet the fact is that he is in indigence, and



anxious to get his living by any services he can



render. You know his qualifications. The public



iron works, the armory, the army or some of the



sedentary offices at Washington may perhaps offer



some employment analogous to his talents. His



wish is to earn a livelihood and although in his



letter to me he does not propose to solicit anything,



yet the expressions of his situation show that



decent employment could not fail to be very



acceptable.







We are at the close of the poorest harvest



have ever seen. I shall not carry into my barn,

















192        Jefferson's Works







more than one-third of an ordinary crop. But



one rain to wet the ground since April. A remark-



able drying wind with great heat the first days



of the harvest, dried up the skin of the wheat so



that it fell before the scythe instead of being cut.



I have seen harvests lost by wet, but never before



saw one lost by dry weather. I have suffered



more by the drought than my neighbors. Most



of them will make a half a crop, some two-thirds.



Much of the evil had been prepared by the winter



and the fly. It is not too late yet for the corn



to recover should there come rains shortly. It



never was seen so low before at this date. Our



gardens are totally burnt up and the river so low



that you can almost jump over it in some places.







 Wishing you a speedy and perfect restoration



of your health, I pray you to accept the assurance



of my constant and affectionate esteem and respect.







           TO ROBERT FULTON.







               MONTICELLO, July 21, 1813,







 DEAR SIR,-Immediately on the receipt of your



favor of July 8th I forwarded it to the President,



and had no hesitation in expressing my own wish



that it should be tried. In fact as we cannot



meet the British with an equality of physical force,



we must supply it by other devices, in which I



know nobody equal to yourself and so likely to



point out to us a mode of salvation.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts 193







 Accordingly I hope this honor is reserved for



you, and that either by subaqueous guns, torpedoes,



or diving boats you will accomplish it by the aid



of government. The New York Evening Post has



given us a quiz on this subject, hoping, I presume,



to draw a flimsy veil of jest over his habitual lies,



and wishing us to suppose all those were but jests.



I confess I have more hopes of the mode of des-



truction by the submarine boat than any other.



No law of nature opposes it, and in that case nothing



is to be despaired of by human invention, nor



particularly by yours.







 Accept the just tribute of an American citizen,



and of a friend in the assurances of my great esteem



and respect.







            TO ABIGAIL ADAMS







            (MRS. JOHN ADAMS).







             MONTICELLO, August 22, 1813.







 DEAR MADAM,-A kind note at the foot of Mr.



Adams' letter of July 15 reminds me of the duty



of saluting you with friendship and respect, a



duty long suspended by the unremitting labors



of public engagement and which ought to have



been sooner revived, since I am the proprietor of



my own time. And yet so it is, that in no course



of life have I been ever more closely pressed by



business than in the present. Much of this proceeds



from my own affairs, much from the. calls of others ;







   VOL. XIX- 13

















194        Jefferson's Works







leaving little time for indulgence in my greatest



of all amusements, reading. Dr. Franklin used



to say that when he was young and had time to



read he had not books; and now when he has



become old and had books, he had no time. Per-



haps it is that when habit has strengthened our



sense of duties, they leave us no time for other



things; but when young we neglect them and



this gives us time for anything.







 However, I will now take time to ask you how



you do, how you have done? and to express the



interest I take in whatever affects your happiness.



I have been concerned to learn that at one time



you suffered much and long from rheumatism,



and I can sympathize with you the more feelingly



as I have had more of it myself latterly than at



any former period; and can form a truer idea



of what it is in its higher degrees. Excepting for



this I have enjoyed general health; for I do not



consider as a want of health the gradual decline



and increasing debility which is the natural diathesis



of age ; this last comes on me fast. I am not able to



walk much, though I still ride without fatigue and take



long and frequent journeys to a distant possession.







 I have compared notes with Mr. Adams on the



score of progeny and find I am ahead of him and



think I am. in a fair way to keep so. I have ten



and one-half grandchildren, and two and three-



fourths great-grandchildren, and these fractions



will ere long become units.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     195







   I was glad to learn from Mr. Adams that you



have a grandson far enough advanced in age and



acquirements to be reading Greek. These young



scions give us comfortable cares, when we cease



to care about ourselves. Under all circumstances



of health or sickness, of blessing or affliction, I



tender you assurances of my sincere affection and



respect; and my prayers that the hand of time



and of providence may press lightly on you till



your own wishes shall withdraw you from all mortal



feeling.







           TO DUPONT DE NEMOURS.







             MONTICELLO, NOVEMBER 29, 1813.







   MY VERY DEAR AND ESTIMABLE FRIEND,-In



answering the several very kind letters I have



received from you, I owe to yourself and to the



most able and estimable author of the Commentaries



on Montesquieu to begin by assuring you that I



am not the author of that work, and of my own



consciousness that it is far beyond my qualifications.



In truth I consider it as a most profound and logical



work which has been presented to the present



generation. On the subject of government par-



ticularly there is a purity which renders it precious



to our country particularly, where I trust it will be-



come the elementary work for the youth of our



academies and colleges. The paradoxes of Mon-



tesquieu have been too long uncorrected. I will

















196        Jefferson's Works







not fail to send you a copy of the work if possible



to get it through the perils of the sea.







 I am next to return you thanks for the copy of the



works of Turgot now completed by the receipt of



the last volume. In him we know not which



most to admire, the comprehensiveness of his



mind or the benevolence and purity of his heart.



In his Distribution of Riches and other general



works, and in the great principles developed in



his smaller work we admire the gigantic stature



of his mind, but when we see that mind thwarted,



harassed, maligned and forced to exert all its



powers in the details of provincial administration



we regret to see a Hercules laying his shoulder



to the wheel of an ox-cart. The sound principles



which he establishes in his particular as well as



general works, are a valuable legacy to ill-governed



man, and will spread from their provincial limits



to the great circle of mankind.







 I am indebted to you also for your letter by



Mr. Correa, and the benefit it procured me of his



acquaintance. He was so kind as to pay me a



visit at Monticello, which enabled me to see for



myself that he was still beyond all the eulogies



with which yourself and other friends had pre-



conized him. Learned beyond any one I had



before met with, good, modest and of the simplest



manners, the idea of losing him again filled me



with regret, and how much did I lament that we



could not place him at the head of that great insti-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     197







tution which I have so long nourished the hope



of seeing established in my country, and towards



which you had so kindly contributed your luminous



views. But, my friend, that institution is still in



embryo as you left it, and from the complexion



of our popular legislature and the narrow and



niggardly views of ignorance courting the suffrage



of ignorance to obtain a seat in it, I see little prospect



of such an establishment until the national govern-



ment shall be authorized to take it up and form



it on the comprehensive basis of all the useful



sciences.







 The inauspicious commencement of our war has



damped at first the hopes of fulfilling your injunc-



tions to add the Floridas and Canada to our con-



federacy. The former indeed might have been



added but for our steady adherence to the sound



principles of national integrity which forbade us



t_o take what was a neighbor's merely because it



suited us and especially from a neighbor under



circumstances of peculiar affliction. But seeing



now that his afflictions do not prevent him from



making those provinces a focus of hostile and



savage combinations of the massacre of our women



and children by the tomahawk and scalping knife



of the Indian, these scruples must yield to the



necessities of self-defence. And I trust that the



ensuing session of Congress will authorize the



incorporation of it with ourselves. Their inhab-



itants universally wish it, and they are in truth

















198        Jefferson's Works







the only legitimate proprietors' of the soil and



government.







 Canada might have been ours in the preceding



year but for the treachery of our general, who



unfortunately commanded on its border. There



could have been no serious resistance to the progress



of the force he commanded in its march through



Upper Canada, but he sold and delivered his army,



fortified and furnished as it was, to an enemy one-



fourth his numbers. This was followed by a series



of losses flowing from the same source of unqualified



commanders ; carelessness, cowardice, foolhardiness



and sheer imbecility lost us four other successive



bodies of men, who, under faithful and capable



leaders, would have saved us from the affliction



and the English from the crime of the thousands



of men, women and children murdered and scalped



by the savages under her procurement and direction



of British officers, some on capitulation, some in



the field and some in their houses and beds. The



determined bravery of our men, whether regulars



or militia, evidenced in every circumstance when



the treachery or imbecility of their commanders



permitted, still kept up our confidence and sounder



and abler men now placed at their head have given



us possession of the whole of Upper Canada and



the lakes. At the moment I am writing I am in



hourly expectation of learning that General Wilkin-



son, who, about the 10th instant, was descend.ing



upon Montreal has taken possession of it, the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     199







force of the enemy there being not such as to give



us much apprehension. Between that place and



Quebec there is nothing to stop us but the advance



of the season.







 The achievements of our little navy have claimed



and obtained the admiration of all, in spite of the



endeavors of the English by lying misrepresenta-



tions of the force of their vessels on both sides to



conceal the truth, the loss indeed of one-half a



dozen frigates and sloops of war is no sensible



diminution of numbers to them, but the loss of



the general opinion that they were invincible at



sea, the lesson taught to the world that they can



be beaten by an equal force, has by its moral effect



lost them half their physical force. I consider



ourselves as now possessed of everything from



Florida point to the walls of Quebec. This last



place is not worth the blood it would cost. It



may be considered as impregnable to an enemy



not possessing the water. I hope, therefore, we



shall not attempt it, but leave it to be voluntarily



evacuated by its inhabitants, cut off from all sources



of subsistence by the loss of the upper country.



I will ask you no questions, my] friend, about €your



return to the United States at your time of life;



it is scarcely perhaps advisable. An exchange



of the society, the urbanity and the real comforts



to which you have been formed by the habits of



a long life would be a great and real sacrifice.



Whether, therefore; I shall ever see you again or not,

















200        Jefferson's Works







let me live in your esteem as you ever will in mine,



most affectionately and devotedly.







  P. S. Monticello, Dec. 14. We have been dis-



appointed in the result of the expedition against



Montreal. The second in command, who had been



detached ashore with a large portion of the army,



failing to join the main body according to orders



at the entrance of the Lake St. Francis, the enter-



prise was of necessity abandoned at that point,



and the inclemency of the winter being already



set in, the army was forced to go into winter quarters



near that place. Since the date of my letter I



have received yours of September 18 and a printed



copy of your plan of national education of which



I possessed the MS. If I can get this translated



and printed, it will contribute to advance the



public mind to undertake the institution; the per-



suading those of the benefit of science who possess



none is a slow operation.







         TO THADDEUS KOSCIUSKO.







           MONTICELLO, NOVEMBER 30, 1813.







 MY DEAR FRIEND AND GENERAL,--I have to



acknowledge the receipt of yours of Dec. I, ' I z



and its duplicate of May 30, '13, and am pleased



that our arrangement with Mr. Morton proves



satisfactory. I believed it would be so, and that



a substantial and friendly house there might some-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    201







times be a convenience, when, from the dangers



of the sea, difficulty of finding good bills, or other



casualties, Mr. Barnes ' remittances, might incur



unavoidable delay. He is at this time making



arrangements with Mr. Williams, the correspondent



of Mr. Morton, for the usual remittance, having



for some time past been unable to get a good bill.







 You have heard without doubt of the inauspicious



commencement of our war by land. Our old



officers of high command were all withdrawn by



death or age. Scott closed the list of the dead a



few weeks ago, and happy for us would it have



been could we have followed your advice in appoint-



ing new generals; and could we have been directed



in our choice to those only who were good. But



this is a lottery in which are few prizes and our



first draught fell among the blanks. The first



called into action delivered his army and fort up



to a quarter of his own numbers of the English.



He might have taken possession of all Upper Canada



almost without resistance. This was followed by



cases of surprise, of cowardice, of foolhardiness



and of sheer imbecility, by which bodies of men



were successively lost as fast as they could be



raised ; and thus the first year of the war was



lost. General Wilkinson, who you knew in the



late war, has at length been called from the Southern



Department ; General Hampton also ; and they



are doing what their predecessors ought to have



done last year. We have taken all the posts and

















202        Jefferson's Works







country on Lakes Erie and Ontario; and General



Wilkinson, on the 10th instant, was about entering



the Lake St. Francis in his descent to Montreal,



and would, in three or four days, reach Montreal,



where the British force is such as not to give uneasi-



ness for the result. I trust he is now in possession



of it, and there being neither a post nor a man



between that and Quebec, we may consider our-



selves as commanding the whole country to the



walls of that city. The season, however, will



probably oblige us to make Montreal our winter



quarters.







 Kingston, at the east end of Lake Ontario, has



been left unmolested, because being of some strength



and well garrisoned, it would have required a siege



and the advance of the season would have dis-



appointed us as to all below; insulated as it is from



succors and subsistence it must capitulate at



our leisure. This, my friend, is the present state



of things by land; and as I know not yet how



or when this letter is to go, I may by a P. 5., be



able to add what shall have actually taken place



at Montreal. It is a duty, however, to add that in



every instance our men, militia as well as regulars;



have acted with an intrepidity which would have



honored veteran legions, and have proved that,



had their officers understood their duty as well



as those of our little navy, they would have shown



themselves equally superior to our enemy who



had dared to despise us.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    203







 On the ocean we have taught a lesson of value



to all mankind, that they can be beaten there



with equal force. We have corrected the idea



of their invincibility, which by its moral effect



annihilates half their physical force. I do not



believe the naval history of the world has furnished



a more splendid achievement of skill and bravery



than that of Perry on Lake Erie. They threaten



now to hang our prisoners reclaimed by them,



although naturalized with us, and if we retaliate,



to burn our cities. We shall certainly retaliate,



and if they burn New York, Norfolk, Charleston,



we must 'burn London, Portsmouth, Plymouth,



not with our ships but by our money; not with



our own hands, but by those of their own incen-



diaries. They have in their ..streets thousands of



famished wretches, who, for a loaf of bread to keep



off death one day longer and more eagerly for a



million of dollars, will spread to them the flames



which they shall kindle in New York. It is not



for those who live in glass houses to set the example



of throwing stones, what is atrocious as an example



becomes a duty to repress by retaliation.







 If we have taken, as I expect, the residue of their



troops above Quebec, we have as many of their



troops taken by honorable fighting as they have



of ours purchased or surprised. I have less fear



now for our war than for the peace which is to



conclude it. Your idea that our line of future



demarcation should be from some point in Lake

















204        Jefferson's Works







Champlain is a good one, because that would shut



up all their scalp markets, but that of their entire



removal from the continent is a better one. While



they hold a single spot in it it will be a station



from which they will send forth their Henrys upon



us to debauch traitors, nourish conspiracies, smuggle



in their manufactures and defeat our commercial



laws. Unfortunately our peace commissioners left



us while our affairs were still under the depression



of Hull's treason and its consequences, and they



would as soon learn their revival in the moon as



in St. Petersburg. The English newspapers will



still fill their ears, as those of all Europe, with lies



and induce them to offer terms of peace under



these erroneous impressions; and a peace which



does not leave us the Canadas will be but a truce.



As for the Floridas they are giving themselves



to us. I hope, therefore, no peace will be made



which does not yield us this indemnification for



the thousand of ships they took during peace, the



thousands of our citizens impressed, their machin-



ations for dissevering our Union, the insults they



have heaped upon us, the inhuman war they have



waged with the tomahawk and scalping knife of



the savage, the suffocation of our prisoners in



pestiferous jails and prison ships, and the other



atrocities against national and individual morality



which have degraded them from the rank of civilized



nations.







The longer the peace is delayed, the more firm

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    205







will became the establishment of our manufactures.



The growth and extent of these can be conceived



by none who does not see them. Of coarse and



middling fabrics we never again shall import.



The manufacture of the fine cottons is carried also



to great extent and perfection. A million of cotton



spindles nearly being, I think, now employed in



the United States. This single advancement in



economy, begun by our embargo law, continued



by that of non-importation, and confirmed by the



present total cessation of commercial intercourse,



was worth alone all the war will cost us.







 I have thus, my dear friend, given you the present



state of things with us, which I had done with



the more minuteness because I know that no native



among us takes a livelier interest in them than



you do. The tree which you had so zealously



assisted in planting you cannot but delight in



seeing watered and flourishing. Happy for us



would it have been if a valor" fidelity and skill



like yours had directed those early efforts which



were so unfortunately confided to unworthy hands.



We should have been a twelve month ago where



we now are, and now where we shall be a twelve



month hence. However from one man we can



have but one life, and you gave us the most valu-



able and active part of yours, and we are now



enjoying and improving its effects. Every sound



American, every sincere votary of freedom, loves



and honors you, and it was its enemies only and

















206        Jefferson's Works







the votaries of England who saw with cold indif-



ference and even secret displeasure your short-lived



return to us. They love none who do not love



kings, and kings of England above all others. God



bless you under every circumstance, whether still



reserved for the good of your native country or



destined to leave us in the fulness of time with



the consciousness of successful efforts for the



establishment of freedom in one country and of



all which man could have done for its success in



another. The lively sense I entertain of all you



have done and deserved from both countries, can



be extinguished only with the lamp of life, during



which I shall ever be, affectionately and devotedly,



yours.







 P. S. Monticello, Dec. 14. We have been dis-



appointed in the result of the expedition against



Montreal, and again by the fault of a general who



refused with his large detachment ashore to meet



the main body, according to orders, at the entrance



of Lake St. Francis. The expedition was of necessity



suspended at that point and the army obliged by



the severity of the season to go into winter quarters.







           TO JAMES MONROE







            MONTICELLO, January 27, 1814,







 DEAR SIR,-I now return you the letter of Mr.



Carter, which was enclosed in yours of November

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     207







30, which was six weeks on its passage to me. The



reference to myself which you are both so kind



as to propose, I must beg to decline. I could not



trust myself with such a decision. For, although



I should certainly endeavor to see nothing but



the facts of the case, yet even as to these my having



been the sole agent through the whole of this busi-



ness for one of the parties only, and the particular



interest which it was thus my duty to feel and



espouse, may but too possibly have left impres-



sions unperceived by myself which might prevent



my seeing the subject in the original and unbiased



view with which an umpire ought to enter into



it. I have, therefore, requested Mr. Carter to



attend at any time convenient to you and himself,



between this and the first of April, until which



time I shall be constantly at home. A letter from



him, however, of December 2d informed me that



you have agreed between you that if your claim



proves correct he is to pay you what he got for



the land without interest. This amounts to an



agreement that the line will stand as marked for



Mr. Short, and that whatever it shall take from



you shall be paid by him to you. This is certainly



perfectly just and it leaves Mr. Short and Mr.



Higgenbotham without further interest in the ques-



tion, and the meeting and proceedings before



proposed are in that case become unnecessary.



The question in this case remains between your-



self and Mr. Carter only to be settled at your leisure.

















208        Jefferson's Works







If you will be so good as to signify this in a line to



me, I shall be able to satisfy Mr. Short, and to



remove Mr. Higgenbotham's scruples about the



payment of his bonds, the first of which is now at



ha,nd.







 I enclose you a letter from Mr. John Clarke



suggesting a mode of keeping the army filled up.



Whether it be the best or not I am not to decide.



But as it appears to be one of the good ones, I enclose



it to you to be suggested where it may serve.







 What effect will the disaster of Bonaparte have



on the negotiations of Gottenburg? Not a good



one I am afraid. The salvo of maritime rights



by the other party leaves room to claim what-



ever the successes of her allies may embolden, or



her own greediness stimulate her to grasp at.



These successes will enable her to make the ensuing



a warm campaign, a warm one for us. Orleans,



Pensacola and the Chesapeake, one or the other,



or all, are indicated by the number and construc-



tion of the boats they are preparing. Their late



proceedings, too, in the north seem to breathe the



spirit of a bellum ad internecionem. It would be



well if on some proper occasion the government



should either justify or disavow Maelure 's proceedings



at Newark. As it is possible our negotiations may



not obtain what we would wish on the subject



of maritime rights, would it not be well that they



would stipulate for the benefit of those which



should be established by the other belligerents at

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     209







the settlement of a general peace. Remember me



affectionately to the President. It is long since I



have had occasion of writing to him, and I consider



it a duty to suppress all idle calls on his attention.



Ever affectionately yours.







         TO J.  CORREA DE SERRA.







              MONTICELLO, April 19, 1814.







DEAR SIR,-Mr. Randolph first, and latterly Mr.



Short, have flattered me with the hope that you



would pay us a visit with the returning season. I



should sooner have pressed this but that my vernal



visit to Bedford was approaching, and I wished



to- fix its precise epoch before I should write to



you. I will set out now within a few days and



be absent probably all the month of May, and shall



be very happy to see you here on my return, or



as soon after as may be. It will give me the greatest



pleasure, and our whole family joins in the invitation.



if, consulting your own convenience and comfort,



you would make us as long a stay there as should



permit. You know our course of life. To place



our friends at their ease we show them that we



are so ourselves, by pursuing the necessary vocations



of the day and enjoying their company at the



usual hours of society.







 You will find the summer of Monticello much



cooler than that of Philadelphia, equally so with



that of the neighborhood of that place, and more







  VOL. XIX-14

















210        Jefferson's Works







healthy. The amusements it offers are such as



you know which, to you, would be principally



books and botany. Mr. Randolph's resignation of



his military commission will enable him to be an



associate in your botanical rambles. Come then,



my dear Sir, and be one of our family as long as



you can bear a separation from the science of the



world.







 Since Bonaparte's discomfiture I wish much to



see you, to converse with you on the probable



effect that will have on the state of the world,



of its science, its liberty, its peace and prosperity,



and particularly on the situation of our literary



friends in Europe. Perceiving the order of nature



to be that individual happiness shall be inseparable



from the practice of virtue, I am willing to hope



it ma.v have ordained that the fall of the wicked



shall be the rise of the good.







 I can readily fulfill M. Cuvier's request for the



skin and skeleton of the mink. I have procured



a fine skin and can at any time get the entire



subject. The difficulty will be to find a vessel



which would receive so large a subject and preserve



the spirits in which it would be immersed: But



this shall be an article of consultation when you



are with us. The cranium of the buffalo cannot



be procured but from the other side of the Mississippi ;



there I can obtain it. But it must go thence by



the way of New Orleans, which cannot well be till



peace.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    211







 I have done for Mr. Warden what you and him-



self wished as to his commission. Its effect with



the government I have not learned. I also suggested



to the government your observation on the differ-



ence of structure in vessels which the difference



of specific gravity between salt and fresh water



might render useful.







 Accept my thanks for Fossonbroni's book, which,



though topographical, presents circumstances of



curiosity. I salute you with sincere affection and



respect.







            TO PETER CARR.







           MONTICELLO, September 7, 1814.







 DEAR SIR,-On the subject of the academy or



college proposed to be established in our neighbor-



hood, I promised the trustees that I would prepare



for them a plan, adapted, in the first instance,



to our slender funds, but susceptible of being



enlarged, either by their own growth or by accession



from other quarters.







 I have long entertained the hope that this, our



native State, would take up the subject of education,



and make an establishment, either with or without



incorporation into that of William and Mary, where



every branch of science, deemed useful at this



day, should be taught in its highest degree. With



this view, I have lost no occasion of making myself



acquainted with the organization of the best semi-

















212        Jefferson's Works







naries in other countries, and with the opinions of



the most enlightened individuals, on the subject



of the sciences worthy of a place in such an insti-



tution. In order to prepare what I have promised



our trustees, I have lately revised these several



plans with attention; and I am struck with the



diversity of arrangement observable in them-no



two alike. Yet, I have no doubt that these several



arrangements have been the subject of mature



reflection, by wise and learned men, who, con-



templating local circumstances, have adapted them



to the conditions of the section of society for which



they have been framed. I am strengthened in



this conclusion by an examination of each separately,



and a conviction that no one of them, if adopted



without change, would be suited to the circum-



stances and pursuit of our country. The example



they set, then, is authority for us to select from



their different institutions the materials which are



good for us, and, with them, to erect a structure,



whose arrangement shall correspond with our own



social condition., and shall admit of enlargement



in proportion to the encouragement it may merit



and receive. As I may not be able to attend the



meetings of the trustees, I will make you the



depository of my ideas on the subject, which may



be corrected, as you proceed, by the better view



of others, and adapted; from time to time, to the



prospects which open upon us, and which cannot



be specifically seen and provided for.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    213







 In the first place, we must ascertain with pre-



cision the object of our institution, by taking a



survey of the general field of science, and marking



out the portion we mean to occupy at first, and



the ultimate extension of our views beyond that,



should we be enabled to render it, in the end, as



comprehensive as we would wish.







 I. Elementary schools.







 It is highly interesting to our country, and it



is the duty of its functionaries, to provide that



every citizen in it should receive an education



proportioned to the condition and pursuits of his



life. The mass of our citizens may be divided



into two classes-the laboring and the learned.



The laboring will need the first grade of education



to qualify them for their pursuits and duties; the



learned will need it as a foundation for further



acquirements. A plan was formerly proposed to



the legislature of this State for laying off every



county into hundreds or wards of five or six miles



square, within each of which should be a school



for the education of the children of the ward,.



wherein they should receive three years' instruc-



tion gratis, in reading, writing, arithmetic as far



as fractions" the roots and ratios, and geography.



The Legislature at one time tried an ineffectual



expedient for introducing this plan, which having



failed, it is hoped they will some day resume it



in a more promising form.

















214        Jefferson's Works







 a. General schools.







 At the discharging of the pupils from. the ele-



mentary schools, the two classes separate-those



destined for labor will engage in the business of



agriculture, or enter into apprenticeships to such



handicraft art as may be their choice; their com-



panions, destined to the pursuits of science, will



proceed to the college, which will consist, 1st of



general schools ; ' and, 2d, of professional schools.



The general schools will constitute the second



grade of education.







 The learned class may still be subdivided into



two sections : 1, Those who are destined for



learned professions, as means of livelihood; and,



2, The wealthy, who, possessing independent for-



tunes, may aspire to share in conducting the affairs



of the nation, or to live with usefulness and respect



in the private ranks of life. Both of these sections



will require instruction in all the higher branches



of science; the wealthy to qualify them for either



public of private life; the professional section



will need those branches, especially, which are the



basis of their future profession, and a general



knowledge of the others, as auxiliary to that, and



necessary to their standing and association with



the scientific class. All the branches, then, of



useful science, ought to be taught in the general



schools, to a competent degree, in the first instance.



These sciences may be arranged into three depart-



ments, not rigorously scientific, indeed, but suf-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    215







ficently so for our purposes. These are,  I.



Language;  II. Mathematics;  III. Philosophy.







 I. Language. In the first department, I would



arrange a distinct science. 1, Languages and His-



tory, ancient and modern; 2, Grammar; 3, Belles



Lettres ; 4, Rhetoric and Oratory ; 5, A school for



the deaf, dumb and blind. History is here asso-



ciated with. languages, not as a kindred subject,



but on the principle of economy, because both



may be attained by the same course of reading,



if books are selected with that view.







 II. Mathematics. In the department of Mathe-



matics, I should give place distinctly : 1, Mathe-



matics pure ; 2, Physic-Mathematics ; 3, Physic ;



4, Chemistry ; 5, Natural History, to wit : Miner-



alogy ; 6, Botany ; and 7, Zoology ; 8, Anatomy ;



g, the Theory of Medicine.







III. Philosophy. In the Philosophical depart-



ment, I should distinguish : 1, Ideology ; 2, Ethics ;



3, the Law of Nature and Nations ; q., Government ;



5, Political Economy.







 But, some of these terms being used by different



writers, in different degrees of extension, I shall



define exactly what I mean to comprehend in each



of them.







 I. ' 3. Within the term of Belles Lettres I



include poetry and composition generally, and



criticism.







 II. 1. I consider pure mathematics as the



science of, 1, Numbers, and 2, Measure in the

















216        Jefferson's Works







abstract; that of numbers comprehending Arith-



metic, Algebra and Fluxions; that of Measure



(under the general appellation of Geometry), com-



prehending Trigonometry, plane and spherical, conic



sections, and transcendental curves.







 II. 2. Physico-Mathematics treat of physical



subjects by the aid of mathematical calculation.



These are Mechanics, Statics, Hydrostatics, Hydro-



dynamics, Navigation, Astronomy, Geography,



Optics, Pneumatics, Acoustics.







 II. 3. Physics, or Natural Philosophy (not



entering the limits of Chemistry) treat of natural



substances, their properties, mutual relations and



action. They particularly examine the subjects of



motion, action, magnetism, electricity, galvanism,



light, meteorology, with an etc. not easily enum-



erated. These definitions and specifications render



immaterial the question whether I use the generic



terms in the exact degree of comprehension in which



others use them; to be understood is all that is



necessary to the present object.







 3. Professional Schools.







 At the close of this course the students separate;



the wealthy retiring, with a sufficient stock of



knowledge, to improve themselves to any degree



to which their views may lead them, and the pro-



fessional section to the professional schools, con-



stituting the third grade of education, and teaching



the particular sciences which the individuals of



this section mean to pursue, with more minuteness

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    217







and detail than was within the scope of the general



schools for the second grade of instruction. In



these professional schools each science is to be



taught in the highest degree it has yet attained.



They are to be the







 1st Department, the fine arts, to wit: Civil



Architecture, Gardening, Painting, Sculpture, and



the Theory of Music; the







 ad Department, Architecture, Military and Naval;



Projectiles, Rural Economy (comprehending Agri-



culture, Horticulture and Veterinary), Technical



Philosophy, the Practice of Medicine, Materia



Medica, Pharmacy and Surgery. In the







 3d Department, Theology and Ecclesiastical



History; Law, Municipal and Foreign.







To these professional schools will come those



who separated at the close of their first elementary



course, to wit:







The lawyer to the law school.







The ecclesiastic to that of theology and eccle-



siastical history.







The physican to those of medicine, materia



medica, pharmacy and surgery.







The military man to that of military and naval



architecture and projectiles.







The agricultor to that of rural economy.







The gentleman, the architect, the pleasure gar-



dener, painter and musician to the school of fine



arts.







And to that of technical philosophy will come

















218        Jefferson's Works







the mariner, carpenter, shipwright, pumpmaker,



clockmaker, machinist, optician, metallurgist,



founder, cutler, druggist, brewer, vintner, distiller,



dyer, painter, bleacher, soapmaker, tanner, powder-



maker, saltmaker, glassmaker, to learn as much



as shall be necessary to pursue their art under-



standingly, of the sciences of geometry, mechanics,



statics, hydrostatics, hydraulics, hydrodynamics,



navigation, astronomy, geography, optics, pneu-



matics, physics, chemistry, natural history, botany,



mineralogy and pharmacy.







 The school of technical philosophy will differ



essentially in its functions from the other profes-



sional schools. The others are instituted to ramify



and dilate, the particular sciences taught in the



schools of the second grade on a general scale only.



The technical school is to abridge those which were



taught there too much in extenso for the limited



wants of the artificer or practical man. These



artificers must be grouped together, according to



the particular branch of science in which they



need elementary and practical instruction; and



a special lecture or lectures should be prepared



for each group. And these lectures should be



given in the evening, so as not to interrupt the



labors of the day. The 'school, particularly, should



be maintained wholly at the public expense, on



the same principles with that of the ward schools.



Through the whole of the collegiate course, at



the hours of recreation on certain days, all the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    219







students should be taught the manual exercise;



military evolutions and manoeuvers should be



under a standing organization as a military corps,



and with proper officers to train and command



them,







 A tabular statement of this distribution of the



sciences will place the system of instruction more



particularly in view:







 1st or Elementary Grade in the Ward Schools.



Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Geography.



2d, or General Grade.







 1. Language and History, ancient and modern.







 2. Mathematics, viz: Mathematics pure, Physico-



Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Anatomy, Theory



of Medicine, Zoology, Botany and Mineralogy.







 3. Philosophy, viz : Ideology, and Ethics, Law



of Nature and Nations, Government, Political



Economy.







        3d, or Professional Grades.







Theology and Ecclesiastical History; Law, Mun-



icipal and Foreign ; Practice of Medicine ; Materia



Medica and Pharmacy ; Surgery ; Architecture,



Military and Naval, and Projectiles; Technical



Philosophy ; Rural Economy ; Fine Arts.







 On this survey of the field of science, I recur



to the question, what portion of it we mark out



for the occupation of our institution? With the



first grade of education we shall have nothing to



do. The sciences of the second grade are our first

















220        Jefferson's Works







object ; and, to adapt them to our slender beginnings,



we must separate them into groups, comprehending



many sciences each, and greatly more, zn the first



instance, than ought to be imposed on, or can



be competently conducted by a single professor



permanently. They must be subdivided from time



to time, as our means increase, until each professor



shall have no more under his care than he can



attend to with advantage to his pupils and ease



to himself. For the present, we may group the



sciences into professorships, as follows, subject,



however, to be changed, according to the qualifi-



cations of the persons we may be able to engage.







            I. Professorship.







 Languages and History, ancient and modern.







 Belles-Lettres, Rhetoric and Oratory.







           II. Professorship.







 Mathematics pure, Physico-Mathematics.







 Physics, Anatomy, Medicine, Theory.







           III. Professorship.







 Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy.







           IV. Professorship.







 Philosophy.







 The organization of the branch of the institu-



tion which respects its government, police and



economy, depending on principles which have no



affinity with those of its institution, may be the



subject of separate and subsequent consideration.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    221







 With this tribute of duty to the board of trustees,



accept assurances of my great esteem and con-



sideration.







          TO WILLIAM CARUTHERS.







            MONTICELLO, December 3, 1814.







SIR,-Your letter of Nov. 22 come to hand



yesterday afternoon only, and I sincerely regret



it had not been a single day earlier.







A few day after you called on me on your way



to the North, Dr. Thornton came and proposed



to lease the Natural Bridge for the purpose of



establishing a shot manufactory. I told him at



once you had applied for it for the same purpose



a few days before and must have a preference.



He expressed much concern at the disappoint-



ment, being then on his way to the lead mines tc



contract for lead. I at length agreed if he could



find a secondary situation on the bank I would



lease it to him, but that you must have the Bridge



if you chose it on your return as you were not



entirely decided when you passed on. I then had



occasion for the first time to turn my mind to the



principles on which a rent should be fixed, and



we agreed that. he should pay one hundred and



eighty dollars a year for a site.







 He went to the mines and contracted for the



whole lead which could be furnished there in one year



He called on me again the evening before last and

















222        Jefferson's Works







still pressed for the Bridge. I considered that



when you went northwardly you were undecided,



that ' you were to let me know cn your return,



that you had been back some time and I had heard



nothing from you; Dr. Thornton informed me he



had spoken with a person in Richmond, who he



understood was to have had some concern with



you in the enterprise, who told him you had been



returned some time, had got no workmen and



that it seemed the speculation would not answer



and must be abandoned. He told me also it was



his purpose to propose to you a part of the concern,



if you chose it. Under these €circumstances I



really supposed the thing abandoned by you, and



that I ought not to lose a certain offer. I there-



fore executed a lease for five years to the Doctor



with which he had left me about six hours when



your letter came to hand.







This, Sir, is an exact statement of what has



passed on this occasion, and I sincerely regret that



I did not receive your letter a few hours only sooner,



as it was my desire and purpose to have given



you a preference to any other applicant what-



ever, and I shall be gratified if your taking part



in a joint concern should be more eligible to you



than one in rivalship, and especially after you had



been forestalled in the produce of the mines which,



of itself excluded every rival. I hope you will



find in these circumstances my excuse for acting



on the belief that you had abandoned your views

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     223







on this object, and that you will accept the assur-



ance of my great esteem and respect.







            TO B. S. BARTON.







           MONTICELLO, February 26, 1815.







 DEAR SIR,-Congress having concluded to replace



by my library the one they lost by British van-



dalism, it is now become their property and of



course my duty to collect and put in place what-



ever stood in the catalogue by which they pur-



chased. This renders it necessary for me to request



the return of Persoon's Botanical work of which



you asked the use some time ago. I am in hopes



you have been able to make it answer the purposes



for which you wished its use. If well enveloped



in strong paper it will come safely by mail.







 I congratulate you on the happy event of peace



and the great action of eclat at New Orleans by



which the war was closed. I hope the legislature



will take care of your city, now become of so much



importance by its manufactures. I have come to



a resolution myself as I hope every good citizen



will, never again to purchase any article of foreign



manufacture which can be had of American make



be the difference of price what it may. The



greatest obstacle I apprehend to our manufac-



tures is our slavish obsequiousness to British



fashions. The British stuffs in fashion will be



sent to us, and while our workmen are preparing

















224        Jefferson's Works







to imitate them, the fashion will have vanished



and our belles and beaux be drawn off to some-



thing newer. This is .a great evil, but I fear an



irremediable one. It is the particular domain in



which the fools have usurped dominion over the



wise, and as they are in a majority they hold to



the fundamental law of the majority. Accept the



assurances of my constant esteem and respect.







         TO J. CORREA DE SERRA.







             MONTICELLO, January 1, 1816.







 I learned, my dear Sir, with inexpressible concern



on my arrival at home, that my detention in Bedford



had lost me the pleasure of your visit here. Having



heard nothing from you since our parting on the



Natural Bridge, I had supposed your return longer



delayed than you had expected, and that even,



possibly, your course might be so shaped as to



take Poplar Forest in your way. I hungered for



your observations on the country you had passed



over, and should not probably have been mistaken



in your estimate of it. It was additionally unlucky



that when you were at Monticello my family did



not observe the letters for you lying on my table,



some of them had been received, a considerable



time before, but not knowing your exact trajectory,



or in what part of it they might light on you, I



was afraid to risk them in the attempt. I now



inclose them and add a letter I wrote you under

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      225







cover to Mr. Rhea, expecting it would get to Knox-



ville by mail before your arrival there as it probably



did. But Mr. Rhea being unfortunately absent on



a journey to the westward, you failed in the receipt



of it as in the benefit you might have derived from



his friendly attentions. He lately returned it to



me with expressions of his regret at having lost



the opportunity of being useful to you; and I



now enclose it only to show that the failure did



not proceed from want of attention in me. Not



knowing whether you may have arrived at Phila-



delphia when this gets there I put the whole under



cover to Mr. Vaughan.







The death of Dr. Barton revives my anxiety



to recover the MS. journals of Capt. Lewis for



the satisfaction of his family, and may at the same



time facilitate it. He had promised me sacredly



that he would see to its restoration; and as you



were so kind as to say you would attend to it on



your return to Philadelphia I now earnestly entreat



your aid for this object, knowing nothing of what



is doing, or intended to be done, as to the publication



of the papers respecting the natural history and



geography of the country, you will oblige me by



any information you can obtain on this subject.



The right to these papers is in the government



as may be seen by the instructions to Capt. . Lewis,



they were left in his hands that he might derive



to himself the pecuniary benefit of their publication,



on the presumption they would certainly be pub-







 vol. xix-15

















226        Jefferson's Works







lished, if that presumption is to fail the govern-



ment must reclaim them ; and it is to. put this



object into an effective course that I wish for



information what is. doing, or likely to be done.



I know I should have the concurrence of General



Clarke in this, were he within the timely reach



of consultation, and I shall not fail to advise with



him as soon as I can do it understandingly.







 I am ashamed to ask whether your observations



or information as to the aisterns of Charlestown



can facilitate the perfecting of those I have con-



structed because by some accident which I cannot



ascertain, I lost the paper you were so kind as



to give me at Dowthwaites. You recollect our



situation there; I was shaving, changing my linen,



opening and doing up my baggage on the bed



when you put that paper into my hands. I



thought it certain that I put it into my pocket,



but when I got back to Poplar Forest I could not



find it. Whether it was Inst out of my pocket,



or laid and left on the bed I cannot say, but being



lost I am thrown again no your goodness to replace



it if you can.







What effect will the apparent restoration of



the Bourbons have on your movements? Will



it tempt your return? I do not see in this a resto-



ration of quiet; on the contrary I consider France



as in a more volcanic state than at any preceding



time, there must be an explosion and one of the



most destructive character. I look forward to

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    227







crimes more fierce and pitiless than those which



have already distinguished that bloody revolution.



These are not scenes, my dear friend, for you to



be thrown into. They have no analogies with the



tranquillity of your character. True, we cannot



offer you the scientific society of Paris, but who



can enjoy science, or who think of it in the midst



of insurrection, madness and massacre? Besides,



you possess all science within yourself; from others



you can get nothing new, and the pleasure of com-



municating it should be greatest where it is most



wanting. Stay then with us, become our instructor,



help us on in the paths of that science which is



wanting to our ripening character. You know



how much you are beloved and desired every-



where, welcome everywhere, but nowhere so



cordially as at Monticello. Come and make it



your home then, the place of rest and tranquillity,



from which, as your pre-des-tal, you can make



what excursions you please. You will find its



summers as moderate as those of Philadelphia,



and its winters more so. Had I arrived before



your departure I should have pressed your trial of it



for the present winter. A comfortable room in



a country of fuel, for retirement when you chose



it, and a sociable family full of affection and respect



for you, when tired of being alone, would have



made you forget the suspension of the season for



botanical rambling. Turn this subject in your



mind, my good friend, and let us have as much

















228        Jefferson's Works







of the benefit of the result as shall be consistent



with your own happiness, and in all cases be assured



of my warm affection and respect.







          TO THOMAS APPLETON.







            MONTICELLO, January 14, 1816.







DEAR SIR,-Your letters of August 26 and Octo-



ber 25 have been both received. The condition



of my friend Mazzei, both of body and mind, is



really afflicting, of the former he had given me



some account himself, of the latter I was unapprised,



although his very advanced age, with such bodily



infirmities, might have given room to expect it.



It is unfortunate, too, that persons in that situation



are themselves the least and last sensible of it,



and injure their affairs and family by not knowing



when to give them up. Under the circumstances



you state, friendship to himself requires a co-ope-



ration with his family in keeping him and them



from injury. It is what he himself would have



approved in the sounder state of his mind. It is



unlucky that a little before the date, and two



months before the receipt of your first letter, I



had written to him assurances that he should



receive a third of his principal, with its interest,



in the ensuing spring, and the remaining two-thirds



at two annual installments after. Of course some



excuse must be found to him, when, according to the



request of his family, I remit the interest only in

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    229







the spring without the portion of the principal.



