The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 6 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 6 (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
Mr. Barnes, some time ago, forwarded you a bill of exchange for 5,500
francs, of which the enclosed is a duplicate. Apprehending that a war
with England would subject the remittances to you to more casualties,
I proposed to Mr. Morson, of Bordeaux, to become the intermediate for
making remittances to you, which he readily acceded to on liberal ideas
arising from his personal esteem for you, and his desire to be useful
to you. If you approve of this medium I am in hopes it will shield you
from the effect of the accidents to which the increased dangers of the
seas may give birth. It would give me great pleasure to hear from you
oftener. I feel great interest in your health and happiness. I know
your feelings on the present state of the world, and hope they will be
cheered by the successful course of our war, and the addition of Canada
to our confederacy. The infamous intrigues of Great Britain to destroy
our government (of which Henry's is but one sample), and with the Indians
to tomahawk our women and children, prove that the cession of Canada,
their fulcrum for these Machiavelian levers, must be a _sine qua non_ at
a treaty of peace. God bless you, and give you to see all these things,
and many and long years of health and happiness.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
MONTICELLO, June 29, 1812.
DEAR SIR,--I duly received your favor of the 22d covering the declaration
of war. It is entirely popular here, the only opinion being that it should
have been issued the moment the season admitted the militia to enter
Canada. * * * * * To continue the war popular, two things are necessary
mainly. 1. To stop Indian barbarities. The conquest of Canada will do
this. 2. To furnish markets for our produce, say indeed for our flour,
for tobacco is already given up, and seemingly without reluctance. The
great profits of the wheat crop have allured every one to it; and never
was such a crop on the ground as that which we generally begin to cut
this day. It would be mortifying to the farmer to see such an one rot
in his barn. It would soon sicken him to war. Nor can this be a matter
of wonder or of blame on him. Ours is the only country on earth where
war is an instantaneous and total suspension of all the objects of his
industry and support. For carrying our produce to foreign markets our
own ships, neutral ships, and even enemy ships under neutral flag, which
I would wink at, will probably suffice. But the coasting trade is of
double importance, because both seller and buyer are disappointed, and
both are our own citizens. You will remember that in this trade our
greatest distress in the last war was produced by our own pilot boats
taken by the British and kept as tenders to their larger vessels. These
being the swiftest vessels on the ocean, they took them and selected the
swiftest from the whole mass. Filled with men they scoured everything
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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