Sir,

FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO JOHN ADAMS.

Paris, July 1, 1787.

I returned about three weeks ago from a very useless voyage; useless, I mean, as to the object which first suggested it, that of trying the effect of the mineral waters of Aix, in Provence, on my hand. I tried these, because recommended among six or eight others as equally beneficial, and because they would place me at the beginning of a tour to the sea-ports of Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes, and L'Orient, which I had long meditated, in hopes that a knowledge of the places and persons concerned in our commerce, and the information to be got from them might enable me sometimes to be useful. I had expected to satisfy myself at Marseilles of the causes of the difference of quality between the rice of Carolina and that of Piedmont, which is brought in quantities to Marseilles. Not being able to do it, I made an excursion of three weeks into the rice country beyond the Alps, going through it from Urcelli to Pavia, about sixteen miles. I found the difference to be, not in the management, as had been supposed both here and in Carolina, but in the species of rice; and I hope to enable them, in Carolina, to begin the cultivation of the Piedmont rice, and carry it on, hand in hand, with their own, that they may supply both qualities, which is absolutely necessary at this market. I had before endeavored to lead the depot of rice from Cowes to Honfleur, and hope to get it received there on such terms as may draw that branch of commerce from England to this country. It is an object of two hundred and fifty thousand guineas a year. While passing through the towns of Turin, Milan, and Genoa, I satisfied myself of the practicability of introducing our whale oil for their consumption, and suppose it would be equally so in the other great cities of that country. I was sorry that I was not authorized to set the matter on foot. The merchants with whom I chose to ask conferences met me freely, and communicated fully, knowing I was in a public character. I could, however, only prepare a disposition to meet our oil merchants. On the article of tobacco, I was more in possession of my ground; and put matters into a train for inducing their Government to draw their tobaccoes directly from the United States, and not, as heretofore, from Great Britain. I am now occupied with the new Ministry here, to put the concluding hand to the new regulations for our commerce with this

country, announced in the letter of Monsieur de Calonne, which I sent you last fall. I am in hopes, in addition to those, to obtain a suppression of the duties on tar, pitch, and turpentine, and an extension of the privileges of American whale oil, to their fish oils in general. I find that the quantity of cod fish oil brought to L'Orient is considerable. This being got off hand, (which will be in a few days,) the chicaneries and vexations of the farmers on the article of tobacco, and their elusions of the order of Bernis, called for the next attention. I have reasons to hope good dispositions in the new Ministry towards our commerce with this country. Besides endeavoring, on all occasions, to multiply the points of contact and connexion with this country, which I consider as our surest mainstay under every event, I have had it much at heart to remove from between us every subject of misunderstanding or irritation. Our debts to the King, to the officers, and the farmers, are of this description. The having complied with no part of our engagements in these, draws on us a great deal of censure, and occasioned a language in the Assemblée des Notables very likely to produce dissatisfaction between us. Dumas being on the spot in Holland, I had asked of him some time ago, in confidence, his opinion of the practicability of transferring these debts from France to Holland, and communicated his answer to Congress, pressing them to get you to go over to Holland, and try to effect this business. Your knowledge of the ground and former successes occasioned me to take the liberty without consulting you, because I was sure you would not weigh your personal trouble against public good. I have had no answer from Congress; but hearing of your journey to Holland, have hoped that some money operation had led you there. If it related to the debts of this country, I would ask a communication of what you think yourself at liberty to communicate, as it might change the form of my answers to the eternal applications I receive. The debt to the officers of France carries an interest of about two thousand guineas, so we may suppose its principal is between thirty and forty thousand. This makes more noise against us than all our other debts put together.

I send you the arrêts which begin the reformation here, and some other publications respecling America, together with copies of letters received from O'Bryen and Lamb. It is believed that a naval armament has been ordered at Brest, in correspondence with that of

England. We know certainly that orders are given to form a camp in the neighborhood of Brabant, and that Count Rochambeau has the command of it. Its amount I cannot assert; report says fifteen thousand men. This will derange the plans of economy.

I take the liberty of putting under your cover a letter from Mrs. Kinloch, of South Carolina, with a packet, and will trouble you to inquire for her, and have them delivered. The packet is of great consequence, and therefore referred to her care, as she will know the safe opportunities of conveying it. Should you not be able to find her, and can forward the packet to its address by any safe conveyance, I will beg you to do it.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

TH: JEFFERSON.

FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO THOMAS BARCLAY.

Paris, August 3, 1787.

Sir,

I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your several favors of June the 29th and July the 6th and 8th.

