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as　did　my　neighbors；　but　not　having　conveniences　for　husking　it；　we

declined　it。　　I　tried　some　of　it　in　a　pot；　while　I　lived　in

Philadelphia；　and　gave　seed　to　Mr。　Bartram。　　It　produced　luxuriant

plants　with　us　both；　but　no　seed；　nor　do　I　believe　it　will　ripen　in

the　United　States　as　far　north　as　Philadelphia。　　Business　and　an

indisposition　of　some　days　must　apologize　for　this　delay　in　answering

your　letter　of　October　24th；　which　I　did　not　receive　till　the　6th　of

November。　　And　permit　me　here　to　add　my　salutations　and　assurances　of

esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　〃LAST　TRIAL　FOR　PEACE〃




　　　　　　　　_To　James　Monroe_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　January　28；　1809_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　the　18th　was　received　in　due　time；

and　the　answer　has　been　delayed　as　well　by　a　pressure　of　business；　as

by　the　expectation　of　your　absence　from　Richmond。




　　　　　　　　The　idea　of　sending　a　special　mission　to　France　or　England　is

not　entertained　at　all　here。　　After　so　little　attention　to　us　from

the　former；　and　so　insulting　an　answer　from　Canning；　such　a　mark　of

respect　as　an　extraordinary　mission；　would　be　a　degradation　against

which　all　minds　revolt　here。　　The　idea　was　hazarded　in　the　House　of

Representatives　a　few　days　ago；　by　a　member；　and　an　approbation

expressed　by　another；　but　rejected　indignantly　by　every　other　person

who　spoke；　and　very　generally　in　conversation　by　all　others；　and　I　am

satisfied　such　a　proposition　would　get　no　vote　in　the　Senate。　　The

course　the　Legislature　means　to　pursue；　may　be　inferred　from　the　act

now　passed　for　a　meeting　in　May；　and　a　proposition　before　them　for

repealing　the　embargo　in　June；　and　then　resuming　and　maintaining　by

force　our　right　of　navigation。　　There　will　be　considerable　opposition

to　this　last　proposition；　not　only　from　the　federalists；　old　and　new；

who　oppose　everything；　but　from　sound　members　of　the　majority。　　Yet

it　is　believed　it　will　obtain　a　good　majority；　and　that　it　is　the

only　proposition　which　can　be　devised　that　could　obtain　a　majority　of

any　kind。　　Final　propositions　will；　therefore；　be　soon　despatched　to

both　the　belligerents　through　the　resident　ministers；　so　that　their

answers　will　be　received　before　the　meeting　in　May；　and　will　decide

what　is　to　be　done。　　This　last　trial　for　peace　is　not　thought

desperate。　　If；　as　is　expected；　Bonaparte　should　be　successful　in

Spain；　however　every　virtuous　and　liberal　sentiment　revolts　at　it；　it

may　induce　both　powers　to　be　more　accommodating　with　us。　　England

will　see　here　the　only　asylum　for　her　commerce　and　manufactures；

worth　more　to　her　than　her　orders　of　council。　　And　Bonaparte；　having

Spain　at　his　feet；　will　look　immediately　to　the　Spanish　colonies；　and

think　our　neutrality　cheaply　purchased　by　a　repeal　of　the　illegal

parts　of　his　decrees；　with　perhaps　the　Floridas　thrown　into　the

bargain。　　Should　a　change　in　the　aspect　of　affairs　in　Europe　produce

this　disposition　in　both　powers；　our　peace　and　prosperity　may　be

revived　and　long　continue。　　Otherwise；　we　must　again　take　the　tented

field；　as　we　did　in　1776　under　more　inauspicious　circumstances。




　　　　　　　　There　never　has　been　a　situation　of　the　world　before；　in　which

such　endeavors　as　we　have　made　would　not　have　secured　our　peace。　　It

is　probable　there　never　will　be　such　another。　　If　we　go　to　war　now；　I

fear　we　may　renounce　forever　the　hope　of　seeing　an　end　of　our

national　debt。　　If　we　can　keep　at　peace　eight　years　longer；　our

income；　liberated　from　debt；　will　be　adequate　to　any　war；　without　new

taxes　or　loans；　and　our　position　and　increasing　strength　put　us　_hors

d'insulte_　from　any　nation。　　I　am　now　so　near　the　moment　of　retiring；

that　I　take　no　part　in　affairs　beyond　the　expression　of　an　opinion。

I　think　it　fair　that　my　successor　should　now　originate　those　measures

of　which　he　will　be　charged　with　the　execution　and　responsibility；

and　that　it　is　my　duty　to　clothe　them　with　the　forms　of　authority。

Five　weeks　more　will　relieve　me　from　a　drudgery　to　which　I　am　no

longer　equal；　and　restore　me　to　a　scene　of　tranquillity；　amidst　my

family　and　friends；　more　congenial　to　my　age　and　natural

inclinations。　　In　that　situation；　it　will　always　be　a　pleasure　to　me

to　see　you；　and　to　repeat　to　you　the　assurances　of　my　constant

friendship　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　REPUBLIC　OF　SCIENCE




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Hollins_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　February　19；　1809_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　A　little　transaction　of　mine；　as　innocent　an　one

