第14章

DEARSIR，——Ishallsometimesaskyourpermissiontowriteyouletters，notofficialbutprivate。Thepresentisofthiskind，andisoccasionedbythequestionproposedinyoursofJune14。”whetheritwouldbeusefultoustocarryallourownproductions，ornone?”

Wereweperfectlyfreetodecidethisquestion，Ishouldreasonasfollows。Wehavenowlandsenoughtoemployaninfinitenumberofpeopleintheircultivation。Cultivatorsoftheeartharethemostvaluablecitizens。Theyarethemostvigorous，themostindependant，themostvirtuous，&theyaretiedtotheircountry&weddedtoit’sliberty&interestsbythemostlastingbonds。Aslongthereforeastheycanfindemploymentinthisline，Iwouldnotconvertthemintomariners，artisansoranythingelse。Butourcitizenswillfindemploymentinthislinetilltheirnumbers，&ofcoursetheirproductions，becometoogreatforthedemandbothinternal&foreign。

Thisisnotthecaseasyet，&probablywillnotbeforaconsiderabletime。Assoonasitis，thesurplusofhandsmustbeturnedtosomethingelse。Ishouldthenperhapswishtoturnthemtotheseainpreferencetomanufactures，becausecomparingthecharactersofthetwoclassesIfindtheformerthemostvaluablecitizens。Iconsidertheclassofartificersasthepandersofvice&theinstrumentsbywhichthelibertiesofacountryaregenerallyoverturned。Howeverwearenotfreetodecidethisquestiononprinciplesoftheoryonly。Ourpeoplearedecidedintheopinionthatitisnecessaryforustotakeashareintheoccupationoftheocean，&theirestablishedhabitsinducethemtorequirethattheseabekeptopentothem，andthatthatlineofpolicybepursuedwhichwillrendertheuseofthatelementasgreataspossibletothem。I

thinkitadutyinthoseentrustedwiththeadministrationoftheiraffairstoconformthemselvestothedecidedchoiceoftheirconstituents：andthatthereforeweshouldineveryinstancepreserveanequalityofrighttotheminthetransportationofcommodities，intherightoffishing，&intheotherusesofthesea。Butwhatwillbetheconsequence?Frequentwarswithoutadoubt。Theirpropertywillbeviolatedonthesea，&inforeignports，theirpersonswillbeinsulted，imprisoned&c。forpretendeddebts，contracts，crimes，contraband，&c。，&c。Theseinsultsmustberesented，evenifwehadnofeelings，yettopreventtheireternalrepetition，orinotherwords，ourcommerceontheocean&inothercountriesmustbepaidforbyfrequentwar。Thejustestdispositionspossibleinourselveswillnotsecureusagainstit。Itwouldbenecessarythatallothernationswerejustalso。Justiceindeedonourpartwillsaveusfromthosewarswhichwouldhavebeenproducedbyacontrarydisposition。

Buttopreventthoseproducedbythewrongsofothernations?Byputtingourselvesinaconditiontopunishthem。Weaknessprovokesinsult&injury，whileaconditiontopunishitoftenpreventsit。

Thisreasoningleadstothenecessityofsomenavalforce，thatbeingtheonlyweaponwithwhichwecanreachanenemy。Ithinkittoourinteresttopunishthefirstinsult；becauseaninsultunpunishedistheparentofmanyothers。Wearenotatthismomentinaconditiontodoit，butweshouldputourselvesintoitassoonaspossible。

IfawarwithEnglandshouldtakeplace，itseemstomethatthefirstthingnecessarywouldbearesolutiontoabandonthecarryingtradebecausewecannotprotectit。Foreignnationsmustinthatcasebeinvitedtobringuswhatwewant&totakeourproductionsintheirownbottoms。Thisalonecouldpreventthelossofthoseproductionstous&theacquisitionofthemtoourenemy。Ourseamenmightbeemployedindepredationsontheirtrade。Buthowdreadfullyweshallsufferonourcoasts，ifwehavenoforceonthewater，formerexperiencehastaughtus。IndeedIlookforwardwithhorrortotheverypossiblecaseofwarwithanEuropeanpower，&thinkthereisnoprotectionagainstthembutfromthepossessionofsomeforceonthesea。OurvicinitytotheirWestIndiapossessions&tothefisheriesisabridlewhichasmallnavalforceonourpartwouldholdinthemouthsofthemostpowerfulofthesecountries。Ihopeourlandofficewillridusofourdebts，&thatourfirstattentionthenwillbetothebeginninganavalforceofsomesort。Thisalonecancountenanceourpeopleascarriersonthewater，&Isupposethemtobedeterminedtocontinuesuch。