This may be found, perhaps, in the expediency



of his keeping something as a forlorn hope for



himself and his family in a country where all is



secure, until the affairs of Europe are more settled,



or in some motives of inconvenience to myself



which his friendship may admit. I will remit a



year's interest, therefore, in the spring through



your hands, and you will act on it for him and



his family, as you and they will find most practicable



and for the best. In this, and whatever else may



be best for his family, I beg you to assure them



they may rely on me, conscious that in serving



them I shall do for him what I would expect my



friends to do for me in a like situation.







 I wish it were in my power to hold up to Mr.



Bartholini a prospect of employment and emolu-



ment here worthy of his talent. Our early and



prolific marriages, and the justice of our laws



dividing the property of the parents equally among



all the children, place the body of our people in



ease .and happiness in the mass but occasion rare



instances of great individual wealth. You know



how unusual these instances are and how few



even among them have a taste for the fine arts.



There is at this time an Italian artist of the name



of Andiriani--or Franzioni, I do not know which



-lately gone from this country to Florence, Rome,



etc., in quest of artists to assist him in repairing



the Capitol at Washington, burnt by the British.

















230        Jefferson's Works







He is one of two who were procured by Mr. Mazzei



and forwarded over by yourself about eight or ten



years ago. His object there at present is to obtain



architects only, and I name him merely because,



having resided here so long, he could be able to



give to Mr. Bartolini information of the country



the best adapted to his views.







 I note what you say of the bust of General Wash-



ington by Ciracchi and those of Columbus and



Vespucius, but I am done with dealing in marble.



An humble copy in plaster of Ciracchi's Wash-



ington would be my limit in that way. Perhaps



you can tell me what such an one would cost, I



may include it in some future remittance.







 For the present I confine myself to the physical



want of some good Montepulciano; and your



friendship has theretofore supplied me with that



which was so good that I naturally address my



want to you. In your letter of May 1, '05, you



mention that what you then sent me was produced



on grounds formerly belonging to the order of



Jesuits and sold for the benefit of the government



in 1773, at the time that that institution was



abolished. I hope it has preserved its reputation



and the quality of its wines. I send this letter to



my friend John Vaughan of Philadelphia, and



inclose with it to him fifty dollars to be remitted



to you, and I pray you to send me its amount in



Montepulciano in black bottles, well corked and



cemented, and in strong boxes, addressed to the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    231







collector of any port from Boston to the Chesa-



peake, to which the first opportunity occurs.



Norfolk and Richmond being always to be pre-



ferred if a conveyance equally early offers. But



the warm season will be so fast advancing when



you receive this that no time will be to be lost.



Perhaps I may trouble you annually to about the



same amount, this being a very favorite wine.



and habit having rendered the light and high



flowered wines a necessity of life with me. I



salute you with assurances of my constant esteem



and respect.







           TO P. S. DUPONCEAU.







            MONTICELLO, January 22, 1816.







 DEAR SiR,-I have been for the last five months



absent from home, which must apologize for this



very tardy acknowledgment of your 'favor of



November 14. I learn with much satisfaction



the enlargement by the Philosophical Society of



the scope of their institution by the establishment



of a standing committee for history, the moral



sciences and genera! literature. I have always



thought that we were too much confined in practice



to the natural and mathematical departments.



This committee will become a depository for many



original MS., many loose sheets of no use by them-



selves and in the hands of the holders, but of great



value when brought into a general depot open to

















232        Jefferson's Works.







the use of the future historian or literary inquirer.



I shall be very happy to contribute to the use-



fulness of your establishment by anything in my



possession or within the reach of my endeavors,



and I begin by inclosing you a geographical and



statistical account in MS. of the Creek or Muscogee



Indians and Country as it was in the years of '98



and '99. This was written by Colonel Hawkins



who has lived among them as agent now upwards



of twenty years. Besides a general interspersion



of observations on the state of society, manners and



opinion among them, there is in the latter part



an interesting account of their government and



ceremonies, civil and religious, the more valuable



as we have so little information of the civil regimen



of the Indian nations. I think it probable I may



find other things on my shelves, or among my



papers worth preserving with you, and will with



pleasure forward them from time to time as I lay



my hands on them.







 Of the MS. journal of the Commissioners of 1728



on the North Carolina boundary, I cannot give you



positive information. It has always been under-



stood that the Westover family possessed such a



journal written by their ancestor, Dr. Byrd, who



was one of the Commissioners, was the father of



the late Colonel William Byrd, a member of our



council, who died soon after the beginning of our



revolution. Dr. Byrd was the founder of the



Westover library and of the princely estate which













        Supplementary Manuscripts     233







was dissipated by his son, and has left behind



him the reputation of being a man of learning



and understanding. Within these two or three



years I was offered the reading of this MS. by



some one whom I cannot now recollect, but a con-



nection of the Westover family. I will make



enquiry into this and communicate to you the



result. Accept the assurance of my great respect



and esteem.







           TO ALBERT GALLATIN.







               MONTICELLO, April 11, 1816.







 DEAR SIR,-Your last favor is received just as



I am setting out for a possession ninety miles



southwardly, from whence I shall not return until



the first week of the ensuing month. I hasten,



therefore, to drop you a line of adieu. I sincerely



rejoice that you are going to France. I do not



think with you that nothing can be done there.



Louis XVIII is a fool and a bigot, but bating a



little duplicity he is honest and means well. He



cannot but feel the heavy hand of his masters,



and that it is England which presses it and



vaunts the having had the glory of effecting their



humiliation. His ministers, too, although ultra-



royalists, must feel as Frenchmen, although our



government is an eyesore to them, the pride



and pressure of England is more present to their



feelings, and they must be sensible that having

















234        Jefferson's Works







a common enemy, an intimate connection with us



must be of value to them. England hates us,



dreads us, and yet is silly enough to keep us under



constant irritation instead of making us her friends.



She will use all her sway over the French Govern-



ment to obstruct our commerce with them, and



it is exactly there you can act with effect by keeping



that government informed of the truth in oppo-



sition to the lies of England.







 I thank you for your attention to my request



as to Mr. Terril. You judge rightly that I have



no acquaintances left in France. Some were guil-



lotined, some fled, some died, some are exiled



and I know of nobody but Lafayette. I correspond



with his connection M. Destutt Tracy, the ablest



writer in France in the moral line. Your acquaint-



ance with M. de Lafayette will of course bring



you to that of M. Tracy. Will you permit me



to tell you a long story and to vindicate me in



conversation to both those friends before whom



it is impossible, but that I must stand in need of it.







 M. Tracy has written the best work on political



economy which has ever appeared, he has estab-



lished its principles more demonstratively than



has been done before, and in the compass of one-



third of even M. Say's work. He feared to print



it in France and sent it to me to have it translated



a.nd printed here. I immediately proposed it to



Daune who engaged to have it done. After putting



me off from six months to six months hp at length





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    235







(after two or three years delay) wrote me that



he had had it translated but was not able to print



it. I got from him the original and the translation



and proposed the publishing of it to Milligan of



Georgetown, promising to revise the translation



if he would undertake it. He agreed to it, and



when I came to look into the translation it had



been done by one who understood neither French



nor English, and I then rejoiced that Duane had



not published it; it would have been horrid. I



worked on it four or five hours a day for three



months comparing word by word with the original,



and, although I have made it a strictly faithful



translation, yet it is without style, le premier jet



was such as to render that impossible. I sent



the whole to Milligan about ten days ago and he



had informed me his type and everything was



ready to begin it. I have not the courage to write



to M. Tracy until I can send him a copy of the



book, and were I to write to M. Lafayette and



be silent on this subject they would conclude I



had abandoned it, but in truth I have never ceased



to urge it, indeed, I take great interest in its publi-



cation, its brevity will recommend it to our country-



men, and its logic set their minds to rights as to



principles and you know there in no science on



which they are so little informed. Now can you



remember all this, and will you be so good as to



place me erect again before my friends by a verbal



explanation?

















236        Jefferson's Works







God bless you and give you a safe and pleasant



voyage and a safe return to us in the fullness of time.







I trouble you with two letters to Mr. Terril to



be forwarded to Geneva.







           TO J. F. DUMOULIN.







                MONTICELLO, May 7, 1816.







 SIR,-Your favor of April Ia is just received,



and with it the two copies of your treatise on



Naturalization and Allegiance, the one of which



has been delivered as you requested to Colonel



Randolph and for the other be pleased to accept



my thanks. From a cursory view I promise my-



self great pleasure in reading it, as well from its



logic as its learning on these subjects. We cannot



but think alike, and I permit myself to doubt



whether there is a man in the world who thinks



otherwise; provided he has thought at all on the



subject, has turned inwardly on himself and ascer-



tained whether he has not there found the same



innate feeling of right to live on the outside of



an artificial geographical line as he has to live



within it; whether he finds there any stronger



sentiment of right to use his own faculties at all



than of that to use them in whatever place he



can do it to the greatest promotion of his own



happiness; whether he feels any obligation to die



by disease or famine in one country rather than



go to another where he can live?

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    237







 The family accepts with thankfulness the kind



expression of your remembrance of them, and



joins me in assuring you that we consider our-



selves as the debtors for the visit you did us the



favor to make the last autumn, and in assurance



of great esteem and respect.







      TO THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







               MONTICELLO, May 17, 1816.







 I received, my dear friend, yesterday evening



only, your letter of January 21, and this day I write



to a bookseller in Philadelphia to send immediately



for you two copies of the Anonymous Review of



Montesquieu, under cover to Mr. Gallatin, if he



be not gone. In a letter to him lately I begged



of him to say to yourself and M. T. that I had



not the courage to write to either of you until I



could send a copy of the work on political economy,



which I have been so long endeavoring to get



printed.







 I will state to you, however, the simple fact.



I proposed to the same editor at Philadelphia to



translate and print this, who had done the former



work; he undertook it. After time enough had



elapsed, as I thought, to have heard of its publication,



I wrote to ask when it would appear? At such



a time it was answered. It is needless to repeat



to you the subsequent reiterated application, excuses



and promises, they ended finally in a declaration

















238        Jefferson's Works







that the work was translated but that he could



not print it. I then desired a return of the work;



it was sent to me with the translation. I then



engaged a person in Washington to print it, offering



if he would, to revise the translation myself. He



has undertaken it, but when I came to look into



the translation, I found it such as had never been



seen. It had been done by a person who under-



stood neither French nor English. I entered on



the corrections, and had got too far into it before



I became sensible it would have been shorter for



me to have translated it anew. I spent five hours



a day on it for between two and three months.



I was able at length to make it faithful to the text



but not elegant, le premier jet rendered that impos-



sible. It has been in the hands of the editor about



a month, but as he is to send me  the proof sheets



for correction successively as they come out and



by mail, it will employ the summer and autumn



probably.







 Nothing has been spared which depended on



me and had I resided where the publication was



undertaken I could, by daily attention, have soon



seen into the fact and cause of delay and have



remedied them. But at the distance of 300 miles



from Philadelphia, unable to get information but



such as the undertaker chose to give, and through



the public mail, I was quite at his mercy. Still



I shall think my trouble and vexation well requited



by possessing my countrymen of such a work.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     239







Its principles are so profound, so logically demon-



strated and so briefly expressed that it must become



the elementary book of the world for the science



of political economy, as the other will be of that



of government. The very metaphysical character



of the prefatory pieces may deter some readers



not in the habit of abstract contemplation, while



it will be highly satisfactory to those which are.



The indications, however, are sufficient which show



the former where the part of the work begins which



will be interesting to them and levelled to com-



prehensions 'less exercised in speculations of this



character.







 In this plain statement I hope yourself and



your friend will find an apology for the delays



which have taken place in sending you this work.



With respect to the Commentary on Montesquieu



there is a fact of some note. You are aware that



the Edinburgh Review is considered as the ablest



work of that kind which has ever been published.



Means were taken to place this work in the hands



of the editor but while the work itself and the



principles of his review permitted him to say nothing



against it, its being an American publication was



ground enough to avoid saying anything in its



favor. They have, therefore, not even mentioned



it in their monthly catalogue of new publications.



Such are the feelings of that country toward us.







 Uncertain whether Mr. Gallatin is yet gone,



and of course whether this letter will reach him

















240        Jefferson's Works







in time, or go by some other conveyance, it is



most prudent to say little in politics. That the



violations of all rights committed on the con-



tinent by France under the directions of Bonaparte,



as well as those on the ocean by England, merited



a proper measure of retaliation and punishment,



I imagine yourselves are sensible. On England



it is yet to come, and on France had it proceeded



but a reasonable length, justice would not have



condemned it, but it has passed that term. The



continuation of it becomes aggression, arid the



allies have gone on to commit equal violations



on independent nations with those of Bonaparte.



If there were another world to do it, the same



crusade ought now to be undertaken against them



which they enlisted against France. Still I believe



the loss of the battle of Waterloo was the salvation



of France. Had Bonaparte obtained the victory,



his talents, his egoism and destitution of all moral



principle would have rivetted a military despotism



on your necks. In your present situation you



will affect a constitution in which the will of the



nation shall have an organized control over the



actions of its government, and its citizens a regular



protection against its oppressions.







 I dare add no more, but my prayers for



the events, and that your steady pursuits of this



object may be rewarded by the happiness of your



seeing it realized before you sing your nunc



dimittis.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    241







           TO FRANCIS EPPES.







              MONTICELLO, May 21, 1816.







I send you, my dear Francis, a Greek grammar,



the best I know for the use of schools. It is the



one most generally used in the United States. I



expect you will begin it soon after your arrival



at the New London academy. You might, while



at home, amuse yourself with learning the letters



and spelling and reading the Greek words, so that



you may not be stopped by that when Mr. Mitchell



puts you into the grammar.







I think you will like him and old Mr. and Mrs.



Dehavens, from the character I have of them.



I am sure Mr. Mitchell will do everything for you



he can, and I have no fear that you will not do



full justice to his instruction. But while you



endeavor, by a good store of learning to prepare



yourself to become an useful and distinguished



member of your country, you must remember



that this can never be without uniting merit with



your learning. Honesty, disinterestedness and good



nature are indispensable to procure the esteem



and confidence of those with whom we live, and



on whose esteem our happiness depends. Never



suffer a thought to be harbored in your mind which



you would not avow openly. When tempted to



do anything in secret ask yourself if you would



do it in public. If you would not be sure it is wrong.



In little disputes with your companions, give way







  VOL. XIX-I 6

















242        Jefferson's Works







rather than insist on trifles. For their love and



the approbation of others will be worth more



to you than the trifle in dispute. Above all



things, and at all times, practice yourself in good



humor. Whenever you feel a warmth of temper



rising check it at once, and suppress it, recollecting



it will make you unhappy within yourself and



disliked by others. Nothing gives one person so



great advantage over another as to remain always



cool and unruffled under all circumstances. Think



of these things, practice them, and you will be



rewarded by the love and confidence of the world.







 I have some expectation of being at Poplar



Forest the third week of June, when I hope I shall



see you going on cleverly and already beloved by



your tutor, curators and companions, as_ you are



by, yours affectionately.







           TO JAMES BARBOUR.







            MONTICELLO, January 19, 1817,







 DEAR SIR,-Your favor of the 9th is received



by our last mail. I have been very long and



intimately acquainted with Colonel Trumbull, have



had the best opportunity of knowing him thor-



oughly and can therefore bear witness of my own



knowledge to his high degree of worth as a man.



For his merit as a painter I can quote higher author-



ities, and assure you that on the continent of



Europe, when I was there, he was considered as

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     243







superior to West. Baron Grimm, who was the



oracle of taste at Paris, in sculpture, painting and



the other fine arts generally, gave him the decided



preference, and came often to my house in Paris



while Colonel Trumbull was with me, to see his



paintings. I pretend not to be a connoisseur in



the art myself, but comparing him with others



of that day I thought him superior to any historical



painter of the time except David. It is in the



historical line only that I am acquainted with



his painting. In England, West was preferred by



the king to whom all others followed suit.







 The subjects on which Colonel Trumbull has em-



ployed his pencil are honorable to us, and it would



be extremely desirable that they should be; retained



in this country as monuments of the taste as well



as of the great revolutionary scene of our country.







 You know how averse I am to be quoted on any



occasion, yet as far as my testimony to Colonel



Trumbull's worth can be of any avail by using



it in private circles you are entirely free to do so



as a just tribute to truth and worth. Accept my



friendly and respectful salutations.







            TO JAMES MONROE.







                MONTICELLO, April 8, 1817.







 DEAR SIR,--I shall not waste your time in idle con-



gratulations. You know my joy on the commitment



of the helm of our Government to your hands.

















244        Jefferson's Works







 I promised you when I should have received



and tried the wines I had ordered from France,



and Italy to give you a note of the kinds which



I should think worthy of your procurement; and



this. being the season for ordering them, so that



they may come in the mild temperature of autumn,



I now fulfil my promise.







 They are the following:







 Vin blanc liquoureux d'Hermitage de M. Fourdan



a Tanis. This costs about eighty-two and a half



cents a bottle put on shipboard.







 Vin de Ledarion (In Languedoc) something of



the port character but higher flavored, more deli-



cate, less rough. I do not know its price, but



probably about twenty-five cents a bottle.







 Vin de Roussillon. The best is that of Perpignan



or Rives alte of the crop of M. Durand. It costs



seventy-two cents a gallon, bears bringing in a



cask. If put into bottles there it costs eleven



cents a bottle more than if bottled here by an



inexplicable and pernicious arrangement of our tariff.







 Vin de Nice. The crop called Bellet, of Mr.



Sasterno; is the best. This is the most elegant



every-day wine in the world and costs thirty-one



cents the bottle. Not much being made it is little



known at the general markets..







Mr. Cathalan of Marseilles is the best channel



for getting the first three of these wines and a good



one for the Nice, being in their neighborhood and



knowing well who makes the crops of best quality.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     245







The Nice being a wine foreign to France occa-



sions some troublesome forms. If you could get



that direct from Sasterno himself at Nice, it would



be better. And, by the bye, he is very anxious



for the appointment of consul for the United



States at that place. I knew his father well, one



of the most respectable merchants and men of the



place. I hear a good character of the son, who



has succeeded to his business. He understands



English well, having passed some time in a counting



house in London for improvement. I believe we



have not many vessels going to that port annually



and yet as the appointment brings no expense to



the United States, and is sometimes salutary to



our merchants and seamen, I see no objection to



naming one there.







There is still another wine to be named to you,



which is the wine of Florence called Montepulciano,



with which Mr. Appleton can best furnish you.



There is a particular very best crop of it known



to him and which he has usually sent to me. This



costs twenty-five cents per bottle. He knows, too,



from experience how to have it so bottled and



packed as to ensure its bearing the passage which



in the ordinary way it does not. I have imported



it through him annually ten or twelve years and



do not think I have lost one bottle in one hundred:







 I salute you with all my wishes for a prosperous



and splendid voyage over the ocean on which you



are embarked, and with sin.cere prayers for the



continuance of your life and health.

















246        Jefferson's Works







         TO JOSEPH DELAPLAINE.







              MONTICELLO, April 12, 1817.







DEAR SIR,-My repugnance is so invincible to



be saying anything of my own history as if worthy



to occupy the public attention that I have suffered



your letter of March 17, but not received till March



z 8, to lie thus long without resolution enough to



take it up. I indulged myself at some length on



a former occasion because it was to repel a calumny



still sometimes repeated after the death. of its



numerous brethren, by which a party at one time



thought they could vote me down, deeming even



science itself as well as my affection for it a fit



object of ridicule and a disqualification for the



affairs of government. I still think that many



of the objects of our inquiry are too minute for



public notice. The number of names and ages of



my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren,



etc., would produce fatigue and disgust to your



readers of which I would be an unwilling instru-



ment, it will certainly be enough to say that



from one daughter living and another deceased, I



have a numerous family of grandchildren and an



increasing one of great-grandchildren.     ,







 I was married on New Year 's day of 1772, and



Mrs. J. died in the autumn of 1782. I was educated



at William and Mary College, in Williamsburg.



I read Greek, Latin, French, Italian, Spanish and



English of course, with something of its radics,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    247







the Anglo-Saxon. I became a member of the



legislature of Virginia in 1769 at the accession of



Lord Botetourt to our government. I could not



readily make a statement of the literary societies



of which I am a member, they are many and would



be long to enumerate and would savor too much



of vanity and pedantry. Would it not be better



to say merely that I am a member of many literary



societies in Europe and America.







 Your statements of the corrections of the Decla-



ration of Independence by Dr. Franklin and Mr.



Adams are neither of them at all exact. I should



think it better to say generally that the rough



draft was communicated to those two gentlemen,



who each of them made two or three short and



verbal alterations only, but even this is laying



more stress on mere composition than it merits,



for that alone was mine. The sentiments were of



all America. I already possess a portrait of Mr.



Adams, done by our countryman Brown when



we were both in England, and have no occasion,



therefore, for the copy you propose to me. Accept



my apologies for not going more fully into the



minutiae of your letter. With my friendly and



respectful salutations.

















248        Jefferson's Works







         TO JEAN BAPTISTE SAY.







               MONTICELLO, May 14., 1817.







DEAR SIR,-Your letter of June 15, 1814, came



to my hands on the 9th of December following,



and that of August 22d of the same year was received



on the 11th of May, ' 15. In the meantime I had



answered the former on the 2d of March and had



gone fully into all details in the line of information



to which your enquiries had led, stating every-



thing on the subject of prices, articles of culture,



climate, society, etc., which I thought would aid



your determination on the question of removal.



This letter was committed to the care of a Mr.



Ticknor, a young gentleman of Boston, who was



on the point of embarking for France; but before



actual embarkation peace taking place with England,



he went first to that country and thence to Got-



tingen where I expect he has continued to about



this time. How this letter was conveyed to you,



or whether you ever received it, I am uninformed,



but a fear that it might have miscarried has led



me to this recapitulation that in that case you



might know the truth and be assured I was incapable



of omitting to comply with your request of informa-



tion on points so interesting to you.







The only changes since occurring as to any par-



ticulars of that information has been in our cir-



culating medium, which, from the wretched state



it was then in has become much worse by the great

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    249







increase of bank paper in circulation and consequent



advance of normal prices; and that advance of



such uncertainty as that nothing can now be esti-



mated in that medium. I add this to the information



formerly given on the possibility that you may



still contemplate a removal, and can assure you



that your arrival here would be hailed with universal



welcome and by none with more than by myself.







 I rejoice that the book, of which you were so



kind as to send me a copy, is becoming known



here, begins to be much read, and really see in that



circumstance chiefly a prospect, however distant,



that our rulers will come in time to understand



the subject and to apply the remedy which is in



their power only. A shorter work of Mr. Tracy's



on the same subject is in course of publication,



and will co-operate with yours to the same end.







 For the conveyance of this letter I avail myself



of the kindness of its bearer, Mr. Lyman, a young



gentleman of Boston who proposes to visit France



for his health. He is not personally known to



me, but is much recommended on the part of Mr.



Adams, former President of the United States.



He speaks of him as a young man of great worth



and promise and whose ardor in pursuit of science



has produced that derangement of health which



occasions his visit to Europe. In proposing to



him to be the bearer of a letter to you he naturally



wished an introduction to a character of such an



advantageous standing in the literary world, and

















250        Jefferson's Works







to place the honor of being made known to you



among the rewards of his voyage.







 Be so good then as to receive him into your



notice, and to indulge a desire on his part produced



by motives of veneration for your character, and



accept the assurances of my great respect and



esteem.







          TO JOSEPH C. CABELL.







            MONTICELLO, October 24, 1817.







DEAR SIR,-YOURS of the 14th came to hand



two days ago. Soon after you left us, I received



the pamphlet you were so kind as to have directed



to me, containing several papers on the establish-



ment of a system of education.







A serious perusal of the bill for that purpose



convinced me that unless something less extrava-



gant could be devised the whole undertaking must



fail. The primary schools alone on that plan



would exhaust the whole funds, the colleges as



much more, and an university would never come



into question. However slow and painful the



operation of writing is become from a stiffening



wrist, and however deadly my aversion to the



writing-table, I determined to try whether I could



not contrive a plan more within the compass of



our funds. I send you the result brought into



a single bill lest by bringing it on by detachment



some of the parts might be lost.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    251







 You ask if we should not associate with it the



petty academies and colleges spread over the State



in order to engage their interest ? Why should we ?



For their funds ? They have none. Scarcely any of



them have funds to keep their buildings in repair.



They depend on what they get from their students.



Aggregated to our regular system they would make



it like the image of brass and clay substances



which never amalgamate. They would only em-



barrass and render our colleges impracticable. I



have always found it best never to permit a rational



plan to be marred by botching. You would lose



on the vote more honest friends than you would



reconcile dishonest enemies, under which term I



include those who would sacrifice the public good



to a local interest. However, take it and make



of it what you can if worth anything. Communicate



it also to Mr. Rives if you please. I meddle no



more with it. There is a time to retire from labor



and that time is come with me. It is a duty, as



well as the strongest of my desires, to relinquish



to younger hands the government of our bark



and resign myself as I do willingly to their care.







 Our Central College gives me more employ-



ment than I am equal to. The dilatoriness of



the workmen gives me constant trouble. It has



already brought into doubt the completion this



year of the building begun, which obliges me to



be with them every other day. I follow it up



from a sense of the impression which will be made

















252        Jefferson's Works







on the legislature by the prospect of its immediate



operation. The walls should be done by our next



court, but they will not, by a great deal. We



hope to see you then. En attendant, I salute you



with friendship and respect.







P. S. I drew a plan of a college in its dormitories,



such as the bill calls for, to demonstrate that it



will not cost more than the sum allotted.







            TO THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY







                (WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD).







                    MONTICELLO, January 5, 1818.



DEAR SIR,-The death of General Kosciusko,



which I see announced in the papers in a form



leaving no doubt of its truth, makes it' a duty



in me to trouble you with this letter.







         He possessed; as you know, a considerable sum



of money in our funds. When he left the United



States in 1790 he authorized me, by a power of



attorney, to superintend the transaction of his



business here which has accordingly been done



through the agency of Mr. Barnes, under my direc-



tion and sanction. But he, at the same time,



left with me an autograph will making an elecmo-



sinary disposition of his property, of which will



he named me executor. Some doubts arise in my



mind as to the court in which this will must be



proved and myself qualified to execute it. As it

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    253







is essential that this should be in a court which



the government will think of complete cognizance



of the case, to authorize their placing the money



under the trust, I have taken the liberty of stating



the case to the Attorney-General, who is particu-



larly acquainted with our laws, by whose advice



and your sanction I wish to be governed. The



hope that this probate and qualification in our



state courts will be sufficient is nourished by me



merely in consideration of the difficulty with which



I could take a long journey.







Although General Kosciusko in his last letter



to me of September 15 uses expressions which



show that his purpose had not been changed, yet



I shall withhold proving the will until I shall hear



particulars from the friends in his confidence who



were probably about him at the time of his death,



and who will doubtless inform me of the event



and of any particulars which ought to be known.







 I pray you to be assured of my highest esteem



and consideration.







       TO GENERAL JOHN ARMSTRONG.







            MONTICELLO, January 17, 1818.







DEAR SIR,-Your favor of the 4th was received



on the 12th. General Kosciusko on leaving the



United States in 1798 left in my hands an auto-



graph will disposing of his property in the United



States to a charitable purpose, of which will he













254        Jefferson's Works







made me executor. His residence under one



government, his property in another and his



executor in a third induced me to write to the



Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney-General



of the United States to know where the probate



of the will should be to authorize their placing



the money in the public funds under its directions.



I expect their answer but am not decided to under-



take the trust; its execution will call for a great



many minute and continued attentions and many



more years to complete than I have to live. How-



ever, in whatever hands the administration may



be I presume the claim of your son will meet with



no difficulty or delay, the money being ready



whenever an authority shall be complete for receiving



and paying it, and of this as soon as determined



I will advise you, being happy in every occasion of



assuring you, of my continued affection and respect.







           TO COUNT DUGNANI







             (PAPAL NUNCIO)







           MONTICELLO, February 14,  1818.







 MY DEAR CARDINAL,-In March, 1818, I took



the liberty of addressing a letter to you by Dr.



Barton, a member of our Philosophical Society,



distinguished for his science, who visited Europe



for his health and expected to go as far as Rome.



I was happy in the opportunity he furnished me



of presenting myself to your recollection and of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     255







renewing to you the assurances of the sentiments



of friendship and respect engraved on my mind



during our residence at Paris, and of their cordial



continuance. But I doubt whether Dr. Barton



reached Rome, as the aggravation of his malady



induced an early return which was followed



immediately by his death.







 A few days ago I received a letter from M.



Marechal, Archbishop of Baltimore, in which he



informs me that besides your friendly expressions



toward me on his leaving Paris some years ago,



you had in a letter of September last made kind



enquiries after myself and my family. I feel a



pleasure as well as a duty in answering these myself.



Since my retirement in 1809 from all public duties



I have enjoyed uninterrupted good health and



retain as much activity of body and mind as,



at the age of 74, we have a right to expect. My



eldest daughter, who had the honor of being known



to you in Paris, lives also and in good health and



has blessed me with many grandchildren, and some



of these have commenced another generation.







 My last information from yourself directly was



by the return .of two young Americans educated



at Rome who bore witness to your friendly patronage



of them, and brought me from you the two exquisite



engravings of Belisarius and Moncada, chef d'oeuvres



of that art, which, placed among the ornaments



of my house, renew to me daily the memory of



your friendship.

















256        Jefferson's Works







 During the terrible revolutions of Europe I felt



great anxiety for you, and have never yet learnt



with certainty how far they affected you. Your



letter to the Archbishop being from Rome and so



late as September makes me hope that all is well,



and thanks be to God the tiger who revelled so



long in the blood and spoils of Europe is at length,



like another Prometheus, chained to his rock,



where the vulture of remorse for his crimes will



be preying on his vitals and in like manner without



consuming them. Having been, like him, intrusted



with the happiness of my country, I feel the blessing



of resembling him in no other point. I have not



caused the death .of five or ten millions of human



beings, the devastation of other countries, the



depopulation of my own, the exhaustion of all



its resources, the destruction of its liberties, nor



its foreign subjugation. All this he has done to



render more illustrious the atrocities perpetrated



for illustrating himself and his family with plundered



diadems and sceptres. On the contrary, I have



the consolation to reflect that during the period



of my administration not a drop of the blood of



a single fellow citizen was shed by the sword of



war or of the law, and that after cherishing for



eight years their peace and prosperity I laid down



their trust of my own accord and in the midst



of their blessings and importunities to continue in



it. But, beginning to be sensible of the effect of



age, I feared that its infirmities might injure their

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    257







interests and believed the example would be salutary



against inveteration in office, and I now enjoy in



retirement the comfort of their good will and of



a conscience calm and without reproach. I have



thus, my dear Cardinal, given you the information



you have requested, and nothing but that request



could have justified so much egoism. In return



you cannot gratify me so much as by saying as



much to me of yourself in whose welfare I take



cordial interest.







 Before closing my letter I will take the liberty



of requesting that if Mr. George Ticknor, a young



American, should be yet at Rome, as I think is



possible, you will do me the favor of extending



to him your countenance and protection while



there. His science, his talents, the worth and



correctness of his character, place him among the



ornaments and the hopes of our country; and



my particular friendship for him will add, I trust,



a motive the more for your notice of him. I



should have given him a letter to you but that



having been three years on his travels through



Europe I could not with certainty convey it to



him. He was to pass this present winter in Italy



chiefly and at Rome, and I fear indeed, he may



have left it before he can receive this proof of my



attention to him, or of your friendship to me.



In every event, however, accept, my dear Cardinal,



the assurance of my constant and affectionate



friendship and the homage of my high consideration.







  VOL. XIX--17

















258        Jefferson's Works







           TO ALBERT GALLATIN.







            MONTICELLO, February 15, 1818.



DEAR SIR,-I take the liberty of putting under



the protection of your cover a letter to Cardinal



Dugnani at Rome, in the hope that through the



Nuncio resident at Paris it may find a sure con-



veyance to him. In return for this trouble I wish



I could give you any news which would interest



you, but withdrawn entirely from all attention



to public affairs, I neither know nor enquire what



Congress are doing. You will probably know this



better than myself from the newspapers, which I



have ceased to read in a great degree. A single



measure in my own State has interested me much.



Our legislature some time ago appropriated a



fund of a million and a half dollars to a system



of general education. After two or three projects



proposed and put by I ventured to offer one which,



although not adopted, is printed and published



for general consideration to be taken up at the next



session. It provides an elementary school in every



neighborhood of fifty or sixty families, a college



for the languages, mensuration, navigation and



geography within a day 's ride of every man 's



house, and a central university of the sciences



for the whole State of eight, ten or twelve pro-



fessors. But it has to encounter ignorance; malice,



egoism, fanaticism, religious, political and local



perversities.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    259







 In one piece of general information which I am



sure will give you pleasure I can add mine to the



testimony of our other correspondents. Federalism



is substantially defunct. Opposition to the war,



the Hartford Convention, the peace of Ghent,



and the battle of Orleans, have revolted the body



of the people who called themselves federalists



against their leaders, and these have sunk into



insignificance or acquiescence under the govern-



ment. The most signal triumph is in Connecticut



where it was least and last expected. As some tub,



however, must always be thrown out to the whale,



and a religious one is fittest to recall the priesthood



within their proper limits, the questions of unity



and trinity are now set afloat in the Eastern States,



and are occupying there all the vehemence of the



genius irratabile ratum. This is food for the fools,



amusement to the wise and quiet to the patriot,



while the light of the age will prevent danger from



the flame it kindles. The contest, too, must issue in



triumph of common sense over the unintelligible



jargon of Gothic fanaticism. Ever and affection-



ately yours.







           TO JACOB BIGELOW.







              MONTICELLO, April 11, 1818







I thank you, Sir, for the comparative statement



of the climates of the several States as deduced



from observations on the flowering of trees in the

















260        Jefferson's Works







same year. It presents a valuable view and one



which it is much to be desired could be extended



through a longer period of years and embrace a



greater number of those circumstances which



indicate climate.







 I closed the year before last a seven years' course



of observations intended to characterize the climate



of this State, which though very various in its



various parts may be considered as reduced to a



mean at this place nearly central to the whole. In



return' for your favor I transcribe the heads of



observation which I thought requisite and some of



the general results with the assurance of my high



respect and esteem:







 1. The greatest and least height of the thermometer every day.







 2. The greatest, least and mean height of the thermometer in every



month, with the mean of each year and the mean of the seven years



which last was 55Ço.







 3. The minimum and maximum of the whole term, to wit :. 5 Ço and



94.5







 4. The number of freezing nights in a winter (50) and of freezing



days ( I o).







 5. How long fires are necessary in our apartments, to wit : 4 months



constant, and on evening and morning of month before and after that



time.







 6, The earliest frost in autumn Oct. 7-26, and the latest in spring



Mar. I 9-May 1.







 7. The earliest ice in autumn Oct. 24-Nov. Ig, and latest in spring



Mar. 8-Apr. I o.







 8. The quantity of water falling in a year, average 47.218







 9. The number of rains in the year, 89.







 10. The number of fair days average 5 to the week.             €







 11. The number of snow 22.5 inches average covers the ground







22 days.







 12. The number of days each wind prevailed through the year,





















        Supplementary Manu scripts   261







 13. The flowering of plants, ripening of their fruit and coming to



table of the products of the garden, arrival of birds, insects, etc.







 sq. The temperature of the springs 54.5 degrees, the winter air being at 75

degrees.







 15. The latitude of the place of observation (Monticello) 37 degrees 57'



51" -26".







Extract from Number 13:



The peach blossoms Mar. 9 - Apr. 4.



The tick appears Mar. 15- Apr. 2.



The house martin Mar. 18 - Apr. 9.



Asparagus come to table Mar. 23-Apr. 14.



The lilac blooms Apr. 1- Apr. 28.



The red bud blooms Apr. 2-19.



The whip-poor-will is heard Apr. 2-21.



The dogwood blossoms Apr. 3-22.



The locust blossoms Apr. 25-May 17.



Garden pea comes to table (unforced) May 3-25.



Strawberries ripe May 3-25.



Fireflies appear May 8.



Cherries ripe May 18-25.



Wheat harvest begins June 21-29.



Cucumbers at table (unforced) June 22-25.



Peaches ripe July 7-21.



Katydids or sawyers heard July 14-20.







        ³Average of        ³every Mo.        ³Prevailence of the



        ³        ³        ³several winds stated



        ³        ³        ³in days of



        ³therm.        ³ Rain        ³ year



ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ



Jan........        ³36        ³3.66        ³



Feb........        ³40        ³3.47        ³      N.   61



Mar........        ³46        ³2.92        ³   N. E.   29



April......        ³56.5        ³3.59        ³      E.   15



May........        ³61.5        ³5.60        ³   S. E.   16



June.......        ³72        ³3.47        ³      S.   60



July.......        ³75        ³6.56        ³   S. W.   66



Aug........        ³73        ³4.06        ³      W.   47



Sept.......        ³67        ³5.96        ³   N. W.   71



Oct........        ³57        ³3.40        ³          ----



Nov........        ³45.5        ³2.92        ³           365



Dec........        ³37        ³1.56        ³





















262        Jefferson's Works







       TO CHARLES JARED INGERSOLL.







               MONTICELLO, July 20, 1818.







SIR,-On my return the day before yesterday



after a long absence from this place, I found here



your favor of July 4 with the two Chinese works



from Mr. Wilcox which accompanied it. I pray



you to accept my thanks for the trouble you have



taken in forwarding them, and if you are in cor-



respondence with Mr. Wilcox and should have



other occasion to write to him I must request you



to express to him my sense of his kind attention



in sending me these works.







 They are real curiosities and give us a better



idea of the state of science in China than the relations



of travellers have effected. It is surely impossible



that they can make much progress with characters



so complicated, so voluminous and inadequate as



these are. It must take a life to learn the char-



acters only and then their expression of ideas



must be very imperfect. I imagine that some



fortuitous circumstance will some day call their



attention to the simple alphabets of Europe, which



with proper improvements may be made to express



the sounds of their language as well as of others,



and that then they may enter on the field of science.



I think missionaries to instruct them in our alpha-



bets would be more likely to take good effect and



lead them to the object of our religious missionaries



than an abrupt introduction of new doctrines for

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     263







which their minds are in no wise prepared. With



my thanks be pleased to accept the assurance



of my great esteem and respect.







           TO JOSEPH MILLIGAN.







            MONTICELLO, OCTOBER 25, 1818.







 SIR,-I now return you, according to promise,



the translation of M. Destutt Tracy's Treatise on



Political Economy, which I have carefully revised



and corrected. The numerous corrections of sense



in the translation have necessarily destroyed



uniformity of style, so that all I may say on that



subject is that the sense of the author is every-



where now faithfully expressed. It would be



difficult to do justice, in any translation, to the



style of the original, in which no word is unnecessary,



no word can be changed for the better, and severity



of logic results in that brevity to which we wish



all science reduced. The merit of this work will,



1 hope, place it in the hands of every reader in our



country. By diffusing sound principles of Political



Economy, it will protect the public industry from



the parasite institutions now consuming it, and



lead us to that just and regular distribution of



the public burdens from which we have sometimes



strayed. It goes forth, therefore, with my hearty



prayers that while the Review of Montesquieu,



by the same author, is made with us the elementary



book of instruction in the principles of civil govern-

















264        Jefferson's Works







ment, so the present work may be in the particular



branch of Political Economy.







         TO NATHANIEL BOWDITCH.







            MONTICELLO, October 26, 1818.







 DEAR SIR,-I have for some time owed you a



letter of thanks for your learned pamphlet on



Dr. Stewart 's formula for obtaining the sun 's



distance from the motion of the moon's apsides,



a work, however, much above my mathematical



stature. This delay has proceeded from a desire



to address you on an interest much nearer home,



and on the subject of which .I must make a long



story.







On a private subscription of about fifty or sixty



thousand dollars we began the establishment of



what we called the Central College, about a mile



from the village of Charlottesville and four miles



from this place, and have made some progress



in the buildings. The legislature at their last



session took up the subject and passed an act



establishing an University, endowing it for the



present with an annuity of fifteen thousand dollars



and directing commissioners to meet to recommend



a site, a plan of buildings, the professorships



necessary for teaching all the branches of science



at this day deemed useful, etc.







The commissioners by a vote of sixteen for



the Central College, two for a second place and

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    265







three for a third adopted that for the site of the



University. They approved by an unanimous vote



the plan of building begun at that place, and agreed



on such a distribution of the sciences as it was



thought might bring them all within the com-



petence of ten professors; and no doubt is enter-



tained of a confirmation by the legislature at their



meeting in December. The plan of building is



not to erect one single magnificent building to



contain everybody, and everything, but to make



of it an, academical village, in which every pro-



fessor should have his separate house, containing



his lecturing room with two, three or four rooms



for his own accommodation according as he may



have a family or no family; with kitchen, garden,



etc., distinct dormitories for the students, not



more than two in a room and separate boarding-



houses for dieting them by private housekeepers.



We concluded to employ no professor who is not



of the first order of the science he professes, that



when we can find such in our own country we



shall prefer them and when we cannot we will



procure them wherever else to be found.







The standing salary proposed is of one thousand



to fifteen hundred dollars with twenty-five dollars



tuition fee from each student attending any pro-



fessor, with house, garden, etc., free of rent. We



believe that our own State will furnish five



hundred students, and having good information



that it will be the resort of all the Western and

















266        Jefferson's Works







Southern States, we count on as many more



from them, when in full operation. But as the



schools will take time to fill, we propose that until



the tuition fees with the salary shall amount to



two thousand dollars we will make up that deficiency



so as to ensure two thousand dollars from the



outset.







