Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3 — John Shaqi
Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3Jefferson, Thomas
History
Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
Mr. Necker has accepted his appointment, and will arrive today from
Switzerland, where he had taken refuge. No other ministers have been
named since my last. It is thought that Mr. Necker will choose his own
associates. The tranquillity of Paris has not been disturbed, since the
death of Foulon and Bertier, mentioned in my last. Their militia is in a
course of organization. It is impossible to know the exact state of the
supplies of bread. We suppose them low and precarious, because, some
days, we are allowed to buy but half or three fourths of the daily
allowance of our families. Yet as the wheat harvest must begin within
ten days or a fortnight, we are in hopes there will be subsistence
found till that time. This is the only source from which I should fear
a renewal of the late disorders; for I take for granted, the fugitives
from the wrath of their country, are all safe in foreign countries.
Among these are numbered seven Princes of the house of Bourbon, and six
ministers; the seventh (the Marshal de Broglio) being shut up in the
fortified town of Metz, strongly garrisoned with foreign soldiers. I
observed to you, in a preceding letter, that the storm which had begun
in Paris, on the change of the ministry, would have to pass over the
whole country, and consequently, would, for a short time, occasion us
terrible details from the different parts of it. Among these, you
will find a horrid one retailed from Vesoul, in Franche Compte. The
atrociousness of the fact would dispose us rather to doubt the truth of
the evidence on which it rests, however regular that appears. There
is no question, that a number of people were blown up; but there are
reasons for suspecting that it was by accident and not design. It is
said the owner of the chateau sold powder by the pound, which was kept
in the cellar of the house blown up; and it is possible, some one of
the guests may have taken this occasion to supply himself, and been
too careless in approaching the mass. Many idle stories have also been
propagated and believed here, against the English, as that they have
instigated the late tumults with money, that they had taken or were
preparing to take Cherbourg, Brest, &c.; and even reasonable men have
believed, or pretended to believe, all these. The British ambassador has
thought it necessary to disavow them in a public letter, which you will
find in one of the papers accompanying this.
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