Iwroteyoutwopubliclettersonthe14thinst。，sincewhichI

havereceivedyoursofJuly13。Ishallalwaysbepleasedtoreceivefromyouinaprivatewaysuchcommunicationsasyoumightnotchusetoputintoapublicletter。

BOOKSFORASTATESMAN

_ToJamesMadison_

_Paris，September1，1785_

DEARSIR，——MylasttoyoubyMonsieurdeDoradour，wasdatedMaythe11th。Sincethat，IhavereceivedyoursofJanuarythe22nd，withsixcopiesoftherevisal，andthatofAprilthe27th，byMr。

Mazzei。

Allisquiethere。TheEmperorandDutchhavecertainlyagreed，thoughtheyhavenotpublishedtheiragreement。MostofhisschemesinGermanymustbepostponed，iftheyarenotprevented，bytheconfederacyofmanyoftheGermanicbody，attheheadofwhichistheKingofPrussia，andtowhichtheElectorofHanoverissupposedtohaveacceded。Theobjectoftheleagueistopreservethemembersoftheempireintheirpresentstate。Idoubtwhetherthejealousyentertainedofthisprince，andwhichissofullyevidencedbythisleague，maynotdefeattheelectionofhisnephewtobeKingoftheRomans，andthusproduceaninstanceofbreakingthelinealsuccession。NothingisasyetdonebetweenhimandtheTurks。Ifanythingisproducedinthatquarter，itwillnotbeforthisyear。

ThecourtofMadridhasobtainedthedeliveryofthecrewofthebrigBetsey，takenbytheEmperorofMorocco。TheEmperorhadtreatedthemkindly，newclothedthem，anddeliveredthemtotheSpanishminister，whosentthemtoCadiz。ThisistheonlyAmericanvesselevertakenbytheBarbaryStates。TheEmperorcontinuestogiveproofsofhisdesiretobeinfriendshipwithus，or，inotherwords，ofreceivingusintothenumberofhistributaries。Nothingfurtherneedbefearedfromhim。IwishtheAlgerinesmaybeaseasilydealtwith。IfancythepeaceexpectedbetweenthemandSpain，isnotlikelytotakeplace。IamwellinformedthatthelateproceedingsinAmerica，haveproducedawonderfulsensationinEnglandinourfavor。Imeanthedispositionwhichseemstobebecominggeneral，toinvestCongresswiththeregulationofourcommerce，and，inthemeantime，themeasurestakentodefeattheavidityoftheBritishgovernment，graspingatourcarryingbusiness。Icanaddwithtruth，thatitwasnottillthesesymptomsappearedinAmerica，thatIhavebeenabletodiscoverthesmallesttokenofrespecttowardstheUnitedStates，inanypartofEurope。Therewasanenthusiasmtowardsus，alloverEurope，atthemomentofthepeace。Thetorrentofliespublishedunremittingly，ineveryday’sLondonpaper，firstmadeanimpression，andproducedacoolness。TherepublicationoftheseliesinmostofthepapersofEurope，(doneprobablybyauthorityofthegovernments，todiscourageemigrations)carriedthemhometothebeliefofeverymind。TheysupposedeverythinginAmericawasanarchy，tumult，andcivilwar。ThereceptionoftheMarquisFayettegaveachecktotheseideas。Thelateproceedingsseemtobeproducingadecisivevibrationinourfavor。IthinkitpossiblethatEnglandmayplybeforethem。Itisanationwhichnothingbutviewsofinterestcangovern。Iftheyproduceusgoodthere，theywillherealso。ThedefeatoftheIrishpropositionsisalsoinourfavor。

Ihaveatlengthmadeupthepurchaseofbooksforyou，asfarasitcanbedoneatpresent。TheobjectswhichIhavenotyetbeenabletoget，Ishallcontinuetoseekfor。Thosepurchased，arepackedthismorningintwotrunks，andyouhavethecatalogueandpriceshereinenclosed。Thefuturechargesoftransportationshallbecarriedintothenextbill。Theamountofthepresentis1154

livres13sous，which，reckoningtheFrenchcrownofsixlivresatsixshillingsandeightpence，Virginiamoney，ispound64，3s。

whichsumyouwillbesogoodastokeepinyourhands，tobeusedoccasionallyintheeducationofmynephews，whentheregularresourcesdisappointyou。TothesameuseIwouldprayyoutoapplytwenty-fiveguineas，whichIhavelentthetwoMr。FitzhughsofMarmion，andwhichIhavedesiredthemtorepayintoyourhands。Youwillofcoursedeductthepriceoftherevisals，andofanyotherarticlesyoumayhavebeensokindastopayforme。GreekandRomanauthorsaredearerhere，than，Ibelieve，anywhereintheworld。

