The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 5 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 5 (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
Some very unusual delay has happened to the post, as I received
yesterday only my letter from Philadelphia, as far back as April 9th,
and Washington, April 11th. Of course yours of the 13th and 16th were
then only received, and being overwhelmed with such an accumulated
mail, I must be short, as the post goes out in a few hours. I return
you Huston's, Findlay's, and Governor Harrison's letters. J. Smith's is
retained because it is full of nominations. I had received, a week ago,
from a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, a copy of their act for the
Western road. I immediately wrote to Mr. Moore that we should consider
the question whether the road should pass through Uniontown, as now
decided affirmatively, and I referred to the commissioner to reconsider
the question whether it should also pass through Brownsville, and to
decide it according to their own judgment. I desired him to undertake the
superintendence of the execution, to begin the work in time to lay out the
whole appropriation this summer, and to employ it in making effectually
good the most difficult parts. I approve of Governor Harrison's lease
to Taylor, and of the conveying the salt water by pipes to the fuel and
navigation, rather than the fuel and navigation to the Saline. I think
it our indispensable duty to remove immediately all intruders from the
lands, the timber of which will be wanting for the Salines, and will sign
any order you will be so good as to prepare for that purpose. You are
hereby authorized to announce to the collector of Savannah, his removal,
if you judge it for the public good. I recollect nothing of Bullock,
the attorney, and not having my papers here, I am not able to refresh my
memory concerning him. I expect to leave this, on my return to Washington,
about three weeks hence. Your estimate of the number of foreign seamen
in our employ, renders it prudent, in my opinion, to drop the idea of
any proposition not to employ them. As we had made up our minds on every
article of the British treaty, when consulting together, and this idea
was only an after thought referred for enquiry and consideration, we had
better take more time for it. Time strengthens my belief that no equal
treaty will be obtained from such a higher as Lord Auckland, or from
the present ministry, Fox being no longer with them, and that we shall
be better without any treaty than an unequal one. Perhaps we may engage
them to act on certain articles, including their note on impressment, by
a mutual understanding, under the pretext of further time to arrange a
general treaty. Perhaps, too, the general peace will, in the meantime,
establish for us better principles than we can obtain ourselves.
I enclose a letter from Gideon Fitz. Affectionate salutes.
TO MR. NIEMCEWICZ.
MONTICELLO, April 22, 1807.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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