as　I　ever　entered　into；　and　where　an　improper　construction　was　never

less　expected；　is　making　some　noise；　I　observe；　in　your　city。　　I　beg

leave　to　explain　it　to　you；　because　I　mean　to　ask　your　agency　in　it。

The　last　year；　the　Agricultural　Society　of　Paris；　of　which　I　am　a

member；　having　had　a　plough　presented　to　them；　which；　on　trial　with　a

graduated　instrument；　did　equal　work　with　half　the　force　of　their

best　ploughs；　they　thought　it　would　be　a　benefit　to　mankind　to

communicate　it。　　They　accordingly　sent　one　to　me；　with　a　view　to　its

being　made　known　here；　and　they　sent　one　to　the　Duke　of　Bedford　also；

who　is　one　of　their　members；　to　be　made　use　of　for　England；　although

the　two　nations　were　then　at　war。　　By　the　Mentor；　now　going　to

France；　I　have　given　permission　to　two　individuals　in　Delaware　and

New　York；　to　import　two　parcels　of　Merino　sheep　from　France；　which

they　have　procured　there；　and　to　some　gentlemen　in　Boston；　to　import

a　very　valuable　machine　which　spins　cotton；　wool　and　flax　equally。

The　last　spring；　the　Society　informed　me　they　were　cultivating　the

cotton　of　the　Levant　and　other　parts　of　the　Mediterranean；　and　wished

to　try　also　that　of　our　southern　States。　　I　immediately　got　a　friend

to　have　two　tierces　of　seed　forwarded　to　me。　　They　were　consigned　to

Messrs。　Falls　and　Brown　of　Baltimore；　and　notice　of　it　being　given

me；　I　immediately　wrote　to　them　to　re…ship　them　to　New　York；　to　be

sent　by　the　Mentor。　　Their　first　object　was　to　make　a　show　of　my

letter；　as　something　very　criminal；　and　to　carry　the　subject　into　the

newspapers。　　I　had；　on　a　like　request；　some　time　ago；　（but　before　the

embargo）　from　the　President　of　the　Board　of　Agriculture　of　London；　of

which　I　am　also　a　member；　to　send　them　some　of　the　genuine　May　wheat

of　Virginia；　forwarded　to　them　two　or　three　barrels　of　it。　　General

Washington；　in　his　time；　received　from　the　same　Society　the　seed　of

the　perennial　succory；　which　Arthur　Young　had　carried　over　from

France　to　England；　and　I　have　since　received　from　a　member　of　it　the

seed　of　the　famous　turnip　of　Sweden；　now　so　well　known　here。　　I

mention　these　things；　to　shew　the　nature　of　the　correspondence　which

is　carried　on　between　societies　instituted　for　the　benevolent　purpose

of　communicating　to　all　parts　of　the　world　whatever　useful　is

discovered　in　any　one　of　them。　　These　societies　are　always　in　peace；

however　their　nations　may　be　at　war。　　Like　the　republic　of　letters；

they　form　a　great　fraternity　spreading　over　the　whole　earth；　and

their　correspondence　is　never　interrupted　by　any　civilized　nation。

Vaccination　has　been　a　late　and　remarkable　instance　of　the　liberal

diffusion　of　a　blessing　newly　discovered。　　It　is　really　painful；　it

is　mortifying；　to　be　obliged　to　note　these　things；　which　are　known　to

