The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 2 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
I enclose herein a resolution of Congress, recalling Mr. Lambe, which I
will beg the favor of you to have delivered him. I have written to Mr.
Adams on the subject of directing him to settle with Mr. Barclay, and
attend his answer. In the meantime, I am not without hopes Mr. Barclay has
done the business. I send also a note desiring Mr. Lambe to deliver you
his cypher; and a copy of a letter from the minister of finance here, to
me, announcing several regulations in favor of our commerce.
My Notes on Virginia, having been hastily written, need abundance of
corrections. Two or three of these are so material, that I am reprinting
a few leaves to substitute for the old. As soon as these shall be ready,
I will beg your acceptance of a copy. I shall be proud to be permitted to
send a copy, also, to the Count de Campomanes, as a tribute to his science
and his virtues. You will find in them that the Natural Bridge has found
an admirer in me also. I should be happy to make with you the tour of
the curiosities you will find therein mentioned. That kind of pleasure
surpasses much, in my estimation, whatever I find on this side the
Atlantic. I sometimes think of building a little hermitage at the Natural
Bridge (for it is my property) and of passing there a part of the year at
least.
I have received American papers to the 1st of November. Some tumultuous
meetings of the people have taken place in the eastern States; i.e. one
in Massachusetts, one in Connecticut, and one in New Hampshire. Their
principal demand was, a respite in the judiciary proceedings. No injury
was done, however, in a single instance, to the person or property of any
one, nor did the tumult continue twenty-four hours in any one instance.
In Massachusetts, this was owing to the discretion which the malcontents
still preserved; in Connecticut and New Hampshire, the body of the people
rose in support of government, and obliged the malcontents to go to
their homes. In the last-mentioned State, they seized about forty, who
were in jail for trial. It is believed this incident will strengthen our
government. Those people are not entirely without excuse. Before the war,
these States depended on their whale oil and fish. The former was consumed
in England, and much of the latter in the Mediterranean. The heavy duties
on American whale oil, now required in England, exclude it from that
market; and the Algerines exclude them from bringing their fish into
the Mediterranean. France is opening her ports for their oil, but in the
meanwhile, their ancient debts are pressing them, and they have nothing to
pay with. The Massachusetts Assembly, too, in their zeal for paying their
public debt, had laid a tax too heavy to be paid in the circumstances of
their State. The Indians seem disposed, too, to make war on us. These
complicated causes, determined Congress to increase their forces to
two thousand men. The latter was the sole object avowed, yet the former
entered for something into the measure.
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