 The soil in this part of the country is as fertile



as any upland soil in any of the maritime States,



inhabited fully by a substantial yeomanry of



farmers (tobacco long since given up) and being



at the first ridge of mountains there is not a healthier



or more genial climate in the world. Our maximum



of heat and that only of one or two days in summer



is about 96, the minimum in winter is 5.5, but the



mean of the months of June, July, August is 72,



75, 73, and of December, January, February is 45,



36, 40. The thermometer is below 55 (the fire



point) four months in the year and about a month



before and after that we require fire in the mornings



and evenings. Our average of snow is 22 inches,



covering the ground as many days in the winter.



The necessaries of life are extremely cheap, but dry-



goods and groceries excessively dear, which renders



it prudent to draw them directly from Philadelphia,



New York or Boston, as they come to our doors



by water. Our religions are Presbyterian, Metho-



dist, Baptist and a few Anglicans, a preacher of



some of these sects officiating in Charlottesville



every Sabbath. Our society is neither scientific

















267        Supplementary Manuscripts







nor splendid, but independent, hospitable, correct



and neighborly. But the professors of the Uni-



versity of themselves compose a scientific society.



They will be removable only by a vote of two-



thirds of the Visitors; and when you are told that



the Visitors are Mr. Madison, President Monroe



and myself, all known to you by character; Senator



Cabell, General Locke, Mr. Watson, gentlemen of



distinguished worth and information, you will be



sensible that the tenure is in fact for life.







Now, Sir, for the object of all this detail. I



have stated that when men of the first order of



science in their own line can be found in our own



country we shall give chem a willing preference.



We are satisfied that we can get from no country



a professor of higher qualifications than yourself



for our mathematical department and we entertain



the hope and with great anxiety that you will



accept of it. The house for that professorship



will be ready at midsummer next or soon after,



when we should wish that school to be opened.







I know the prejudices of every State against the



climates of all those States south of itself, but I



know also that the candid traveller advancing



southwardly, to a certain degree at least, sees



that the real advantages of climate are in the



middle and temperate States, and especially when



above their tide-waters..







 I must add that all this is written on the hypo-



thesis that the legislature will confirm the report

















268        Jefferson's Works







of the commissioners. But that is undoubted,



and therefore I make this early application to



pray you to take this proposition into consideration



and as soon as you can settle your mind on it,



to favor me with a line on the subject, shortening



my anxiety for its reception only according to



your convenience. In the meantime accept the



assurance of my great esteem and respect.







       TO THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







           MONTICELLO, NOVember 23, 1818.







 The hand of age, my dear friend, has been pressing



heavily on me for the few last years and has rendered



me unequal to the punctualities of correspondence.



My health; too, is lately very much broken down



by an illness of three months from which I am



but .now on the recovery. If, therefore; I am



slack in acknowledging the receipt of your much



valued letters, goodness will ascribe it to its true



causes, declining age and health.







 I learn with great pleasure that your country will



have in the end a good degree of freedom by a



proper attemporament of limited monarchy with



representative ingredients; indeed that you have



already such a government, for as far as I under-



stand your present constitution, it has more of



popular independence and integrity in it than the



boasted one of England, and what it still wants,



time and the advance of light, will bring probably

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     269







as fast as the people can be prepared for it. This I



hope will be waited for without risking new convul-



sions.







 Here all is well. Our government is now so



firmly put on its republican tack that it will not



be easily monarchised by forms. You have made



a mighty noise in Europe about our taking posses-



sion of some posts in Florida. The President's



message delivered a few days ago will set you



right on that subject, and show 'that no wrong



was contemplated for a single moment. And what



shows an honorable and comfortable trait in our



nation was the universal uproar of our own people



in the first moment of the apparent aggression



and until they saw thai, their government had



no such thing in view. I was delighted with this



proof of moral principle in our citizens as to the



conduct of their foreign relations and considered it



as a pledge that they would never as a nation



approve of any measure swerving from justice







 Mr. Poirey has plausible ground for supposing



I have been inattentive to the claim for compen-



sation for his services during the Revolution, which



he committed to my care, but I am without blame



on this score. Just as I received his papers the



then Secretary of War retired from office. I



knew it would be worse than useless during the



vacancy to commit to a chef de bureau a business



which he would not have weight nor confidence



enough to act in with effect. The vacancy con-

















270        Jefferson's Works







tinued unfilled nearly a twelvemonth. As soon



as a Secretary was appointed I placed the case



and papers under his consideration. The enclosed



letter from him will show its present state and



prospects, and I now write to him to secure his



early attention to it during the present session;



being now entirely unequal to the labors of the



writing-table I must request Mr. Poirey to consider



my, intermediate silence as saying that nothing



is yet done, on the assurance that the moment



that anything definite takes place I will give him



notice of it. I am rendered very happy by being-



able at length to send M. Tracy a copy of the



translation of his book on political economy, the



publication of which is at length accomplished.



The delay has been scandalous and to me most



vexatious. But I am fully repaid by the good



the publication will render to our country. God



bless you and preserve you and yours in health and



happiness as long as you shall desire it yourselves.







         TO HENRY DEARBORN.







                MONTICELLO, July 5, 1819.







 DEAR SIR,-I received yesterday your favor of



June 24, and am very sensible of the interest you



so kindly take in my health. The eruptive com-



plaint which came upon me in August last was



unquestionably produced by the bath of the warm



springs which I tried on account of rheumatism.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    271







The cause of the eruption was mistaken and it



was treated with severe unctions of mercury and



sulphur. These reduced me to death's door and



on ceasing to use them I recovered immediately



and consider my health as now perfectly re-estab-



lished except some small effect on the bowels



produced by these remedies and nearly not entirely



worn off. I am still thankful for your receipt,



and should the eruption return I shall certainly



try its effect in preference to those before tried.







 With respect to Mr. Stuart, it was in May, 1800,



I got him to draw my picture and immediately



after the last sitting I paid him his price, one



hundred dollars. He was yet to put the last hand



on it, so it was left with him. When he came to



Washington in 1805 he told me he was not satisfied



with it, and therefore begged me to sit again, and



he drew another which he was to deliver me instead



of the first, but begged permission to keep it until



he could get an engraving from it. I soon after



got him to sketch me in the medallion form, which he



did on paper with crayons. Although a slight thing



I gave him another hundred dollars, probably the



treble of what he would have asked. This I have;



it is a very fine thing, although very perishable.







 I cannot say I am anxious about the Spanish



treaty; in giving up the province of Texas, we gave



up a sugar country sufficient for the supply of



the United States. I would rather keep that and



trust to the inevitable falling of Florida into our

















272        Jefferson's Works







mouths. It is true, however, that present peace



is secured by the exchange; and on the general



separation of the Spanish colonies which is to



take place, Cuba will join us and give us sugar.



The crush of our gambling adventurers who call



themselves merchants, but who never owning a



dollar were playing doubles or quit with money



of others, will be a good in the end by restoring



commerce to its true measure; that is to say, just



so much as will take off our surplus produce and



exchange it for what we want. It is better for



us to let other nations carry on their commerce



and meet the wars it always produces. What



is unfortunate in the present crisis is the danger



of its shattering the merchant of real capital, and



the country people, many of whom will be heavily



affected; some legislative provision to save them.



and let the crisis wear off by degrees may be salutary.







 I am not afraid of a war with England; the eyes



of that government are opened as to us, and the



inveteracy of their people is softening. It is our



interest to meet them in friendship if they will



treat us with justice and respect. If we can avoid



war with that nation we need never have it with



any other, for the separation of Spain from her



colonies removes all ground of war with her. Our



family joins in testimonies of attachment and



kind remembrances to Mrs. Dearborn and your-



self, and mine is what it ever was and will be, most



affectionate and sincere.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    273







           TO ELIJAH GRIFFITH.







               MONTICELLO, May 15, 1820.







 DEAR SIR,-I received in due time your favor



of April 7 and it renewed pleasing recollections



of our former acquaintance, and of my sense of



your worth which the lapse of twenty years has



not obliterated. For some time after my retire-



ment from public affairs I yielded to the requests



of others to solicit for them appointments under



the general government; these, however, became



so numerous and burdensome as to keep me con-



tinually in the humble and painful attitude of a



supplicant at the feet of the government. Against



this humiliation I was obliged to revolt and to



come to a resolution to decline further interpositions,



from the observance of which I have found ease,



comfort and independence. But from a wish to



be useful to you I reserved your letter and kept



on the watch to see if the bankrupt law should



pass, with a view to serve you through an indirect



channel; but the bill having failed, the occasion



has not occurred of rendering you the service



requested.







 The distresses you describe in your section of



the Union have been bitterly felt here. They



are not greater than I had always expected and



freely expressed in the creation of the first bank



by the new government. Mr. Madison and myself



left nothing untried to obtain General Washington's







  vol. xix--18

















274        Jefferson's Works







negative to the law, but after a long struggle in



his mind Hamilton prevailed in the last hour and



let in this torrent of swindling institutions which



have spread ruin and wretchedness over the face



of our country. And what is the most disheartening



it has still left such a hankering after these allusive



establishments that no hope remains of their pro-



scription in future. Their fatal effect has been



greatly aggravated in this State by an unexampled



drought which, having prevailed from June last to



this time, destroyed the bread of that year and



threatens that of the present. I greet with good-



will my declining health which promises to relieve



me from witnessing the resuscitation of this evil



and still more threatening political calamities, and



I salute you with constant esteem and respect.







            TO JAMES MONROE.







             MONTICELLO, August 13, 1821.







 DEAR SIR,-You have seen announced 111 several



of our papers an intention of the Polonese nation



to erect a monument near Cracowto the memory



of General Kosciusko, and their wish that England



and the United States, by joining in contributions,



might give a proof of the interest they take in



his character; that for this purpose they had



addressed a letter to Lord Holland in England



and to myself in the United States.







 I received in fact such a letter some weeks ago

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     275







from the President of the Senate of Cracow, with



an indication that it should be communicated to



you also. Much at a loss to devise in what way



I could get about the execution of this proposition



I have held the subject for some time under con-



sideration. Retired as I am among the mountains



of our interior country I see nobody but the farmers



of my neighborhood, who would consider contri-



butions to public monuments in other countries



as very foreign to the conditions of their lives.



I have been so long withdrawn, too, from inter-



course with the world that I no longer know who



of Kosciusko's fellow-soldiers are now living, as



from them we might expect the most zealous



co-operation in rendering this last testimony of



respect to him; and above all other considerations



the heavy hand of age paralyzing the faculties



both of body and mind have rendered me quite



unequal to the correspondence it might require,



and unfit to become the centre of such an operation.



Independent of the express intimation to communi-



cate the paper to you, I should of myself have



turned my views first to you as the friend of his



fame, and aid of my age; and because should



any communications with Lord Holland be expe-



dient, your acquaintance with him would open



the door to them.







 Notwithstanding, therefore, the burdens of business



which your office imposes on you, I have hoped



that in your position you could put the thing into

















276        Jefferson's Works







an organized course with little trouble. You know



who remain of his former companions in arms



and where to be found. You could probably think



of some person in each State and great city who



would undertake with zeal the necessary solicitations



and you could command attentions which would not



be yielded to me. The trouble of drawing a circular



which the scribes by whom you are surrounded



would multiply, would, I hope, be the principal



labor imposed on you, for I presume the contri-



butions should be deposited in convenient banks



from whence they could be easily brought together



for remittance, or (which is very possible under



present distresses) should their amount fall short



of what might be deemed worthy of acceptance,



they could be readily restored to the contributors,



and an apology to the Senate of Cracow be given



on reasonable ground. I suggest this course by



way of example only, for you may probably devise



some, other more practicable and promising.







 I enclose you the papers sent to me, and knowing



the labors of reading to which you are subjected



I would point out to you the letter of the President



and the Proclamation of the Senate No. 1, as the



material papers for explaining to you their wishes



and expectations.







I hope you will excuse this trespass. of age leaning



on younger shoulders to relieve itself from a burden



to which it is unequal. From such a one I never



shrunk while I had force to encounter it. In all

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     277







events be assured of my constant and affectionate



friendship and respect.







            TO LEVETT HARRIS.







           MONTICELLO, December 12, 1821.







 DEAR SIR,-I have to return you thanks for



Mr. Adelung's view of the languages of the earth



and to pray you to make them acceptable to him



also for this mark of his attention. It is a work



of vast learning and unparalleled application. It



seems to present a summary of the great vocabulary



of which I had a copy through your agency and



kindness.                             '







 I am sorry we lost the pleasure of your visit



at the time you had first proposed. But we find



comfort in the French adage " tout ce qui est differe



n'est pas perdu." No visit will be welcomer when



convenient to yourself to make it.







 I am afraid our quondam favorite Alexander



has swerved from the true faith. His becoming



an accomplice of the soi-disant Holy Alliance, the



anti-national principles he has separately avowed,



and his becoming the very leader of a combination



to chain mankind down eternally to oppressions



of the most barbarous ages, are clouds on his char-



acter not easily to be cleared away. But these



are problems for younger heads than mine: You



will see their solution and tell me of it in another



world, I salute you with great friendship and respect.

















278        Jefferson's Works







        TO JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.







               MONTICELLO, July 18, 1824.







DEAR SIR,--I have safely received the two copies



of the facsimile of the Declaration of Independence



which you have been so kind as send me under



a resolution of Congress. With a deep sense of



respect for this mark of attention to myself I con-



template with pleasure the evidence afforded of



reverence for that instrument, and view in it a



pledge of adhesion to its principles and of a sacred



determination to maintain and perpetuate them.



As toward this holy purpose no one has it 'more



in his power to contribute with effect than your-



self, so I am equally happy in the confidence that



none will do it with more zeal and fidelity, 'and I



pray you to accept the assurance of my great



esteem and respectful consideration.







           TO JAMES MADISON.







          MONTICELLO, September 24, 1824.







DEAR SIR,-I have got through my catalogue



except the alphabet and send you a result. The



inclosed table shows the number, size and cost



of the whole and its parts. 6860 volumes will



cost twenty-four thousand and seventy-six dollars



or three and one-half dollars a volume on an average



of all sizes. If we get our fifty thousand dollars



and also if ten thousand would do for apparatus,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     279







there would remain sixteen thousand to invest



in stock. This would give us a thousand dollars



a year forever, which beginning with such a nucleus



as this would make and keep our library what it



should be. Charlottesville is preparing for Lafayette.



As he will see you at your own house we shall hope



you will come here with him. But in the meantime



you will be with us as a visitor a day or so before



the 4th. Affectionately yours.







    TO MESSRS. ADAMS, FITZUHUYLSON AND







            BROCKENBROUGH.







            MONTICELLO, October 18, 1824.







 I have duly received the favor of your invitation



of the 12th instant to join you on the interesting



occasion of the reception of Major-General Lafayette



in testifying the veneration of the citizens of Rich-



mond for his character, their sense of his services



and their affection for his person. No one would



harmonize in all these sentiments more cordially



than myself, no one perhaps having had so pro-



tracted and multiplied proofs not only in the war,



but the peace which followed it, of his zealous



attachment to the service of our country. But at



the age and under the infirmities of eighty-one,



I am no longer equal to such a journey nor able



to avail myself of occasions so distant of joining in



the just expressions of the gratitude of my fellow-



citizens to this early friend and benefactor. I

















280        Jefferson's Works







matter myself with being indemnified by the oppor-



tunity he will give to myself and my neighbors



of manifesting here our sense of the services he



rendered our portion of the country particularly,



and our participation in the general joy which his



visit has inspired in every breast.







 Declining this kind invitation, therefore, as I



must from necessity, I beg leave to say that my



respect for yourselves and the citizens of Richmond



would have been a great additional inducement



for my acceptance of it. A serious indisposition



of some continuance obliges me to borrow the pen



of another to convey to yourselves and the citizens



of Richmond' these my thanks and regrets, and



the assurance of my high consideration.







      TO THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







            MONTICELLO, January 16, 1825,







 MY DEAR FRIEND,-I have never been more



gratified by the reading of a book than by that



of Flourens which you were so kind as to send me.



Cabanis had gone far toward proving from the



anatomical structure of and action of the human



machine that certain parts of it were probably



the organs of thought and consequently that matter



might exercise that faculty. Flourens proves that



it does exercise it and that deprived of the cerebrum



particularly the animal loses all sense, all intellect



and memory, yet lives in health and for indefinite

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    281







terms. It will be curious to see what the imma-



terialists will oppose to this.







 I congratulate you on the testimony of gratitude



you have lately received from Congress, and that



it was with scarcely a shadow of opposition. The



relief from your debts will give you nights of sound



sleep and the surplus I hope days of ease and com-



fort through the rest of your life. You will have



where you are better advice than I can give you



on the question whether it will not be advisable



to keep the stock in your own hands and in its



original form. There can be no safer deposit on



earth than the Treasury of the United States.







You know how much I have at heart the success



of our university. Its opening now awaits only



the arrival of three professors engaged in England



who were to have sailed in October or November



last, but of whose actual sailing we have not yet



heard. Still we hourly expect them and in the



moment of their arrival shall announce the opening



of the University. I count on its changing the



condition and character of our State in the course



of a very few years. That health, happiness and the



love of all may ever attend you is the constant



prayer of your faithful and affectionate friend.

















282        Jefferson's Works







          TO WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD.







            MoNTIcELLo, February 15, 1825.







  DEAR SIR,-Your two letters of January 31



and February 4 were received in due time. With



the former came safely the seed from Mr. Appleton



which I commit to the Agricultural Society of



our county, of which Mr. Madison is president.



Of the talents and qualifications of Dr. Jackson



as a professor in the branches of science specified



in your last letter your recommendation would



have had great weight in our estimation, but our



professors are all designated so that we have no



vacancy in Which we can avail ourselves of his



services.







 I had kept back my acknowledgment of these



in the hope I might have added in it congratu-



lations which Would have been cordially offered.



I learnt yesterday, however, that events had not



been what we had wished. The disappointment



will be deeply felt by our State generally, and by



no one in it more seriously than by myself. I



confess that what we have seen in the course of



this election has very much damped the confidence



I had hitherto reposed in the discretion of my



fellow citizens. The ignorance of character, the



personal partialities and the inattention to those



questions which ought to have guided their choice,



augur ill of the wisdom of our future course.



Looking, too, to Congress my hopes are not strength-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     283







ened. A decided majority seem to measure their



powers only by what they may think or pretend



to think for the general Welfare of the States.



All limitations, therefore, are prostrated and con-



solidation the general welfare in name but not



in effect is now the principle of every department



of the government. I have not long to witness



this, but it adds another to the motives by which



the decays of nature so finely prepare us for



welcoming the hour of exit from this state of



being.







 Be assured that in your retirement you will



carry with you my entire confidence and sincere



prayers for your health, happiness and prosperity.







          TO EDWARD EVERETT.







               MONTICELLO, July 21, 1825







DEAR SIR,-I thank you for the copies of your



two public addresses inclosed in your favor of



the 6th instant; that of Concord, as a morsel of



(exect) history and of a most interesting event,



was peculiarly acceptable. I am sorry it is not



in my power to give you any information on the



subject of the Louisiana treaty. My memory is



gone and I have no papers on the subject. But



surely the " Conjectural note " you mention as



annexed to the Convention must still remain



annexed and preserved in the Secretary of State's

















284        Jefferson's Works







office. Colonel Monroe, too, must be able to give



some account of it, and other resources of infor-



mation will open on you..when you come on to



Congress. The report of the commissioners, Mercer,



McClure and (I believe) Warden, will unquestionably



be in that or the treasury office.







 I knew the range of your mind too well ever



to have supposed for a moment you could view



but with contempt the miserable sneers on our



seeking abroad some of the professors for our



University. Had I thought them worth notice



I should have asked of those wits and censors these



questions only. The seminaries of the United € States



being all of them first served for the choice of



the talents of our own country, were we to take the



refuse and place ourselves thus at the fag end of



the whole line ? Would it have been either patriotism



or fidelity in us to have sunk the youth of our



State to a half-lettered grade of education by com-



mitting them to inferior instruction and rejecting



that of the first order merely because offered from



without the limits of our own Union, and the mass



of science among us still further reduced by the



refusal of many eminent characters to accept



academical instructions, and is this the way to



advance the American character? We thought



otherwise and as yet believe we have reason to be



satisfied with the course we have pursued. I hope



the only rivalship 'with our elder sisters will be



in honorable efforts to do the most good possible.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    285







I am happy in the expectation which your letter



authorizes that you will think our institution



worthy of a visit and I shall even hope from your



experience and kindness to receive suggestions for



its further improvement than which none would



be more respected by me. I beg you to be assured



also that no visit will be received with more wel-



come than yours.







 I am truly gratified by the flattering anticipations



you express of the society of my granddaughter



now arriving at Boston, and hope you will not



be disappointed in this. She is so deeply seated



in my affections that a kindness to her counts



tenfold with me. I think her most fortunate, too,



in the person to whom we have committed her



happiness. I have not been acquainted with a



finer character than Mr. Coolidge, more amiable,



more respectable or more worthy ; and (destined ?)



to relinquish her native home we are thankful



it was in exchange for the favorite seat of hospi-



tality and science.







      TO THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







              MONTICELLO, August 8, 1825.







MY DEAR FRIEND,-Mr. Rebello of Brazil, who



has rendered us an agreeable visit, tells me you



will be in Washington on the 10th, and that we



may hope to have the pleasure of seeing you here



very soon after that; this we shall ever do with

















286        Jefferson's Works







heartfelt welcome. I am not well, but it is a local



complaint which confines me to the house indeed,



but in tolerable health otherwise and I shall be



much the better for your presence which will be



my best medicine, only unable,to make excursions



with you. Not knowing where the enclosed letter



would find Miss Wright; I take the liberty of giving



it the benefit of your cover and of requesting you



to superscribe its address and to dispose of it so



that she may get it as early as practicable. In the



hope of seeing you within a few days and your



companions for whom I here place my respects, I



repeat the assurances of my affectionate and con-



stant friendship and attachment.







           TO JAMES MADISON.







            MONTICELLO, October 18, 1825.







 Everything is going on smoothly at the Uni-



versity. The students are attending to their schools



with more assiduity and looking to their professors



with more respect. The authority of the latter



is visibly strengthened as is the confidence of



those who visit the place, and the effect on the



whole has been salutary. The professors are all



lecturing; the two Cantabs, somewhat in the pouts,



however, are reserved. I sent a copy of the new



enactments the other day with a request they might



be read to the schools for promulgation. .. The



other professors did it, these did not nor said why.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    287







 My rides to the University have brought on me



great sufferings, reducing my intervals of ease



from forty-five to twenty minutes. This is a good



index of the changes which take place.







 I was taken in by Mr. Browere. He said his



operation would be of about twenty minutes, and



less unpleasant than Houdon 's method. I submitted



without enquiry. But it was a bold experiment on



his part on the health of an octogenary worn down



by sickness as well as age. Successive coats of



grout plastered on the naked head and kept there



an hour would have been a severe trial of a young



and hale man. He suffered the plaster also to



get so dry that separation became difficult and



even dangerous. He was obliged to use freely



the mallet and chisel to break it into pieces and



get off a piece at a time. These strokes of the



mallet would have been sensible almost to a logger-



head. The family became alarmed and he confused



till I was quite exhausted, and there became real



danger that the ears would tear from the head



sooner than from the plaster. I now bid adieu



for ever to busts and even portraits. I do not



know whether you are acquainted with Colonel



Peyton of Richmond, as honest and worthy a man



as lives, and the most punctual in business. He



understands that Lay, your correspondent there,



is become bankrupt, and would gladly serve you



there. He has been mine ten or a dozen years



and I never had one who would lend himself even

















288        Jefferson's Works







in the smallest things so kindly and zealously.



He has all the business of this neighborhood and



the Staunton county. I know that these con-



nections are dictated often by very special and



personal considerations and my mention of him is



only ut valeat quantum valere debat. Ever and



affectionately yours.

















        MANUSCRIPTS







        FROM







        THE VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY







        COLLECTION.







        vol. xix-19

















        INTRODUCTORY NOTES.







 A curious old tome bearing the title "Thomas Jefferson's Letter



Book" recently came to light in the Virginia State Library at Rich-



mond. Upon examination it was found to contain copies of letters



and orders sent by Jefferson during the last six months of his Governor-



ship of the State of Virginia. In all probability these letters and orders



were transcribed in this book by one of Jefferson's secretaries or some



other official. Careful consideration of the contents led to the selec-



tions presented in the following pages which, though not attempting



to give the collection in its entirety, owing to repetitions of the same



statement to different persons, may be said, however, to present the



gist of the collection as a whole.







 So far as is known this is the first time the letters have been



printed and given to the public. It is well known that Jefferson was



in the habit of retaining a copy of everything that emanated from



his pen. These copies were usually in his own handwriting. It was



presumably owing to the stress of the occasion during which these



letters were issued that he entrusted the€copying to a clerk. Hence



the copies of these letters and orders in the old yellowed volume in



which they have been preserved.







 These documents are of unusual interest as written evidences of



Jefferson's efforts to cope with one of the greatest crises of his life,



when, at the expiration of his second term as Governor of Virginia,



his native State was a centre of warring elements. Strife concentrated



about him. He had to supply the Virginia regiment in Washington's



Army with men, and at the same time send all possible support to



General Gates in his Southern Campaign. The Indians in the western



part of the State were a source of constant anxiety and trouble, and



the British and Hessian prisoners had to be guarded and supplied



with provisions. Then came Benedict Arnold, early in January, 1781,



with his vessels of war and sixteen hundred men to besiege and plunder



the city of Richmond, and to cap the climax of Jefferson's trials. How



Jefferson conducted himself is a matter of history which the documents



contained in "The Richmond Collection" further corroborate. testi-

















292        Jefferson's Works







fying to his constant endeavors to meet and thwart the difficulties



threatening to overcome him.







  The majority of the letters are addressed to Baron Steuben,



General Gates, General Nelson, General Greene, General Muhlenberg



and Marquis de Lafayette. All of them show the activity of Jefferson



in keeping up communication with these commanders throughout the



country wherever they might be engaged in fighting against the



British invaders.







  Acknowledgment is due to John P. Kennedy, Librarian of the



Virginia State Library, Richmond, Va., to whose kindness and courtesy



the editors of the present edition of Jefferson's Writings are indebted



for the reproduction of the manuscripts in question.





















        MANUSCRIPTS FROM THE VIRGINIA    293



        STATE LIBRARY COLLECTION.







        TO THE QUARTER-MASTERS OF FREDERICK, HAMPSHIRE



        AND BERKELEY.







             RICHMOND, December 24, 1780.







  SIR,-A detachment of the militia of the county



of Frederick being ordered to Fort Pitt on their



way down the Ohio, you are desired to act as com-



missary and quarter-master for them till their



arrival at Fort Pitt. The time of their rendez-



vousing within the county will be made known



to you by the commanding officer. You will,



therefore, provide in time subsistence for them



during their march, and transportation for the



little baggage they will carry. You will also receive



and transport with them to the same place 400



camp kettles, 1000 pounds powder, some medicine



tents and other things. This transportation is



to be effected by wagons or horses for hire, and



not to be purchased. I send you for the purpose



of enabling you to perform these duties to ----



for the expenditure of which you will finally settle



with the board of auditors for the counties of





















294        Jefferson's Works







Berkeley and Hampshire the same, except omitting



this sentence " you will also receive tents



and other things. "











    Frederick.............. L40,000



    Hampshire...........     25,000



    Berkeley.................30,000







     TO MAJOR-GENERAL BARON STEUBEN.







              RICHMOND, January 12, 1781.







 SIR,-I was honored with yours of yesterday by



Colonel Loyante. General Weedon, to whom the



care of the works at Fredericksburg had been



committed, being now at Hanover Court-House, I



have referred Colonel Loyante to him, and given



them authority to make use of the brass cannon,



howitz or mortars at New Castle, if they use them,



for they are unmounted. I heard in the same



instant that 744 riflemen under Colonel Matthews



were as far as Albemarle on their way down. Being



then within sixty miles of Fredericksburg I have



ordered them to proceed to that place.







     TO MAJOR-GENERAL BARON STEUBEN.







             RICHMOND, January 14, 1781.







SIR,-Your letters of the 12th and 13th are now



before me. They are in some measure answered



by some marginal notes on the several articles



in a paper delivered me by Major Walker. If

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     295







there be any State arms fit for use and still unde-



livered they are so few that we may consider them



as nothing. I should, therefore, think it proper



to discharge so many militia as cannot be furnished



with arms. My letter of yesterday will point out



what particular militia should be discharged.



Should it happen that there are already more



militia with you from the counties enumerated



in my yesterday's letter than you have arms for



would it not be proper to send the surplus of such



militia over to General Nelson to take the place



and arms of so many of his who were not meant



to be detained?







 The public have not a pound of powder or other



article of military stores at South Quay, except



some twenty-four and eighteen pound iron cannon:



they are unusually heavy for this bore, and a



quarter-master has been specially sent and em-



ployed there during the last summer in bringing



them over to Suffolk or Smithfield. They have



so far baffled his attempts, as that he has got over



but one of them; another broke down a bridge



on its passage, which suspend his further endeavors.







 P. S. If it be possible for you to spare Colonel



Senf to plan our works at Westham we shall be



glad of his assistance.

















296        Jefferson's Works







      TO COLONEL TIMOTHY PICKERING.







              RICHMOND, January 15, 1781







SIR,-I wrote you in a former letter that on



the recommendation of General Greene, we had



proposed to Major Forsyth the accepting the



appointment of deputy quarter-master here, which



you had been pleased to refer to us. ' This appoint-



ment was kept open, I think, a month, during



which time (and indeed at any time since) we



never received any answer from Major Forsyth,



or intimation through any other channel that he



would undertake it. On the contrary it appeared



by letter from him that he had accepted the office



of deputy commissary of purchases for the



Southern Department. In the meantime Colonel



Canington, appointed by General Greene deputy



quarter-master to the Southern army, arrived



here, claimed the right of nomination, and nominated



a Major Claiborne. Though we doubted the pro-



priety of his claim, yet it was a want of acquaintance



with Major Claiborne and a real inability (after



the refusal of Mr. Divers and Major Forsyth) to



find another whom we could recommend in all



points, which induced us to refer the nomination



altogether to Baron Steuben, who was here. He



approved of Major Claiborne as having formerly



known him while of General Greene's family and



assured us the appointment would be particularly



agreeable to General Greene, and that he would

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     297







undertake to satisfy you also of its propriety. I



thought it my duty to inform you of this matter,



and have no doubt from anything which I have



yet seen but that Major Claiborne will do justice



to the Baron's expectations.







          TO GENERAL NELSON.







             RICHMOND, January 16, 1781.







SIR,-The bearer hereof, Captain Joel, proposes



to engage with others to undertake with himself



an enterprise on the enemy's fleet wherever it shall



be collected in harbor. As he requires only an



old vessel of the most worthless kind, and proper



preparations for her, I think the object will justify



the risk. So many orders and measures may be



necessary in the detail of executing this business



that I cannot do better than to give a general sanc-



tion to it, and ask the favor of yourself to have



everything provided which he may think necessary



to ensure success. Rewards are expected on des-



perate undertakings of this kind, and though not



necessary to stimulate him, may be necessary for



his associates. I will, therefore, leave it to your-



self to fix them previously, or to agree with the



gentlemen that they shall be referred to the Execu-



tive after the service shall have been performed.

















298        Jefferson's Works







         TO COLONEL CARRINGTON.







             RICHMOND, January 16, 1781.







Sir,-I have desired Colonel Muter to have



delivered to Major Claiborne such of the articles



applied for in your letter of the 10th instant as we



have. We have no tents of any kind. Axes,



spades, shovels and padlocks can probably be



furnished. We have sent to Fredericksburg for



camp-kettles, which shall be forwarded as soon



as they come.







 I think a few days will probably determine



the enemy's ultimate designs as to us: in the



meantime I do not wish to give any decisive orders



as to the place of slaughtering the provisions. The



expenditure of pork indeed at this season must



be forbidden. It shall be my endeavor to suffer



this invasion to divert as little as possible of our



supplies for the Southern army. .







          TO BARON STEUBEN.







             RICHMOND, January 19, 1781.







SIR,-A warrant was yesterday made out for



Mr. Harrison for two hundred thousand dollars,



and I shall take the first opportunity of informing



him that the money is in readiness. This is in



consequence of your requisition communicated by



Major Walker.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    299







 Dr. Evans, the bearer of your letter, will receive



from the gentleman who has the care of our medicine



whatever articles can be furnished from that stock.



It is a very imperfect collection. I, immediately,



on receiving the communication from you by



Major Walker that you would wish such a person



as you therein described to be with you, laid



it before the Council. We concluded to propose



to Mr. Walker (late one of our delegates) to accept



this office; having once been a member of the



Council, he is not unacquainted with our arrange-



ments. I sent to him by express, and shall hope



for an answer very shortly. I sincerely wish he



may consent to undertake it, as I am satisfied



he can save you much trouble. Should he decline



it I apprehend it is not easy to find another who



will be of real use to you.







 None of the militia with General Weedon (except



from the counties of Rockbridge, Augusta, Rock-



ingham and Shenandoah) were of the counties



intended to be kept in the field. I thought it



necessary to mention this circumstance to you,



as you might perhaps think proper to discharge



them before they join General Nelson. I have



the honor to be, with great respect and esteem,



Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant.

















300        Jefferson's Works







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







            RICHMOND, January 19, 1781,







 SIR,-Shirts had been ordered for Colonel



Armand's Corps on your former requisition; these,



I believe, are ready. They are ordered to be



delivered to Major Loman's order. We have not



a single article of the others enumerated in his



list of necessaries wanted. We could, therefore,



only undertake for him to furnish money to the



Continental quarter-master or any other proper



person to procure them; if this mode should be



approved, this or any other assistance we can give



shall be afforded. The practice introduced by



the enemy of laying the country through which



they pass under a parole is so mischievous that



I have thought it necessary to issue the proclamation



of which I enclose you a copy. I have the honor



to be, with the greatest esteem, Sir, your most



obedient and most humble servant.







          TO BARON STEUBEN.







             RICHMOND, January, 29 1781.







SIR,-I send you below a list of the counties



which were called on to make a part of the four



thousand men for this invasion, though they were



called into the field on the last invasion also. As



your reduction of the four thousand to two thousand



seven hundred will enable you to discharge some

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    301







of those counties, I think it would be best that



these below mentioned should be first discharged.



I have the honor to be, with great esteem, Sir, your



most obedient and most humble servant.







 Amherst.          Amelia







 Albemarle.         Brunswick.







 Fluvanna.          Dinwiddie.







 Goochland.         Chesterfield.







 Powhatan.          Henrico.







 Note.-Rockbridge, Augusta and Rockingham



were also called down on the former invasion, but



I apprehend it will not be proper to discharge them.







  TO GOVERNOR NASH OF NORTH CAROLINA.







              RICHMOND, February 2, 1781.







SIR,-As it is possible the enemy may mean



to continue in their present position at Portsmouth,



and thereby shut up all commerce through the



bay of Chesapeake, it becomes necessary to make



provision in time through some other channel,



of salt, clothing and coverings for our Southern



army. South Quay presents itself as the most



practicable port. We have found it necessary



here to permit the exportation of corn on public



account to procure salt for public use. Vessels



will, therefore, be freighted with this article from



South Quay, which, as they must of necessity pass



through your State, I hope will be permitted to



pass freely ; indeed could your Excellency give

















302        Jefferson's Works







permission to Mr. Ross, our commercial agent,



to procure part of his loading of corn in your State,



it would save much transportation to us. The



returns in salt will be in like manner to South



Quay, or directly up the Roanoke to the magazines



desired to be established by General Greene.







 We hope within a short time to complete the



equipments of the residue of our regulars (between



four and five hundred) and to send them on to



General Greene, being determined to permit the



body of plunderers in our State to divert as little



as possible of our effectual aids from the southern



quarter. We shall oppose them with militia, and



send our regulars to join the Southern army.







 I have the honor to be, with very great esteem,



your Exeellency's most obedient and most humble



servant.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







             RICHMOND, February 7, 1781.







 SIR,-The inclosed letter contains the first noti-



fication the Executive have received of the existence



of any such cases as that of Lieutenant Warman



therein stated. Exclusive of the justice of his



claim, the express reservation by the board of



officers of the rights of all those in his situations,



seems to place him on the footing on which he



would have been had his commission been actually



made out instead of that of whatever officer was

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    303







substituted in his place. As you are proceeding



to a new arrangement of our line, I have taken



the liberty of referring Lieutenant Warman with



the inclosed letter to you to claim his rank. Should



these be contrary to the expectations of the Execu-



tive, such reasons against his claim and in favor



of his competition, as in your judgment should



decide this point against Lieutenant Warman,



shall be obliged to you for a communication of



them; and in the meantime to keep the question



open.







 I have the honor to be with very great esteem



and respect, your most obedient humble servant.







            TO BARON STEUBEN.







             IN Council, February 7, 1781,







  SIR,-The bearer hereof, Colonel Gaines, a militia



officer in the county of Amherst, being desirous



to become qualified in fact for the command he



holds in his county, has applied to us to be per-



mitted to serve on such a footing as will place



it in his power to acquire a knowledge of his duty,



asking nothing but rations and forage. While



others, offended at the preference given to officers



formerly of the line, have resigned commissions,



the duty of which they were not qualified to dis-



charge, this gentleman more laudably determines



to learn those duties. This spirit we wish to



encourage because produced by a due tempera-

















304        Jefferson's Works







ment of modesty and patriotism. Now, therefore,



as the undertaking is, I must beg the favor of



you to find some means of disposing not only of



him, but of any others who may apply for the



same purpose, so as to put it in their power to



acquire the knowledge necessary to enable them



to act in their proper command hereafter. The



rations and forage allowed them shall be at the



expense of the State. I am, with much respect,



Sir, yours, etc.







  TO THE VIRGINIA DELEGATES IN CONGRESS.







             RICHMOND, February 7, 1781.







GENTLEMEN,-The Courier d'Europe, a vessel



from Penet and Company, having on board military



stores for this State, was chased into Boston by



the enemy in the summer of 1779.  They were



principally artillery stores, too bulky and heavy



for us to think of bringing them on by land. By



the loss of our papers we are unable to furnish



an invoice of them, but they are in the hands of



a Mr. I. Bradford, in Boston, who, I suppose, can



furnish you with one. If you can get them on



board any part of the French fleet, which may



at any time be coming here, it would be eligible;



otherwise I beg the favor of you. to have them



disposed of to the best advantage for the public.







I am, with very great respect and esteem, gentle-



men, your most obedient and most humble servant.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    305







           TO GENERAL NELSON.







            IN COUNCIL, February 10, 1781.







DEAR GENERAL,-Information having been given



the Board that sundry horses of British property,



having been left by the enemy, were taken by our



militia or unarmed citizens, and a question made



whether they belong to the Commonwealth or the



captor, we are of opinion that they should be



yielded to the captor. It is thought, however,



when any public doubt can arise who was captor,



that the horses should be put in the hands of the



State quarter-master, and the party or parties



claiming make their right appear to the Commis-



sioner of the War Office. As this question, as far



as we are informed, concerns only persons under



your command, I take the liberty of communicating



it to you.







 Your disposition of the hides of slaughtered



beeves is approved of. I am sorry any loss has



been incurred in that article before. We made



it the subject of inquiry on the former invasion,



and from the reports made to us, had reason to



believe all had been taken care of. The oil is



almost of as much importance as the hide.







 The wagons which were sent to Fredericksburg for



camp-kettles found none ready made. Mr. Hunter



is making more, and other wagons will go off for



them within three on four days. As fast as they



are brought we shall endeavor to send them to







 VOL. XIX-20







                                                 I

















306        Jefferson's Works







the militia. It would be well for us to be informed



what number you have.



I am, with great respect, etc., etc.







            TO BARON STEUBEN.







             IN COUNCIL, February 12, 1781.







 SIR,-I have been honored with your letter



of yesterday's date. Your representation of the



importance of erecting a small work at Hood's



was considered by the Executive as an evidence



of your friendly attentions to the defence of the



State, and was by them, as you desired, laid before



the assembly. The assembly,pressed in time, did



not, as far as I am informed take it under con-



sideration. The invasion which took place just



before their rising prevented anything further



being done till the departure of the enemy from



this place, and the return of the Executive to it.



The proposition of undertaking the work which



you then again renewed was approved by them,



and they determined to procure if possible the



several articles necessary for carrying it into imme-



diate execution according to a plan and estimate



prepared by Colonel Senf. I think, however, you



misapprehended us when you understood it was



agreed that the forty negroes and ten artificers



required should be furnished by the five nearest



counties, and be at the spot the 7th instant; it



does not occur to myself, or any gentleman of the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    307







Council, that the 7th, or any other day was fixed



on for their assembling. and that we could not



have agreed that the forty negroes and ten artificers



should be furnished by the five nearest counties



may be deduced from the conversation which you



will recollect to have passed between us the evening



before you last went to Cabin Point. You informed



me you meant to call for twenty militia from each



of the five circumjacent counties to come.to Hood's



with their hoes and axes tb erect the work, but



to notify them at the same time that you would



receive ten negroes in their room. And you asked



me whether you must apply to government for



authority to do this. I answered, that such an



application would produce no effect, as it had



been the subject of conversation at the Council



Board that day, and the Board was of opinion



we had no right to call out the militia to do fatigue



duty. You then replied, you could do it of your



own authority and throw yourself on the assembly



for a justification.







 I repeat this conversation thus particularly to



satisfy you that we could not have agreed that



the five nearest counties should produce these



laborers,' and of course that we stand discharged



of having failed to fulfil such an agreement.







 The Executive have not by the laws of this



State, any power to call a freeman to labor even



for the public without his consent, nor a slave



without that of his master: sensible of this, when

















308        Jefferson's Works







we first proposed to undertake this work, as you



meant that Colonel Senf should superintend it,€..



