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
England has misrepresented to all Europe this ground of the war. She
has called it a new pretension, set up since the repeal of her orders
of council. She knows there has never been a moment of suspension of our
reclamation against it, from General Washington's time inclusive, to the
present day; and that it is distinctly stated in our declaration of war,
as one of its principal causes. She has pretended we have entered into
the war to establish the principle of "free bottoms, free goods," or
to protect her seamen against her own rights over them. We contend for
neither of these. She pretends we are partial to France; that we have
observed a fraudulent and unfaithful neutrality between her and her enemy.
She knows this to be false, and that if there has been any inequality
in our proceedings towards the belligerents, it has been in her favor.
Her ministers are in possession of full proofs of this. Our accepting
at once, and sincerely, the mediation of the virtuous Alexander, their
greatest friend, and the most aggravated enemy of Bonaparte, sufficiently
proves whether we have partialities on the side of her enemy. I sincerely
pray that this mediation may produce a just peace. It will prove that
the immortal character, which has first stopped by war the career of
the destroyer of mankind, is the friend of peace, of justice, of human
happiness, and the patron of unoffending and injured nations. He is too
honest and impartial to countenance propositions of peace derogatory to
the freedom of the seas.
Shall I apologize to you, my dear Madam, for this long political
letter? But yours justifies the subject, and my feelings must plead
for the unreserved expression of them; and they have been the less
reserved, as being from a private citizen, retired from all connection
with the government of his country, and whose ideas, expressed without
communication with any one, are neither known, nor imputable to them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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