I am of opinion that the affair of Grand and Roland, in Holland, had better be committed to M. Dumas, in Holland, as lawsuits must always be attended to by some person on the spot. For the same reason I think that of La Vayse and Puchelberg should be managed by the agent at L'Orient, and Gruel's by the agent at Nantes. I shall always be ready to assist the agents at L'Orient and Nantes, in any way in my power; but were the details to be left to me, they would languish necessarily, on account of my distance from the place, and perhaps suffer, too, for want of verbal consultations with the lawyers entrusted with them. You are now with Congress; and can take their orders on the subject. I shall, therefore, do nothing in these matters, in reliance that you will put them in such channel as they direct, furnishing the necessary documents and explanations.

*

With respect to French's affair, being perfectly satisfied myself, I have not ceased, nor shall I cease, endeavoring to satisfy others that your conduct has been that of an honest and honorable debtor, and theirs the counterpart of Shylock in the play. I enclose you a VOL. II.-5

letter, containing my testimony on your general conduct, which I have written to relieve a debt of justice pressing on my mind, well knowing, at the same time, you will not stand in need of it in America. Your conduct is too well known to Congress, your character to all the world, to need any testimonials.

The moment I close my despatches for the packet, which will be the 9th instant, I shall, with great pleasure, go to pay my respects to Mrs. Barclay, at St. Germain's, to satisfy her on the subject of your transactions, and to assure her that my resources shall be hers as long as I have any. A multitude of letters to write prevents my entering into the field of public news, further than to observe that it is extremely doubtful whether the affairs of Holland will or will not produce a war between France on the one side, and England and Prussia on the other.

I beg you to accept assurances of the sincere esteem and respect, with which I have the honor to be, &c.,

TH: JEFFERSON.

FROM THOMAS JEFFERSON TO JOHN JAY.

Paris, August 6, 1787.

Sir, The last letter I had the honor of addressing you was dated June 21st. I have now that of enclosing you a letter from the Swedish Ambassador, praying that inquiry may be made for a vessel of his nation piratically carried off, and measures taken relative to the vessel, cargo, and crew; also, a letter from William Russell and others, citizens of America, concerned in trade to the Island of Guadaloupe, addressed to the Mareschal de Castries, and complaining of the shutting to them the port of Point-a-Petre, and receiving them only at Basse-terre. This was enclosed to me by the subscribers, to be delivered to the Mareschal de Castries, but the present is not the moment to move in that business, and, moreover, I suppose that wherever parties are within the reach of Congress, they should apply to them, and my instructions come through that channel. Matters arising within the kingdom of France, to which my commission is limited, and not admitting time to take the orders of Congress, I suppose I may move in originally. I also enclose you a copy of a letter from Mr. Barclay, enclosing his proceedings in

our affairs with Morocco. Before this reaches you, he will have had the honor of presenting himself to you in person. After his departure, the Parliament of Bordeaux decided that he was liable to arrest. This was done on a letter from the Minister, informing them that Mr. Barclay was vested with no character which privileged him from arrest. His constant character of Consul was no protection, and they did not explain whether his character to Morocco was not originally diplomatic or had expired. Mr. Barclay's proceedings under this commission being now closed, it would be incumbent on me to declare with respect to them, as well as his consular transactions, my opinion of the judgment, zeal, and disinterestedness with which he has conducted himself; were it not that Congress has been so possessed of those transactions from time to time as to judge for themselves. I cannot but be uneasy lest my delay of entering on the subject of the Consular convention may be disapproved. My hope was and is that more practicable terms might be obtained. In this hope I do nothing till further orders, observing by an extract from the journals you were pleased to send me that Congress have referred the matter to your consideration, and conscious that we are not suffering in the meantime, as we have not a single Consul in France since the departure of Mr. Barclay. I mentioned to you in my last the revival of the hopes of the Chevalier de la Luzerne. I thought it my duty to remind the Count de Montmorin the other day of the long absence of their Minister from Congress. He told me the Chevalier de la Luzerne would not be sent back, but that we might rely that in the month of October a person would be sent, with whom we should be content. He did not name the person, though there is no doubt that it is the Count de Moustier. It is an appointment which, according to the opinion I have formed of him, bids as fair to give content as any one which could be made.

I also mentioned in my last letter that I had proposed the reducing the substance of M. de Calonne's letter into the form of an arrêt with some alterations, which on consultation with the merchants at the different ports I visited, I had found to be necessary. I received soon after a letter from the Comptroller General, informing me that the letter of Monsieur de Calonne was in a course of execution. Of this I enclose you a copy. I was in that moment enclosing to him my general observations on that letter, a copy of which is also