The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-05-02
A RARE FIND.
A Letter From Thomas Jefferson,
Treating on the Credit
System.


papers in his private desk on Satur-
day last, discovered among them a
letter from Thomas Jefferson, which
is now for the first time made pub
lie. 1t is full of interest, as will be
seen from its perusal, and some of
the utterances are startlingly ap-
plicable to the present day and es-
pecially applicable to his country
men, The letter was written to
Alexander Donald, a Scotch mer-
chant, who came to Richmond to
engage in the tobacco business.
The letter in question is as fol-
lows;
PARIS, July 29, 1887.
Dear Sir:
received with infinite satisfac-
ton your letter of the 1st of March;
it was the first information had of
your being in America. There is
no person ! shall see again with
more cordial Joy when it shall be
my lot to return to my native coun
try; nor anyone whose prosperity in
the meantime will be more interest
ing to me. ! find as | grow older
that | set a higher value on the in
timacies of my youth, and am more
afflicted by whatever losses one of
them suffers. should it be in my
power to render any service in your
shipment of tobacco to Havre de
grace, I shall do it with great pleas
ure. the order Of Berni has | believe
been evaded by the farmers general
as much as possible. at this mo-
ment / receive the information
from most of the seaports that they
refuse taking any tabacco under
pretext that they have purchased
their whole quantity. from Havre
I have heard nothing, and I believe
you will stand a better chance there
than anywhere else. being one of
the ports of manufacture too it is
entitled to higher price. | have
now desired that the farmers may
make distinct return of their pur-
chases which conformable to the
order of Berni. if they have really
bought their quantity on those
terms we must be satisfied: if they
have not, / shall propose their be-
ing obliged to make it up instantly
there is a considerable accumulation
Of tobacco in the ports. Among
many good qualities which my coun-
trymen possess, some of different
character unhappily mix them
selves. the most remarkable are
incidence, extravaganza & infidel-
ity to their engagements. cure the
two first and the last would disap-
pear, because it is a consequence OF
them, and not proceeding from a
want Of morals. / know of no rem
edy against Incidence & extrava-
gance but free course of justice.
everything else is merely palliative:
but unhappily the evil has gained
too generally the mass of the ma
tion to leave the course of justice
unobstructed. the maxim of buying
nothing without money in our pock-
ct to pay for it, would make of our
country one Of the happiest upon
earth. experience during the war
proved this; as / think every man
will remember that under all the
privations it obliged him to submit
to during that period he slept
sounder, and awaked happier than
he can do now. desperate of find
ing relief from free course Of JUS
tice, | look forward to the abolition
of all credit as the only other rem
edy which can take place. | have
seen therefore with pleasure the
exaggerations of our want of faith
with which the London papers TEEN.
it is indeed a strong medicine for
sensible men, but it is a medicine
it will prevent their crediting us
abroad, in which case we cannot be
credited at home. have been
much concerned at the losses pro
duced by the fire of Richmond. /
hope you have escaped them. it
will give me much pleasure to hear
from you as often as you can spare
a moment to write. be assured that
nobody entertain3 for you senti-
meuts Of more perfect or sincere
esteem than Dear Sir
your friend q servant
Th: Jefferson.
The letter was found among the
papers Of James Brown, the grand