第71章

engagedhimtoinquireforthis；hewastherejustaftertheharvest，procuredandsentmeathirty-galloncaskofit。Itarrivedintimetheensuingspringtobesown。IdivideditbetweentheAgriculturalSocietyofCharlestonandsomeprivategentlemenofGeorgia，recommendingittotheircare，inthehopewhichhadinducedmetoendeavortoobtainit，thatifitansweredaswellastheswamprice，itmightridthemofthatsourceoftheirsummerdiseases。NothingcameofthetrialsinSouthCarolina，butbeingcarriedintotheupperhillypartsofGeorgia，itsucceededthereperfectly，hasspreadoverthecountry，andisnowcommonlycultivated；still，however，forfamilyusechiefly，astheycannotmakeitforsaleincompetitionwiththericeoftheswamps。Theformerpartofthesedetailsiswrittenfrommemory，thepapersbeingatMonticellowhichwouldenablemetoparticularizeexactlythedatesoftimesandplaces。ThelatterpartisfromthelateMr。Baldwin，oneofthosewhomIengagedinthedistributionoftheseedinGeorgia，andwhoinhisannualattendanceonCongress，gavemefromtimetotimethehistoryofitsprogress。IthasgotfromGeorgiaintoKentucky，whereitiscultivatedbymanyindividualsforfamilyuse。I

cultivatedittwoorthreeyearsatMonticello，andhadgoodcrops，asdidmyneighbors，butnothavingconveniencesforhuskingit，wedeclinedit。Itriedsomeofitinapot，whileIlivedinPhiladelphia，andgaveseedtoMr。Bartram。Itproducedluxuriantplantswithusboth，butnoseed；nordoIbelieveitwillripenintheUnitedStatesasfarnorthasPhiladelphia。BusinessandanindispositionofsomedaysmustapologizeforthisdelayinansweringyourletterofOctober24th，whichIdidnotreceivetillthe6thofNovember。Andpermitmeheretoaddmysalutationsandassurancesofesteemandrespect。”LASTTRIALFORPEACE”

_ToJamesMonroe_

_Washington，January28，1809_

DEARSIR，——Yourfavorofthe18thwasreceivedinduetime，andtheanswerhasbeendelayedaswellbyapressureofbusiness，asbytheexpectationofyourabsencefromRichmond。

TheideaofsendingaspecialmissiontoFranceorEnglandisnotentertainedatallhere。Aftersolittleattentiontousfromtheformer，andsoinsultingananswerfromCanning，suchamarkofrespectasanextraordinarymission，wouldbeadegradationagainstwhichallmindsrevolthere。TheideawashazardedintheHouseofRepresentativesafewdaysago，byamember，andanapprobationexpressedbyanother，butrejectedindignantlybyeveryotherpersonwhospoke，andverygenerallyinconversationbyallothers；andIamsatisfiedsuchapropositionwouldgetnovoteintheSenate。ThecoursetheLegislaturemeanstopursue，maybeinferredfromtheactnowpassedforameetinginMay，andapropositionbeforethemforrepealingtheembargoinJune，andthenresumingandmaintainingbyforceourrightofnavigation。Therewillbeconsiderableoppositiontothislastproposition，notonlyfromthefederalists，oldandnew，whoopposeeverything，butfromsoundmembersofthemajority。Yetitisbelieveditwillobtainagoodmajority，andthatitistheonlypropositionwhichcanbedevisedthatcouldobtainamajorityofanykind。Finalpropositionswill，therefore，besoondespatchedtoboththebelligerentsthroughtheresidentministers，sothattheiranswerswillbereceivedbeforethemeetinginMay，andwilldecidewhatistobedone。Thislasttrialforpeaceisnotthoughtdesperate。If，asisexpected，BonaparteshouldbesuccessfulinSpain，howevereveryvirtuousandliberalsentimentrevoltsatit，itmayinducebothpowerstobemoreaccommodatingwithus。Englandwillseeheretheonlyasylumforhercommerceandmanufactures，worthmoretoherthanherordersofcouncil。AndBonaparte，havingSpainathisfeet，willlookimmediatelytotheSpanishcolonies，andthinkourneutralitycheaplypurchasedbyarepealoftheillegalpartsofhisdecrees，withperhapstheFloridasthrownintothebargain。ShouldachangeintheaspectofaffairsinEuropeproducethisdispositioninbothpowers，ourpeaceandprosperitymayberevivedandlongcontinue。Otherwise，wemustagaintakethetentedfield，aswedidin1776undermoreinauspiciouscircumstances。

Thereneverhasbeenasituationoftheworldbefore，inwhichsuchendeavorsaswehavemadewouldnothavesecuredourpeace。Itisprobablethereneverwillbesuchanother。Ifwegotowarnow，I

fearwemayrenounceforeverthehopeofseeinganendofournationaldebt。Ifwecankeepatpeaceeight