every　one　who　knows　any　thing；　and　felt　with　approbation　by　every　one

who　has　any　feeling。　　But　we　have　a　faction　to　whose　hostile　passions

the　torture　even　of　right　into　wrong　is　a　delicious　gratification。

Their　malice　I　have　long　learned　to　disregard；　their　censure　to　deem

praise。　　But　I　observe；　that　some　republicans　are　not　satisfied　（even

while　we　are　receiving　liberally　from　others）　that　this　small　return

should　be　made。　　They　will　think　more　justly　at　another　day：　but　in

the　mean　time；　I　wish　to　avoid　offence。　　My　prayer　to　you；　therefore；

is；　that　you　will　be　so　good；　under　the　inclosed　order；　as　to　receive

these　two　tierces　of　seed　from　Falls　and　Brown；　and　pay　them　their

disbursements　for　freight；　&c。　which　I　will　immediately　remit　you　on

knowing　the　amount。　　Of　the　seed；　when　received；　be　so　good　as　to

make　manure　for　your　garden。　　When　rotted　with　a　due　mixture　of

stable　manure　or　earth；　it　is　the　best　in　the　world。　　I　rely　on　your

friendship　to　excuse　this　trouble；　it　being　necessary　I　should　not

commit　myself　again　to　persons　of　whose　honor；　or　the　want　of　it；　I

know　nothing。




　　　　　　　　Accept　the　assurances　of　my　constant　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　NEGRO　RACE




　　　　　　　　_To　Henri　Gregoire_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　February　25；　1809_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　I　have　received　the　favor　of　your　letter　of　August

17th；　and　with　it　the　volume　you　were　so　kind　as　to　send　me　on　the

〃Literature　of　Negroes。〃　Be　assured　that　no　person　living　wishes　more

sincerely　than　I　do；　to　see　a　complete　refutation　of　the　doubts　I

have　myself　entertained　and　expressed　on　the　grade　of　understanding

allotted　to　them　by　nature；　and　to　find　that　in　this　respect　they　are

on　a　par　with　ourselves。　　My　doubts　were　the　result　of　personal

observation　on　the　limited　sphere　of　my　own　State；　where　the

opportunities　for　the　development　of　their　genius　were　not　favorable；

and　those　of　exercising　it　still　less　so。　　I　expressed　them　therefore

with　great　hesitation；　but　whatever　be　their　degree　of　talent　it　is

no　measure　of　their　rights。　　Because　Sir　Isaac　Newton　was　superior　to

others　in　understanding；　he　was　not　therefore　lord　of　the　person　or

property　of　others。　　On　this　subject　they　are　gaining　daily　in　the

opinions　of　nations；　and　hopeful　advances　are　making　towards　their

re…establishment　on　an　equal　footing　with　the　other　colors　of　the

human　family。　　I　pray　you　therefore　to　accept　my　thanks　for　the　many

instances　you　have　enabled　me　to　observe　of　respectable　intelligence

in　that　race　of　men；　which　cannot　fail　to　have　effect　in　hastening

the　day　of　their　relief；　and　to　be　assured　of　the　sentiments　of　high

and　j