I desired him to search among our artillery officers



whom he would choose to conduct it under his



direction, and that this officer should immediately



proceed to hire the slaves in the neighborhood



of Hood's, where I thought it most likely the people



would be willing to hire as the work respected



their safety more immediately. He did so, and



sent a Captain Allen on this business. In a sub-



sequent journey to Petersburg Colonel Senf informed



me that he had himself engaged eight or ten. Four



carpenters were assigned to Colonel Senf at this



place. The several articles of tools (except hoes)



and fascine knives and barrows were procured



for him here, a boat to carry them down, and I



took it for granted that they went. The two



blacksmiths are ready at this place when wanted.



What success Captain Allen has had is not reported



to me. The Executive are far from thinking



this work unnecessary; nor yet that it will be out



of their power to furnish the necessaries for erect-



ing it. Yet they may possibly be disappointed



in their expectations of engaging voluntary laborers,



the only means in their power. Sensible that a



necessary work is not to be abandoned because their



means are not so energetic as they could wish them,



and on the contrary that it is their duty to take those



means as they find them and to make the most of



them for the public good, they propose to pursue

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    309







this work, and if they cannot accomplish it in a



shorter, they will in a longer time.







 From a review of these circumstances, I hope



you will be persuaded that any delays which may



have occurred have been produced by circumstances



which it was not in our power to control, and not



from either a want of attention or inclination



to the work. I have the honor to be, with great



respect, yours, etc., etc.







          TO SPEAKER HARRISON







          (HOUSE OF BURGESSES).







             RICHMOND, February 12, 1781.







SIR,-Colonel John Gibson is appointed to go



as next in command under General Clarke on the



business communicated to you. As Colonel Gibson



is now here he will return to Fort Pitt by the way



of Baltimore to see the powder sent on, and prevent



any danger of its stopping by the way. Be so



good as to lodge at Goddard's, the printer, in Balti-



more, a line to Colonel Gibson informing him in



what State the procuring of the powder is; he will



call there for it.







That your information may be perfect as we



can render it, I am to inform you that the three



months' militia under General Stevens in North



Carolina, their number not known, are discharged,



having served their term out. For southern news



I beg leave to refer you to the President of Con-

















310        Jefferson's Works







gress, who has a letter from Baron Steuben giving



information of the events in the neighborhood



of General Greene, and one from myself as to the



movements of the enemy at Cape Fear. Arnold



remains quiet. Colonel `Dunlap came out the first



instant with five hundred men towards Suffolk.



General Lawson went down toward him with an



equal number, whereon Dunlap returned in the



night. They are drawing their shipping into



shallow water, and have a large vessel from New



York cut down so as to mount twenty twenty-four



pounders on one deck. I am, etc., etc.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







            RICHMOND, February 13, 1781.







SIR,-The inclosed resolutions of Congress of



January 8th and April 9th, 1779, under which



Captain Weths' independent company at Fort Pitt



were raised, will inform you of a condition to which



they seem entitled of not being removed from



that station without their consent; the subsequent



one of October 3d, 1780, incorporates them in



positive terms into the troops of the State. The



former resolutions were probably not recollected



at the time. The footing on which, therefore,



they seem to stand rightfully, is to remain at Fort



Pitt if they choose it; but as it was the desire



of Congress that they should be annexed to some



of our regiments, and Colonel J. Gibson thinks

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    311







they would rather join his than remain at Fort



Pitt after losing their own officers, I beg leave to



refer to you whether it might not be proper that



you should order so many of them to be annexed



to that regiment as should be willing to join it.







 This, while it pays due respect to a solemn engage-



ment with those.people, will probably effect the



wish of Congress in reducing that, as well as other



detached corps, to some regular from.







 I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir,



your most obedient and most humble servant.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







             RICHMOND, February 15, 1781.







 SIR,-I received last night a letter from General



Greene referring me for particulars to you. How-



ever, he gives me enough to convince me that



reinforcements of militia must be sent him. I



think the most speedy and effectual reinforcement



would be the militia of Rockbridge, Augusta,



Rockingham and Shenandoah now encamped below,



provided they can be induced to go willingly.



The length of their march heretofore, and having



been some time in service, seems to give them a



right to be consulted. I leave the detaching them



to the aid of General Greene to your better judg-



ment. Should you approve of it and think it



necessary to call other militia to take their place,



I will order others. Besides this reinforcement to

















312        Jefferson's Works







General Greene I propose to order from Washington,



Montgomery and Botetourt, five hundred and forty



riflemen, and from Pittsylvania and Henry four



hundred and eighty, who will want arms; to these



add the detachment at Chesterfield C. H. I send



out to-day the orders to Washington, Montgomery,



Botetourt, Pittsylvania and Henry. If you would



advise any more, and think they can be armed,



more will be sent.







I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir,



etc. , etc.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







            RICHMOND, February 17, 1781.







SIR,-Mr. Loyall, from the post at the North



West Bridge, representing to me that about four



hundred of the militia of Princess Anne and Nor-



folk are embodied, that they annoy the enemy



considerably, restraining their foraging parties, and



checking their motions (which latter circumstance



is confirmed by letter from General Lawson), but



that they are dispirited for want of some com-



munication with the main army on the northern



end of the Dismal, and meditating to lay down



their arms. I submit to yourself the propriety



of establishing a line of riders from General Gre-



gory's camp to such of your posts as you shall



think proper. Your order (if you think proper)



to Colonel Elliott, the field quarter-master, will

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    313







suffice to effect this. I have taken the liberty



of referring Mr. Loyall to you. He will also speak



with you on the subject of arms; but as those



already embodied are armed, I cannot but doubt



the expediency of sending any from our stock



under present circumstances.







 I order the commissary to send a deputy to



subsist these men on the east of the Dismal. Every



circumstance of notice will keep up their spirits;



and if the enemy can be restrained from foraging



below Portsmouth as well- as above, they will be



less easy in their situation. I am, etc., ete.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







             RICHMOND, February 18, 1781.







 SIR,-I have this moment received intelligence



that Lord Cornwallis continues his rapid approach,



and there is reason to believe he was at Roanoke



on the 14th. This information is not authentic,



yet it comes in such manner as to command some



attention. I have, therefore, thought it expedient



to order every man of the counties of Powhatan,



Cumberland, Amelia, Lunenburg and Brunswick



who has a firelock, or for whom one can be pro-



cured, to be embodied and marched immediately



to join General Greene, and those of the counties



of Chesterfield and Dinwiddie to be embodied,



but not marched till further orders, which they

















314        Jefferson's Works







may receive at the moment of embodying better



adapted to actual circumstances.







  I am aware of the possibility that my informa-



tion may be premature, yet as its truth is equally



possible and the consequences of disregarding it



might be so much more fatal, I think it my duty



to take this measure. I am, etc., etc.







           TO GENERAL GREENE.







             RICHMOND, February 19, 1781.







SIR,-I wrote              you in haste yesterday by the



return of your express in answer to your letter



of the 15th. Major McGill not being able to set



out till this morning, furnishes me with an oppor-



tunity of inclosing you regular blank powers of



impress to be directed to such persons as you shall



think proper for impressing horses for your dragoons.







 When we ordered out the militia from the several



counties we ordered them to go properly officered,



as we had no certainty of there being any regular



officers ready to command them. There is now



a great collection of regular officers at Chester-



field C. H., met for the purpose of arranging our



line and discharging it of supernumeraries. As



there are not regulars for even those who will



remain in the service to command, I shall submit



to Baron Steuben, whether, besides requesting



all those who shall be declared supernumerary



to go to you, it may not be expedient to send





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     315







those also who though remaining of the line cannot



have a. present command for want of men. If



these go, it will be in your power to permit such



of the militia officers to return home as choose it,



and forming the men into small battalions, to



dispose of both regular and militia officers as you



please.







 Baron Steuben has availed himself at Suffolk



of the regular officers by forming the militia into



regiments of four hundred each, and dividing



the regiment into two battalions of two hundred



each. This gave room for the regular officers,



who, of course, commanded those of the militia



of the same rank; however, this and every other



plan is submitted to yourself. I have the honor



to be, with very great esteem, Sir, etc., etc.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







            RICHMOND, February 21, 1781.







SIR,-I received from Mr. Armistead yesterday



afternoon a copy of the receipt for the one hundred



and seventeen blankets. He excuses himself for



the error in calling them one hundred and fifty-



five from having spoken by memory. I did not



observe till I delivered it to you that the certi-



ficate of the delivery of Mr. Ross's blankets (one



hundred and five I think there were) wanted a



date. I know, however, that they were delivered



about the same time with those from Mr. Armistead.

















316        Jefferson's Works







There will still remain ninety unaccounted for,



which will be worth inquiring.







 The enclosed letter from the Continental director



of the hospital at Fredericksburg being proper



to be transmitted to whatever person has succeeded



Dr. Kirkman, either in his office generally or in



the custody of the Continental medicines, and



being uninformed who that person is, I take the



liberty of submitting it to your order.







TO THE OFFICER COMMANDING THE NAVAL FORCE







 OF HIS MOST CHRISTIAN' MAJESTY ON THE COAST







 OF VIRGINIA.







             RICHMOND, February 28, 1781.







 SIR,-I have the honor to forward to you the



inclosed letter which accompanied others from



General Washington and the Marquis Lafayette



to the honorable Major-General Baron Steuben



and myself. That there may be no disappoint-



ment in procuring the pilots required, I get the



favor of Captain Maxwell, Naval Commander to



this State, to proceed to Hampton to provide them.



His knowledge of the service and of the properest



persons to be employed will, I hope, ensure our



getting them. You will be pleased to advise



him as to the number necessary. The commu-



nication between yourself and the commanding



officer on shore, I suppose to be at present safe and



easy. If you can point out anything which it is in

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      317







my power to have done to render it more so, I shall



with great pleasure have it done.







General Washington mentions that you had



been so kind as to take on board some arms and



clothing on account of this State. Captain Max-



well is instructed to take measures for receiving



them. I shall be happy to have it in my power



to contribute by any orders I can give towards



supplying your troops with provisions, or any



other necessaries which may promote their health



or accommodation, and in every instance to testify



our gratitude tn your nation in general, and your-



self personally, for the aid you have brought us



on the present emergency, and the honor to be,



with the greatest esteem and respect, Sir, yours,



etc. , etc.







          TO COLONEL PICKERING.







                RICHMOND, March 4, 1781.







 SIR,-I am very sorry that the appointment



of deputy quarter-master in this State has been



so managed as to produce difficulty. You will



he pleased to observe that after I wrote to Major



Forsythe to know whether he would accept of it,



I waited upwards of a month and received no



answer. The business of transportation suffered



greatly for want of a head to the several deputies,



and much distressed the Southern army. At the



end of that period I received a letter from Major

















318        Jefferson's Works







Forsythe taking no notice of the appointment of



deputy quarter-master which had been tendered



him, and showing that he was acting under a new



appointment of deputy commissary-general to the



Southern army, or of the Southern department,



I forget which. From this it was supposed that



he declined undertaking the office of deputy



quarter-master, and the papers were put into



the hands of Baron Steuben and a new appoint-



ment made, as has been formerly explained to



you. At the time we proposed Major Forsythe



as deputy quarter-master his former office of deputy



commissary of purchases in this State was become



a nullity, because we had undertaken to provide



by agents of our own, the specifics required by



Congress, which were to be delivered to store-



keepers under the direction of the quarter-master.



There was, therefore, nothing to be done by a



Continental commissary of purchases within the



State. The present appointment, however, of



Major Forsythe as deputy commissary-general to



the Southern army will require his attendance



on that army, will occupy his time fully in pro-



curing provisions to subsist the army during the



intervals, which the irregularities of the specific



supplies by the several States will necessarily



occasion, and, therefore, seems not to leave it



in his power to perform the duties of your deputy



in this State. I have the pleasure, however, to



inform you that Major Forsythe expresses himself

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    319







perfectly satisfied, and does not propose to urge



a right to the appointment.







 Major Claiborne being at first utterly unknown



to me, I was afraid to do more in my former letter



to you than to hand to you what was said of him



by others. The duties of his office, giving me



daily occasion to judge of him from my own obser-



vation, I think he is exceedingly attentive, dis-



creet, with talents not inferior to the office, and



upon the whole that he will give you satisfaction.



I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir,



yours, etc., etc.







TO THE HONORABLE JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT OF







              CHANCERY.







               RICHMOND, March 5, 1781.







 SIR,-The Executive (on the public account)



are under a difficulty which will be sufficiently



explained by the within paper. ' You will perceive



by that that we propose to refer the matter to



arbitration in another State. Nevertheless, we



suppose the only question which' occasions a doubt



(that is whether if Mr. Nathan took up the bills



bona fide, as he alleges, he is entitled to a pay-



ment in hard, money at par) must have been fre-



quently decided, and in such case we should be



unwilling to show such ignorance of the law as



to require an award on a clear point. I am, there-



fore, desired to beg, your advice on that point,

















320        Jefferson's Works







assuring you that it shall not come in question



before you judicially. If you shall be of opinion



that we ought to pay at par we shall do it; if you



think otherwise it shall be referred, as you see



by the papers, has been agreed on. I am only



to trouble you further for an immediate answer,



if you will be so good as to oblige us. I am, with



very great esteem, your most obedient servant.







TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.







             IN COUNCIL, March 9, 1781.







SIR,-The Executive were informed during the



last summer or fall, that the Accomack and Diligence



galleys were deserted by officers and men, and



left open to be plundered of their guns and furniture.



Orders were immediately given to Commodore



Baron to arrest the officers, to have the men sought



for and taken, one of the galleys brought round



to the Bayside of the eastern shore and manned



with the same men and the other to be brought



to the western shore to be repaired. The bay



being infested with privateers at that time pre-



vented the immediate execution of the orders,



and the subsequent invasions which took place



in October and December have continued the



interruption of our intercourse with that shore.



In the meantime we learn that the vessels have



been much plundered, and their hulls so injured



as to render it doubtful whether worth repairing.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    321







We have taken, and shall continue to pursue,



measures for punishing those who have thus abused



the public, and recovering indemnification, but



should it be not expedient to dispose of the hulls,



the sanction of the general assembly, if they



approve of it, would be necessary.







 I have the honor to be, etc., etc.







         TO GENERAL MUHLENBERG.







              IN, COUNCIL, March 16, 1781.







 SIR,-We have thought it better to change our



line of expresses from hence to your headquarters,



and make it across the river at Hood's. Mr. Kempe



comes down with sundry articles procured at the



request of the Marquis, and to procure others



which could not be got here. These you will be



so kind as to have taken care of to be delivered



to the particular order of the Marquis when he



shall arrive. I before wrote to ask the favor of



you to take measures for the subsistence and safe



custody of the horses procured for the Marquis



by Mr. Smith or his agents.







 The militia who were first called into service



and still remain are, as I am informed, impatient



to be relieved. They should certainly have been



relieved before this, but it cannot be unknown



to them that an enterprise is meditated, which may



put an end, in some measure, to the necessity of



calling them from their homes in the future. I







  VOL€ XIX-2 I

















322        Jefferson's Works







think that a successful attempt on the present



army in Portsmouth will prevent our enemies                        from ever

trusting another in Chesapeake. To



change the whole militia at such a crisis would



be the most dangerous operation that could be



attempted. I will beg you to assure them that



the moment this enterprise is over, and I hope



not very many days will be requisite, a relief shall



be ready to take their places if a relief shall be



necessary. I shall be glad to hear from you fre-



quently, and am, with much esteem, Sir, yours,



etc. , etc.







TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.







              IN COUNCIL, March 17, 1781.







 SIR,-I take the liberty of inclosing to the general



assembly, the within proposition from Mr. Ross,



the Continental agent for the State, as the legis-



lature alone can carry it into effect, should it meet



with approbation. I have the honor to be, with



very great respect, Sir, yours, etc., etc.







TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES.







              IN COUNCIL, March 17, 1781.







SIR,-The inclosed act of Congress will inform



you of the final ratification of the confederation



of thirteen United States of America. I beg leave



to congratulate the general assembly on this

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     323







very important event, by which a firm bond of



union is drawn on these States, our friends enabled



to report confidence in our engagements, and our



enemies deprived of their only remaining hope. I



have the honor to be, etc.







TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF HISPANIOLA.







       RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, MarCh 24, 1781.







 SIR,-Mr. David Ross, commercial agent for this



State., who, as such, is entrusted with the exporta-



tion of commodities on the public account, and



information of necessaries for the army, dispatches



a vessel for the island over which your Excellency



presides.







 The extreme distress of this State for arms and



military stores, and the unison of object of his



most Christian Majesty and the North American



States in the present war against Great Britain,



embolden me to ask your Excellency's permission



to the agent of Mr. Ross to purchase, either from



private or public stores within your government,



and to export such arms and military stores as



the proceeds of the cargo may enable him to purchase.



Not knowing whether the regulations of your



government may admit this without your per-



mission, I have taken the liberty of troubling



your Excellency with this application, and have



the honor to be, with sentiments of the highest

















324        Jefferson's Works







respect, your Excellency's most obedient and most



humble servant.







    TO HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR NASH.







               RICHMOND, MARCH 24, 1781.







 SIR,-The situation of affairs in our eastern and



southern quarters rendering peace on our western



frontier extremely desirable, the general assembly



of this State, by a resolution which I do myself



the honor of enclosing to your Excellency, have



recommended a conciliation with the Cherokees



in a particular manner. Not knowing what is



the present situation of the war with that nation



I have given authority to Colonels Preston and



Christian and Major Martin to concur with any



commissioners whom your Excellency may think



proper to authorize, to treat on the subject of



peace, whenever a proper occasion shall offer.



I cannot doubt your concurrence in opinion that



it is our policy to discontinue the division of our



western militia from their attention to the Southern



war. Should you be pleased to make such an



appointment on your part, your commissioners will



be enabled immediately to open a correspondence



with ours, so as to agree on circumstances, lines



and places. The resolution seems to suppose some



ground of complaint to exist with the Cherokees



as to their boundary. As none such of late date



have come to my knowledge, I could only assure

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    325







the commissioners that every just cause of com-



plaint on that subject should be removed by us



as far as this State is concerned in it. Better



information will perhaps enable you to be more



precise in your instructions to your commissioners.







 I had the honor of your Excellency's letter of



the 17th instant from Granville county. I have



given orders to our commissary to instruct his



agents in Mecklenburg and Halifax counties to



pursue the plan your Excellency had begun, and



to avail himself in the fullest manner of the resource



which the river and seasons afford us. He will



send out salt for the purpose of curing what fish



can be taken there. He apprehends considerable



difficulty in the article of barrels.







 You will, no doubt, before this. reaches you,



hear of the arrival of twelve British ships in our



bay, under Graves and Arbuthnot. Seven of them



are of the line, two 50's, the others smaller. . They



are said to have fallen in with the French fleet



destined for the same place just off the capes, and



to have had a partial engagement in which neither



suffered the loss of a ship or other material injury.







 I apprehend our plans against Arnold will fall



to the ground. I am, etc., etc.

















326        Jefferson's Works







           TO GENERAL GREENE.







             IN COUNCIL, MARCH 24, 1781.







SIR,-I do myself the honor of inclosing to you



some resolutions of general assembly on the subject



of the horses procured and to be procured for the



first and third regiments of cavalry, in the execution



of which I shall need your assistance. Repre-



sentations were made by the conduct of the persons



who were, or pretended to be, entrusted with the



execution of the impress warrants, which I had



inclosed to you, very unfavorably to them. They



are said to have transgressed extremely, not only



by exceeding the tract of country to which the



warrants were restrained, but in the kind of horses



on which they seized. This produced the reso-



lutions of March 7th, the first of which is no doubt



become unnecessary, as I suppose the departure



of the enemy from this State, and their present



tendency renders nugatory, warrants which were



restrained to the neighborhood and probable route



of the enemy. I should otherwise ask the favor



of you to issue your orders for the discontinuance



of impresses under those warrants altogether. The



second resolution of the same date obliges me to



trouble you with ordering the several persons



who have been employed in these impresses to



make a report of their proceedings therein, which



may be done by way of calendar under these heads,



to with 1st. The species of horse impressed, that

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    327







is whether a stone horse, gelding or brood mare.



2d. A description by the size, age, and general



appearance, which latter circumstance I would



only wish to have designated by such short terms



as those "fine," " indifferent," etc., etc. 3d. The



sum at which estimated. 4th. Whose property.



8th. In what county inpressed. 6th. By whom



impressed. 7th. To what purpose applied.







 This, I apprehend, will answer most of the pur-



poses which the general assembly had in view.



Should there have been any other circumstances



in the conduct of these gentlemen which would



become proper subjects of enquiry, they can only



be gathered from those who would be interested



in producing them. On view of such a report



yourself also will be enabled to judge which par-



ticular horses, according to the same resolution,



must be returned to their owners.







 Before it will be in our power to proceed in the



execution of the resolution of March 17th I must



give you the trouble of procuring me information



what number of horses will be wanting to fill up



the two regiments after withdrawing such of the



impress horses as are, by the resolution before



mentioned, to be returned. It would be the wish



of the Executive to appropriate a certain portion



of the money for the purchase of these, and that



this should be laid out by persons of your own



appointment if it would be agreeable to you. I am,



etc. , etc.

















328        Jefferson's Works







      TO THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







              IN COUNCIL, March 28, 1781.







SIR; Colonel Senf handed me a list of entrench-



ing tools and other necessaries for the operations



against Portsmouth. Notwithstanding present



appearances, I shall have them proceed. I appre-



hend we shall be obliged to have many of them



made at Fredericksburg.







Mr. Walker delivered me your wish to have



seamen procured for manning the armed vessels.



I know of no method of effecting this but by draught-



ing from the lower militia such men as are used



to the water. Should this weaken the body of



militia too much we can have them reinforced



by other militia, but perhaps the arrival of the



fleet and transports of the enemy may have rendered



our plans against Portsmouth desperate; in which



case economy would require the immediate dis-



charge of the private vessels now retained at the



expense and risk. I shall discharge all of them



except the three largest, and as to them await



your opinion. Captain Maxwell is at present,



and for some time will be, at the shipyard on Chick-



ahominy endeavoring to withdraw the vessels and



stores from that place into James river. He will



there receive any others you may wish to have



executed within the naval department. When he



shall have effected the business on which he is



there engaged, I will take care to make known

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    329







to you the station he takes, and that it be con-



venient to your situation.







  We are now calling for militia as stated below,



to relieve those who have had so very long a tour.



They will probably begin to come in within a fort-



night, and be all in within four weeks. These



of the counties of Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William,



Fairfax, Spotsylvania, Caroline and Culpeper, some



of whom are already in and some coming under



calls issued some little time ago are meant to be



retained, and with those stated below to constitute



the force of the ensuing two or three months. We



are the more anxious to relieve the militia who



have been so long in the field because, during



their absence the act for raising new levies is sus-



pended in their counties







 Captain Reid's troop of horse is just arrived



here from guarding the Saratoga prisoners, in



which business it has been employed for eighteen



months past. They came under an order which



was meant to carry them into immediate service



below, but Captain Reid reports them to me as



totally unfit for service from poverty, sore back



and broken saddles. I, . therefore, have thought



it best to send them to Port Royal to refit, as



there is at that place a plenty of forage which



cannot be brought forward for the use of either



army, and they will be convenient to Fredericks-



burg where their equipments may be effected.







 I have the pleasure to inclose you a letter of

















330        Jefferson's Works







the 23d, from General Greene, and am, with sen-



timents of the highest respect and esteem, Sir,



yours, etc., etc., 











 Hampshire..............242    Berkeley.......250



 Shenandoah.............257    Frederick......267



 Orange.................140    Stafford.......113



 Louisa.................140    King George....114



 Essex................. 107 



                                              1598







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







                IN COUNCIL, April 3, 1871.







 SIR,-No term having been fixed by the Executive



for the service of the militia, I do not know whence



it could have been collected that it was within



ten days of expiring. Nevertheless it is most



certain they would have been relieved long e'er



this had it not been for the enterprise meditated



against Portsmouth. It was thought too danger-



ous to change the whole body of militia at that



critical juncture. The moment that object was



laid aside we called for militia from the counties



named in the margin, who with those before called



from Loudoun, Fauquier, Fairfax, Prince William,



Spotsylvania, Caroline and Culpeper were intended



to constitute the force acting in the field the succeed-



ing two or three months, discharging all others



as fast as they should come in. From these calls

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    331







we expected twenty-seven hundred men, the



number you had desired to keep up while



nothing offensive was meditated. Of all this we



gave notice to the Marquis Lafayette, the then



commanding officer. Considering the unusually long



tour the riflemen and other militia below have



served, I think every acknowledgment of their



patient service just, and every encouragement



necessary to keep them contentedly till the arrival



of the reliefs ordered from the counties in the



margin. I suppose we are not to expect the men



till the middle of the month, and that it will be



the last of the month before all get in. We take



for granted you will be pleased always to notify



the executive the number of men you think requisite



in the field, which may enable them to give orders



for them on the proper counties, I am, etc., etc.















Hampshire..............242  Stafford.........113



Berkeley...............250  Louisa...........140



Frederick..............267  King George......114



Shenandoah.............217  Essex............107



Orange.................140



                               1598







         TO GENERAL MUHLENBERG.







                IN CouNcIL, April 3, 1781.







 SIR,-The men under your command who have



been in the field from the beginning of the invasion,

















332        Jefferson's Works







having served a tour of duty unusually long, I



am anxious to have them satisfied of the accidents



which have as yet prevented their relief. Others



would have been ordered in their places long e'er



this, had it not been for the enterprise meditated



against Portsmouth. The changing the whole



militia was thought too dangerous an operation



at that critical time. They know the circum-



stances which occasioned this enterprise to be



laid aside. The moment the arrival of a reinforce-



ment to the enemy obliged us to discontinue our



intentions, a body of militia was called for to relieve



them, from the counties which had not yet been



in service. I state to you in the margin the whole



of them. The six counties first named were called



on to aid the operations against Portsmouth. It



was meant, however, that they shall be kept with



the nine last named to serve a full tour and con-



stitute the opposing force, discharging all others



as fast as these came in, and first those which have



been longest in the field. I must solicit your



most exact attention to the return of all public



arms and accoutrements and ammunition put into



the hands of -militia, whenever they shall be



discharged. No man should be discharged till



he does this or gives a satisfactory account of



their loss or expenditure.







 @#(1) Loudoun, 168 ; Fauquier, 292 ; Fairfax, 200 ; Prince william, 185 ;



Spotsylvania, 120 ; Caroline, 260 ; Culpeper, 352 ; Hampshire, 242 ;



Berkeley, 258; Frederick, 267; Shenandoah, 217; Orange, 140; Staf-



ford, 113; Louisa, 140; King George, 114; Essex, 107-3075 @#

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      333







 I think myself very particularly obliged to



acknowledge the patient service of those who



have been so long from home, and am anxious



that they should know that this has not proceeded



from any previous intention in government, but



from the circumstances before explained. I hope



they will be relieved in a very few days, and that



in the meantime they will fill up the measure of



merit by continuing to restrain the excursions of



the enemy till others can come to succeed to those



duties. I beg leave to have these matters particu-



larly explained to Colonel Matthews and Bouyer,



and through them to their men, who, I believe,



have been longest from home. I am, etc., etc.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







               IN COUNCIL, April 6, 1781.







 SIR,-The Executive have had it much at heart



to prevent, as far as possible, interruption in



raising the new levies while they were constrained



to bring a number of militia into the field. For



this reason about one-half of the counties in the



northern part of the State were not called on for



militia till they had time to go through their draught.



This being done by them, they have been all of



them (except those laying much exposed on the



bay and lower parts of the rivers) required to



send one-fourth of their militia to relieve those



of the southern counties now in the field.

















334        Jefferson's Works







Those amounted but to the number of three



thousand and seventy-five, and we had wished



as soon as they could be in, and the southern counties



discharged, to set those southern counties to raising



their new levies, and leave them undisturbed during



that operation, which would employ them two



months. This plan has, however, been broken



on by a requisition from General Greene of fifteen



hundred militia, which obliged us to call on eleven



of those counties. Anxious as we are to favor the



raising the new levies we would not sacrifice to it the



manifest safety of the State, and will, therefore,



call for from them any number of militia you shall



think requisite to act defensively in this State.







 Major Nelson's third troop came here, and, Captain



Reid reported them totally unfit for service, from



poverty, sore backs, etc. I, therefore, ordered



them to Port Royal to recruit their horses and



to have their equipments repaired at Fredericks-



burg, of which I informed the Marquis Fayette.



Perhaps the quarter-master in that quarter might



best judge whether Armand's corps could be accom-



modated and fed there also, or whether there



be any better place in his district. I am, etc., etc.







   TO MAJOR-GENERAL NATHANIEL GREENE.







               IN COUNCIL, April 5, 1781.







 SIR,-It was formerly usual to require from



the Continental staff officers in this State, warrants

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      335







from Congress for all moneys advanced to them.



Since the war has been transferred to the south-



ward, the calls for money have been so apparently



indispensable that we could not await warrants



from Congress as had been before practised on



draughts from yourself or Major General Gates,



to whom authority to draw for money was given.



Nevertheless we think it essential to obtain your



sanction of the moneys after payment of them,



for which purpose I take the liberty of troubling



you with Major Claiborne's receipt for some moneys



from the State, which were ordered without any



previous authority from a sense of their necessity.







 It is not in our power to produce you the L5,000



hard money which you desired, but we have put



into the hands of Major Claiborne a warrant for



half a million of pounds current money to be liable



to your order only. Perhaps you can find means



to have the hard money purchased in Philadelphia



for money to be paid here.







That you may form some idea of the indiscretions



which have occasioned a dissatisfaction in the



impresses of horses, I inclose you copies of two



papers lodged with me against a Mr. Rudder



employed in that business. Instead of soothing



the minds of the people, and softening the harsh



act of taking their valuable horses by force, it



has been frequently accompanied, as we are informed,



by defiances of the civil power, and circumstances



of personal irritation.

















336        Jefferson's Works







As tedious as is the operation of reasoning with



every individual on whom we are obliged to exercise



disagreeable powers, yet free people think they



have a right to an explanation of the circumstances



which give rise to the necessity under which they



suffer. Such has been the general irritation under



these impresses that we have been obliged to



authorize the county lieutenants to restrain them



under the directions of the resolutions of the



assembly I formerly inclosed you. I am, etc. , etc,







         TO COLONEL HENRY LEE.







               IN COUNCIL, April 13, 1781.







 SIR,-I am exceedingly sorry to hear that the



counties on Potomac are so much harassed by



the enemy, and am very apprehensive it will con-



tinue some time until our allies can clear us of



them, which I hope and expect.







 The act of assembly referred to in your letter



as authorizing the Executive to raise militia cavalry,



only gave that authority where there was reason



to apprehend a meeting against the late draught.



Upon this apprehension we authorized the raising



a troop for the two counties of Northumberland



and Lancaster, and nowhere else. We wish ex-



ceedingly that we had a power of doing it, because



it would be the most effective protection to the



exposed counties which could be given them by



land. All we can venture to do is, if you can

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    337







make ase of a party of militia not exceeding the



number of a troop as mounted infantry, finding



their own horses, we may order forage to be found



them while on actual duty, but in every other



respect they must be considered as militia for



this purpose. I inclose you an order to Mr. McMillan,



deputy to Mr. Brown in your county. I am, etc., etc.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







                RICHMOND, April 14, 1781.







 SIR,-As so much of the subject of Colonel Davies'



letter as relates to the conduct of the Continental



issuing commissary general in this State lies within



your powers of reformation altogether, I take the



liberty of handing on the letter to you. It is



very interesting to us that the provisions issued



for Continental use be issued to persons authorized



to give proper vouchers for debiting the continent,



and I entertain no doubt but that you will be so



kind as to have this branch of business so arranged.



In the meantime it might have an ill effect to



stop the issue at so early a day as the one proposed,



as within that space it might not perhaps be prac-



ticable to have the necessary arrangements made.



I also inclose you copies of letters just come to



hand from the President of Congress. I wish



this intelligence may not stop the Pennsylvania



Line, and leave General Greene to depend still on



this State and Maryland alone. As to ourselves,







  VOL. XIX--22

















338        Jefferson's Works







it is our wish to act on the defensive only in this



State, and not to stop a single regular till General



Greene should be made sufficiently superior to



his enemy. I am, etc., etc.







 P. S. I think in conversation you mentioned



that you should store the spare arms and military



stores from General Muhlenberg's camp at Prince



George Court House. As the depredations of the



enemy on Potomac have stopped a considerable



part of the militia we had relied 'on to reinforce



General Muhlenberg, so that we are obliged to



call on other counties, he will probably continue



some time too weak to oppose the enemy. This



seems to render it essential that the stores above-



mentioned be withdrawn out of reach.







 Prince George Court House being but four miles



from the river, I submit it to you whether, on



the prospect of our reinforcements being tardy,



a more interior situation would not be better.







TO THE COUNTY LIEUTENANTS OF FAUQUIER, LOUDOUN,







 CAROLINE,ALBEMARLE, FLUVANNA,           GOOCHLAND,







 AND HENRICO.







                RICHMOND, April 14, 1781.







 SIR,-I am to desire you to send of your



militia under proper officers, with such good arms



as they have, and especially rifles, to rendezvous



at Williamsburg on the first day of May, and to



continue in service two months from the time of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     339







their getting to the rendezvous. As circumstances



may render it necessary to change the rendezvous,



you will be pleased to order them by the way of



- where they will receive final orders on that head.







 You are at liberty to deduct from the above



number any delinquents whom you may send



with them under sentence to serve six months



or any longer time for having failed to obey former



calls, or deserting from duty. Should any indi-



viduals you shall call for fail to attend at the time



you appoint for their meeting in your county, so



as to ascertain a deficiency in the above number,



you will be pleased immediately to call for that



deficiency from the next divisions, and will take



measures for sentencing and sending on such new



delinquents for six months, and so from time to



time on every call. I am, etc., etc.







 P. S. to the letters to Fauquier and Loudoun.-



Your men now in the field below are to be discharged



the moment those above called for arrive there.







 P. S. to the letter to Goochland.-You will also



be pleased to deduct from the above number the



forty men furnished by your county to guard



prisoners to Winchester.







 P. S. to the letter to Henrico.-You will be



pleased to deduct from the above number so many



men as you have furnished within those two months



as guards, etc., for which we promised you a credit,



excepting those also who having been appointed



to guard the boats, deserted and left them.

















340        Jefferson's Works











Fauquier............252    Loudoun..........407



Albemarle...........204    Fluvanria.........70



Goochland...........129    Henrico..........145



Caroline............245







   TO THE HONORABLE RICHARD HENRY LEE.







                RICHMOND, April 16, 1781.







SIR,-We are very sorry that it is out of our



power to furnish you with cartridge paper and



lead. The former article has been entirely exhausted



from our magazines by the Southern and Eastern



armies. Your express receives five hundred flints,



and should have had powder but that we think



it better you should purchase the two or three



barrels you propose and draw on the Executive



for payment, which shall be made.







 The returns of military stores having been lost



we do not know, by recollection, that there are



either ball or grape-shot belonging to the public



at Fredericksburg : if there be and you can inform



me of it, and in the meantime prevail on the person



in whose possession it is to deliver a proper quantity



to you, I will send him the approbation of the Execu-



tive, or if you can buy we will pay for it. Our



last news from the south was of the sixth instant



when Lord Cornwallis was near Wilmington and



General Greene setting out on his march from



Deep river for South Carolina.







 Phillips commands in Portsmouth, his whole

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    341







force twenty-five hundred. I think you may rely



from the intelligence we have had that no land



force from thence in the vessels are distressing at



Potomac.







 P. S. The advertisement shall be published.







        TO GENERAL MUHLENBERG.







                RICHMOND, April 16, 1781.







 SIR,-I have duly received the letter of the 7th



instant from Mr. Constable, written by command



from you, and am sorry to hear of your indisposition,



which I h.ope this will find you relieved from. I



expect three hundred and fifty men from Culpeper



have joined you before this date. They are to



continue till the 14th of June.







 The militia from Frederick, Hampshire, Berkeley,



Shenandoah, Orange and Louisa ought now to be



coming in, and are to continue till the last of June



with a right to retain them a week longer to await



reliefs. We have, by letters sent by express yester-



day, called militia as follows : Fauquier 252,



Loudoun 407, Caroline 245, Albemarle 204, Flu-



vanna 70, Goochland 89, Henrico about 100, who



are required to be in the field May 1st, and to con-



tinue there till the last day of June or 7th of July,



if the reliefs should not arrive sooner. We are



thus endeavoring to get our militia to a fixed term



of two months in the field to be relieved all together



between this and the 1st of May.

















342        Jefferson's Works







 I cannot but apprehend dangers which are not



in our power to prevent. So slow are the militia



in moving that none newly called could be expected



sooner than those from Frederick, Hampshire,



Berkeley, Shenandoah, Orange and Louisa who



were called for March 27th.







 The embarkation from New York under Sir



Henry Clinton is pretty certainly known to be



destined to take post at New Castle on Delaware.



I am, etc., etc.







             TO JOHN PAGE.







               IN CouNcIL, April 18, 1781.







DEAR SIR,-Your favor of the 13th desiring a



suspension of the act for raising new levies has



been duly received and laid before the board.







They think they cannot with any propriety sus-



pend an act after the terms are all past by which



it should have been carried into execution. It



would only answer the end of a remission of penalties,



which would be an abuse of the suspending power



given them by the latter act. The circumstances



which produced that law were that the militia



of half of the State had been called from counties



on the invasion on very distant and long services.



The neglect of the commissioners which had pre-



vented the assessment from being returned is a



reason which, as it did not enter the ideas of the



legislature, could by no means justify us in sus-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     343







pending the law. Under these circumstances I



should suppose it best to take up the law as soon



as they shall have done their duty and get through



it as soon as you can. The men are exceedingly



wanting indeed, and if not produced generally



as we had a right to expect, it will be impossible



for us to enable General Greene to prevent his



antagonist from treading back his steps. I am,



etc. , etc.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







               IN COUNCIL, April 20, 1781.







 SIR,-I take the liberty of inclosing to you a letter



to Major-General Phillips with the determination



of the Board of War as to the British flag-vessel



with necessaries for the convention prisoners,



which I will ask the favor of you to forward by



flag. I presume it is necessary prudence to put



an officer and pilot of our own on board. This



has been the practice here and if you approve



of it you will be so good as to appoint an officer



to this service. The inclosed letter to Commodore



Barron the officer will take with him for the pur-



pose of obtaining a pilot. I inclose you copies



of letters which have this moment come to hand.



We can arm about two hundred militia here. The



rest must depend on the arms which have been



given in by the discharged militia. You will be



so good as to give orders on this subject, accom-

















344        Jefferson's Works







modated to the several places of their rendezvous,



and determining whether the arms shall be brought



to the men, or they marched to the arms. I am,



etc. , etc.







        TO MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







                RICHMOND, April 23, 1781.







SIR,--I had the pleasure yesterday to receive



your favor of the 17th instant, and am very happy



that the Southern States are to have the benefit



of your aid. On the 18th instant the enemy came



from Portsmouth, and (as in the following letter



to the President of Congress to the words Little



River on the 11th) we still consider his as the inter-



esting scene of action to us. As long as we can keep



him superior to his antagonist we have little to



fear in this country; whenever he shall be obliged



to retire before Lord Cornwallis and to bring him



also into this State our situation will become dan-



gerous. North as well as South Carolina, being



once in the hands of the enemy, may become the



instruments of our subjugation, and effect what



the enemy themselves cannot. The British force



may harass and distress us greatly, but the



Carolinas alone can subdue us. The militia of



North is very nearly as numerous as that of this



State. Out of that our enemy will be able to



raise great armies. We, therefore, think it .our



first interest to keep them under in that quarter,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    345







considering the war in our own country but as a



secondary object. For this reason we mean to



send our new levies for the regular army to General



Greene as fast as they shall be raised, acting with



our militia on the defensive only, in this State.







 I shall do myself the pleasure of communicating



further to you the future movements of the. enemy



with us, and occurrences to the southward also,



as far as they shall become known to me. I am,



etc. , etc.







 TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF WAR.







               IN COUNCIL, April 23, 1781.







 SIR,-Colonel Wood has applied to us to take



measures for furnishing provisions and building



barracks for the convention prisoners at Winchester.



Neither of these can be effected without consider-



able sums of money, either advanced or to be



paid within some reasonable time, and I am sorry



to be obliged to inform you it is not in our power



to do either. Such are the calls on us for money



for the Southern army and for the army in our



county, that our efforts are exhausted in complying



with a part only of these, and I am firmly per-



suaded that could our advances and exertions



for the continent be stated to you, you would



be sensible that no call either for men, money



or provisions on account of these prisoners should



be made on us. While we were in tolerable quiet,

















346        Jefferson's Works







and our neighbors under difficulties, we cheerfully



took on us the support and guard of these troops;



but when we have a war on our western, southern



and eastern quarters, which keeps our existence



in daily question. we cannot withdraw from that



a single exertion, nor deceive you by giving you



a hope-a hope of our being able to support these



prisoners in which we should surely fail. I am,



etc. , etc.







           TO BARON STEUBEN.







                RICHMOND, April 26, 1781.







SIR,-An officer from Cumberland, having called



on me this morning, to direct what should be done



with his unarmed men, I took the liberty by him,



of stating to you the order in which I thought



the militia should be discharged. I did this hastily



while he was waiting, and must now, on more



mature reflection, beg leave to correct in some



degree, what I then wrote, and to take up the whole



subject.







