The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 3 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
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The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 3 (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
The scarcity of bread begins to lessen in the southern parts of France,
where the harvest has commenced. Here it is still threatening, because
we have yet three weeks to the beginning of harvest, and I think there
has not been three days' provision beforehand in Paris, for two or three
weeks past. Monsieur de Mirabeau, who is very hostile to Mr. Neckar,
wished to find a ground for censuring him, in a proposition to have
a great quantity of flour furnished from the United States, which he
supposed me to have made to Mr. Neckar, and to have been refused by him;
and he asked time of the States General to furnish proofs. The Marquis
de La Fayette immediately gave me notice of this matter, and I wrote him
a letter to disavow having ever made any such proposition to Mr. Neckar,
which I desired him to communicate to the States. I waited immediately on
Mr. Neckar and Monsieur de Montmorin, satisfied them that what had been
suggested was absolutely without foundation from me; and indeed they had
not needed this testimony. I gave them copies of my letter to the Marquis
de La Fayette, which was afterwards printed. The Marquis, on the receipt
of my letter, showed it to Mirabeau, who turned then to a paper from which
he had drawn his information, and found he had totally mistaken it. He
promised immediately that he would himself declare his error to the States
General, and read to them my letter, which he did. I state this matter to
you, though of little consequence in itself, because it might go to you
misstated in the English papers.
Our supplies to the Atlantic ports of France, during the months of March,
April and May, were only twelve thousand two hundred and twenty quintals,
thirty-three pounds of flour, and forty-four thousand one hundred and
fifteen quintals, forty pounds of wheat, in twenty-one vessels.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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