Nobodyherereadsthem；whereforetheyarenotreprinted。DonUlloa，intheoriginal，isnottobefound。Thecollectionoftractsontheeconomiesofdifferentnations，wecannotfind；norAmelot’stravelsintoChina。IshallsendthesetwotrunksofbookstoHavre，theretowaitaconveyancetoAmerica；forastothefixingthepacketsthere，itisasuncertainasever。Theotherarticlesyoumention，shallbeprocuredasfarastheycanbe。KnowingthatsomeofthemwouldbebettergotinLondon，IcommissionedMr。Short，whowasgoingthere，togetthem。Hehasnotyetreturned。Theywillbeofsuchanature，asthatIcangetsomegentlemanwhomaybegoingtoAmerica，totaketheminhisportmanteau。LeMairebeingnowabletostandonhisownlegs，therewillbenonecessityforyouradvancinghimthemoneyIdesired，ifitisnotalreadydone。IamanxioustohearfromyouonthesubjectofmyNotesonVirginia。Ihavebeenobligedtogivesomanyofthemhere，thatIfeartheirgettingpublished。IhavereceivedanapplicationfromtheDirectorsofthepublicbuildings，toprocurethemaplanfortheircapitol。Ishallsendthemonetakenfromthebestmorselofantientarchitecturenowremaining。Ithasobtainedtheapprobationoffifteenorsixteencenturies，andis，therefore，preferabletoanydesignwhichmightbenewlycontrived。Itwillgivemoreroom，bemoreconvenient，andcostless，thantheplantheysentme。Prayencouragethemtowaitforit，andtoexecuteit。ItwillbesuperiorinbeautytoanythinginAmerica，andnotinferiortoanythingintheworld。Itisverysimple。Haveyouacopyingpress?Ifyouhavenot，youshouldgetone。Mine(exclusiveofpaperwhichcostsaguineaaream)hascostmeaboutfourteenguineas。Iwouldgivetentimesthatsum，tohavehaditfromthedateofthestampact。Ihopeyouwillbesogoodastocontinueyourcommunications，bothofthegreatandsmallkind，whichareequallyusefultome。BeassuredofthesinceritywithwhichIam，DearSir，yourfriendandservant，ENCLOSURE

_livressousden_

DictionnairedeTrevoux。5vol。fol。，5f12……28-0-0

LaConquistadiMexico。DeSolis。fol。7f10。

relieure7f。14-10

Traitedemoraleetdebonheur。12mo。2v。in1。2-8

Wicquefortdel’Ambassadeur。2。v。4to。7-4

Burlamaqui。PrincipesdudroitPolitique4to。

3f12relieure2f5。5-17

ConquistadelaChinaporelTartaroporPalafox。

12mo。3-

Codedel’humanitedeFelice。13。v。4to……104-0

13。firstlivrasonsoftheEncyclopedie47。vols。

4to。(being48flessthansubscription)……348-0

14th。livraisonofdo。4。v。4to。24-0

Peyssonel。2-0

Bibliothequephysico-oeconomique。4。v。12mo。

10f4。rel。3f。13-4

CultivateurAmericain。2。v。8vo。7f17。rel。2f10。10-7

Mirabeausurl’ordredesCincinnati。10f10。rel。1f5

(prohibited)……11-15

CoutumesAmglo-NormadsdeHouard。4。v。

4to。40frel。10f。50-0

Memoriessurl’Amerique4v。4to。24-0

TottsurlesTurcs。4。v。in2。8vo。10f。rel。2f1012-10

Neckarsurl’AdministrationdesFinancesdeFrance。3。v。12mo。7f10rel。2f5……9-15

lebon-sens。12mo。6frel。15s(prohibited)……6-15

_livressousden_

Mably。Princessdemorale。

1。V。12mo……312}

etudedel’histoire1……210}

maniered’ecrirel’histoire1。28}

constitutiond’Amerique1……116}relieuredesurl’histoiredeIIvols。，France。2。v……6}15s。8f541-1

droitdel’Europe3。v。710}

ordresdessocieties……2}

principesdesnegotiations……210}

entretiensdePhocion……2}

desRomains。210}