One-fourth of the militia of the counties of Fau-



quier, Loudoun, Caroline, Albemarle, Fluvanna,



Goochland, Henrico, Culpeper, Frederick, Hamp-



shire, Berkeley, Shenandoah, Orange and Louisa,



are still relied on for the service of May and June,



as I informed you in a letter of the 19th instant,



as is also Spotsylvania, which at the time of writing



that letter we expected would have been stopped

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     347







by the enemy's going up Potomac. These not



being come in, and the enemy approaching, we



called for the whole of Prince George, Dinwiddie,



Chesterfield, Powhatan, Henrico, Hanover, Gooch-



land and half of Cumberland and Amelia, to form



an opposition until the counties first named should



get in. Whenever, therefore, the business of dis-



charging may be commenced, the following is the



order in which we would wish discharges to be



given: First, Prince George, Dinwiddie, and Ches-



terfield, because exposed and their draught not



over; next, Powhatan, because somewhat exposed,



and their draught not over ; then Cumberland, Amelia



and Hanover, because their draught is not over



lastly, Henrico and Goochland, except the fourth-



men to be kept during the months of May and June.







 I must beg the favor of you to consider this



as altogether superseding my first letter of this



date on the same subject. It is possible that a



change of position by the enemy, by exposing



counties now considered as safe, and rendering



those safe which are now exposed, may induce



a change in this arrangement. Should this happen,



I will take the liberty of noting it to you.







 I am very sorry that we have discharged several



hundreds of the Hanover militia before we had



considered the subject, and settled the order in



which discharges should be given. As it has so



happened, we think it better not to recall them.



I am, etc., etc.

















348        Jefferson's Works







        TO MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.'







                  RICHMOND, May 6, 1781.







SIR,-Two persons have applied to me on behalf



of a certain John Allison, citizen, under confine-



ment, as they say, at camp for some offence.







Though perfectly satisfied that nothing will be



done under your order but what is right, and assur-



ing them of the same, yet I have not been able



to get clear of their solicitation without a letter



from you, asking a favor of a communication of



the case and proceedings before any punishment



should take place. I am sorry to add this to the



many troubles you have, but they have urged it



to me on the footing of duty so as to put it out



of my power to decline it. I have the favor, etc.,



etc.







TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON AND THE







 HONORABLE VIRGINIA DELEGATES IN CONGRESS.







               IN COUNCIL, May 10, 1781.







 SIR,-The papers of the Executive having been



almost wholly lost in the visit which was made by



General Arnold to this place, we are endeavoring



to procure copies of as many of them as we can.



As the correspondence with (1)your Excellency is



among the most important, I am to solicit the



favor of you to permit the bearer hereof, Mr. Gran-



Congress.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      349







ville Smith, to take copies of any letters with which



(1)you have been pleased to honor the Executive, or



have received from them previous to the commence-



ment of the present year. Besides the general



importance of preserving the memorial of public



events, it is natural for those who have had a share



in the administration to wish that under every



possible circumstance the records of their pro-



ceedings may guard them against misrepresentation



or mistake. Mr. Smith has been particularly chosen'



to execute this office because of his approved dis-



cretion, and we think ourselves safe in assuring



you that he may confidentially be relied on. I



have, etc., etc.







 In the letter to the Delegates alter as in the



margin.







     TO HIS ExCELLENCY PRESIDENT REID.







           CHARLOTTESVILLE, May 22, 1781.







SIR,-Your Excellency's favor of the 6th instant



came to hand yesterday. The movement of the



enemy since I did myself the honor of writing to



your Excellency on the subject of our joint boundary,



having rendered it necessary, in the opinion of the



general assembly, for them to adjourn to this place ;



the Executive have, of course, come hither for a



time; this has placed us at a great distance from



Mr. Madison and Mr. Andrews, two of the com-







@#(1) They or you.@#

















350        Jefferson's Works







missioners appointed for the purpose of running



the boundary. These gentlemen also unfortu-



nately reside in Washington, a place supposed to



be an object with the enemy, and I am not without



fear that this new circumstance will create difficulties



in the time of their attendance. I shall immedi-



ately dispatch an express to them with a communi-



cation of your Excellency's, and will, on receipt



of their answer, do myself again the honor of writing



to you. In the meantime as there remains three



weeks between this and the 12th of June, the day



proposed by your Excellency for the meeting of



the commissioners, as a part of this will be explained



before I can receive a letter from our commissioners,



and it is probable that they have to provide for



the safety of their family before their departure,



I will beg leave to consider it as your Excellency's



desire that as early a day as possible after that



may be fixed, and to take the liberty of communi-



cating the earliest at which they may be able to



attend, according to the answer I shall receive from



them. I have the honor to be, etc.







       TO MAJOR RICHARD CLAIBORNE.







           CHARLOTTESVILLE, May 23, 1781.







 SIR,-Your letters of the 10th and 19th instants



came to hand yesterday. Experience has for some-



time past convinced the Council that, as the mode



of acquiring wagons, horses, etc., by impress is

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      351







the most irritating, so it is the most expensive



which. can be adopted. They, therefore, have meant



to discontinue impresses, and to have purchases



made whenever a delay can be permitted, and,



indeed, it is questionable, where necessity obliges



the public to € have an article on the spot, whether



any price which the owner would ask to part with



it voluntarily would not be less than appraisers



would rate it at.







 In answer, therefore, to your letter, I can only



advise your procuring the necessaries required by



purchase. In a conversation I had with Mr. Lyne



I mentioned the necessity of paying your warrants



as quickly as possible. He was sensible of it, and



I dare say will pay it as soon as he has as much



money. I am, etc.







         TO MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







          CHARLOTTESVILLE, May 29, 1781.







SIR,-I am honored with your favor of the 26th,



as I have been by one of the day before from Colonel



John Walker, who informed me that he wrote at



your request on the subject of horses. I have



now the pleasure to inclose to you eight impress



warrants, accompanied with resolutions of the



House of Delegates, which I obtained yesterday,



and to inform you that as soon as the other branch



of the legislature is convened, I believe they are



disposed to strengthen you with cavalry to any

















352        Jefferson's Works







amount you think proper, and with good horses



as you shall think economy should induce you to



take. Stud horses and brood mares will be always



excepted, because to take them would be to rip



up the hen which laid the golden eggs.







 I am sorry that it has not been in your power



to send me the county returns of militia. I assure



you that such returns weekly are indispensably



necessary to enable the Executive to keep militia



in the field. I did, however, on receiving infor-



mation from Colonel Walker that the enemy were



reinforced, call for one-fourth of the militia of



Washington, Montgomery, Botetourt, Rockbridge,



Augusta, Rockingham and Amherst, which (the



last excepted) are our best rifle counties. They



will rendezvous at Charlottesville and there expect



your orders.







 Baron Steuben informed me also that only



two men were employed in repairing the damaged



arms. I am at a loss what to think on this subject,



as I have received assurance that one hundred a



week are repaired there, and that very shortly



they will be enabled to repair one hundred and



fifty a week. I will take immediate measures for



procuring a state of the repairs.







I sincerely and anxiously wish that you may be



enabled to prevent Lord Cornwallis from engaging



you till you shall be sufficiently reinforced and be



able to engage him on your own terms. This may



be the case when your superiority in cavalry shall

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    353







become decided, which I have the most sanguine



hopes the assembly will immediately provide for.



In the meantime the upper country will afford



you a secure retreat, presenting hills inaccessible



to horses approaching them and to this most dan-



gerous enemy, the rifleman.







 I will take the liberty of recommending to you



that the two field officers to be appointed for valu-



ing the impressed horses be skilled in the business,



and that the same two may go through the whole



business, that all may be valued on the same



scale. Also that officers of mild and condescending



tempers and manners be employed, and particularly



instructed, while they prosecute their object,



steadily to use every soothing art possible.







A high tone of conduct will, as it did in a former



instance, revolt the people against the measure



altogether, and produce the suppression of it. I



have the honor to be, etc.







TO THE   COUNTY LIEUTENANTS OF YORK, NEW KENT,



HANOVER, GLOUCESTER, KING AND QUEEN, KING



WILLIAM, MIDDLESEX,  ESSEX, CAROLINE, SPOTSYL-



VANIA,   LANCASTER, RICHMOND, KING GEORGE,



NORTHUMBERLAND,  WESTMORELAND, STAFFORD,



PRINCE   WILLIAM, FAIRFAX, LOUDOUN AND BERK-



ELEY.







        CHARLOTTESVILLE, May 29, 1781.



SIR,-Information having been given me that a



considerable number of men have deserted from



vol xix-23

















354        Jefferson's Works







the French army and navy in America, which the



commanding officers are very urgent to have appre-



hended, I must desire you to give orders at the



several ferries in your county, that all foreigners



offering to cross at' them, and having the appearance



of soldiers or seamen, be examined with great strict-



ness, and if there be good reason to believe them



to be deserters, that they then be delivered to such



persons as you shall appoint to guard them till



you can have an opportunity by militia or other-



wise, to send them, with a state of the circumstances



of suspicion, to the headquarters of Major-General



the Marquis Lafayette. I am, etc.







         TO MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







           CHARLOTTESVILLE, May 30, 1781.







 SIR,-Mr. Maury informs me there is reason to



expect from Lord Cornwallis a permission to export



to Charleston tobacco for our officers and soldiers



in captivity there. As you have been fully appraised



of what has been done heretofore, and a negotiation



for the relief of officers and soldiers of the Con-



tinetal Line, which you have honored by accepting



the command, seems agreeably reconciled to your



office and humanity. I will beg leave to inform



you that the State will provide as far as nine hun-



dred hogsheads of tobacco to be sent to Charleston,



for the above purpose, and to ask the favor of



you to negotiate with Lord Cornwallis for the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts   355







license. The distance of the Executive from his



Lordship is an additional reason for asking this



favor of you. Mr. Maury will lend any aid in his



power to promote this business, and is still recom-



mended as a proper person to attend the tobacco



to Charleston. I have the honor to be, etc.







        TO MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE.







           CHARLOTTESVILLE, May 30, 1781.







SIR,-I inclosed to General Phillips a passport



for the British flag vessel, the General Reidseel,



and declined it to Captain Innes who called on me



for that purpose by order of Major-General Baron



Steuben, and was to have accompanied the vessel



to and from her port of destination.







 The movements of the enemy and uncertainty



where General Phillips was then to be found delayed



his going till you had arrived. I think Baron



Steuben afterward informed me you would be so



kind as to send in the letter by a flag and an officer



to go with the vessel.







The inclosed letter from Mr. Miles King, written



at the request of Captain Gerlach, the flagmaster,



I take the liberty of transmitting to you by the person



who brought it, who is returning to Mr. King, and



will carry any line of information with which you



will be so kind as to favor him. I am, ete.

















356        Jefferson's Works







TO THE SURVEYOR OF THE COUNTY OF MONONGALIA.







           CHARLOTTESVILLE, June 3, 1781.







SIR,-It having become impracticable to settle



the boundary between this State and Pennsylvania



by astronomical observations during the present



season, it is referred by mutual consent till the



next year. In the meantime it is agreed that



Mason 's and Dixon 's line shall be extended twenty-



three miles with a surveyor's compass, only in the



usual manner, marking the trees very slightly. I



am, therefore, to desire you to undertake to do



this in connection with such person as shall be



appointed by his Excellency President Reid, and



report your work to the Executive. We shall



rely on your engaging chain-carriers, markers, etc.,



the expense of which shall be paid by the public.



I am, etc.

















        MANUSCRIPTS







        FROM







        THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA







        COLLECTION.

















        INTRODUCTORY NOTES.







  It will be readily admitted, after due examination, that the



"Minutes" of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia,



under the rectorship of its father and founder, Thomas Jefferson, are



far more interesting than the mere reports of similar business meet-



ings. They contain an account of the actual growth of that famous



institution,-the practical suggestions for the creation of the buildings,



the plans and organization for the various academic departments, the



adoption of educational theories and innovations and, in short, the



establishment of a centre of learning as fulfilled to-day in the Univer-



sity of Virginia,







  This fulfillment had been the heart's desire of its founder for



many years before his death and he wished to have its accomplish-



ment engraved in the epitaph on his tombstone, together with the



record of his services as the author of the Declaration of Indepen-



dence and the Statute for Religious Freedom in Virginia.







  Associated with Jefferson on the Board of Visitors were James



Madison, James Monroe, Joseph C. Cabell, James Breckenridge, David



Watson and J. H. Cocke. All of them were intensely interested in



the erection of a State University along the lines conceived by Jeffer-



son. Joseph C. Cabell, then a member of the Virginia Senate,



was especially enthusiastic and supported in the legislature what



Jefferson planned in the privacy of his study. It was due to the



tireless efforts of Cabell, stimulated by Jefferson, that the State



government ultimately expended $300,000 for the construction of the



University and appropriated $15,000 a year toward its maintenance.







  The correspondence between Jefferson and Cabell on the subject



of the early history of the University of Virginia w,as published in



an octavo volume in 1856, and is now very rare. Its appendix con-



tains some of the material given in the following pages, but the pro-



portion is small compared to the aggregate matter printed herewith



for the first time. The "Minutes" given in the present instance



embrace a period of nine years, the last entry having been dated



only three months before Jefferson's death.

















360        Jefferson's Works







 Not alone did Jefferson outline the process of education for his



University, but he also planned its architecture. He superintended



each detail of the construction, engaging workmen, buying bricks



and choosing the trees to bc used for timber. The institution was



opened during the month of March, 1825. The first year began with



forty students but this number had increased to almost two hun-



dred by the beginning of the second term. The University still



bears the impress of Jefferson's mind to the extent that it has no



president,-this position being filled by a chairman elected from among



the professors ; that it bestows no honors and no rewards, and that



attendance at religious services is entirely voluntary. Thus the stu-



dent is placed upon his principles as a citizen and upon his honor as a



man.







 The " Minutes " presented in this collection are taken from a



time-worn book in the possession of the University of Virginia. Most



of the entries are in the firm handwriting of Jefferson-another proof



of his indefatigability as a penman. For access to the book and for



the privilege of reproducing its contents, credit is due to the authori-



ties of the University, and especially to Dr. Charles W. Kent.

















        AN EXACT TRANSCRIPT    361







                 OF THE







Minutes of the Board of Visitors of the University







    of Virginia, during the Rectorship







         of Thomas Jefferson.







At a meeting of the Visitors of the Central



College held at Charlottesville, on the 5th day of



May, 1817, on a call by three members, to wit :



John Hartwell Cocke, Joseph C. Cabell and Thomas



Jefferson. Present, James Monroe, James Madison,



John H. Cocke and Thomas Jefferson.







The records of the trustees of the Albermarle



Academy, in lieu of which the Central College is



established, were received from their secretary by



the hands of Alex. Garrett, one of the said trustees.







Resolved, that Valentine W. Southall be appointed



secretary to the Board, and that the records be



delivered to him.







The Board proceeded to the appointment of a



proctor, and the said Alexander Garrett was appoint-



ed, with a request that he will act as treasurer also



until a special appointment can be made.

















362        Jefferson's Works







The Board being informed that at a meeting



which had been proposed for the 8th day of April



last at Charlottesville, and at which the three



members only, who called this present meeting had



attended, the said members had visited and examined



the different sites for the college within a convenient



distance around Charlottesville, had deemed the one



offered them by John Perry about a mile above



the town to be the most suitable, and offered on



the most reasonable terms, and had provisionally



authorized a purchase of certain parcels thereof



for the site of the said college and its appendages,



and the members now present having themselves



proceeded to the said grounds, examined them and



considered the terms of the said provisional pur-



chase, do now approve of the said grounds as a



site for the said college and its appendages, and



of the terms of purchase, which they hereby confirm



and ratify. And they accordingly authorize their



proctor above named to proceed to a regular con-



veyance thereof to himself and his successors in



trust for the said college.







 The act establishing the Central College having



transferred to the same all the rights and claims



existing in the Albemarle Academy and its trustees,



and having in aid of the subscriptions and donations,



obtained or to be obtained, and of the proceeds



of the lottery authorized by law, specially empowered



this college, by its proper officers, to demand and



receive the moneys which arose from the sales of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     363







the glebe lands of the parishes of St. Anne and



Fredericksville, or such part thereof as belongs to



the county of Albemarle or its citizens, in whatever



hands they may be, to be employed for the purposes



of this college, ordered that the proctor enquire



into the state of said property, and report the same



to this Board; and that in the meantime, he be



authorized to demand and receive so much of the



said moneys as may be requisite to pay for the land



purchased from the said John Perry, and to make



payment accordingly.







 In view of a plan presented to the trustees of



the Albemarle Academy for erecting a distinct



pavilion or building for each separate professor-



ship, and for arranging these around a square,



each pavilion containing a school-room and two



apartments for the accommodation of the professor,



with reasonable conveniences, the Board deter-



mined that one of these pavilions shall now be



erected ; and they request the proctor, so soon as



the funds are at his command, to agree with proper



workmen for the building of one of stone or brick



below ground, and .of brick above, of substantial



work, of regular architecture, well executed, and



to be completed, if possible, during the ensuing



summer and winter ; that the lot for the said pavilions



be delineated on the ground of the breadth of



feet with two parallel sides of indefinite length,



and that the pavilion first to be erected be placed



on one of the lines so delineated, with its floor in

















364        Jefferson's Works







such degree of elevation from the ground as may



correspond with the regular inclined plane to which



it may admit of being reduced hereafter.







 And it is further resolved, that so far as the funds



may admit, the proctor be requested to proceed



to the erection of dormitories for the students



adjacent to the said pavilion, not exceeding ten



on each side, of brick, and of regular architecture,



according to the same plan proposed.







 The Board, proceeding to consider the plan of



a lottery prepared by the trustees of the Albemarle



Academy, approve of the same, and resolve that



it be carried into execution and without delay, by



the proctor and by such agents as he shall appoint,



and that the moneys to be received for tickets by



those entrusted with the sale of them, be from



time to time, and at short periods, paid into the



hands of the proctor, and by him deposited in the



Bank of Virginia in Richmond, with which bank



it is thought expedient that an account should be



opened with him in trust for the Central College.







 Resolved, that a subscription paper be prepared,



and placed in such hands as the proctor shall deem



will be most likely to promote it with energy and.



success, in which shall be different columns, to wit:



one for those who may prefer giving a donation in



gross, another for those who may be willing to



gi€re a certain sum annually for the term of four



years, and a third for donations in any other form.



And that the moneys subscribed be disposed of as

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    365







they are received by the proctor, in the manner



above prescribed for those received on the lottery.







 Resolved, that Thomas Jefferson and John H.



Cocke be a committee on the part of the Visitors



with authority, jointly or severally, to advise and



sanction all plans and the application of moneys



for executing them which may be within the pur-



view and functions of the proctor for the time being.







                       TH. JEFFERSON,



                       JAMES MONROE,



                       JAMES MADISON,



                       J. H. COCKE.







May 5, 1817.







                         July 28, 1817.







At a called meeting of the Visitors of the Central



College, held at the lhouse of Mr. Madison in Orange,



Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Hartwell



Cocke, and Joseph C. Cabell, being present.







 The plan of the first pavilion to be erected, and



the proceedings thereupon; having been stated and



agreed to,-







 It is agreed that application be made to Dr.



Knox, of Baltimore, to accept the professorship of



languages, belles-lettres, rhetoric, history and geog-



raphy, and that an independent salary of four



hundred dollars, with a perquisite of twenty-five



dollars from each pupil, together with chambers



for his accommodation, be allowed him as a com-







' Montpelier, near Somerset, on the Southern Railway.

















366        Jefferson's Works







pensation for his services, he finding the necessary



assistant ushers.







 Alexander Garrett requesting to resign the office



of proctor, it is agreed that Nelson Barksdale of



the county of Albemarle, be appointed his successor.







 It is also agreed that it be expedient to import



a stone-cutter from Italy, and that Mr. Jefferson



be authorized and requested to take requisite



measures to effect that object.







                        JAMES MADISON,



                        J. H. COCKE,



                        JOSEPH C. CABELL.,



                        TH. JEFFERSON.







At a meeting of the Visitors held at Charlottes-



ville 7th October, 1817 :







 On information of the amount of the subscription



to the Central College, known to be made, and



others understood to be so, the Board resolves,



that the pavilion now erecting be completed as



heretofore directed, with the twenty dormitories



attached to it, and that two other pavilions be



contracted for and executed the next year with



the same number of dormitories to each ; that one



of these be appropriated to the professor of languages,



belles-lettres, rhetoric; oratory, history and geog-



raphy, one other to the professor of chemistry,



zoology, botany, anatomy ; and the third, until



otherwise wanted, for a boarding-house, to be kept



by some French family of good character, wherein

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     367







it is proposed that the boarders shall be permitted



to speak French only, with a view to their becoming



familiarized to conversation in that language.







 The Board is of opinion that the ground for



these buildings should be previously reduced to a



plain, or to terraces as it shall be found to admit



with due regard to expense; that the pavilions be



correct in their architecture and execution, and



that where the family of a professor requires it,



two additional rooms shall be added for their



accommodation.







 On information that the Reverend Mr. Knox,



formerly thought of for a professor of languages,



is withdrawn from business, the order of July 20



is rescinded, and it is resolved to offer, in the first



place, the professorship of chemistry, etc., to Dr.



Thos. Cooper of Pennsylvania, adding to it that



of law with a fixed salary of 1,000 dollars and tuition



fees of twenty dollars from each of his students,



to be paid by them; and to accede also to the



conditions stated in his letter of September 16 to



Th. Jefferson; and that he be advised with as to



a qualified professor of languages ; or such other



measures be taken to obtain one as shall be found



most advisable;, that the professor of languages



should be engaged to take place on the 1st of April,



and Dr. Cooper, as soon as a. pavilion for him can



be erected, or as he can otherwise accommodate



himself with lodgings.







Resolved, that every  student shall be required

















368        Jefferson's Works







to pay sixty dollars per annum tuition fees, of which



twenty dollars shall be paid to each professor he



attends, and the surplus thereof, if any, to remain



for the use of the college, and that fifteen dollars



be paid moreover for each dormitory by the students



occupying them.







Resolved, that any deficiency in the moneys paid



or payable by subscription or otherwise, in or



before April next, to pay for the pavilions and



dormitories, the first year 's salaries to the two



professors aforesaid and other necessary expenses,



shall be obtained, if practicable, by negotiations



with the banks on a pledge of the future instal-



ments of subscriptions, and of the college property



a.s security, and that of the latter instalment the



sum of $5,000 dollars shall be disposed of as shall



hereafter be directed, either to the Commonwealth



or the banks of some other safe moneyed institution,



or an interest sufficient to pay the annual salaries



of the two professors aforesaid forever,







Resolved, that the proctor be authorized to hire



laborers for levelling the ground and performing



.necessary services for the work or, other purposes.







                      JAMES MADISON,



                      JAMES MONROE,



                      DAVID WATSON,



                      J. H. COCKE,



                      JOS. C. CABELL,



                      TH. JEFFERSON.







October 7, 1817.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    369







  At a meeting of the Visitors, 8th October, 1817:







  Certain letters from Dr. Thos. Cooper to Th.



Jefferson, dated September 17 and 19, received



since the meeting of yesterday, being communicated



to the Board of Visitors, and taken into consider-



ation with his former letter of September 16, they



are of opinion that it will be for the interest of the



College to modify the terms of agreement which.



might be generally proper, so as to accommodate



them to the particular circumstances of Dr. Cooper,



and to reconcile his interests to an acceptance of



the professorship before proposed to him. They,



therefore, resolve :







  1. That the expenses of transporting his library



and collection of minerals to the College shall be



reimbursed to him.







  2. That, however disposed they would be to



purchase for the College his collection of mineral



subjects, his philosophical and chemical apparatus,



the extent of their funds is as yet too little ascer-



tained to authorize engagements for them; but



that an interest of six per cent per annum on a



fair valuation should be paid for the use of them



in his own hand, until it can be seen that the other



more indispensable calls on the funds of the college



will leave them competent to the purchase.







 And, ultimately, should nothing short of the



immediate purchase of these articles be sufficient,



then we are of opinion that their purchase be made,



and the ready money, if required, be obtained







  vol. xix-24.

















370        Jefferson's Works







from the bank as proposed in the resolution of



yesterday for other pecuniary deficiencies.







  3. That the expense in articles consumed neces-



sarily in a course of chemical lectures shall be



defrayed by the College.







  4. That the branches of science proposed for



Dr. Cooper be varied and accommodated in his



case, as it is expected they must be in others, to



the particular qualifications of the professor.







  5. That the committee of superintendence of the



proceedings of the proctor in the execution of his



functions heretofore appointed, are authorized to



take such measures as they think best for providing



the necessary apartments for the use of the chemical



and mineralogical purposes.







  Resolved, that Alexander Garrett be appointed



treasurer for the College.







                      JOSEPH C. CABELL,







                      J. H. COCKE,







                      JAMES MONROE,







                      TH. JEFFERSON, for







          himself and for James Madison, who







          assented to all the articles but was







          obliged to depart before they could be







          copied and signed.







  October 8, 1817.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    371







            CHARLOTTESVILLE, May 11, 1818.







  At a regular meeting of the Visitors of the Central



College, on 11th May, 1818, at which Th. Jefferson,



James Madison, John H. Cocke and Joseph C.



Cabell were present, it was agreed, that it being



uncertain whether Thos. Cooper would accept the



professorship of chemistry, in the event of his not



doing so, it would be expedient to procure a pro-



fessor of mathematics. It was also agreed to allow



the proctor of the College the sum of two hundred



dollars for the present year.







                      JAMES MADISON,







                      TH. JEFFERSON,







                      J. H. cocke,







                      JOSEPH C. CABELL.







  May II, ISIS.







  We, the subscribers, Visitors of the Central



College, having been specially called to meet on



the z 6th day of February, I 8 I g, and authorized by



the act of the legislature, now in session, for establish-



ing the University of Virginia, to continue the



exercise of our former functions, and to fulfill the



duties of our successors, Visitors of the said Uni-



versity, until their first actual meeting, have unani-



mously agreed on the following opinions and



proceedings :







  That it is expedient 'that all the funds of the



University applicable to th.e services of the present

















372        Jefferson's Works







year, which shall remain after meeting all the other



current and necessary purposes, shall be applied



to the providing additional buildings for the accom-



modation of the professors, and for dieting and



lodging the students of the University.







  That the urgency of the advancing season, and



the importance of procuring workmen before they



become generally otherwise engaged for the season,



render it necessary for expediting the objects of



the University, that certain measures be forthwith



taken, which, if delayed until the first actual meet-



ing of our successors would materially retard those



objects.







 That taking into view the balance remaining of



the funds of the last year, to wit : Of the proceeds



of the glebes, and of the first and second instal-



ments of subscriptions, after payment shall have



been made of the expenditures of the same year,



as also the third instalment of subscriptions payable



in April, 1820, and the public endowment of 15,000



dollars for the present year, engagements may be



entered into for building, in the approaching season,



two more pavilions for the professors, one hotel



for dieting the students, and as many additional



dormitories for their lodging, with the necessary



appendages, as the said funds shall be competent



to accomplish: that we approve of the propositions



for covering with tin sheets the pavilions and hotels



hereafter to be covered, and for bringing water to them



by wooden pipes from the neighboring high lands.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    373







 That Alexander Garrett, treasurer of the Central



College, be continued as the depository of the funds



of the institution, with authority to exercise the



powers and perform the duties of bursar of the



University until otherwise provided.







 That to meet the immediate and pressing calls



for money, he be authorized to receive from the



treasury of the State the sum of fifteen hundred



dollars, in part of the public endowment of 15,000



dollars for the present year.







 That a copy of these proceedings be laid before



the Governor and Council for the exercise of the



power of control committed to them by the same



act of the legislature, should they think proper to



exercise that power on any part of these proceedings.







                       TH. JEFFERSON,







                       JAMES MADISON,







                       J. H. cocke,







                       DAVID WATSON.







 February 26, 1819.







 At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia at the said University on Monday, the



29th day of March, 1819, being the day prescribed



by the Governor for their first meeting, James



Madison, Joseph C. Cabell, Chapman Johnson,



James Breckenridge, Robert Taylor, John H. Cocke



and Thomas Jefferson attended.







 The Board proceeding to the duties prescribed

















374        Jefferson's Works







to them by the act of the general assembly, insti-



tuted " An act establishing an University, " appointed



Thomas Jefferson their rector and Peter Minor their



secretary.







  Resolved, that Alexander Garrett be appointed



bursar of the University, and that he be allowed



as a compensation for the duties of his said office



the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars a year;



and that the committee of superintendence hereafter



to be named, be authorized to engage Arthur



Brockenbrough as proctor of the University, with



an allowance not exceeding 2,000 dollars a year,



or if he cannot be engaged, then any other person



on such terms as they find necessary.







  Resolved, that the acting proctor be instructed



to examine into the state of the property, real and



personal (moneys and credits excepted), formerly



appertaining to the Central College, and conveyed



to the president and directors of the Literary Fund,



that he, make an inventory of the same, as it



stands at this day, specifying the items whereof it



consists, and noticing the buildings and other



improvements already made and those which are



in progress, and that the late treasurer of the College,



now the bursar, be instructed to make a statement



of the funds, in money and credit, which apper-



tained to the said College, and were conveyed to



the said president and directors; specifying how



much of the said moneys have been received, how



much have been paid away, to whom, and€for

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    375







what purposes; what debts, to whom and for



what purposes, are due on settled accounts; to



whom and for what purposes debts are due on



unsettled accounts ; what part of the annual donation



by the Commonwealth has been received, and how



much thereof has been paid away, to whom, and



for what  purposes ; all referring to the present date ;



and that the said inventory and statement be



returned to this Board to be preserved among its



records.







  Resolved, that the proctor be required to provide



a common seal for the University, in the field of



which shall be engraved a Minerva enrobed in her



peplum and characteristic habiliments as inventress



and protectress of the arts, and that the exergue



be " University of Virginia " and at the bottom



the date of "1819."







  It is the opinion of the Board that each of the



professors of the University be allowed a standing



salary of 1,500 dollars a year, and to receive also



thirty dollars annually from every student attending



him for instruction in any or all the branches



of science, which constitute the department of



which he is professor; and that he be allowed for



his accommodation the use of one of the pavilions



built, or to be built, clear of rent; it being under-



stood that a professor of one department, holding



temporarily another, may receive tuition fees from



students attending him in each department, but only



one salary, unless it be otherwise specially provided.

















376        Jefferson 's Works







  That the dormitories be rented to the students



at a rate of twenty dollars a year for each dormitory,



to be paid by the occupant or occupants; not



more than two being permitted to lodge in the



same dormitory.







 Resolved, that a committee of advice, superin-



tendence and control be appointed to direct the



proceedings of the several agents of the Board



during the intervals of its sessions, and to call a



special meeting of the Board whenever, in their



opinion, the good of the institution indispensably



requires it, that notice of such call be addressed



by the committee themselves or by the secretary



on their order, to each member of the Board, and



be forwarded to their respective residences by mail;



be also published in the Richmond Enquirer, at



least fifteen days before the time appointed for



such meeting.







 The Board hereby authorizes their bursar, with



the advice of a member of the committee of super-



intendence, to draw on the president and directors



of the Literary Fund, for the whole or any part



of the public donation charged on that fund, either



for immediate payment to those to whom moneys



may be due, or to deposit the same in the Bank



of Virginia, and thence, with the same advice,



countersigned by a member of the committee, to



draw it occasionally as may' be requisite.







 Resolved, that the Board concurs in the opinion



of the Visitors of the Central College expressed in

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    377







their resolution of February 26, that it is expedient



that the funds of the University be diverted as



little as possible to the general engagement of the



professors required for the institution, until pro-



vision be made of buildings for their accommodation,



and for dieting and lodging the students ; and that



the measures adopted by them for the buildings



of the present year be approved and pursued.







   That Dr. Thomas Cooper of Philadelphia, hereto-



fore appointed professor of chemistry and of law



for the Central College, be confirmed and appointed



for the University, as professor of chemistry, miner-



alogy and natural philosophy, and as professor of



law also, until the advance of the institution and



increase of the number of students shall render



necessary a separate appointment to the professor-



ship of law; that in addition to his permanent



salary of 1,500 dollars he shall receive such sums



during the first and second years 'as, with his salary



and his tuition fees, shall amount, in the whole, to not



less than. 3,500 dollars a year, to commence on the first



Monday of April of the ensuing year, 1820, or so



soon after as he shall arrive at the University.







 That the expense of removing his philosophical



apparatus, his library and collection of minerals to



the University be reimbursed to him; that until he



shall have fifty students of chemistry, the expense



in articles consumed necessarily in the course of



chemical lectures be defrayed by the University,



not exceeding 250 dollars in any course.

















378        Jefferson's Works







 That the offer of his philosophical apparatus at



the price it cost him, be accepted, and that also of



2,500 specimens of his collection of minerals, labelled



and arranged in pasteboard cases, to be selected



from his whole collection, for the use of the Uni-



versity, at the price of fifty cents each, by John



Vaughan, Professor Patterson and Zaccheus Collins,



with a suspension of payment, however, of the



principal of these purchases until the more urgent



provisions for the accommodation of the professors



and students shall enable the school of the Uni-



versity to be opened generally, and with the pay-



ment, in the meantime, of interest at the rate of



six per centum per annum on their amount.







  Considering the importance, and the difficulty



also at this time, of procuring American citizens,



of the first order of science in their respective lines,



to be professors in the University, the committee



of superintendence are hereby jointly instructed and



authorized, should any such offer, not to lose the



opportunity of securing them for the University,



by any provisional arrangements they can make



within the limits of the salary and tuition fees



before stated, and even with such reasonable accom-



modations as the case may require, suspending,



however, their actual engagement until a meeting



of the Visitors, and reserving to them the right of



approval or rejection. ,







 Resolved, that the said committee be jointly



authorized to purchase, at a fair valuation or reason-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      379







able price, of John Perry, if a fit occasion occur,



such portion of his land lying between the two



parcels heretofore purchased of him, as may con-



veniently unite the whole in one body; provided



the payment be deferred until it can be received



of the sixth instalment of subscriptions, or of the



public endowment for the third year of the insti-



tution:







  The Board proceeded to the appointment of the



committee of superintendence, and John H. Cocke



and Thos. Jefferson were appointed, with authority,



jointly or severally, to direct the proceedings of the



agents of the institution, but jointly only to call



a special meeting of the Board.







  Resolved, that the course of authenticating the



proceedings of the Board be by the signature of



the secretary, and counter-signature of the rector,



or if there be no secretary, or not present, then by



that of the rector alone.







 And the Board adjourned.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.







 March 29, 1819.







 At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia, at the said University on Monday, the



4th of October, I 8 I g, present, Thomas Jefferson,



Robert Taylor, James Madison, Chapman Johnson



and John Hartwell Cocke.







 Resolved, that instead of the hotel, which had

















380        Jefferson's Works







been directed to be built in .this present year by



the Visitors of the Central College at their meeting



of February 26, and approved by this Board on



the 29th of March last, the erection of an additional



pavilion by the committee of superintendence, is



approved; as also their engagements for two other



additional pavilions and dormitories, in anticipation



of the funds of the ensuing year.







  Resolved, that, for the accomplishment of the



buildings commenced, and for all other lawful



expenses and disbursements on behalf of the Uni-



versity, the bursar be authorized, with the appro-



bation of a member of the committee of superin-



tendence, to draw on the President and directors



of the Literary Fund, for the whole, or any part



of the public donation charged on that fund, for



the ensuing year, 1820, so soon as the same shall



become payable.







  It is the opinion of the Board that at least three



other pavilions, making ten with those in hand;



five hotels, and additional dormitories, in number



depending on that of the students who shall apply



for admission into the University, with their append-



ages, will be necessary for the proper accommodation



of the whole number of professors contemplated by



the legislature; and that the proctor, under the



direction of the committee of superintendence, be



required to make an estimate of the whole expense



of completing such buildings, distinguishing the



expense of each, and that such estimate should

















        Supplementary Manuscripts      381







accompany the report of this Board to the president



and directors of the Literary Fund.







    Resolved, that as the stone in the neighborhood



of the University is not found capable of being



wrought into capitals for the columns of some of



the pavilions, and it may be necessary to procure



elsewhere proper stone or marble, and to have



capitals executed here or elsewhere, the proctor



be authorized to take such measures relative thereto,



and to make such arrangements for their execution, _



either by the two Italian artists engaged for that



purpose, or by others, or compromise with them,



as the committee of superintendence shall approve.







   It appearing to the Board that the buildings and



the funds of the University will not be in a condi-



tion to justify the commencement of any of its



schools during the next spring, and that, therefore,



the duties of the professorships to which Dr. Thomas



Cooper was appointed must be deferred, the com-



mittee of superintendence is instructed to com-



municate that fact to Dr. Cooper, to arrange with



him the terms on which the delay may be made,



consistent with his convenience, and conformable



to an honorable fulfillment of our engagements



with him; and to report their proceedings to the



Board at their next meeting.







 An inventory of the property conveyed by the



proctor of the Central College to the president



and directors of the Literary Fund, a statement



of the funds in money and credits of the said

















382        Jefferson's Works







College, conveyed to the use of the University,



with the accounts of the disbursements, and of



the funds in hand, from the close of the preceding



accounts to the last day of September in this pre-



sent year, as furnished by the bursar and proctor,



and a draught of a report of the same, and of the



condition of the University, being proposed to the



Board, the same, after consideration and amend-



ment is agreed to in the following words, to wit:







  "To the president and directors of the Literary



Fund :







  "In obedience to the act of the legislature of



Virginia, entitled `An act establishing an Uni-



versity,' and enjoining on the rector and Visitors



thereof `to make report annually to the president



and directors of the Literary Fund (to be laid



before the legislature at their next succeeding



session), embracing a full account of the disburse-



ments, the funds on hand, and a general statement



of the conditions of the said University,' make the



following report :







  "The Governor having been pleased, with the



advice of Council, to appoint James Breckenridge,



Joseph C. Cabell, John H. Cocke, Thomas Jefferson,



Chapman Johnson, James Madison and Robert



Taylor to be Visitors of the University of Virginia,



and prescribed for their first meeting the last Mon-



day in March of the present year, the Visitors so



appointed met accordingly at the site provided



for the Central College, and adopted by the legisla-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    383







ture for that of the University, and proceeded



to the duties presented to them by the said act of



the legislature. They appointed Thomas Jefferson,



one of their body, to be rector; Alexander Garrett,



bursar; Arthur S. Brockenbrough, proctor, and



Peter Minor, their secretary. They examined into



the state of the property conveyed by the proctor



of the Central College to the president and directors



of the Literary Fund; had an inventory thereof



made by; the proctor, as it stood at that day, speci-



fying the items whereof it consisted, and noticing



the buildings and other improvements, made or in



progress, a copy of which inventory is hereto



annexed; and they required and received from the



late treasurer of the Central College, now bursar of



the University, a statement of the funds in money



and credits of the said College, conveyed for the use



of the said University, specifying the moneys



received, those paid away, to whom and for what



purposes; what debts, to whom, and for what



purposes were due, and what part of the annual



donation by the Commonwealth had been received;



a copy of which statement is hereto also annexed,



and to these is added an account of the disburse-



ments, and of the funds in hand prepared by the



bursar and proctor, from the close of the preceding



accounts to the last day of September of the present



year, as required by law, and also an estimate of



the probable cost of the buildings still necessary



for the accommodation of the whole number of

















384        Jefferson's Works







professors contemplated by the legislature and of .



the students.







  "The Visitors of the Central College, having been



in treaty with Dr. Thomas Cooper to be a professor



in the said college, those of the University con-



firmed his appointment as professor of chemistry,



mineralogy and natural philosophy; and agreed



with him for the purchase of his valuable collection



of minerals and of his philosophical apparatus.



The time, however, for the commencement of his



functions is not yet ultimately fixed, but they



deem it inexpedient to make any further appoint-



ments of professors until accommodations for their



reception and for that of the students shall be



provided ; and the rather, as the salaries of the



professors, whenever they commence, by absorbing



the funds of the University will leave little to be



employed in buildings for their accommodation.



They, therefore, concur in the opinion of the Visitors



of the Central College, expressed in their resolution



of February 26, that it was expedient that the funds



of the University should be diverted as little as



possible to the general employment of professors,



until provision should be made for their accom-



modation, and for boarding houses and lodgings



for the students, and for this purpose they gave



directions under which one of the pavilions and



fifteen of the dormitories, in the inventory men-



tioned, have been as nearly finished as is deemed



expedient until wanted for occupation; and the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     385







other pavilion therein also mentioned will be com-



pleted this winter. Five others are more or less



advanced, each sufficient to accommodate one pro-



fessor, and about twenty other dormitories are in



progress. These will probably have their walls



completed and covered in during the present season,



but will not be otherwise finished but in the course



of another. And, in order to effect this much, the



Visitors have been obliged to enter into engage-



ments which will not only exhaust the funds of



the present year, but pledge those of the ensuing



one also. For two seasons being generally requisite



for the accomplishment of good buildings, the one



for their walls and covering, the other inner finish-



ings, had the commencement of these been post-



poned to the ensuing season, another year would



have been added to the delays of the institution.







  "The Visitors would have had sincere pleasure in



announcing to the president and directors that



they should be able to open the University, in time



and manner, to meet the public expectations. But



the sums necessary for the preliminary measure of



providing accommodation will leave the funds of



the institution in a condition which does not enable



them to do this. If an earlier commencement,



however, should be deemed of importance enough



to justify an additional and competent aid from



the funds over which your Board presides, for



effecting the residuary buildings, the Visitors trust



that they could have in place, by the autumn or







  vol. xix-25

















386        Jefferson's Works







winter of the coming year, the complement of pro-



fessors contemplated by the law, and open the



institution at that epoch with the distinction



called for by the interests and character of the



State. And were they to indulge their own judg-



ment, it would be that the annual tribute we are



paying to other countries for the education of our



youth, the retention of that sum at home, and



receipt of a greater from abroad, which might



flow to an University on an approved scale, would



make it a gainful employment of the money advanced,



were even dollars and cents to mingle themselves



with the consideration of an higher order urging



the accomplishment of this institution. But this



urgency they leave with confidence, as in duty



bound, to the wiser judgment of the legislature,



with assurance, on the part of the Visitors that,



whether with the present, or additional funds,



they will omit nothing which may hasten the



desirable moment when the youth of their country



may find at home those resources of instruction



which they have so long been in the habit of seek-



ing elsewhere, and when, by a sound education, a



wholesome direction may be given to public opinion,



the safest guide and guardian of the public morals



and welfare, the arbitress, in every nation, of its



destinies to happiness or wretchedness, and the



source to which, as either pure or corrupted, the



changes of conditions in every country on earth



may be traced and ascribed."

















        Supplementary Manuscripts  387







  And the rector is instructed to authenticate and



transmit the same, with the documents therein



referred to, to the president and directors of the



Literary Fund, according to law.







   And the Board adjourns itself indefinitely.







                    TH. JEFFERSON, ReCtOr.







                                 October 4,  1819.







   At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of. Virginia at the said University, on Monday, the



3d of April, 1820, present Thomas Jefferson, James



Madison, James Breckenridge, John H. Cocke and



.Joseph C. Cabell.







 Resolved, that the Visitors of the University



accede to the loan of $40,000 authorized by a



resolution of the president and directors of the



Literary Fund of 23d March, 1820.







 Resolved, that the aforesaid sum of $40,000



shall be applied as follows, viz., first, to the pay-



ments of the debts of the University. Second,



to the completion of the buildings now on hand.







 Resolved, that the balance that may remain of



the $40,000, after accomplishing the two objects



last specified, together with the annuity of the



year 1821, after deducting the interest that will



be due on the loan from the Literary Fund, be



applied toward the erection of three other pavilions



and their accessory€ dormitories.







 Resolved, that the committee of superintendence

















388        Jefferson's Works







be authorized to borrow of the president and directors



of the Literary Fund, or should that be imprac-



ticable, from any other quarter, the further sum



of $20,000.







  Resolved, that the aforesaid sum of $20,000,



together with. any balance of the preceding sums



as may remain on hand, and the annuity of the



year 1822, after deducting the sum due for interest



on moneys borrowed, be applied towards the erection



of buildings of accommodation on the eastern



back street.







  Resolved, that the committee of superintendence



be authorized and required to propose to the presi-



dent and directors of the Literary Fund a post-



ponement for one year of the period of commence-



ment of the installments of the principal borrowed



of the said Fund.







  Resolved, that in the event of the agreement



of the president and directors of the Literary Fund



to the postponement of the. installments of principal



as last mentioned, any balance that may remain



on hand of the aforesaid sums of money, together



with the annuity of the year 1822, after deducting



the sums due for interest, be applied towards the



erection of buildings of accommodation on the



western back street. .







 Resolved, that Thomas Jefferson be appointed



rector of the University for the ensuing four years.







 Resolved, that Thomas Jefferson and John H.



Cocke be appointed a committee of superintendence.

















         



        Supplementary Manuscripts    389







   Resolved, that the committee of superintendence



be authorized to communicate to Doctor Thomas



Cooper the delay and uncertainty now unavoidable



in regard to the time of opening the University,



and to make such change in the contracts with



him as to them may seem advisable.







                    TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.







   April 3 , 1820.







   At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of



Virginia, at the said University, on Monday, ad of



October, 1820, present, Thomas Jefferson, James



Madison, Robert B. Taylor, John H. Cocke, and



Joseph C. Cabell ;







   The Board proceeded to the consideration of the



annual report, and not having time to go through



with the same, adjourned to Tuesday, 3d October.







At an adjourned meeting of the Visitors of the



University of Virginia, held on 3d October, 1820,



present, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Robert



B. Taylor, John H. Cocke and Joseph C. Cabell;







  The Board approved the arrangement made by



the committee of superintendence relative to the



annulment of the contract with Doctor Thomas



Cooper.



Resolved, that from and after the first day of



October, 1820, the compensation to the bursar of

















390        Jefferson's Works







the University for his services shall be at the rate



of one per cent on the amount of disbursements.



Resolved, that Joseph C. Cabell be and he is



hereby desired and authorized to examine and



verify the accounts of the preceding year, not



already examined and verified.







   Resolved, that the committee of superintend-



ence be authorized to enter into negotiations with



the following persons, with the view of engaging



them as professors of the University; viz: Mr.



Bowditch of Salem and Mr. Tichenor of Boston.



Resolved, that in the negotiations with Mr. Bow-



ditch and Mr. Tichenor, the committee be authorized



to offer the compensation hereafter specified, viz:







  . Apartments.







  . A salary of $2,000 per annum.







  . A fee of $10 for each student engaged to



attend the lectures of the professor.







  . If the aggregate amount of the salary and of



the fees of tuition should fall short of $2,500, in



either the first, second or third year, the deficiency



to be paid out the funds of the University.







  The following report was agreed to:







  To the president and directors of the Literary







  Fund :







    In obedience to the act of the general assembly



of Virginia, requiring that the rector and Visitors



of the University of Virginia should make report



annually to the president and directors of the



Literary Fund (to be laid before the legislature at

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    391







their next succeeding session), embracing a full



account of the disbursements, the funds on hand,



and a general statement of the condition of the



said University, the said Visitors make the follow-



ing report :







  The general assembly at their last session of



1819-20 having passed, an act authoring the said



Visitors, for the purpose of finishing the buildings



of the University, to borrow the sum of 60,000



dollars, and to pledge for repayment of the said



sum and interest, any part of the annual appro-



priation of 15,000 dollars heretofore made by law,



the Board of Visitors at their semi-annual meeting



of April last proceeded to the consideration of the



said act, and of the authorities therein permitted



to them. They were of opinion, in the first place,



that it would be most expedient to complete all



the buildings necessary for the accommodation of



the professors and students before opening the



institution, as the maintenance of that, when



opened, by absorbing all its funds would leave



nothing to complete that might yet be requisite



for the full establishment called for by law.



, On view of the account rendered by the bursar



and proctor, they found that with the aid of the



loan authorized (if the commencement of its instal-



ments for repayment could be suspended four



years), and of their annuity during the same time,



they might accomplish the whole of the buildings



of accommodation for the professors and students,

















392        Jefferson's Works











according to the estimates heretofore made of



their probable cost, of which the following state-



ment presents a summary view:







1820,  Apr. The existing debts are.....................$10,000



            To complete the 2 pavilions and 31 dormi-



           tories, on ha.d..............................18,000



            To build 3 more pavilions and 24 dormitories



           to complete thelawn..........................27,000



          To build 3 Hotels and 29 dormitories complet-



          ing the east backstreet.......................19,000



1821.   To build 2 Hotels and Proctor's house and



        25 dormitories completing west back street......19,000



                                                                            



                                          $93,000



Means.



1820, Apr. Loan from Literary Fund of...................40,000



1821,   Jan. 1. Annuity of 15,000 D.-2,400 int. of 40,000      



D.......................................................12,600



Additional loan of......................................20,000



1822, Jan. 1.   Annuity of 15,000 D.-3,600 D. int. of                         



60,000,..................................11,400



                                                                            



                                   84,000



1823 Jan. 1.    Annuity of 15,000 D.-3,600 D.int. of                          



                                 60,000                                     



                            11,400



                                                                            



                                           95,400







 They, therefore, proceeded to negotiate a loan of



40,000 dollars from the president and directors of



the Literary Fund, reimbursable by installments of



14,244 dollars a year, beginning on the -- day of



April, 1824. And afterwards a second loan of



20,000 dollars, reimbursable by like annual instal-



ments, commencing from the day when the others



should end.







  On this view of our resources the Board proceeded



t.o authorize their proctor to enter into contracts

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     393







for the completion of the buildings already begun,



and for the erection of those still wanting, so as



to provide ;.n the whole, ten pavilions for the pro-



fessors required by law, five hotels for dieting the



students and a sixth for the use of the proctor,



with 104 dormitories; sufficient for lodging 208



students; and they instructed him 'to make, in



his contracts, effectual provision that the whole



shall be completed in the autumn of the ensuing



year, 1821. At that time, therefore, the buildings



of accommodation for the professors and students



are expected to be all ready for their reception, and



the institution might then be opened, but that



the remaining engagements for the building and



the reimbursement of the sums borrowed from the



Literary Fund will require the whole revenue of



the University for seven years to come, that is to



say until the -- day of April, 1828.







  In the statement of expenditures and means of



the University it will be perceived that we have



not taken the private subscriptions into account.



Of these 2,079.33 dollars of the first installment,



3,914.13 dollars of the second, and 8,217.09 of, the



third are still due ; and the last, amounting to



10,666.50, will become due on the first day of



April next. But of these some loss will be occasioned



by the distresses of the times; and the residue,



from the same cause, will be so tardy and uncertain



in the times of its receipt, that the Visitors have



not thought it safe to found on it any stipulations

















394        Jefferson's Works







requiring punctuality in their fulfillment. They



have thought it more advisable to reserve it as a



supplementary and contingent fund, to aid the



general revenue, as it shall be received, and to meet



casualties unforeseen, errors of estimate, and



expenses other than those of mere building.







  In the report of the commissioners who met at



Rockfish gap on the 1st day of August, 1818, it



was stated that "a building of somewhat more



size in the middle of the grounds may be called



for in time, in which may be rooms for religious



worship under such impartial regulations as the



Visitors shall prescribe, for public examinations,



for a library, for the schools of music, drawing and



other associated purposes. " The expenses of this



building are not embraced in the estimates herein-



before stated. Its cost will probably be of about



40,000 dollars, and its want will be felt as soon as the



University shall open. But this building is beyond



the reach of the present funds; nor are these



indeed adequate to the maintenance of the insti-



tution on the full scale enacted by the legislature.



That body, aware that professors of desirable



eminence could not be expected to relinquish the



situations in which they might be found for others,



new, untried and unknown, without a certainty



of adequate compensation, confided to the discre-



tion of the Visitors, the salaries which should be



stipulated to the professors first employed. But



the annuity heretofore appropriated to the main-





















        Supplementary Manuscripts     395







tenance of the University cannot furnish sufficient



inducement to ten professors, of high degree each



in his respective line of science; and yet, to employ



inferior persons would be to stand where we are



in science, unavailed of the higher advances already



made elsewhere, and of the advantages contem-



plated by the statute under which we act.







  If the legislature shall be of opinion that the



annuity already apportioned to the establishment



and maintenance of an institution for instruction



in all the useful sciences, is its proper part of the



whole fund, the Visitors will faithfully see that it



shall be punctually applied to the remaining engage-



ments for the buildings, and to the reimbursement



of the extra sum lately received from the general



fund: that during the term of its exclusive appli-



cation to these objects, due care shall be taken to



preserve the buildings erected from ruin or injury,



and at the end of' that term, they will provide for



opening the institution in the partial degree to



which its present annuity shall be adequate. If,



on the ether hand, the legislature shall be of opinion



that the sums so advanced in the name of a loan,



from the general fund of education, were legiti-



mately applicable to the purposes of an University;



that its early commencement will promote the



public good by offering to our youth, now ready



and waiting for it, an early and near resource for



instruction, and, by arresting the heavy tribute



we are annually paying to other states and countries

















396        Jefferson's Works







for the article of education, and shall think proper



to liberate the present annuity from its engage-



ments, the Visitors trust it will be in their power



by the autumn of the ensuing year, 1821, to engage



and bring into place that portion of the professors



designated by the law, to which the present annuity



may be found competent ; or, by the same  epoch.,



to carry into full execution the whole objects of the



law, if an enlargement be made of its participation



in the general fund, adequate to the full establish-



ment contemplated by the law.







   The accounts, receipts, disbursements and funds



on hand for the year ending with the present date,



as rendered by the bursar and proctor of the Uni-



versity, are given with this report, as is required by



law.



TH. JEFFERSON,             Rector.



     OCTOBER 3, 1820.



                                                                   And the

Board adjourned without day.



TH. JEFFERSON,             Rector.







1820, April 1. A special meeting of the Visitors



of the University having been called in the month



of February, to be held on this day, April 1, signed



by Th. Jefferson, James Madison, Chapman Johnson,



Joseph C. Cabell, James Breckenridge and Robert



Taylor, and duly notified to John H. Cocke to whom



no opportunity had occurred of presenting it for



his signature, the said Th. Jefferson and James

















      Supplementary Manuscripts     397







Madison attended accordingly, but not constituting



a quorum, no proceedings took place.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, ReCtOr.







  At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia at the said University, on Monday the 2d



of April 1821, present, Th. Jefferson, rector; James



Breckenridge, Chapman Johnson and James Madison.







  A letter having been received by the rector from



Thomas Appleton, of Leghorn, stating the prices



at which the Ionic and Corinthian capitals wanting



for the pavilions of the University may be furnished



there in marble, and these prices appearing to be



much lower than they would cost if made here in



stone, resolved, that it be an instruction to the



committee of superintendence to procure the said



capitals in marble from Italy.







  Resolved, as the opinion of this Board, that it is



expedient to procure the loan of 60,000 dollars,



or so much thereof as may be necessary, as author-



ized by the late act of the general assembly, con-



cerning the University of Virginia, and that the



committee of superintendence be instructed to



negotiate the same with the president and directors



of the Literary Fund of preference, or if not to be



obtained from them, then with others, according



to the authorities of the said act.







  Resolved, that it is expedient to proceed with



the building of the library on the plan submitted



to the Board: provided the funds of the Univer-

















398        Jefferson's Works







sity be adequate to the completion of the buildings



already begun, and to the building the western



range of hotels and dormitories, and be also adequate



to the completion of the library so far as to render



the building secure and fit for use ; and that it be



an instruction to the committee of superintendence



to ascertain as accurately as may be the state of



accounts under the contracts already made, the



expenses of completing the buildings begun and



contemplated. And not to enter into contracts



for the library until they are fully satisfied that,



without interfering with the finishing of all the



pavilions, hotels and dormitories, begun and to



be €begun, they have funds sufficient to put the



library in the condition above described.







  And the Board adjourns without day.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, RECTOR.







  OCTOBER 2, 1820.







  At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia, by special call, on Thursday the 29th



of November, 1821, at the University, two mem-



bers only attending, to wit: Thomas Jefferson and



Chapman Johnson, they adjourned to the next day.







 November 30, present, Thomas Jefferson, Chapman



Johnson, James Madison and John Hartwell Cocke.







 The Board being informed that of the 60,000



dollars permitted to be borrowed from the Literary



Fund by the act of the last general assembly, the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    399







sum of 29,100 dollars only has as yet been obtained,



and that there is uncertainty as to the time when



the balance may be obtained, they deem it expedient



that the annuity of 15,000 dollars, receivable on



the 1st of January next, be applied to the accom-



plishment of the buildings and other current purposes,



in the first place, an d that, should further sums be



wanted before the receipt of the balance of the said



loan, the committee of superintendence be authorized



to borrow from the bank to the amount of that bal-



ance, to be replaced by the said balance when received.







  Resolved, that the superintending committee be



authorized to have an engraving made of the



ground-plat of the buildings of the University



including the library, and so many copies struck



off for sale as they shall think proper, and also to



engage a good painter to draw a perspective view



of the upper level of buildings, to be engraved,



yielding to him, for his trouble, the patent right,



and paying his reasonable expenses coming, staying



and returning, should it be required.







  A proposition having been received to join with



other seminaries in a petition of Congress, for a



repeal of the duty on imported books, resolved,



that this Board will concur in such a petition and



a form being prepared and approved, arid a form



also of a letter to our senators and representatives



in Congress requesting them to present and advocate



the said petition, the rector is desired to authen-



ticate and forward the same.

















400        Jefferson's Works







  A form of a report, as annually required to be



made to the president and directors of the Literary



Fund, on the funds and condition of the University,



was then proposed, amended and agreed to in the



following words :







   To the president and directors of the Literary



Fund :







  In obedience to the act of the general assembly



of Virginia, requiring that the rector and Visitors



of the University of Virginia shall make report



annually to the president and directors of the



Literary Fund (to be laid before the legislature



at their next succeeding session), embracing a



full account of the disbursements, the funds on hand,



and a general statement of the condition of the



said University, the said rector and Visitors make



the following report :







  At their meeting in April last, the attention of



the Visitors was first drawn to the consideration



of the act of the,late general assembly, which



authorized the Literary Board to lend, for the



use of the University, a further sum of 60,000



dollars from such moneys as should thereafter



come to their hands. And taking such view as



could then be obtained of the expenses already



incurred for the lands, buildings and accessory



purposes, for the accommodation of the professors



and students of the University, so far as already



completed, or in a state of advancement, and



the further expenses still to be incurred necessarily

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    401







tc complete those accommodations, they concluded



it to be for the benefit of the institution to obtain



the €said loan. Application was accordingly made



to the Literary Board, a sum of 29,100 dollars



was obtained, and the further sum of 30,900 dollars



is expected so soon as the receipts of that Board.



shall enable them to furnish it.







  In the meantime the Board deemed it incumbent



to obtain as early as possible a' correct statement



of the actual cost of what was already done, and



a probable one of that still to be done, estimated



according to the experience now obtained. They,



therefore, instructed their proctor to apply himself



assiduously to the completion of the buildings



generally, to a settlement of all accounts of the



actual cost of those finished, and an estimate,



according to that, of what would be the cost of



those still to be finished. The completion of the



buildings of accommodation, which are in four



rows of about 600 feet in length each, as may be



seen by the plans accompanying this report, has



been pressed with as much effect as could be



expected; insomuch that there are now complete,



and in readiness for occupation, six pavilions for



the accommodation of the professors, eighty-two



dormitories for that of the students, and two hotels



for their dieting; and the others will all be com-



pleted in the ensuing summer. The accounts for



the construction of those already finished have



been actually settled; and the probable cost of







  VOL. XIX-26

















402        Jefferson's Works







the unfinished has been estimated according to the



rates which the others have been found to cost.







  The following is a summary view of the actual



expenditures of the institution from the beginning,



of those yet to be incurred to its completion, and



of the funds received and still receivable, as nearly



as can at present be stated:







6   Pavilions finished have cost,............$52,713.76



17  Capitals for them expected from Italy



    are to cost by contract,...................2,052.06



2   Hotels finished have cost..................8,515.82



82  Dormitories finished have cost,...........50,645.74







                                            $113,927.32











The following are nearly finished



and are estimated at the rates the



others have cost, or at prices actually



contracted for:







4 Pavilions...........................33,563.15



4 Hotels..............................16,000.00



2 Dormitories.........................11,952.21   61,515.36



  Back yards and gardens...........................1,500.00







Making thc whole cost of the four rows



of buildings of accommodation...................$176,942.68



The purchase of 245.5 acres of land and



the buildings on them, past compen-



sations to thc bursar and proctor, hire



and maintenance of laborers, and all



other accessory and contingent ex-



penses...........................................24,607.77



Making a total for the lands, buildings,



etc. complete...................................201,550.45



To which add for interest€on the loans,



calculated to December 31, 1821...................6,160.25



                                               $207,7I0.70

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     403











The funds applied and applicable to these



expenditures are:







The sale of glebe lands,.........................3,104.09



A State certificate, No. 32, bearing in



terest.............................................176.77



Annuities of 1819, '20, '21.....................45,000.00



Loan of 1820....................................60,000.00



Loan of 1821....................................60,000.00



Subscriptions received to November 27, 1821.....24,676.37 1/2



Balance of subscriptions (due 19,668.91



of which suppose 3,000 lost),...................16,668.95 



                                              $209,626.18







From this would result a small surplus of.......$1,915.48



                                              $207,710.70











  According to the proctor's accounts for the



present year (which, with the bursar's, are herewith



enclosed, and) which contain minuter specifications



of the expenditures.











To finish and pay for the whole of the build-



ings of accommodation not yet finished and



paid for will require a further sum to be



placed at his command of,.......................    53,494.79



The resources for this are: 







The balance of the loan of '21, still to be



received,......................................30,900.00



The balance stillÇ due ,of subscription moneys,



separate,......................................16,668.95



Cash in the banks undrawn ,as per,bursar's



account,........................................2,301.23



Dollars in the  bursar's, hands,  as, per, his



account...........................................447.84



State certificate, No. 32.........................176.77



From which would result a deficit to ,be sup-



plied from the annuity of,...................   3,000.00







                                                 $53,494.79

















404        Jefferson's Works







  So far then, as can at present be seen (and we



are now so near the end of this work that there



is room for little error) the funds received and



receivable will, within a small fraction, pay for



the lands purchased, for the whole system of build-



ings of accommodation, and all accessory expenses.







  The 'building for the library, comprehending



halls indispensably necessary for other public pur-



poses, and estimated by the proctor, according to



past experiences, to cost 46,847 dollars will remain



to be erected from the same fund of the annuity.



The anticipations of this by loans, for expediting



the other buildings, will have weakened it by



nearly one-half its amount by the sums of interest



to which it is subject, and will consequently retard



the commencement of its applications to the dis-



charge of the sums borrowed by annual instal-



ments, if such should continue to be the will of the



legislature.







 The buildings of accommodation will be finished,



as before observed, in the ensuing summer, and



will constitute the whole establishment, except



that of the library. With the close of these works



the accounts of their costs will also be closed.



These will be first examined by a committee of the



Visitors that nothing may enter into them not



sanctioned by the Board. They will then be



finally submitted to the accountant of the Literary



Board, for the assurance of the public that the



moneys have been correctly and faithfully applied.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     405







  In the course of these works, as is unavoidable,



perhaps, generally in those of considerable magni-



tude, there have occurred instances of moneys paid,



not in direct furtherance of the legitimate object.



The first was the case of a contract by the Visitors



of the Central College for a professor, while acting



for that as a private establishment, and under an



expectation of its immediate commencement. But



that institution being afterwards merged in this



of the University, and the enlargement of the



plan occasioning that of the time of its commence-



ment also, it became important that that contract



should be rescinded. This was done on a just and



reasonable compromise and indemnification of 15,000



dollars. Another instance was the importation of



a fine artist for carving the capitals of the more



difficult orders of the buildings. The few persons



in this country capable of that work were able



to obtain elsewhere such high prices for their skill



and labor that we believed it would be economy



to procure an artist from some country where



skill is more abundant, and labor cheap. We did



so. But on trial the stone we had counted on in



the neighborhood of the University was found



totally unsusceptible of delicate work; and some



from a very distant, but the nearest other quarry



known, besides a heavy expense attending its



transportation, was extremely tedious to work,



and believed not proof against the influences of



the weather. In the meantime we had inquired

















406        Jefferson's Works







and l.earned that the same capitals could be furnished



in Italy, and delivered in our own ports for a half,



or third, of the price, in marble, which they would



have cost us here in doubtful stone. We arrested



the work here, therefore, and compromised with



our artist at the expense of his past wages, his



board and passage hither, amounting to 1,390



dollars, 5 6 cents. These are the only instances of



false expense which have occurred within our



knowledge.







        The two pavilions and their adjacent dormitories,



begun and considerably advanced by the authorities



of the Central College, were contracted for by them,



when all things were at their most inflated paper



prices, and, therefore, have been of extraordinary



cost. But all the buildings since done on the



more enlarged scale of the University, have been



at prices of from twenty-five to fifty per cent reduc-



tion; and it is confidently believed that, with that



exception, no considerable system of building,



within the United States has been done on cheaper



terms, nor more correctly, faithfully, or solidly



executed, according to the nature of the materials



used.







   That the style or scale of the buildings should



have met the approbation of every individual    .



judgment was impossible from the various structure



of various minds. Whether it has satisfied the



general judgment is not known to us. No pre-



vious expression of that was manifested but in

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    407







the injunctions of the law to provide for the accom-



modation of ten professors, and a competent num-



ber of students, ,and by the subsequent enact-



ments, implying an approbation of the plan reported



by the original commissioners, on the requisition



of the law constituting them, which plan was



exactly that now carried into execution. We had,



therefore, no supplementary guide but our own



judgments, which we have exercised conscientiously



in adopting a scale and style of building believed



to be proportioned to the respectability, the means



and the wants of our country, and such as will



be approved in any future condition it may attain.



We owed to it to do, not what was to perish with



ourselves, but what would remain, be respected



and preserved through other ages. And we fondly



hope that the instruction which may flow from



this institution, kindly cherished, by advancing the



minds of our youth with the growing science of



the times, and elevating the views of our citizens



generally to the practice of the social duties, and



the functions of self government, may ensure to



our country the reputation, the safety and pros-



perity, and all the other blessings which experience



proves to result from the cultivation and improve-



ment of the general mind. And, without going



into the monitory history of the ancient world



in all its quarters, and at all its periods, that of



the soil on which we live and of its occupants,



indigenous and immigrant, teaches the awful lesson,

















408        Jefferson's Works







that no nation is permitted to live in ignorance



with impunity.







 And the Board adjourned without day.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, ReCtOr.







 November 29, 1821.







 At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of



Virginia at said University, on Monday, the 1st of



April, 1822; present, Thomas Jefferson, rector, Joseph



C. Cabell and John Hartwell Cocke, who, not being



sufficient to constitute a quorum for business, they



adjourned' indefinitely.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, ReCtOr.







 April I, 1822.







 At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia at the said University, on Monday, the



7th of October, 1822.







 Present, Thomas Jefferson, rector, James Brecken-



ridge, Joseph C. Cabell, John H. Cocke and James



Madison.







 Resolved, that the proctor be instructed to enter



into conferences with such skillful and responsible



undertakers as he would approve, for the building



of the library, on the plan heretofore proposed,



and now in his possession, and to procure from



them declarations of the smallest sums for which



they will undertake the different portions of the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     409







work of the said building; each portion to be done



as well, in materials, manner and sufficiency, as



the best of the same kind of work already done in



the preceding buildings, or as well and sufficiently



as shall now be agreed on; that (omitting the



capitals of the columns, which would be procured



elsewhere) the several other portions being speci-



fied under such general heads and details as



may be convenient to show the cost of each and



by whom undertaken, fixing also the time within



which each portion shall be completed: and



that his agreements be provisional only, and



subject to the future acceptance or refusal of the



Visitors.







  Resolved, that the committee of superintendence



be authorized to employ a collector to proceed to



the collection of the moneys still due on subscrip-



tions, under such instruction and agreement as



they shall approve.







  Resolved, that the examination and report of



the account of the bursar of the University of



Virginia, from the 1st day of October, 1820, to



the 3 I st day of March, 1821, and from the 3 I st



day of March, 1821, to the 27th day of November,



1821, made by John H. Cocke, at the request of



the rector, by his letter of the 1st of December,



1821, be hereby ratified as done under authority



of this Board; and that the said John H. Cocke



be and he is hereby appointed to examine and



verify the accounts of the said bursar, from the

















410        Jefferson's Works







z 7th day of November, 1821, to this date, and



make report thereof to this Board.







 Resolved, that George Loyall, Esq., now a member



of this Board, appointed on the resignation of



Robert B. Taylor, be added to the committee for



settlement of the bursar's and proctor's accounts,



with authority to the committee to act singly or



together, as convenience may admit.







  The following report was then agreed to :







  To the president and directors of the Literary



Fund:







  In obedience to the act of the general assembly



of Virginia, requiring that the rector and Visitors



of the University of Virginia, should make report



annually to the president and directors of the



Literary Fund (to be laid before the legislature



at their next succeeding session), embracing a full



account of the disbursements, the funds on hand,



and a general statement of the conditions of the



University, the said rector and Visitors make the



following report :







  The Visitors, considering as the law of their



duty the report of the commissioners of 1818



which was made to the legislature, and acted on



by them, from time to time subsequently, have



completed all the buildings proposed by that report,



except one; that is to say, ten distinct houses or



pavilions containing each a lecturing room, with



generally four other apartments for the accommo-



dation of a professor and his family, and with a

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    411







garden and the requisite family offices; six hotels



for dieting the students, with a single room in each



for a refectory, and two rooms, a garden and offices



for the tenant; and a hundred and nine dormitories,



sufficient each for the accommodation of two stu-



dents, arranged in four distinct rows between the



pavilions and hotels, and united with them by



covered ways ; which buildings are all in readiness



for occupation, except that there is still some



plastering to be done, now in hand, which will



be finished early in the present season, the gardens,



grounds and garden walls to be completed, and



some columns awaiting their capitals not yet received



from Italy. These buildings are mostly paid for



by the moneys which have been received, and it



is still expected they would be completely so by the



subscriptions due, were they in hand. But the



slowness of their collection will render it necessary



to make good their deficiencies, in the first instance,



out of the annuity of the ensuing years, to be



replaced to that fund again by the subscriptions



as they come in.







 The remaining building, necessary to complete



the whole establishment, and called for by the



report of 1818, which was to contain rooms for



religious worship, for public examinations,€for a



library, and for other associated purposes, is not



yet begun for want of funds. It was estimated



heretofore by the proctor, according to the prices



which the other buildings have actually cost, at

















412        Jefferson's Works







the sum of 46,847 dollars. The Visitors, from the



beginning, have considered it as indispensable to



complete all the buildings before opening the



institution; because, from the moment that shall



be opened, the whole income of the University



will be absorbed by the salaries of the professors,



and other incidentals and current expenses, and



nothing will remain to erect any building still



wanting to complete the system. They are still



of opinion, therefore, that it is better to postpone



for a while, the commencement of the institution,



and then to open it in full and complete system,



than to begin prematurely in an unfinished state,



and go on, perhaps forever, on the contracted scale



of local academies, utterly inadequate to the great



purposes which the report of 1818 and the legis-



lature have hitherto had in contemplation. They



believe that, in that imperfect state, it will offer



little allurement to other than neighboring students,



and that professors of the first eminence in their



respective 'lines of science, will not be induced to



attach their reputations to an institution, defective



in its outset, and offering no pledge of rising to



future distinction. Yet the Visitors consider the



procuring such characters (and it will certainly be



their aim) as the peculiar feature which is to give



reputation and value to the institution, and to



constitute its desirable and important attraction.



But the present state of the funds renders the



prospect of finishing the last building indefinitely

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    413







distant. The interest of the sums advanced to



the institution now absorbs nearly half its income.



A suspension of interest indeed, for three or four



years, would give time for erecting the building



with the established annuity; but subsequent repay-



ment of the principal from that annuity would



remove the opening of the institution to a very



remote period.







  On this view of the condition of the University,



the Visitors think it their duty to state, if the



legislature shall be of opinion that the sums advanced



to the University, in the name of loans, from the



general fund for education, have been applied to



their legitimate object, and shall think proper to



liberate the annuity from their reimbursement, it



will suffice in three or four years to complete the



last building, and the institution may be opened



at the end of that term. And further, that if the



requisite sum can be supplied from the same or



any other fund, then the University may be put



into as full operation as its income will admit, in



the course of the year ensuing the present date,



and while the remaining building will be proceeding



on such supplementary fund. This, however, or



whatever else their wisdom may desire, is subject



to their discretion to which the Visitors will in



duty conform:







  In the same report of the commissioners of 1818



it was stated by them that "in conformity with



the principles of constitution, which place all sects

















414        Jefferson's Works







of religion on an equal footing, with the jealousies



of the different sects, in guarding that equality



from encroachment or surprise, and with the senti-



ments of the legislature in freedom of religion,



manifested on former occasions, they had not pro-



posed that any professorship of divinity should be



established in the University; that provision, how-



ever, was made for giving instruction in the Hebrew,



Greek and Latin languages, the depositories of the



originals, and of the earliest and most respected



authorities of the faith of every sect, and for courses



of ethical lectures, developing those moral obliga-



tions in which all sects agree. That, proceeding



thus far, without offence to the constitution, they



had left, at this point, to every sect to take into



their own hands the office of further instruction



in the peculiar tenet of each. "







  It was not, however, to be understood that



instruction in religious opinion and duties was



meant to be precluded by the public authorities,



as indifferent to the interests of society. On the



contrary, the relations which exist between man



and his Maker, and the duties resulting from



those relations, are the most interesting and import-



ant to every human being, and the most incumbent



on his study and investigation. The want of



instruction in the various creeds of religious faith



existing among our citizens presents, therefore, a



chasm in a general institution of the useful sciences.



But it was thought that this want, and the entrust-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     415







ment to each society of instruction in its own



doctrine, were evils of less danger than a permission



to the public authorities to dictate modes or prin-



ciples of religious instruction, or than opportunities



furnished them by giving countenance or ascend-



ancy to any one sect over another. A remedy, how-



ever, has been suggested of promising aspect,



which, while it excludes the public authorities



from the domain of religious freedom, will give to'



the sectarian schools of divinity the full benefit



the public provisions made for instruction in the



other branches of science. These branches are



equally necessary to the divine as to the other



professional or civil characters, to enable them to



fulfill the duties of their calling with understanding



and usefulness. It has, therefore, been in con-



templation, and suggested by some pious individuals,



who perceive the advantages of associating other



studies with those of religion, to establish their



religious schools on the confines of the University,



so as to give to their students ready and convenient



access and attendance on the scientific lectures of



the University; and to maintain, by that means,



those destined for the religious professions on as



high a standing of science, and of personal weight



and respectability, as may be obtained by others



from the benefits of the University: Such establish-



ments would offer the further and greater advantage



of enabling the students of the University to attend



religious exercises with the professor of their par-

















416        Jefferson's Works







ticular sect, either in the rooms of the building



still to be erected, and destined to that purpose



under impartial regulations, as proposed in the



same report of the commissioners, or in the lecturing



room of such professor. To such propositions the



Visitors are disposed to lend a willing ear, and



would think it their duty to give every encourage-



ment, by assuring to those 'who might choose such



a location for their schools, that the regulations



of the University should be so modified and accom-



modated as to give every facility of access and



attendance to their students, with such regulated



use also as may be permitted to the other students,



of the library which may hereafter be acquired,



either by public or private munificence. But always



understanding that these schools shall be indepen-



dent of the University and of each other. Such



an arrangement would complete the circle of the



useful sciences embraced by this institution, and



would fill the chasm now existing, on principles



which would leave inviolate the constitutional



freedom of religion, the most inalienable and sacred



of all human rights, over which the people and



authorities of this state, individually and publicly,



have ever manifested the most watchful jealousy:



and could this jealousy be now alarmed, in the



opinion of the legislature, by what is here suggested,



the idea will be relinquished on any surmise of



disapprobation which they might think proper to



express.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts   417







  A committee of the Board was duly appointed



to settle finally the accounts of all receipts and



disbursements, from the commencement of the



Central College to the entire completion of the



four ranges of buildings of the University. They



found it necessary to employ a skillful accountant



to make up a complete set of books, in regular



form, wherein all the accounts, general and par-



ticular, should be stated, so as that every dollar



might be traced from its receipt to its ultimate



expenditure, and the clearest view be thus exhibited



of the faithful application of the moneys placed



under the direction of the Board. This work has



taken more time than expected; and although



considerably advanced is not entirely completed.



Until its completion, however, the committee cannot



proceed on the final settlement with which they



are charged. The bursar's accounts for the year



preceding this date are rendered herewith; as are



also the proctor's for the first six months; but his



books and papers being necessarily in the hands



of the accountant, his account for the last year



could not as yet be prepared. The settlement by



the committee, when made, will be transmitted as



a supplementary document, to the Literary Board,



as well as for its regular audit by their accountant,



as to be laid before the legislature.







 And the Board adjourned without day.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, ReCtOr.







 October 7,  1822.







  VOL. XIX-27

















418        Jefferson's Works







           Monticello, December 23, 1822.







  SIR,-According to the requisitions of the laws



I now transmit to the president and directors of



the Literary Fund, for communication to the



legislature, the annual report of the Visitors of



the University of Virginia, bearing date the 7th



of October last. At that date the regular books



were not yet completed which were under prepa-



ration for the purpose of exhibiting a clear and



methodical view of the application of all the moneys



which have been received and employed on this



institution. From the best view which, before



that time had been taken of the affairs of the Uni-



versity it was expected, as is stated in this report,



that the buildings now prepared would be com-



pletely paid for by the subscription.s still due.



These books have been since completed, and the



result (as appears by the certificates herewith



enclosed) is that the institution has received from



the beginning :



To the 23d of the last month, in the whole, and from







  all funds, the sum of...........................$199,149.98 1/2



And is still to receive of subscriptions unpaid     18,343.43 1/2







                                                  $217,503.42



That there has been paid, within the same period for



the purposes of the institution, the sum of,      $199,159.98 1/2



And there remains to be paid debts, settled and un-



settled about.......................................27,001.63



                                                  $226,161.61 1/2



Being more than the arrearages of subscription will



pay by,.                                          $8,658.19 1/2

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     419







which sum must, therefore, necessarily come from



the annuity of the ensuing year. Some finishings,



of small amount, to the garden walls and pave-



ments also are still wanting, and there will be some



loss of subscriptions by bankruptcies and removals,



though not considerable in proportion to the whole



sum subscribed. A collector, employed some time



since, gives reason to believe that the arrearages



which are separate will be generally paid up in



the course of the ensuing spring.







  The accounts of the bursar and proctor have



been examined, from the beginning to the same



date of November 23d, by a member of the Board



of Visitors appointed a committee for that purpose,



have been tested by their vouchers, and the result



certified in the books by the committee, as is shown



by the certificates, copies of which accompany



this report. From this it will appear that, in a



course of so great expenditure, every article (a



single one excepted of seventy-five cents only) has



been satisfactorily vouched as faithfully applied to



the purposes of the institution, with the sanction



of the Visitors. The bursar and proctor will pro-



ceed without delay, with their accounts and vouchers,



to settle with the public accountant the trust which



they have so far and so correctly executed. The



proctor's last semi-annual account, not ready at



the date of the report, is now transmitted.







  An estimate made by the proctor at an early



period, supposed that the last building called for

















420        Jefferson's Works







by the report of 1818 and not yet executed, would



probably cost the sum of 46,847 dollars,but this



did not include two considerable appendages neces-



sary to connect it with the other buildings. An



estimate including these, now recently made by



the principal undertakers and executors of the



other buildings, raises its amount to about one-



third more.







  It is by instruction from the Visitors that I com-



municate facts which, resulting from investigation



not concluded at the date of their report, and



consequently not known to them, constitute an



important supplement to the matter of their report,



to which I add the assurance of my high con-



sideration.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.







  A meeting of the rector and Visitors of the Uni-



versity of Virginia was held at the University on



7th April, 1823, at which were present, Thomas



Jefferson, James Madison, Chapman Johnson, George



Loyall and Joseph C. Cabell.







  It was resolved, that the loan of sixty thousand



dollars, which the president and directors of the



Literary Fund were authorized by an act of the



last general assembly to make to the University, be



accepted, and that the rector be authorized to



execute the proper bonds, and to take the necessary



steps for drawing the money, and that it be drawn





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    421







in the following time and sums: that is to say,



thirty thousand dollars immediately, and the remain-



ing thirty thousand dollars on the first day of



January next; or in such other sums, and at such



other times, as the president and directors of the



Literary Fund and the executive committee of the



University may agree upon.







  It was resolved that the charges of Mr. Coffee



for materials, packages, etc., be all.owed him.







 An anonymous letter, supposed to be in the hand-



writing of James Oldham, a carpenter, formerly



employed at the University, which bears date 18



January, 1822 (by error as is supposed for 1823),



and addressed to Thomas Griffin, Esq., a member



of the legislature of Virginia, containing various



charges, of misconduct, against Arthur S. Brocken-



brough, the proctor of the University, having been



laid before the Board by the said Brockenbrough,



and the Board thinking that if the said James



Oldham will avow himself the author of this letter,



and profess himself willing to afford any evidence



of these charges, they ought to be investigated.







  Therefore, resolved, that the executive committee



be charged with the duty of calling on the said



Oldham, to declare whether he is the author of the



letter aforesaid, and is willing to give any informa-



tion as to the charges therein mentioned, and if



he avow himself the author, and willing to give



the information, then that they enter into the



investigation thereof, upon evidence taken in such

















422        Jefferson's Works







mode as they may prescribe, and report thereon



to this Board at their next meeting







  Resolved, that the executive committee be author-



ized and required to employ from time to time



an accountant, to settle and state the accounts of



the University and to report thereon to the Board,



at each meeting, and that they allow to the said



accountant a reasonable compensation for his



service.







  Resolved, that Joseph C. Cabell and John H.



Cocke, or either of whom may act, be appointed



a committee to settle and report to the Board the



accounts of the bursar and proctor of the Univer-



sity, with authority, if they deem it expedient, to '



require a statement thereof by the accountant.







  The Board adjourns indefinitely.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.







  April 7, 1823.







  A meeting of the rector and Visitors of the Uni-



versity of Virginia was held at the University on



the 6th October., 1823, at which were present



Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Brecken-



ridge, John H. Cocke, George Loyall and Joseph C.



Cabell.







  Resolved, that the Board approves of the con-



tract entered into with Giacomo Raggi, for furnish-



ing bases of marble of Cararra for the columns of



the rotunda.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    423







  Resolved, that they recommend to the executive



committee to procure capitals of the same marble



for the same columns if practicable, on terms not



higher than those offered by Thos. Appleton.







  Resolved, that they recommend also to the said



committee to procure squares of marble for paving



the portico of the rotunda, if they find that it can



be done on terms preferable to what it will cost



to have the same paved with country stone.







  Resolved, that it be an instruction to the collector



of the University to call once more on the sub-



scribers who are in arrear, for the payment of



their arrears, that from those not ready to make



payment, he may receive, instead thereof, bonds or



notes from those who have nc,t already given



them, payable in ninety days; and if these be not



given, that he institute suits in the proper court



with instructions to the attorney engaged to press



the suits to execution with the least delay practicable.







  Resolved, that the Board think it expedient to



continue the collector so long as the executive



committee may deem his employment necessary



to finish the collection.







 A report to the president and directors of the



Literary Fund having been proposed, was agreed to.







                         TH. JEFFERSON.







 October 6, I 8 z 3.

















424        Jefferson's Works







 To the president and directors of the Literary



Fund :







 In obedience to the law requiring that the rector



and Visitors of the University of Virginia should



make report annually to the president and directors



of the Literary Fund (to be laid before the legis-



lature at their next succeeding session), embracing



a full account of the disbursements, the funds on



hand, and a general statement of the condition of



the said University, the said rector and Visitors



make the following report :







 In conformity with the act of the general assembly



of February 5 of the present year, requiring that,



out of the invested capital then lying in the Literary



Fund, there should be loaned, by the president and



directors of the said fund, to the rector and Visitors



of the University of Virginia, for the purpose of



completing the buildings, and making the necessary



preparations for putting the said University into



operation, any sum required by the said rector and



Visitors, not exceeding that of 6o,000 dollars; the



Visitors at their meeting on the 7th of April last,



deemed it necessary for the institution to require



the whole of the said sum, but that it should be



drawn in different portions and at different times,



as it should be wanting, so far as the Literary



Board should think advisable. There was accord-



ingly received, by an order of the said Board, in



the month of May last, a sum of forty thousand



dollars. * * * * * * * in consequence hereof the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     425







larger. building, for a library an.d other purposes



was commenced and has been carried on with



activity, insomuch that its walls are now ready



to receive their roof; but that being of hemispher-



ical form and pressing outwardly in every direction,



it has been thought not advisable to place it on



the walls in their present green state, but rather



to give them time to settle and dry until the ensuing



season, when the roof will be ready, and the walls



in a proper condition to receive it. Whether the



interior work of the building will be finished within



the ensuing year is doubtful.







 The report of the 7th of October of the last year



stated that the buildings for the accommodation



of the professors and students were in readiness for



occupation, except as to small articles of plaster-



ing then on hand, the garden walls and grounds,



and some columns which awaited their capitals



from abroad. These finishings are done, the capitals



are received and put up; and the whole of these



buildings are now in perfect readiness for putting



the institution into operation. . And this might be



done (taking reasonable time for procuring pro-



fessors) at the close of the ensuing year, 1824



were its funds liberated from their present incum-



brances; but these remove the epoch to a very



distant time. The several sums advanced from



the Literary Fund as. loans, when the balance of



the last shall have been received, will amount to



180,000 dollars, bearing a present interest of 10,800

















426        Jefferson's Works







dollars. This, with the cost of the necessary care



and preservation of the establishment will leave,



of the annual endowment of the University, a sur-



plus of between two and three thousand dollars



only, with its compound increase for the redemption



of the principal. This being as before mentioned,



of 180,000 dollars, will be extinguished by the



annual payment of a constant sum of z, 5oo dollars



at the end of twenty-five years, a term too distant



for the education of any person already born, or



to be born for some time to come; and within



that period a great expense will be incurred in the



mere preservation of the buildings and appurte-



nances. These are views which it is the duty of



the Visitors to present, and to leave to the wisdom



and paternal consideration of the legislature, to



whose care are confided the instruction, and other



interests of the present, as well as of the future



generations proceeding from us.







 That report, with the letter of the 23d accom-



panying it, stated also that the buildings of accom-



modation for the professors and students were so



far paid for as that the arrearages of subscriptions



still due being 18,343 dollars 43.5 cents would,



when received, complete their payment to within



€he sum of 8,658 dollars 19.5 cents. While there



were other funds to which present recourse could



be had, it had been deemed reasonable to indulge



the convenience of such subscribers as found diffi-



culties in paying their installments rigorously at

















        Supplementary Manuscripts 427







the periods prescribed. But that the arrears having



then become urgently necessary, an active collector



had been employed to settle and call for them. In



the course of the year he has collected, of these



arrearages, the sum of 4,525 dollars 77.5 cents ;



he has obtained bonds or promises, verbal or written,



for prompt payment, deemed good, to the amount



of 10,107 dollars 93.75 cents; and as to the remainder,



some of the subscribers have not yet been called



on, some have removed out of the State, and some



become insolvent; of this remainder, he considers



932 dollars 25 cents sperate, and the residue,



between 2,500 and 2,600 dollars as desperate ;



which on 43,508 dollars, the whole sum subscribed,



will be an ultimate loss of nearly 6 per cent. This



will so far increase the deficit of 8,658.19.5 before



stated as falling short of paying for the four rows



of buildings, and so far add to the charge on the



funds on hand or still to accrue. This state of



things obliges a call for peremptory and prompt



payment of these arrearages, which cannot be



thought unreasonable by the subscribers who have



been so far indulged already, when it is considered



that these works were engaged on the faith of the



sums subscribed, so far as their amount, that those



who undertook them have accordingly executed



them, and are now justly entitled to the com-



pensation stipulated. We trust, therefore, that,



in the course of the ensuing twelve months, these



arrearages will be paid up, except such as inter-

















428        Jefferson's Works







vening circumstances may have rendered desperate.



A general statement of the receipts and expendi-



tures, from all funds and for all purposes, from the



beginning of the establishment to the 1st of October



of the last year, was communicated for the legis-



lature, at their last session. Those of the bursar



and proctor, for the year ending the 1st day of



this present October are herewith rendered. They



have been duly settled; and tested by their vouchers,



by the same accountant and committee employed



on the former occasion, and will be duly submitted



by those officers, for audit by the accountant of



the Literary Board.







               '         TH. JEFFERSON.







  October 6, I 8 z 3.







  At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia, held at the said University on Monday,



the 5th day of April, 1824; as prescribed by the



Governor of the Commonwealth; present, James



Madison, Chapman Johnson, John H. Cocke and



Thomas Jefferson.







  On a view of the commissions produced, and of



a letter from the Governor, dated the 1st of March



last past, it appears that Thomas Jefferson, James



Madison, Chapman Johnson, Joseph C. Cabell,



George Loyall, James Breckenridge and John H.



Cocke were on the same 1st day of the said month



of March appointed by the Governor, with advice



of counsel, Visitors of the said University.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    429







  The Board proceeded to the appointment of a



rector, and Thomas Jefferson was appointed; and



being of opinion that the other officers of the insti-



tution continue in office of course, they deem



reappointment unnecessary.







  The legislature, at their late session, having



released to the University the payment of interest



on the sum of 180,000 dollars, advanced by the



Literary Fund for the accomplishment of its build-



ings, with the view that the institution may be



brought into operation with as little delay as



practicable, the Board now proceeds to take such



preparatory measures as can be taken at this time,



to carry that view into effect.







  From accounts and estimates now rendered by



the bursar and proctor, it appears that, on the



last day of the preceding year, 1823, the funds



of the University in hand and due of the last loan,



and of the arrearages of subscriptions, would be



sufficient, when received, to pay all debts then



existing on any account, and to leave a sum of



about 21,000 dollars applicable to the building of



the rotunda, which, with the further sum of 19,370



dollars 40.5 cents already paid or provided for,



making together the sum of about 40,500 dollars



applied, or which may be applied, to that edifice,



would put it into a state sufficient for use, until



other and more pressing objects shall have been



accomplished.







 They consider the University, therefore, as having

















430        Jefferson's Works







had in hand on the 1st day of this present year,



1824, the annuity of this year, clear of all prior



claims, as a fund for defraying the current expenses



of the institution 'for the present year, for meeting



those necessary for procuring professors, for bringing



them into place, for paying any commencements



of salaries which may be incurred to the end of



the year, and to leave a surplus for contingencies



of about 3,000 dollars. '







 They calculate that in future years, in addition



to the annuity of 25,000 dollars, they may count



on the rents of six hotels at 150 dollars each, of



100 dormitories at sixteen dollars each, of nine



others smaller at twelve dollars each, and an addi-



tional rent from 218 students at twelve dollars



each, for their participation in the use of the public



apartments; making a total income of 21,224



dollars.







 They are of opinion that to obtain professors



of the first order of science in their respective lines,



they must resort principally to Europe; and that



persons of eminence may not be expected to leave



a known for an untried situation, but on certain



salaries in addition to liberal tuition fees.







 On this view of their future funds, it is evident



that they will not be adequate to the full establish-



ment of the ten professorships contemplated by the



legislature i n their act of January 25, 1819, for



establishing the University.







 It is their opinion, however, that they may,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    431







on that income, adventure on the establishment



of eight professorships, either immediately, or at



a period not distant; and that the branches of



science proposed to be taught in the University



may be arranged within the competence of that



number for a time, and until future and favorable



circumstances may enable them to add others to



lighten duly the professorships thus overcharged



with duties.







 That to be ensured of obtaining characters of



the due degree of science, of talents for instruction,



and of correct habits and morals, a special agent



be sent to Europe, and of preference to the countries



there using our own language, to make the selection,



under necessary instructions, caution. and advise-



ment, and to counsel and effect their passage to



this country and to the University.







  That the agent be instructed to procure them



for such compensation, within the limits herein



prescribed, as he shall find practicable and deem



right; that he offer to each a fixed salary, not less



than I ,000 nor more than 1,500 dollars a year



with the privilege of receiving th.e tuition fees



required from the students by the regulations of



this Board, and that he be authorized, if he find



it expedient, to assure to each, or any of them,



that his salary, together with his fees, shall not



be less annually, for five years, than the sum of



2,5oo dollars; and that though the Board of Visitors



retain the power of regulating the tuition fees from

















432        Jefferson's Works







time to time, as circumstances may require, they



will not reduce them below the rate now fixed at



any time within five years, without the consent



of the professor to be affected by such reduction,



and at no time thereafter without strong consid-



eration connected with the prosperity of the



institution.







  That a sum of 2,000 dollars be placed in Great



Britain subject to his orders, for such advances as



may be necessary to the professors on account of



salaries; which salaries may commence on the 1st



day of October, or on whatever later day they



may embark for their destination.







  That a further sum of 6,000 dollars be placed



in like manner for the purchase of such chemical,



astronomical, physical and mathematical apparatus,



and for such text books, as on consultation with



the representative professors, each for his depart-



ment, shall be deemed indispensable for a beginning,



and not exceeding in the whole the sum so placed







  That the sum of 1,500 dollars be allowed and



advanced to the agent in full of all compensation



for his expenses and services on this mission.







  Resolved, that Francis Walker Gilmer be appointed



agent for the purposes aforesaid; that he proceed



on the mission with as little delay as possible,



and that he use his best diligence to have the pro-



fessors in place by the middle of November next,



that there be time for announcing sufficiently, and



on certain grounds, the commencement of the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    433







institution on the 1st day of February following.,



That, if the moneys destined for these advances



be not in hand, to save time and disappointment,



they be borrowed by the executive committee on



the credit of the University, from any bank body,



or individual, whatever, to be replaced by the said



moneys when received.







 And inasmuch as it is necessary for the infor-



mation of the agents, now to specify the sciences



to be taught, and their distribution among the



professorships, and it may be satisfactory to the



professors also to know what their general situation



in the University will be, what and on whom their



dependence will be, and the duties expected from



them, the Board proceeds to the following enact-



ments; adjourning, however, for the present until



to-morrow.







 Tuesday, April 6th a constant and heavy rain



prevented the meeting of the Board.







                 Wednesday, April 7, 1824.







 Joseph C. Cabell attended with the members



present on Monday. In the University of Virginia



shall be instituted eight professorships, to wit : 1st, of



ancient' languages ; 2d, modern languages ; 3d, mathe-



matics ; 4th, natural philosophy ; 5th, natural history ;



6th, anatomy and medicine; 7th, moral philosophy;



8th, law.







   VOL. XIX-2$

















434        Jefferson's Works







 In the school of ancient languages shall be



taught the higher grade of the Latin and Greek



languages, the Hebrew, rhetoric, belles-lettres,



ancient history and ancient geography.







  In the school of modern languages shall be taught



French, Spanish, Italian,. German and the English



language in its Anglo-Saxon for m ; also modern



history and modern geography.







  In the school of mathematics shall be taught



mathematics generally including the high branches



of numerical arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, plane



and spherical geometry, mensuration, navigation,



conic sections, fluxions or differentials, military and



civil architecture.







 In the school of natural philosophy shall be taught



the laws and properties of bodies generally, including



mechanics, statics, hydrostatics, hydraulics, pneu-



matics, acoustics, optics and astronomy.







  In the school of natural history shall be taught



botany, zoology, mineralogy, chemistry, geology and



rural economy.







  In the school of anatomy and medicine shall be



taught anatomy, surgery, the history of the progress



and theories of medicine, physiology, pathology,



materia medica and pharmacy.







  In the school of moral philosophy shall be taught



mental science generally, including ideology, general



grammar, logic and ethics.







  In the school of law shall be taught the common



and statute law, that of the chancery, the laws

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     435







feudal, civil, mercatorial, maritime and of nature



and nations; and also the principles of government



and political economy.







  This arrangement, however, shall not be under-



stood as forbidding occasional transpositions of a



particular branch of science from one school to



another in accommodation of the particular quali-



fications of different professors.







  In each of these schools instruction shall be



communicated by lessons or lectures, examinations



and exercises, as shall be best adapted to the nature



of ' the science, and number of the school ; and



exercises shall be prescribed to employ the vacant



days and hours.







  The professors shall be permitted to occupy, rent



free, a pavilion each, with the grounds appropriated



to it. They shall also receive from the funds of



the University such compensation as shall have



been stipulated by the agent or fixed by the Board;



and from each student attending them tuition fees



as hereinafter declared.







  The professors shall permit no waste to be com-



mitted in their tenements, and shall maintain the



internal of their pavilions, and also the windows,



doors and locks external during their occupation,



in as good repair and condition as they shall have



received them.







  The collegiate duties of a professor, if discharged



conscientiously, with industry and zeal, being suf-



ficient to engross all his hours of business. he shall

















436        Jefferson's Works







engage in no other pursuits of emolument uncon-



nected with the service of the University without



the consent of the Visitors.







  Every student shall pay to the professor whom



he attends, if he attends but one, fifty dollars the



session of ten months and a half; if two, thirty



dollars each, if three or more, twenty-five dollars



each-and these payments shall be made in advance,



and before his admission into the school. And



they shall maintain their dormitories in the con-



dition in which they shall receive them in like



manner as is required of the professors. The proc-



tor shall in duty attend in both cases to the obser-



vance of this requisition.







 Although, as before expressed, the Board is in



the expectation that they may be able, either



immediately or at no distant period, to establish



eight professorships; yet some uncertainties in the



state of their funds, and other considerations render



it prudent, for the present, to establish seven only;



and the school of anatomy being that which it



will be most expedient to postpone, they instruct



their agent accordingly to make no engagement



for an anatomical professor, or a provisional one



only, subject to the future determination of the



Board. They deem it also expedient that pro-



fessors of law and moral philosophy shall be taken



from among the citizens of the United States.







  Considering as satisfactory the qualifications and



character of George Blaettermann, of the city of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    437







London, recommended to them as professor of



modern languages, the agent is authorized to



engage him for that professorship, unless circum-



stances unknown to this Board should, in his judg-



ment, furnish cause to decline that engagement,



and to proceed to procure one who may merit



more unexceptionably the approbation of the Board.







 The Board then proceeded to the appointment



of a professor, and Francis Walker Gilmer was



appointed to the professor of law, or of moral



philosophy, at his election, to be signified to the



rector.







 The executive committee are authorized to appoint



a collector of the arrears of subscriptions, and are



required to take measures as may be necessary to



effect a speedy collection.







 An act of the last assembly having appropriated



to the University, for the purchase of a library



and apparatus, the sum of 50,000 dollars out of



the first moneys that may be received from the



government of the United States on account of



the claim of this Commonwealth for advances and



expenditures during the late war, having also



authorized a contingent loan to that amount, by



board of public works, on the credit of the appro-



priation so made, and it being proper to provide



for the receipt and disposal of this money, and



for 'the negotiations of the authorized loan to such



extent as may be advisable, the Board doth there-



fore, resolve :

















438        Jefferson's Works







 First, that as soon as the money so appropriated,



or any part thereof, shall be payable, it be paid



to the bursar of the University, or to his order;



that so much thereof as may be required by the



executive committee, not exceeding 20,000 dollars,



be placed by him in Europe under the control of



the agent hereby deputed to that country, to be



employed in the purchase of such books and appa-



ratus as may be deemed most useful for the com-



mencement of the several schools in the University ;



and the balance of the money which may be received



by the bursar be deposited in bank, subject to the



future orders of the Board.







  Secondly, that the executive committee be author-



ized, if they deem it expedient, in anticipation of



the money to be received from the General Govern-



ment, to negotiate a loan with the board of public



works for any sum not exceeding that hereby



directed to be placed under the control of the agent



in Europe ; and to pledge the money so to be received



from the General Government for the payment of



the interest and refunding the principal of the loan ;



and any money so borrowed by the executive com-



mittee shall be placed under the control of the



agent in Europe, in lieu of that mentioned in the



first resolution, and for the purpose therein specified.







  And the Board adjourned without day.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts   439







  At a meeting of the Visitors of the University,



at the University, on Monday the 4th of October,



1824, at which were present, Thomas Jefferson,



James Madison, James Breckenridge, John H. Cocke,



George Loyall and Joseph C. Cabell.







  Resolved, that the Board ratify two purchases



of land in front of the rotunda, purchased of Daniel



A. Piper and Mary A. F., his wife.







  Resolved, that permission be given to Francis W.



Gilmer, now on his mission to Great Britain for



the purpose of engaging professors for the Univer-



sity, to use for his expenses six or seven hundred



dollars of the 6,000 dollars put into his hands for



the purchase of books and apparatus.







 Resolved, that it is the opinion of the Board



that if the arrearages of subscriptions should not



be sufficient to pay for the articles of marble con-



tracted for in Italy, it will be proper to supply the



deficiency from the annuity of the year 1825.







 Resolved, that the bursar be authorized to enter



into negotiations with any one of the banks for



the purpose of procuring an advance of the separate



part of the arrears of subscriptions, with an under-



standing that the University shall not be called on



for the reimbursement of the moneys till such time



as they shall be paid by the subscribers, or within



such other times as shall be reasonable.







 Resolved, that the rent for the hotels be fixed



at 200 dollars per annum.







 The Board then proceeded to consider of the

















440        Jefferson's Works







regulations necessary for constituting, governing



and conducting the institution in addition to those



passed at their last session, agreed to the following



supplementary enactments :







  Each of the schools of the University shall be



held two hours of every other day of the week;



and that every student may be enabled to attend



those of his choice, let their sessions be so arranged,



as to days and hours, that no two of them shall



be holden at the same time. Therefore,







 The school of ancient languages shall occupy



from 7.3o to 9.3o a. m., on Mondays, Wednesdays



and Fridays.







  That of modern languages shall occupy the same



hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.







  That of mathematics shall occupy from 9.3o to



11.30 a. m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.







 That of natural philosophy the same hours on



Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.







 That of natural history shall occupy from 11.30



a. m. to I.3o p. m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and



Fridays.







 That of anatomy and medicine the same hours



on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.







 That of moral philosophy shall occupy from I. 3o



to 3.3o p. m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.







  That of law the same hours on Tuesdays, Thurs-



days and Saturdays.







  The Visitors of the University shall be free,



severally or together, to attend occasionally any

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    441







school, during its session, as inspectors and judges



of the mode in which it is conducted.







   Wherein the instruction is by lessons, and the



class too numerous for a single instructor, assistant



tutors may be employed, to be chosen by the



professor, to have the use of two adjacent dormi-



tories each, rent free, and to divide with the pro-



fessor the tuition fees, as shall be agreed between them.







  The professors, tutors and all officers of the



University shall reside constantly in the apart-



ments of the University, or of its precincts, assigned



to them.







 At a meeting of the faculty .of professors, on



matters within their functions, one of them shall



preside, by rotation, for the term of one year each.



A majority of the members shall make a quorum



for business. They may appoint a secretary of



their own body, or otherwise, who shall keep a



journal of their proceedings, and lay the same



before the Board of Visitors at their first ensuing



meeting, and whenever else required. The com-



pensation for such secretary shall be fifty dollars



yearly, payable from the funds of the University.







 Meetings of the faculty may be called by the



presiding member of the year, or by any three of



the professors, to be held in an apartment of the



rotunda, and the object of the call shall be expressed



in the written notification to be served by the



janitor. But when assembled, other business also



may be transacted.

















442        Jefferson's Works







 The faculty may appoint a janitor, who  shall



attend its meetings, and the meetings of the Visitors,



and shall perform necessary menial offices for them,



for which he shall receive 150 dollars yearly from



the funds of the University, and be furnished with



a lodging room.







 No student is to be received under sixteen years



of age, rigorously proved. None to be admitted



into the mathematical school, or chat of natural



philosophy, who is not an adept in all the branches



of numerical arithmetic; and none into the school



of ancient languages, unless qualified, in the



judgment of the professor, to commence reading



the higher Latin classics; nor to receive instruction



in Greek, unless qualified in the same degree in



that language.







  No one shall enter as a student of the University,



either at the beginning or during the progress of



the session, but as for the whole session, ending



on the 15th day of December, and paying as for



the whole.







 The dormitories shall be occupied by two students



each, and no more, at fifteen dollars yearly rent,



to be paid to the proctor at or before the end of



the session, one-half by each occupant, or the whole



by one, if there be only one. And every student,



within the same term, shall pay to the proctor,



also, for the University, fifteen dollars annually



for his participation in the use of the public apart-



ments during the session.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    443







  The students shall be free to diet themselves in



any of the hotels of the University, at their choice,



or elsewhere, other than in taverns, as shall suit



themselves, but not more than fifty shall be allowed



to diet at the same hotel.







 No keeper of any of the hotels of the University



shall require or receive more than 100 dollars for



dieting any student and for performing the necessary



offices of his dormitory, during the session of ten



months and a half, nor shall suffer ardent spirits



or wine, mixed or unmixed, to be drank within



his tenement, on pain of an immediate determi-



nation of his lease, and removal by the Faculty;



nor shall any person boarding elsewhere than



with their parents, in any house, and using wine



or ardent spirits, mixed or unmixed, within such



house, or its tenement, or paying more than 120



dollars for diet, lodging, and other offices and



accommodations of the house and tenement, during



a like term, be admitted to any school of the Uni-



versity.







 Every student shall be free to attend the schools



of his choice, and no other than he chooses.







 There will be one vacation only in the year,



and that shall be from the I 5th day of December



to the last day of January.







 Examination of the candidates for honorary dis-



tinctions shall be held in the presence of all the



professors and students, in the week preceding the



commencement of the vacation. At these examina-

















444        Jefferson's Works







tions shall be given, to the highly meritorious only,



and by the vote of a majority of the professors,



diplomas, or premiums of medals or books, to be



provided by the University, to wit : Diplomas to



those of the highest qualifications, medals of more



or less value to those of the second grade of acquisi-



tion, and books of more or less value to those of



a third. These diplomas shall be of two degrees;



the highest of doctor, the second of graduate.



And the diploma of each shall express the partic-



ular school or schools in which the candidate shall



have been declared eminent, and shall be subscribed



by the particular professors approving it. But no



diploma shall be given to any one who has not



passed such an examination in the Latin language



as shall have proved him able to read the highest



classics in that language with ease, thorough under-



standing and just quantity; and if he be also a



proficient in the Greek, let that, too, be stated in



his diploma. The intention being that the repu-



tation of the University shall not be committed



but to those who, to an eminence in some one or



more of the sciences taught in it, add a proficiency



in these languages which constitute the basis of



good education, and are indispensable to fill up the



character of a "well-educated man."







  Punishment for major offences shall be expulsion,



temporary suspension, or interdiction of residence



or appearance within the precincts of the Univer-



sity. The minor punishment shall be restraint

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    445







within those precincts, within their own chamber,



or in diet, reproof by a professor, privately or in



presence of the school of the offender, or of all



the schools, a seat of degradation in his school-room



of longer or shorter duration, removal to a lower



class, dismission from the school-room for the day,



imposition of a task; and insubordination to these



sentences shall be deemed and punished as con-



tumacy.







 Contumacy shall be liable to any of the minor



punishments.







 The precincts of the University are to be under-



stood as co-extensive with the lot or parcel of its



own grounds on which it is situated.







 The major punishments of expulsion from the



University, temporary suspension of attendance and



presence there, or interdiction of residence or appear-



ance within its precincts, shall be decreed by the



professors themselves. Minor cases may be referred



to a board of six censors, to be named by the faculty,



from the most discreet of the students, whose duty



it shall be, sitting as a board, to inquire into the



facts, propose the minor punishment which they



think proportioned to the offence, and to make



report thereof to the professors for their appro-



bation, or their commutation of the penalty, if it



be beyond the grade of the offence. The censors



shall hold their offices until the end of the session



of their appointment, if not sooner revoked by the



faculty.

















446        Jefferson's Works







  In attendance on school, inattention to the exer-



cises prescribed, and misbehavior or indecorum in



school shall be subject to any of the minor punish-



ments; and the professor of the school may singly



reprove, impose a task, or dismiss from the room



for the day.







  Habits of expense, of dissoluteness, dissipation,



or of playing at games of chance, being obstructive



to the acquisition of science by the student himself



and injurious by example to others, shall be subject



in the first instance to admonition and reproof to



the offender, and to communication and warning to



the parent or guardian, and, if not satisfactorily



corrected, to a refusal of further continuance at the



University.







  No student shall make any festive entertainment



within the precincts of the University, nor contri-



bute or be present at them, there or elsewhere, but



with the consent of each of the professors whose



school he attends, on pain of a minor punishment.







  No student shall admit any disturbing noises in



his room, or make them anywhere within the pre-



cincts of the University, or fire a gun or pistol



within the same, on pain of such minor sentence



as the faculty shall decree or approve. But the



proper use of musical instruments shall be freely



allowed in their rooms, and in that appropriated



for instruction in music.







  Riotous, disorderly, intemperate or indecent con-



duct of any student within the precincts shall be





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    447







punished by interdiction of a residence within the



precincts ; and repetitions of such offences, by expul-



sion from the University.







  Fighting with weapons which may inflict death,



or a challenge to such fight, given or accepted,



shall be punished by instant expulsion from the



University, not remissible by the Faculty; and it



shall be the duty of the proctor to give information



thereof to the civil magistrate, that the parties



may be dealt with according to law.







  Offences cognisable by the laws of the land shall



be left to the cognisance of the civil magistrate,



if claimed by him, or otherwise to the judgment



of the faculty; all others to that of the faculty.



And such of these as are not specially designated



in enactments of the Visitors may be subjected by



the faculty to any of the minor punishments per-



mitted by these enactments.







  Sentences of expulsion from the University (except



in the case of challenge or combat with arms) shall.



not be final until approved by the Board of Visitors



or, .when they are not in session, by a majority of



them, separately consulted. But residence within



the precincts, and attendance on the schools may



be suspended in the meantime.







  No student shall, within the precincts of the



University, introduce, keep or use any spirituous



or vinous liquors, keep or use weapons or arms of



any kind, or gunpowder, keep a servant, horse or



dog, appear in school with a stick, or any weapon,

















448        Jefferson's Works







nor while in school, be covered without permission



of the professor, nor use tobacco by smoking or



chewing, on pain of any of the minor punishments



at the discretion of the faculty, or of the board of



censors, approved by the faculty.







 All damages done to instruments, books, build-



ings or other property of the University by any



student, shall be made good at his expense; and



wilful injury to any tree, shrub or other plant



within the precincts, shall be punished by fine, not



exceeding ten dollars, at the discretion of the



faculty.







  When a professor knocks at the door of a student's



room, any person being within, and announces



himself, it shall be opened, on pain of minor pun-



ishment; and the professor may, if refused, have



the door broken open; and the expenses of repair



shall be levied on the student or students within.







 At the hour appointed for the meeting of every



school, the roll of the school shall be called over,



the absentees and those appearing tardily, shall be



noted, and if no sufficient cause be offered, at the



rising of the school, to the satisfaction of the pro-



fessor, the notation shall stand confirmed, and



shall be given in to the faculty, the presiding



member of which for the time being shall, on the



15th days of May, August and December, or as



soon after each of these days as may be, transmit



by mail a list of these notations to the parent or



guardian of each delinquent

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    449







 When testimony is required from a student, it



shall be voluntary, and not on oath. And the



obligation to give it shall-(if unwilling to give it,



let the moral obligation be explained and urged,



under which every one is bound to bear witness,



where wrong has been done, but finally let it) be



left to his own sense of right.l







 Should the religious sects of this State, or any



of them, according to the invitation held out to



them, establish within, or adjacent to, the precincts



of the University, schools for instruction in the



religion of their sect, the students of the University



will be free, and expected to attend religious worship



at the establishment of their respective sects, in



the morning, and in time to meet their school in



the University at its stated hour.







 The students of such religious school, if they



attend any school of the University, shall be con-



sidered as students of the University, subject to



the same regulations, and entitled to the same



rights and privileges.







 The room provided for a school-room in every



pavilion shall be used for the school of its occupant



professor, and shall be furnished by the University



with necessary benches and tables.







 The upper circular room of the rotunda shall be



reserved for a library.







 One of its larger elliptical rooms on its middle



floor shall be used for annual examinations, for







  @#(1)This altern was made by the Board March 5, 1825.







  Vol. xix-29

















450        Jefferson's Works







lectures to such schools as are too numerous fox



their ordinary school room, and for religious worship,



under the regulations allowed to be prescribed by



law. The other rooms on the same floor may be



used by schools of instruction in drawing, music,



or any other of the innocent and ornamental accom-



plishments of life; but under such instructors only



as shall be approved and licensed by the faculty.







 The rooms in the basement story of the rotunda



shall be, one of them for a chemical laboratory,



and the others for any necessary purpose to which



they may be adapted.







 The two open apartments, adjacent to the same



story of the rotunda, shall be appropriated to the



gymnastic exercises and games of the students,



among which shall be reckoned military exercises.







  A military instructor shall be provided at the



expense of the University, to be appointed by the



faculty, who shall attend on every Saturday from



half after one o 'clock to half after three p. m. , and



shall instruct the students in the manual exercise,



in field evolutions, manoeuvres and encampments.



The students shall attend these exercises, and



shall be obedient to the military orders of their



instructor. The roll shall be regularly called over



by him at the hour of meeting, absences and insub-



ordinations shall be noted, and the list of the



deliquents shall be delivered to the presiding mem-



ber of the faculty for the time being to be animad-



verted on by the faculty, and such minor punish-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     451







ment imposed as each case shall, in their discretion,



require. The school of modern languages shall be



pretermitted on the days of actual military exercise.







  Substitutes in the form of arms shall be provided



by the proctor, at the expense of the University;



they shall be distinguished by numbers, delivered



out, received in and deposited under the care and



responsibility of the instructor, in a proper deposi-



tory to be furnished him; and all injuries to them



by a student shall be repaired at the expense of



such student.







 Work-shops shall be provided, whenever con-



venient, at the expense of the University, wherein



the students who choose, may exercise themselves



in the use of tools, and such mechanical practices



as it is convenient and useful for every person to



understand, and occasionally to practice. These



shops may be let, rent free, to such skillful and



orderly mechanics as shall be approved by the



faculty, on the condition that they will permit



the use of their tools, instruments and implements,



within the shop, to such students as shall desire



and use the permission discreetly, and under a



liability for any injury they may do them; and



on the further condition, if necessary, of such



mechanics receiving instruction gratis in the mechan-



ical and philosophical principles of his art, so far



as taught in any of the schools.







  The Board then proceeded to consider the draught



of a report to be made, as required by law, to the

















452        Jefferson's Works







president and directors of the Literary Fund, and



before concluding it finally, they adjourned to



to-morrow morning.







                Tuesday, October 5th, 1824.







 The Board met pursuant to adjournment. Pre-



sent, Thomas Jefferson, James Breckenridge, John



H. Cocke and Joseph C. Cabell.







 On motion, resolved, that the proctor be author-



ized and required, after the 15th day of November



next, to lease the hotels of the University to such



persons offering, of worthy and proper character,



as he shall approve; that the lease shall not be of



a longer term than one year; and that he cause



to be inserted therein such covenants as he shall



deem necessary as to the preservation of the houses,



inclosures and appurtenances of the tenements,



and observance of the preceding regulations; and



that this be published without delay, that all



persons may have notice who may desire to apply.







 And the Board, having concluded, and agreed to



the report to be made to the president and directors



of the Literary Fund, adjourned without day.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, ReCtOr.







 October 5th, 1824.







 Which report is in the words following:







 To the president and directors of the Literary



Fund:







  In obedience to the law requiring that the rector

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    453







and Visitors of the University of Virginia should



make report annually to the president and directors



of the Literary Fund (to be laid before the legislature



at their next succeeding session), embracing a full



account of the disbursements, the funds on hand,



and a general statement of the condition of the



said University, the said rector and Visitors make



the following report :







  In that of the preceding year it was stated that



the buildings for the accommodation of the pro-



fessors and students were in readiness for their



occupation, and that the walls of the larger build-



ing, intended for a library and other purposes,



were completed. In the course of the present



season this building has received its roof, and will



be put into a condition for preservation and use,



although its interior cannot be completed. It was



then also stated that, without awaiting that com-



pletion, the institution might be put into operation



at the close of this present year were its funds



liberated from the encumbrances with which they



were charged. This obstacle was removed by the



act of the legislature of January 27 of the present



year concerning the University of Virginia.







  In consequence of this liberation, the Board of



Visitors at their ensuing meeting, on the 5th of



April last, proceeded to take such preparatory



measures as could be taken at that time to carry



the views of the legislature into effect with as



little delay as practicable. From the accounts and

















454        Jefferson's Works







estimates then rendered by the bursar and proctor,



it appeared that on the last day of the preceding



year, I 8 z 3, the funds in hand and due to the Uni-



versity, of the last loan, and of the arrearages of



subscriptions, would be sufficient, when received,



to pay all debts then existing on any account, and



to leave a sum of about 21,000 dollars applicable



to the building of the library, which, with the sum



of 19,370.40 1/2 dollars already paid or provided



for that edifice, would put it into a state of safety



and of some uses, until other and more pressing



objects should have been accomplished. They con-



sider the University, therefore, as having had in



hand, on the first day of the present year, 1824,



the annuity of this year (clear of all prior claims),



as a fund for defraying the current expenses



of the year, for meeting those necessary toward



securing professors, paying any commencement



of salaries which might be incurred to the end



of the year, and to leave a small surplus for con-



tingencies.







 They found, from a view of the future income,



consisting of the annuity, and such rents for build-



ings as may be reasonably required that it would



not be adequate to the full establishment of the



ten professorships contemplated by the legislature



in their act of January 25, 1819, for establishing



the University ; but that it might suffice for insti-



tuting eight professorships for the present, and



that the branches of science proposed to be taught

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    455







in the University might be arranged within the



competence of that number for a time, and until



future and favorable circumstances might enable



them to add the others, and to lighten duly the



professorships thus overcharged with duties.







  They proceeded, therefore, to settle the organ-



ization of the schools, and the distribution of the



sciences among them, and they concluded on the



same, as follows :







  In the University of Virginia shall be instituted



eight professorships, to wit: First, of ancient lan-



guages ; second, modern languages ; third, mathe-



matics ; fourth, natural philosophy ; fifth, natural



history ; sixth, anatomy and medicine ; seventh,



moral philosophy ; eighth, law.







  In the school of ancient languages are to be



taught the higher grade of the Latin and Greek



languages, the Hebrew, rhetoric, belles-lettres,



ancient history and ancient geography.







  In the school of modern languages are to be



taught French, Spanish, Italian, German and the



English language in its Anglo-Saxon form; also



modern history and modern geography.







  In the school of mathematics are to be taught



mathematics generally, including the higher branches



of numerical arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry plane



and spherical, geometry, mensuration, navigation,



conic sections, fluxions or differentials, military



and civil architecture.







  In the school of natural philosophy are to be

















456        Jefferson's Works







taught the laws and properties of bodies generally,



including mechanics, statics, hydro-statics, hydrau-



lics, pneumatics, acoustics, optics and astronomy.







  In the school of natural history are to be taught



botany, zoology, mineralogy, chemistry, geology



and rural economy.







  In the school of anatomy and medicine are tu



be taught anatomy, surgery, the history of the



progress and theories of medicine, physiology, path-



ology, materia medica and pharmacy.







   In the school of moral philosophy are to be



taught mental science generally, including ideology,



general grammar and ethics.







  In the school of law are to be taught the common



arid statute law, that of the chancery, the laws



feudal, civil, mercatorial, maritime and of nature



and nations ; and also the principles of government



and political economy.







  But it was meant that this distribution should



give way to occasional interchanges of particular



branches of science, among the professors, in accom-



modation of their respective qualifications.







  The Visitors were sensible that there might be



found in the different seminaries of the United



States persons qualified to conduct these several



schools with entire confidence; but it was neither



probable that they would leave the situations in



which they then were, nor honorable or moral to



endeavor to seduce them from their stations ; and to



have filled the professional chairs with unemployed

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     457







and secondary characters, would not have fulfilled the



object, or satisfied the expectations of our country



in this institution. It was, moreover, believed that,



to advance in science, we must avail ourselves of



the lights of countries already advanced before us.



It was, therefore, deemed most advisable to resort



to Europe for some of the professors, and of prefer-



ence to the countries which speak the same language



in order to obtain characters of the first grade of



science in their respective lines. And, to make



the selection with proper information, caution and



advisement, it was necessary to send an agent of



science and confidence. Francis W. Gilmer, a



learned and trustworthy citizen of this State, was



appointed and has proceeded on the mission; and



should his object be accomplished as early as



expected, we count on opening the institution on



the 1st day of February next:







  Could the donation of the last legislature, out



of the debt due to this State from the United States,



have been obtained for the purposes of procuring a



library and the apparatus necessary for the several



schools the opportunity would have been highly



advantageous of having them chosen by this agent,



while in Europe, with the advice and assistance of



the respective professors. But the application was.



not in time to be acted on before the adjournment



of the late Congress. Yet some books were indis-



pensable, and some apparatus to make even an



imperfect commencement. To procure these articles,

















458        Jefferson's Works







therefore, and to defray the expenses necessary



for the other objects of the mission, the Board was



under the necessity of applying to these purposes



a sum of 10,000 dollars of the annuity of the present



year, and to leave the internal finishing of the



library, however much to be regretted, until some



opportunity of greater convenience should occur.







  There is some reason to doubt, from the informa-



tion received, whether our agent will be able to



effect his object at as early a day as we had expected.



But of this more will be known in time for its com-



munication by the rector with this report. Were



it still possible to obtain from the United States a



settlement of so much of the claim on them as was



appropriated to this institution, in time to find



our agent and professors yet in place to invest i.t,



our University would open under auspices highly



propitious in comparison with those to which it



will be subjected by this unfortunate delay.







 The success of our collector in his applications for



the arrearages due from subscribers, has not been



as great as it has been in further securing the sums



which had not yet been secured. The receipts from



this resource since the date of our last report have



amounted to 2,069 dollars 88.5 cents-and the sums



deemed separate and still to be received, amount to



7,468 dollars 92.5  cents.







 The accounts of the receipts, disbursements and



funds on hand for the year ending with the last



month of September, as rendered by the bursar and

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    459







proctor, are given with the report as is required by



law.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.







  October 5, 1824.







  At a special meeting of the Board of Visitors



of the University, called by George Loyall, Chapman



Johnson and Joseph C. Cabell, while attending the



last session of the legislature, and held at the Uni-



versity March 4, 1825.







 Present, Thomas Jefferson, rector, James Madison,



George Loyall, John H. Cocke and Joseph C. Cabell.







 Resolved, that in consideration of the delay



which attended the opening of the University



beyond the day on which it had been announced,



the uncertainty which this might occasion in the



minds of many at what time it might be opened,



and the temporary engagements which in conse-



quence thereof they might enter into elsewhere,



notice shall be given that, for the present year,



students will be received at the University at any



time of the year when they become disengaged, on



payment of so much only of the usual charges as



shall be proportioned to the time unexpired at the



date of their reception. .







 A blank having been left in one of the regulations



of the 4th of October last, respecting the price of



board in boarding-houses nut within the precincts



of the University, resolved, that it be filled with



the sum of 120 dollars.

















460        Jefferson's Works







  On a revision of the rule of October 4 last, respect-



ing testimony required from students, it was pro-



posed to amend the same by striking out the words,



"if unwilling to give it, let the moral obligation be



explained and urged, under which every one is



bound to bear witness where wrong has been done,



but finally let it, " and to insert instead thereof the



words, "and the obligation to give it shall," which



being agreed to, the rule as amended now stands



in these words : " When testimony is required from



a student, it shall be voluntary and not on oath,



and the obligation to give it shall be left to his own



sense of right."







 A resolution was moved and agreed to in the



following words :         '







 Whereas, it is the duty of this Board to the



government under which it lives, and especially to



that of which this University is the immediate



creation, to pay especial attention to the principles



of government which shall be inculcated therein,



and to provide that none shall be inculcated which



are incompatible with those on which the Consti-



tutions of this State, and of the United States were



genuinely based, in the common opinion ; and for



this purpose it may be necessary to point out



specially where these principles are to be found



legitimately developed :







  Resolved, that it is the opinion of this Board



that as to the general principles of liberty and the



rights of man, in nature and in society, the doc-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    461







trines of Locke, in his "Essay concerning the true



original extent and end of civil government, '' and



of Sidney in his "Discourses on government," may



be considered as those generally approved by our



fellow citizens of this, and the United States, 'and



that on the distinctive principles of the govern-



ment of our State, and of that of the United States,



the best guides are to be found in, 1. The Declaration



of Independence, as the fundamental act of union



of these States. 2. The book known by the title of



" The Federalist, " being an authority to which appeal



is-habitually made by all, and rarely declined or denied



by any as evidence of the general opinion of those who



framed, and of those who accepted the Constitution



of the United States, on questions as to its genuine



meaning. 3. The Resolutions of the General Assembly



of Virginia in 1799 on the subject of the alien and se-



dition laws, which appeared to accord with the pre-



dominant sense of the people of the United States.



q.. The valedictory address of President Washington,



as conveying political lessons of peculiar value. And



that in the branch of the school of law, which is to



treat on the subject of civil polity, these shall be



used as the text and documents of the school.







  Resolved, that George Tucker, Esquire, of Lynch-



burg, be appointed professor of the school of moral



philosophy.







  Resolved, that Doctor John Patton Emmet, of



New York, be appointed professor of the school of



natural history.

















462        Jefferson's Works







 Resolved, that whensoever the 50,000 dollars,



which the legislature has authorized this Board to



receive from the General Government for the pur-



chase of a library and apparatus, shall be placed



at the command of the Board, the sum of 6,000



dollars advanced by the fund for building and other



general purposes towards the purchase of books



and apparatus, should be charged to the Literary



Fund, and replaced to the credit of that for building



and other general purposes.







  Resolved, that on receipt of the said 50,000 dollars



and consequent replenishment of the building fund,



an anatomical theatre be built, as nearly as may



be on the plan now exhibited to the Board.







  The Board adjourned to to-morrow.







  March 5, the Board met according to adjourn-



ment, present the same members as yesterday.







  Resolved, that on payment of the said sum of



50,000 dollars by the General Government, a sum



not exceeding 6,000 dollars thereof be advanced on



loan to the building fund of the University for the



purpose of finishing the interior of the library-room.







  For the use and care of the library the Board now



establishes the following regulations :







  The professors of the University shall at all times



have free use of the books of the library, in con-



fidence that they will not keep them out longer



than while in actual use, and leaving with the



librarian a note of the books borrowed.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    463







  Books may be lent to the students of the Univer-



sity, by the librarian, and by no other person, on



a written permit from a professor whom such



student attends, specifying the day beyond which



they will not be retained. But it is meant that



the books lent are for reading only, and not for



the ordinary purpose of getting lessons in them as



school books.







  No student shall carry any book borrowed from



the library, out of the precincts of the University;



nor shall any student be permitted to have more



than three volumes in his possession at any time.







  If a student shall not return a borrowed book



on or before the day limited in his permit, he shall



receive no other until it be returned; and he shall



pay, moreover, for every week's detention beyond



the limitation, ten cents for a 12 mo. or book of



smaller size, twenty cents for an 8 mo., thirty cents



for a 4 mo. and forty cents for a folio.







  Not every book in the. library shall be free to



be lent to students, but such only as shall not be



expressly prohibited by the faculty on account



of their rarity, value or liableness to injury.







  No student shall ever be in the library but in



presence of the librarian, or of some professor



whom he attends, nor shall be allowed to take



any book from the shelves, nor remain in the room



to read or consult any book, but during such presence.







  If any student deface, injure, or lose any book



of the library, he shall pay the value of the book

















464        Jefferson's Works







if defaced; double value if injured, and threefold,



if lost; and shall be suspended from the privilege



of borrowing during such term as the faculty shall



adjudge.







 On some one day of every week during term,



and during one hour of that day (such day and



hour to be fixed on by the faculty) the librarian



shall attend in the library, to receive books returned,



and to lend such others as shall be applied for



according to rule. And at some one hour of every



day (to be fixed by the faculty) the librarian



shall attend, if requested by any such professor,



such book or books as he may require, and to



receive any he may have to return.







 The librarian shall make an entry of every book



lent, and cancel the same when returned, so that



it may always be known in what hands every book is.







 Strangers whom the librarian may be willing to



attend, may visit the library; but, to prevent



derangement of the books, they are to take no



book from the shelf, but in his presence. They



may also be permitted to consult any book, to



read in it, make notes or quotations from it, at



the table, under such accommodations and arrange-



ments as the librarian shall prescribe, on his own



responsibility.







 Resolved, that the salary of the librarian be



raised to the sum of 150 dollars.







 Resolved, that the moneys, expected as before



mentioned from the General Government; shall be

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    465







paid, the Board consider it advisable to employ



Mr. Hilliard, of the firm of Cummings, Hilliard



and Co., of Boston, to purchase the library of the



University, according to the catalogue which has



been made.







  Resolved, that the professorships of the school of



law be proposed to Chancellor Henry St. George



Tucker, and in the event of his refusal, then to



Judge Philip P. Barbour, and if he should refuse,



that then the rector be authorized to call the Board



for the purpose of further proceeding towards



making the appointment.







  Resolved, that the loan of 5,000 dollars, which



has been negotiated by the bursar of the Univer-



sity with the Farmers' Bank of Virginia, and the



terms on which the same has been negotiated, be



confirmed by the Board of Visitors, and the funds



of the University are hereby pledged for the reim-



bursement of the said loan.







 A letter having been addressed to the Board



of Visitors by Mr. Bonnycastle, professor of natural



philosophy, representing that from the communi-



cations with the agent of the Board, on the subject



of his appointment, he conceived himself entitled



to expect that a bond of his to the British govern-



ment to the amount of L500 would be advanced:



Resolved, that the rector be requested to obtain



from Mr. Gilmer his view of the understanding



which took place on the occasion; and if it should



appear to the rector, from the circumstances of the







   vol. xix 3o

















466        Jefferson's Works







case, that the interest and credit of the University



would justify and require the advances, in that



event it shall be made from the funds of the insti-



tution.







 Resolved, that John H. Cocke and Jos. C. Cabell



be appointed a committee to settle the accounts of



the proctor and the bursar of the University.







 And the Board adjourned without day.







                        TH. JEFFERSON.







 March 5, 1825.







 At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia at the said University on Monday the



3d of October, 1825, at which were present Thomas



Jefferson, rector, James Madison, James Brecken-



ridge, Joseph C. Cabell, John H. Cocke, Chapman



Johnson and George Loyall.







 In pursuance of the resolution of the Board of



the 5th of March last, on the subject of a claim of



Mr. Bonnycastle to the discharge of a certain bond



for L500 sterling, given by him to the British



government, the rector having agreed with him



that the money payment thereof should be advanced



by the University to be repaid by him in instal-



ments, Resolved, that the Board approves of the



said agreement, and of the provisional measures



taken by the rector in his letters to Rufus King,



and Peter Barlow, bearing date the 30th of June



last, for its advance, if required by that government.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    467







 (1)Resolved, that the Board ratifies and confirms



the purchase lately made by the rector of 13 a acres



of land of John M. Perry, lying between and adjacent



to the two parcels of 107.8 and 153 acres here-



tofore owned by the University, which purchase was



made on the proposition of the rector with the



approbation of the following members, to wit:



Of James Madison, James Breckenridge, John.H.



Cocke, Joseph C. Cabell and George Loyall, pre-



viously expressed in letters from them individually



to the rector, and the payment already made



towards the same, is approved.







  Resolved, that the Board approves of the advance



of 18,000 dollars to William Hilliard, agent for pro-



curing the library, of the deposit made in the hands



of Rufus King, Esquire, of 6,300 dollars for the



purchase of a philosophical apparatus, and of that



of 3,157 dollars 50 cents, in the same hands, for



articles necessary for the anatomical school, with



the instructions relative thereto given by the rector,



and also of the purchase, and payment of 500



dollars for Doctor Emmet's chemical apparatus and



collection of minerals.







  Resolved, that the temporary application of 5,000



dollars of the library fund, which was lying unem-



ployed in the Bank of Virginia, to take up the



note for the like sum, lent by the Farmer's Bank



of Virginia to the University, thereby saving its



interest, and also of so much of the said fund as







  1 See Journal of March 29, 1819, similar resolution.

















468        Jefferson's Works







was necessary to make the first payment to Perry,



is approved, and that the same sums be replaced



from the general fund when necessary.







 Resolved, that Francis Walker Gilmer be appointed



professor of the school of law.







 Resolved, that it be communicated to the Faculty



of the professors of the University, as the earnest



request and recommendation of the rector and



Visitors, that so far as can be effected by their



exertions, they cause the statutes and rules enacted



for the government of the University, to be exactly



and strictly observed; that the roll of each school



particularly be punctually called at the hour at



which its students should attend; that the absent



and the tardy, without reasonable cause, be noted,



and a copy of these notations be communicated by



mail or otherwise to the parent or guardian of



each student respectively, on the first days of every



month during the term (instead of the days pre-



scribed in a former statute for such communications).







 That it is requested of them to make known to



the students that it is with great regret that some-



breaches of order, committed by the unworthy



few who lurk among them unknown, render neces-



sary the extension to all of processes afflicting to



the feelings of those who are conscious of their



own correctness, and who are above all participa-



tion in these vicious irregularities. While the



offenders continue unknown the tarnish of their



faults spreads itself over the worthy also, and con-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    469







founds all in a common censure. But that it is



in their power to relieve themselves from the impu-



tations and painful proceedings to which they are



thereby subjected, by lending their aid to the



faculty, on all occasions towards detecting the



real guilty. The Visitors are aware that a pre-



udice prevails too extensively among the young



that' it is dishonorable to bear witness one against



another. While this prevails, and under the form



of a matter of conscience, they have been unwilling



to authorize constraint, and have therefore, in their



regulations on this subject, indulged the error,



however unfounded in reason or morality. But



this loose principle in the ethics of school-boy



combinations, is unworthy of mature and regulated



minds, and is accordingly condemned by the laws



of their country; which, in offences within their



cognisance, compel those who have knowledge of



a fact, to declare it for the purposes of justice,



and of the general good and safety of society. And



certainly, where wrong has been done, he who



knows and conceals the deer of it, makes himself



an accomplice, and justly censurable as such. It



becomes then but an act of justice to themselves,



that the innocent and the worthy should throw



off with disdain all communion of character with



such offenders, should determine no longer to



screen the irregular and the vicious under the



respect of their cloak, and to notify them, even



by a solemn association for the purpose, that they

















470        Jefferson's Works







will co-operate with the faculty in future, for pre-



servation of order, the vindication of their own



character, and the reputation and usefulness of an



institution which their country has so liberally



established for their improvement, and. to place



within their reach those acquirements in knowledge



on which their future happiness and fortunes depend.



Let the good and the virtuous of the alumni of



the University do this, and the disorderly will



then be singled out for observation, and deterred



by punishment, or disabled by expulsion, from



infecting with their inconsideration the institution



itself, and the sound mass' of those which it is pre-



paring for virtue and usefulness.







  Although nocturnal absences from their chambers



occasionally happening are not entirely forbidden,







yet if frequent, habitual, or without excusable



cause, they should be also noted and reported,



with other special delinquencies, to the parent or



guardian.







  The rector and Visitors, impressed themselves



with the beneficial effect, and the necessity of



strict examinations of the students, on the topics



of the lectures and lessons delivered them, recom-



mend this practice to the consideration and attention



of the professors.







 The Board, considering that it will be for the



benefit of the school of medicine th.at its professor



should have opportunities of keeping in mind, to



a certain degree, the practical part of his profession,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     471







and of acquiring moreover a knowledge of the



peculiarities of disease incident to our climate



and country, are of opinion that, besides the habitual



practice within the precincts of the University,



allowed by a former resolution, he be permitted



also to act as a consulting physician elsewhere,



so timing these avocations however, as not to



interrupt the regular business of his school.







  The 4€ 5 5 acres of land purchased of Daniel A.



Piper and Mary his wife, since the date of the statute



defining the precincts of the University, and adja-



cent to the public road as now established, are



made a part of.the said precincts.







  Resolved, that it be recommended to the faculty



of professors in their appointment of a janitor, to



have regard to his qualifications in law as a witness



to transactions passing within his notice, and that



such a janitor be allowed wages not exceeding zoo



dollars a year, and a room to lodge in, he dieting



and otherwise finding himself.







  Resolved, that on a renewal of the leases of the



hotels, it shall be made a covenant and condition



of the leases that the tenants shall furnish no enter-



tainment in his tenement for pay or compensation



of any kind, to any one who is not a student of,



or attached to, the University, or a member of his



own family; nor shall he permit his tenement,



or any part of it, without compensation, to be



used for any other then the purposes of a boarding-



house. The faculty of professors, on these ques-

















472        Jefferson's Works







tions, shall be judges of the matter of fact, and,



finding it true, shall decide either on the immediate



termination of the lease, and removal of the tenant



or his continuance on such special conditions as



shall satisfy them against a repetition of the offense.







  Resolved, that the 35th enactment be amended



by striking therefrom the following words, "within



those precincts, within their own chamber or in



diet, a seat of degradation in his school-room of



longer or of shorter duration, removal to a lower



class, imposition of a task. "







  Resolved, that the 36th enactment be amended



by striking therefrom the word " minor " and



inserting in lieu thereof the word " major. "







 Resolved, that the 39th enactment be amended



by striking therefrom the words " impose a task. "







 Resolved, that the 43d enactment be amended



by striking therefrom the following words, "and



repetitions of such offences by expulsion from the



University, " and inserting in lieu thereof the follow-



ing words, "or any of the minor or major punish-



ments at the discretion of the faculty."







 Resolved, that the 43d enactment be amended



by adding thereto the following words, " that every



occupant of a dormitory permitting these offences



therein, be subject to any of the minor punishments



at the discretion of the faculty. "







 Resolved, that the faculty shall have the power,



for offensive conduct, of removing the occupant



from any dormitory.





















        Supplementary Manuscripts    473







  Resolved, that if a student be irregular in all



his classes for more than a month, after his parent



or guardian has been informed, the faculty shall



have the discretionary power to dismiss him from



the University.







  Resolved, that the faculty shall have power



from time to time to prescribe regulations of police,



not inconsistent 'with the laws of the land, or the



enactments of this Board, which regulations shall



be submitted to the Visitors at their next succeed-



ing meeting and shall be in force till disapproved



by the Visitors or repealed by the faculty.







  The Board then adjourned to to-morrow.







                      Tuesday, October 4







  The Board met according to adjournment. Pre-



sent the same members as yesterday.







  On complaint from the faculty of certain riotous



proceedings of some of the students on the nights



of September 30 and October 2, and of insults on



some of the professors, the whole of the students



were called before the Board of Visitors, they were



exhorted to state to the Board the facts which



had taken place within their knowledge, whereupon



fourteen of them came forward and acknowledged



that on the night of the second they had masked



and disguised themselves and gone out on the lawn



where they had made some noise, but denied they



had committed any trespasses or insults on the

















474        Jefferson's Works







professors, and on their engaging to appear before



the board of the faculty and to repeat to them the



information now given, they were dismissed.







  The Board receives from Messrs. Key and Long



a written declaration that in consequence of the



transactions which had taken place, and particu-



larly of a remonstrance of the day before sub-



scribed by sixty-five students, they could no longer



remain in their present situations, that they had lost



all confidence in the signers of that remonstrance,



and cannot and will not meet them again.







 The Board adjourned to to-morrow.







                    Wednesday, October 5.







 The Board met according to adjournment. Pre-



sent the same members as yesterday.







 Resolved that the 47th enactment be amended,



by inserting after the word " chewing " the words



" or smoking. "







 No student shall appear out of his dormitory



masked or disguised in any manner whatever



which may render the recognition of his person



more difficult, on pain of suspension or expulsion



by the faculty of professors.







  Intoxication shall, for the first offense, be liable



to any of the minor punishments, and any repetition



of the offence to any of the major punishments.







 Resolved, that the 40th enactment be amended,



by inserting after the word " dissipation, " the words



" of profane swearing. "

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    475







  No person who has been a student at any other



incorporated seminary of learning shall be received



at this University, but on producing a certificate



from such seminary or other satisfactory evidence



to the faculty with respect to his general good



conduct.







 The professors being charged with the execution



of the laws of the University, it becomes their



duty to pursue proper means to discover and pre-



vent offences. Respect from the student to the



professor being at all times due, it is more especially



so when the professor is engaged in his duty. Such



respect, therefore, is solemnly enjoined on every



student, and it is declared and enacted, that if



any student refuse his name to a professor, or



being required by him to stop, shall fail to do so,



or shall be guilty of any other disrespect to a pro-



fessor, he shall be liable to any of the punishments,



minor or major. .







 Resolved, that the compensation to the accountant



whom the committee of accounts has employed or



may employ at any time be ten dollars a day while



employed.







 The act of Congress imposing an additional duty



of 15 per cent on works of marble, having been



passed after the marble capitals for the portico of



the rotunda had been ordered, it is considered €as



retrospective and unjust, and that it will be proper



to apply to Congress for a remission of that portion



of duty thereon, as it may be thought by that

















476        Jefferson's Works







body but a just encouragement to science to relieve



the University from the old as well as new duties



on the marbles recently received for the same



building, it will be expedient to bond the whole



duties for eight months to give time for application



to Congress on the subject. And thereupon the



members executed the requisite bond in their



individual characters, instructing at the same time,



the proctor to retain in his hand always a sufficient



sum to pay the duties, old and new, if ultimately



required.







 Resolved, that 400 copies of a new edition of



the enactments of the Board of Visitors for the



government of the University be printed, in which



the amendments 'made since the date of each enact-



ment shall be incorporated, so that the same shall



read in form and substance as now established.







 The Board being of the opinion that so much



of the ground of the University as can be con-



veniently applied to that purpose, should be laid



off in lots for the uses of the professors, the proctor



and keepers of the hotels, rent free, but to be enclosed



and improved at their expense; therefore,







 Resolved, that the proctor, under the direction



of the executive committee, do cause such lots to



be laid off, and assigned to the several pavilions



and hotels and to the proctor's house.







 Resolved, that on the supposition that the renters



of the hotels might reasonably have expected thirty-



three boarders for the term, at the rent of zoo dollars

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    477







(283 days, 200 dollars), in which they have been



more or less disappointed, the Board of Visitors



deem it just that in consideration of the particular



circumstances of the present year an abatement



should be made in the rent of each in the propor-



tion of the number of boarders each had, and the



time of his boarding with them combined.







  The Board adjourned to to-morrow morning.







                     Thursday, October 6.







  The Board met according to adjournment. Pre-



sent the same members as yesterday.







  Resolved, that Mr. Johnson, Mr. Cabell, and Mr.



Loyall be appointed a committee, whose duty it



shall be to consider and enquire what system may



be digested for the better government of the Uni-



versity; that they be especially charged with the



duty of considering how far it may be practicable



and prudent to connect with the University a court



having cognisance over misdemeanors committed



within the precincts of the University, and over



those committed by members of the University,



within the county of Albemarle, and that they



report thereupon to the next meeting of the Visitors.







  Resolved, that for the purpose of receiving the



report of the committee appointed by the preceding



resolution, and of acting thereupon, and for the



transaction of such other business as may then



require attention, an extra meeting of the Board



be held on the second Monday in December next.

















478        Jefferson's Works







  A communication from the faculty of professors



is received in the following words, to wit: "Uni-



versity of Virginia. Ordered, that Wilson Miles



Carey having, on the night of the 1st instant, resisted



the authority of a professor, used violence against



him, and excited others to follow his example, and



for abusive epithets concerning the said professor,



be expelled from the University. Copied from the



minutes of the faculty. Robert Dunglison, secre-



tary. George Tucker, chairman of the faculty.



October 6, 1825." Resolved, that the said sentence



is unanimously approved by the Board of Visitors.







 Another communication from the said professors



is received in the .following words, to wit : " Uni-



versity of Virginia. Ordered, that William L. Eyre



having, on the night of the 1st instant, promoted



a riot by repeatedly using indecent and approbrious



language respecting some of the professors during



the disturbance of the night in, question, and having



refused to give his name when called upon by two



professors, be expelled from the University. Copied



from the minutes of the faculty. Robert Dung-



lison, secretary. George Tucker, chairman. 1825,



October 6. " Resolved, that the said sentence is



unanimously approved by the Board of Visitors.







 A third communication from the said professors



is also received in the following words, to wit : " Uni-



versity of Virginia. Ordered, that Robert A. Thomp-



son having, on the night of the first instant, armed



himself with a stick for the purpose of resisting

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    479







the authority of two professors, be expelled from



the University. Copied from the minutes of the



faculty. Robert Dunglison, secretary. George



Tucker, chairman. October 6, I 82 5. " Resolved



that the said sentence is approved by the Board of



Visitors.







 A letter is received from T. H. Key and George



Long in these words, to wit: "To the rector and



Visitors of the University of Virginia: Gentlemen,



The undersigned professors of the University of



Virginia hereby tender to you the resignation of



their respective. chairs. T. H. Key, George Long.



October 6 ; 1825. "







 Resolved, that Chapman Johnson, Joseph C.



Cabell and John H. Cocke be a committee to com-



municate to Professors Key and Long the objec-



tions which occur to the Board to the resignation



of their offices as proposed in theirs of this day,



and to confer with the said professors. on the sub-



ject of that letter.







 Resolved, that the said committee do make



known to the faculty of professors the proceed-



ings which have been had upon their commu-



nication of the second day of this month, relative to



the disorders in the University, which have lately



occurred, and that they also make known to them



the names of those students who voluntarily acknow-



ledge themselves present a,nd agents in some of the



transactions complained of.







  The Board adjourned to to-morrow.

















480        Jefferson's Works







                  Friday, October 7, 1825.







  The Board met according to adjournment. Pre-



sent the same members as yesterday.







 Resolved, that the proctor be charged with the



duty at all times, as the attorney in fact of the



rector and Visitors, of preventing trespasses and



intrusions on the property of the University real



and personal, and of recovering its possession from



any person who shall improperly withhold the



same, and, for this purpose, that he institute such



legal proceeding as may be proper. It shall also



be his duty to lay before the civil authorities, and



to communicate to the proper law officer, such



information as he may at any time have, and as



may be calculated to prevent or punish breaches



of the peace, trespasses and other misdemeanors



within the precincts of the University, or com-



mitted by students elsewhere, and especially that he



take the proper measures to bring the late offenses



at the University before the civil authorities.







 A motion was made in the following words, to



wit: "After the present year, the annual vacation



shall commence on the 1st of August and terminate



on the 14th of September. There may, moreover,



be allowed a recess of all the schools for two weeks



at Christmas. This regulation curtailing the next



session to six-tenths of the usual length, the fees



of the students for that session shall be reduced



accordingly. But this resolution shall be suspended

















        Supplementary Manuscripts     481







till approved by all the professors. And the said



motion was ordered to be laid on the table.







 Resolved, that the Board of Visitors do not



accept the resignation of the chairs of Professors



T. H. Key and George Long. The proctor is



requested to communicate this resolution to those



gentlemen.







  Resolved, that in case of vacancy in the office of



any professor happening during the recess of this



Board, it shall be lawful for the executive committee



to make such temporary arrangement for dis-



charging the duties of the vacant chair as they



deem expedient; provided that such arrangement



be not for a longer time .than the next meeting of



the Board. If such vacancy shall involve the



breach of contract on the part of any professor,



the proctor shall be required to cause an action



of covenant, or other proper action, to be brought



upon the contract, unless the executive committee



shall deem it inexpedient.







  A form of a report, as annually required to be



made to the president and directors of the Literary



Fund, on the funds and condition of the Univer-



sity, was then proposed, amended, and agreed, in



the following words:







  To the president and directors of the Literary



Fund :







  In obedience to the law requiring that the rector



and Visitors of the University of Virginia should



make a report annually to the president and direc-







  vol. xix -31

















482        Jefferson's Works







tors of the Literary Fund (to be laid before the



legislature at their next succeeding session), embrac-



ing a full account of the disbursements, the funds



on hand, and a general statement of the condition



of the said University, the said rector and Visitors



make the following report:







 That which was rendered on the 5th of October



of the last year informed the president and directors



of the Literary Fund of the state of preparation



to which we were then advanced towards getting



the institution into actual operation, of the measures



taken for procuring professors for the several schools,



for purchasing some books and apparatus, and of



the ground of hope then existing that it might



be actually opened on the 1st day of February,



then next ensuing. It was not, however, until the



7th of March that the professors of ancient and



modern languages, of mathematics, of natural phil-



osophy and of anatomy and medicine, being in



place, the institution was opened, and put into



operation. Professors of the schools of moral phil-



osophy and natural history were received at short



intervals afterwards; but no satisfactory engage-



ment having been effected, till lately, of a professor



for the chair of law, that school has not yet been



opened, nor is it decided whether it will be most



eligible to put it into operation at this advanced



season of the year, or to await the beginning of



the term in February next. The commencement



on the 7th of March was with about forty students,

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    483







others continued to arrive from day to day at first,



and from week to week since, and the whole number



matriculated on the last day of the last month



of September was 116. Few more can be expected



during .the present term, which closes on the 15th



of December next. And the state of the schools



on the same day was as follows:







  In the school of ancient languages were 55 scholars ;



modern languages, 64; mathematics, 68; natural



philosophy, 33 ; natural history, 3o ; anatomy and



medicine, 20 ; moral philosophy, 14.







  From the information received from different



quarters we have. reason to expect a large accession



to our numbers at the commencement of the next



term. The dormitories now provided can accom-



modate 218 students, the neighboring town. of



Charlottesville perhaps fifty more. But should



more be offered they could not be received. Ex-



boarders, too, will labor under serious disadvantages,



as, besides increased opportunities of relaxed order,



they must lose the use of the library, the books



of which cannot be permitted to be carried out



of the precincts of the University.







 A printed copy' of the statutes and regulations



enacted by the Board of Visitors for the govern-



ment of the University is now communicated.



We have thought it peculiarly requisite to leave



to the civil magistrate the restraint and punish-



ment of all offences which come within the ordinary



cognisance of the laws. At the age of sixteen, the

















484        Jefferson's Works







earliest period of admission into the University,



habits of obedience to the laws become a proper



part of education and practice. The minor pro-



visions and irregularities alone (unnoticed.by the



laws of the land) are the peculiar subjects. of aca-



demical authority. No system of these provisions



has ever yet prevented all disorder. Those first



provided by this Board were founded on the prin-



ciples of avoiding too much government, of not



multiplying occasions of coercion, by erecting indif-



ferent actions into things of offense, and of leaving



room to the student for habitually exercising his



own discretion. But experience has already proved



that stricter provisions are necessary for the pres-



ervation of order. That coercion must be resorted



to where confidence has been disappointed. We



have accordingly, at the present session, consider-



ably amended and enlarged the scope of our former



system of regulations, and we shall proceed in the



duties of tightening or relaxing the reins of govern-



ment as experience shall instruct us in the progress



of the institution; and we are not certain that the



further aid of the legislature itself will not be neces-



sary to enable the authorities of the institution to



interpose, in some cases, with more promptitude,



energy and effect than is permitted by the laws as



they stand at present.







 The lands heretofore purchased for the use of the



University, consisted of two parcels, about a half



mile distant the one from the other; the one of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    485







153 acres, comprehending a small mountain, pecu-



liarly adapted, and important to be secured, for



the purpose of an observatory, whenever the



future advance of circumstances may render such



an establishment desirable. The other of 107.8



acres, made up of several small purchases, which



constitute the site of the University itself. Between



these is a parcel of 132 acres, which, besides the



consolidation of these possessions, and other and



great conveniences offered by it, lies in the way



of the water necessary for the supply of the estab-



lishment, which is brought in pipes, through it,



from the high lands to the site of the University.



From the benefit of this communication we were



liable to be cut off, at any moment, by the owner-



of this parcel of lands. It was lately offered to us,



and at a price thought reasonable, to wit, at fifty



dollars the acre. We had, several years ago, paid



forty dollars for the parcel adjacent on one side,



and one hundred dollars the acre had been given



by an individual for a large parcel adjacent on



another side. The consideration that the purchase



would so far lessen the funds for finishing the



rotunda, called certainly for serious hesitation.



But the supply of water indispensable to the estab-



lishment, the irrecoverable loss of it, if sold out



to individuals in lots, as proposed by the proprietor,



made it, in our view, an over-ruling duty to secure



€the University so irreparable an injury, and we



concluded the purchase. This now gives to the

















486        Jefferson's Works







institution a tract ' of nearly four hundred acres,



beyond the limits of which it has nothing to desire.







 The last report stated that, in addition to the



sum of 19,370 dollars 40.5 cents which had been



paid or provided towards the building called the



rotunda, there were still remaining, of the general



funds a sum of about 21,000 dollars applicable to



that building; that this sum, although not sufficient



to finish it, would put it into a state of safety, and



of some uses, until other and more pressing objects



should have been accomplished. It has been indis-



pensable to finish the circular room, destined for



the reception of the books ; because, once deposited



in their places, the removing them for any finishing



which might be left to be done hereafter, would



be inadvisable. That has, therefore, been carried



on actively, and we trust will be ready in time for



the reception of the books. The other apartments



of indispensable use were, two for a chemical labor-



atory, one for a museum of natural history, and



one for examinations, for accessory schools, and



other associated purposes. An additional building,



too, for anatomical dissections, and other kindred



uses, was become necessary. We are endeavoring



to put these into a bare state for use, although



with some jeopardy as to the competence of the



funds.







 On representation to the General Government of



the interest which the legislature of Virginia had



given to their University in certain claims then

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    487







depending between them, of the great disadvan-



tages under which that institution must labor,



without the books and apparatus which this dona-



tion was to supply, that government did not hesitate



to aid us with an advance, on account, of such



a sum as might cover that given to the University.



A catalogue of books for the library was thereupon



prepared, an agent employed to purchase them,



wherever they could be obtained cheapest and best,



and a sum of 18,000 dollars for this purpose was



placed at his disposal. A previous sum of ;, 6 ; 7



dollars 81 cents had been advanced by the general



fund for the purchase of books and apparatus of



immediate necessity; and a sum of 6,000 dollars



appropriated on loan towards preparing the room



in the rotunda destined for a library, making



together 31,677 dollars 8 I cents for the purchase



of a philosophical apparatus, a sum of 6,000 dollars



was deposited in London (having cost here 6,300



dollars). A list of the proper articles, and their



selection and purchase were committed to a char-



acter there highly qualified for the execution of



the charge, and another sum of 3,000 dollars was



deposited in London (having cost here 3,157 dollars



50 cents) for the acquisition of articles necessary



for the anatomical school, which, with 500, dollars



paid for a chemical apparatus, and 289 dollars 58



cents for transportation and other miscellaneous



expenses, amount to 41,924 dollars 8 9 cents, leaving



a balance of 8,075 dollars 11 cents for defraying

















488        Jefferson's Works







incidental expenses, which will be considerable.



A good proportion of these articles we are in hopes



to receive this autumn, and the residue in the



ensuing spring. Some donations of mineral collec-



tions have already been received, others destined



for the University are known of, and it is believed



we shall, in this way, be supplied sufficiently for



all the purposes of education. Much, too, may be



expected from the future industry of the alumni



themselves of the University, when they shall have



entered on the active business of life.







  The receipts by the collector of arrearages of



subscriptions since the date of our last report have



amounted to 2,734 dollars 89 cents, and the balance



still to be expected is 4,306.53.5, leaving a sum of



4,500 dollars desperate as is believed.







 The accounts of the receipts, disbursements and



funds on hand for the year ending with the late



month of September, as rendered by the bursar



and proctor, are given with this report, as is required



by law.







     TH. JEFFERSON, Rector of the University.







  The Board then adjourned to the second Monday



of December next.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.







  October 7, 1825.







  At a meeting of the Visitors of the University



of Virginia, held at the said University, on Monday

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    489







the 3d and Tuesday the 4th of April, 1826, at which



were present, Thomas Jefferson, Joseph C. Cabell,



John H. Cocke, Chapman Johnson and James Madi-



son, the following proceedings were had:







  There shall be established in the University a



dispensary, which shall be attached to the medical



school, and shall be under the sole direction and



government of the professor of medicine, who shall



attend personally at the anatomical theatre, or



such other place as he shall notify, from half after



one to two o'clock on every Tuesday, Thursday



and Saturday, for the purpose of dispensing medical



advice, vaccination, and aid in surgical cases of



ordinary occurrence, to applicants needing them.







  All poor, free persons, disordered in body, topi-



cally or generally, and applying for advice, shall



receive it gratis; all others, bond or free, shall



receive it on payment of half a dollar at each atten-



dance, for the use of the institution, and all persons



shall be vaccinated gratis, and the students par€



ticularly shall be encouraged to be so, as a protection



to the institution against the malady of the small-pox.







 The students of the medical school shall be



permitted to attend with the professor, to examine



the patients by the 'pulse, and other indications



of disease, ask of them such questions as the pro-



fessor shall think pertinent and shall permit, and



to acquire practical knowledge of the processes of



pharmacy by taking a part in the preparation of



medicines.

















490        Jefferson's Works







 The moneys so received shall be applied to the



providing and keeping up of a proper and sufficient



stock of medicines and salves, to the procuring



surgical instruments for ordinary operations, and



to defraying other expenses necessary for the



institution. For the first stock of medicines, and



for necessary instruments, money shall be advanced



from the funds of the University to be reimbursed



from the receipts of the dispensary.







  Notice of this enactment shall be inserted in



the first Central Gazette of each month till dis-



continued by order of the executive committee,



for the purpose 'of keeping under constant notice,



all those who may wish to avail themselves of the



benefits of the institution. Passed April 4., 1826.







  In order that the several schools may participate



equally of the conveniences and inconveniences of



early and late hours, on and after the 1st day of



July next (and without any change in their respec-



tive days of duty) there shall be an advance of



two hours in the times of the day for opening and



closing the three earlier schools of the day, and



that now latest shall take the earliest hours of its



day, which shall continue until the 1st of February



following, when there shall' again be a similar



advance and change of two hours. And like changes



shall continue to be made, on the same days in



every year after. Passed April 4, 1826.







 The 43d enactment of the rector and Visitors



shall be amended by striking therefrom the follow-

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    491







ing words in the second line thereof, viz., "within



the precincts," and hereafter shall be interpreted



and executed as if these words were not therein.







  Resolved, that there be established the office



of president of the University, with a salary of



1,500 dollars per annum, to be paid out of the



annuity of the University, in the manner in which



the salaries of the professors are paid.







 The president shall be the executive officer of



superintendence of the execution of all laws made



for its government.







 The proctor and all subordinate agents shall be



subject to his control and direction in the execution



of their respective duties.







  He shall convene the faculty whenever he may



think the interests of the institution require it,a



and whenever else any two professors shall request it.







  He shall preside at all the meetings of the faculty,



when present, and having a vote as professor, he



shall have a casting vote as president, when the  ;



votes of the professors, pro and con, are equally



divided. 







  In his absence from the meetings of the faculty



a chairman pro tempore shall be appointed. In    '



the absence of the president from the University,



and in case of his disability by sickness, or other-



wise, the faculty may be convened, and may act



as at present.







 When the president shall believe that a student

















492        Jefferson's Works







has committed any offence requiring trial before



the faculty, he shall have power to suspend such



student, and in case of emergency, forbid him



access within the precincts, till a board can be



convened for his trial; provided that no such



suspension or restraint shall be for a longer time



than two weeks, if a board can be convened within



that time. Any student violating the order of a



president, made pursuant to the authority hereby



vested in him, shall be deemed guilty of contumacy



and punished accordingly.







  Resolved, that William  Wirt, at present Attorney-



General of the United States, be appointed president



of the University and professor of law; and that



if he declines the appointment, the resolution



establishing the office of president be null and void.







  If the appointment hereby made shall be accepted,



the professor will be expected to enter on the duties



of his office as soon as his convenience will allow,



not later, however, than the commencement of the



next session.







  From the enactments establishing the office of



president, the rector dissented. His dissent is



ordered to be entered in the journal, and is in the



words following :







 The subscriber, rector of the University, fully



and expressly concurring in the appointment of



William Wirt to the professor of the school of law,



dissents from, and protests against, so much of



these enactments as go to the establishment of

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    493







the office of president of the University, for these



reasons:







  1. Because the law establishing the University,



delineating the organization of the authorities by



which it should be directed and governed, and



placing at its head a Board of rector and Visitors,



has enumerated with great precision the special



powers it meant to give to that Board, in which



enumeration is not to be found that of creating a



president, making him a member of the faculty



of professors, and with controlling powers over



that faculty; and it is not conceivable that, while



descending, in their enumeration to give specially



the power of appointing officers of the minutest



grade, they should have omitted to name him of



the highest, who was to govern and preside over



the whole. If this is not among the enumerated



powers, it is believed it cannot be legitimately



inferred, by construction, from the words giving



a general authority to do all things expedient for



promoting the purposes of the institution; for, so



construed, it would render nugatory the whole



enumeration, and confer on the Board powers



unrestrained within any limits.







  2. Because he is of opinion that every function



ascribed to the president by this enactment, can



be performed, and is now as well performed by the



faculty, as now established by law.







  3. Because we owe debts at this time of at



least 11,000 dollars beyond what can be paid by

















494        Jefferson's Works







any means we have in possession, or may command



within any definite period of time; and fixes on



us permanently an additional expense of 15,000



dollars a year.







 4. Because he thinks that so fundamental a



change in the organization of the institution ought



not to be made by a thin Board, two of the seven



constituting it, being now absent.







 For these reasons the subscriber protests against



both the expedience and the validity of the estab-



lishment of this office.







                         TH. JEFFERSON.







  Resolved, that John Taylor Lomax be appointed



professor of law to the University in case the appont-



ment shall be declined by Mr. Wirt.







  The appointment of William Wertenbaker a



librarian to the University, is approved and con-



firmed.







  Resolved, that it is proper to exclude students



from the library room, except in cases in which



the faculty may authorize their admission.







  Resolved, that the proctor be instructed to take



proper measures to have prosecutions instituted



against D. S. Mosby and Thomas Draffin, for viola-



tions of the law concerning ordinaries and tippling



houses, and to haye their licenses revoked, if any



they have. That it be also the duty of the proctor



to have likewise proceedings instituted against



other such offenders, if any should be at any time



known to him.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    495







 To enable the proctor to perform this and other



duties requiring proceedings in court, he shall be



authorized to employ counsel for the University,



and pay him reasonable fees.







 It being suggested to the Board that a young



man named Robert Beverly abiding for the time



in the town of Charlottesville, habitually indulges



habits of intemperance and disorder, violating the



laws of the land, setting an evil example to the



students, and seducing them from their duties, and



the Visitors deeming it their duty to procure the



punishment of such offences in order that the



offender and his example may be removed, therefore,







  Resolved, that the proctor be instructed to give



information to the attorney for the Commonwealth



for the county court, and superior court of law for



Albemarle, and to take such measures as either of



the said attorneys shall advise, for binding the said



Robert Beverly to his good behavior, and for



punishing his violations of the law.







  Resolved, that the proctor be instructed to



consult with the attorney for the Commonwealth



for the superior court, and take such measures as



may be proper to continue the prosecutions com-



menced against Philip Clayton and William L.



Eyre, late students of the University, or to institute



new prosecutions if necessary.







  It is especially enjoined on the proctor to make



vigilant enquiry into the violence lately offered to



the house of Professor Emmet, and the wall of

















496        Jefferson's Works







Professor Blaetterman's garden, and to endeavor to



bring the offenders before the civil authorities.







  Resolved, that students heretofore or hereafter,



expelled from the University, shall be absolutely



inhibited from coming in its precincts for the period



of five years after such expulsion, unless by leave



of some professor ; and if any such expelled student



shall come within the precincts in violation of this



resolution, it shall be the duty of the proctor to



warn him off, and if he do not depart, or after-



wards returns, the proctor shall consult with the



attorney employed for the University, and take



such measures as the law will allow for punishing



the offense, and preventing its repetition.







  The keepers of the hotels are expected to be



men of discretion and firmness, willing at all times



to co-operate with the faculty and Visitors in



executing the laws of the institution; it is, there-



fore, at present recommended to them as proper,



and after the existing leases expire, it is expressly



enjoined upon them as a duty, that they shall



whenever called on, either by the Visitors, or by



the faculty, freely give evidence upon honor, of



all matters within their knowledge, touching the



conduct of the students.







  In all future leases of the hotels the proctor is



required to insert an express covenant that the



tenant shall, during the continuance of the lease,



conform to the laws of the institution existing at



the date of the lease, and a condition that for the

















        Supplementary Manuscripts   497







wilful violation of such law the lease shall be void,



and the tenant removed or continued on special



conditions, as provided by the eighty-fourth enact-



ment.







  No student boarding at any hotel, shall be allowed



to change his boarding-house till the end of the



session, without permission from the faculty.







  Hacks and other carriages let on hire shall be '



admitted within the precincts of the University



only under such regulations as shall be prescribed



by the faculty.







  The executive committee are required to provide



for lighting the University, if it can be effectually



done at a reasonable expense.







  The proctor is required to keep the drains in the



grounds of the University always' free from obstruc-



tion, and to construct such others as the executive



committee may direct.







  If the duties on the imported marble should be



remitted by Congress, the executive committee are



authorized to procure a clock and bell for the use



of the University.







  That part of the communication of the faculty



respecting the procurement of books for the students,



is referred to the executive committee, who are



requested to investigate the subject, and take such



measures as they may find expedient to obviate



the evils,complained of.







  The list of periodical publications furnished by



the faculty, being approved by the Board, the







   vol. xix-32

















498        Jefferson's Works







rector is requested to forward a copy thereof to



Mr. Hilliard, and to require him to furnish them



to the University annually, till the further order



of the Board.







  The expulsion of Philip Clayton from the Univer-



sity by an order of the faculty, made on the 14th



of October last, is approved and confirmed by this



Board.







 The expulsion of William Lewis Cabell, by an



order of the faculty made on the 30th of January



last, is also approved and confirmed.







 The Board having received a communication



from the professors of medicine and ancient



languages on the subject of diplomas, on which



they are not prepared to act definitely, the faculty



are invited to take under their consideration the



subject of diplomas and premiums for literary merit,



and to report to the Visitors at their meeting next



autumn, such alterations in the enactments on that



subject as they may deem expedient.







 The communication of the faculty, on the sub-



ject of police, is referred to the committee raised



at the last meeting of the Board, and charged with



the duty of digesting and reporting a system for



the better government of the University; and that



committee is required to report to the Board at



their next meeting.







 The Board adjourns without day.







                   TH. JEFFERSON, Rector.







 April 7, 1826.

















        Supplementary Manuscripts    499







 At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of



Virginia, held at the University on Monday, October



2d, 18.26, at which were present James Madison,



James Breckenridge, Joseph C. Cabell, John H.



Cocke, Chapman Johnson and James Monroe.







  The Board being apprised of the death of Thomas



Jefferson, rector, proceeded to fill the vacancy in



that office, and James Madison was elected.