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

and　just　esteem　and　consideration　which　I　tender　to　yourself　with　all

sincerity。







　　　　　　　　〃A　PRISONER；　RELEASED　FROM　HIS　CHAINS〃




　　　　　　　　_To　P。　S。　Dupont　de　Nemours_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　March　2；　1809_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　My　last　to　you　was　of　May　the　2nd；　since　which　I

have　received　yours　of　May　the　25th；　June　the　1st；　July　the　23rd；

24th；　and　September　the　5th；　and　distributed　the　two　pamphlets

according　to　your　desire。　　They　are　read　with　the　delight　which　every

thing　from　your　pen　gives。




　　　　　　　　After　using　every　effort　which　could　prevent　or　delay　our　being

entangled　in　the　war　of　Europe；　that　seems　now　our　only　resource。

The　edicts　of　the　two　belligerents；　forbidding　us　to　be　seen　on　the

ocean；　we　met　by　an　embargo。　　This　gave　us　time　to　call　home　our

seamen；　ships　and　property；　to　levy　men　and　put　our　sea　ports　into　a

certain　state　of　defence。　　We　have　now　taken　off　the　embargo；　except

as　to　France　and　England　and　their　territories；　because　fifty

millions　of　exports；　annually　sacrificed；　are　the　treble　of　what　war

would　cost　us；　besides；　that　by　war　we　should　take　something；　and

lose　less　than　at　present。　　But　to　give　you　a　true　description　of　the

state　of　things　here；　I　must　refer　you　to　Mr。　Coles；　the　bearer　of

this；　my　secretary；　a　most　worthy；　intelligent　and　well　informed

young　man；　whom　I　recommend　to　your　notice；　and　conversation　on　our

affairs。　　His　discretion　and　fidelity　may　be　relied　on。　　I　expect　he

will　find　you　with　Spain　at　your　feet；　but　England　still　afloat；　and

a　barrier　to　the　Spanish　colonies。　　But　all　these　concerns　I　am　now

leaving　to　be　settled　by　my　friend　Mr。　Madison。　　Within　a　few　days　I

retire　to　my　family；　my　books　and　farms；　and　having　gained　the　harbor

myself；　I　shall　look　on　my　friends　still　buffeting　the　storm；　with

anxiety　indeed；　but　not　with　envy。　　Never　did　a　prisoner；　released

from　his　chains；　feel　such　relief　as　I　shall　on　shaking　off　the

shackles　of　power。　　Nature　intended　me　for　the　tranquil　pursuits　of

science；　by　rendering　them　my　supreme　delight。　　But　the　enormities　of

the　times　in　which　I　have　lived；　have　forced　me　to　take　a　part　in

resisting　them；　and　to　commit　myself　on　the　boisterous　ocean　of

political　passions。　　I　thank　God　for　the　opportunity　of　retiring　from

them　without　censure；　and　carrying　with　me　the　most　consoling　proofs

of　public　approbation。　　I　leave　every　thing　in　the　hands　of　men　so

able　to　take　care　of　them；　that　if　we　are　destined　to　meet

misfortunes；　it　will　be　because　no　human　wisdom　could　avert　them。

Should　you　return　to　the　United　States；　perhaps　your　curiosity　may

lead　you　to　visit　the　hermit　of　Monticello。　　He　will　receive　you　with

affection　and　delight；　hailing　you　in　the　mean　time　with　his

affectionate　salutations；　and　assurances　of　constant　esteem　and

respect。




　　　　　　　　P。S。　If　you　return　to　us；　bring　a　couple　of　pair　of　true…bred

shepherd's　dogs。　　You　will　add　a　valuable　possession　to　a　country　now

beginning　to　pay　great　attention　to　the　raising　sheep。







　　　　　　　　A　PARTING　BLESSING




　　　　　　　　_To　Mrs。　Samuel　H。　Smith_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Mar。　6；　1809_




　　　　　　　　Th：　Jefferson　presents　his　respectful　salutations　to　mrs。

Smith；　and　sends　her　the　Geranium　she　expressed　a　willingness　to

receive。　it　is　in　very　bad　condition；　having　been　neglected　latterly；

as　not　intended　to　be　removed。　he　cannot　give　it　his　parting　blessing

more　effectually　than　by　consigning　it　to　the　nourishing　hand　of　mrs。

Smith。　　If　plants　have　sensibility；　as　the　analogy　of　their

organisation　with　ours　seems　to　indicate；　it　cannot　but　be　proudly

sensible　of　her　fostering　attentions。　of　his　regrets　at　parting　with

the　society　of　Washington；　a　very　sensible　portion　attaches　to　mrs。

Smith；　whose　friendship　he　has　particularly　valued。　her　promise　to

visit　Monticello　is　some　consolation；　and　he　can　assure　her　she　will

be　received　with　open　arms　and　hearts　by　the　whole　family。　he　prays

her　to　accept　the　homage　of　his　affectionate　attachment　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　POTATO　AND　HARPER'S　FERRY




　　　　　　　　_To　Horatio　G。　Spafford_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　14；　1809_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　I　have　duly　received　your　favor　of　April　3d；　with　the

copy　of　your　〃General　Geography；〃　for　which　I　pray　you　to　accept　my

thanks。　　My　occupations　here　have　not　permitted　me　to　read　it

through；　which　alone　could　justify　any　judgment　expressed　on　the

work。　　Indeed；　as　it　appears　to　be　an　abridgment　of　several　branches

of　science；　the　scale　of　abridgment　must　enter　into　that　judgment。

Different　readers　require　different　scales　according　to　the　time　they

can　spare；　and　their　views　in　reading；　and　no　doubt　that　the　view　of

the　sciences　which　you　have　brought　into　the　compass　of　a　12mo　volume

will　be　accommodated　to　the　time　and　object　of　many　who　may　wish　for

but　a　very　general　view　of　them




　　　　　　　　In　passing　my　eye　rapidly　over　parts　of　the　book；　I　was　struck

with　two　passages；　on　which　I　will　make　observations；　not　doubting

your　wish；　in　any　future　edition；　to　render　the　work　as　correct　as

you　can。　　In　page　186　you　say　the　potatoe　is　a　native　of　the　United

States。　　I　presume　you　speak　of　the　Irish　potatoe。　　I　have　inquired

much　into　the　question；　and　think　I　can　assure　you　that　plant　is　not

a　native　of　North　America。　　Zimmerman；　in　his　〃Geographical　Zoology；〃

says　it　is　a　native　of　Guiana；　and　Clavigero；　that　the　Mexicans　got

it　from　South　America；　_its　native　country。_　The　most　probable

account　I　have　been　able　to　collect　is；　that　a　vessel　of　Sir　Walter

Raleigh's；　returning　from　Guiana；　put　into　the　west　of　Ireland　in

distress；　having　on　board　some　potatoes　which　they　called

earth…apples。　　That　the　season　of　the　year；　and　circumstance　of　their

being　already　sprouted；　induced　them　to　give　them　all　out　there；　and

they　were　no　more　heard　or　thought　of；　till　they　had　been　spread

considerably　into　that　island；　whence　they　were　carried　over　into

England；　and　therefore　called　the　Irish　potatoe。　　From　England　they

came　to　the　United　States；　bringing　their　name　with　them。




　　　　　　　　The　other　passage　respects　the　description　of　the　passage　of

the　Potomac　through　the　Blue　Ridge；　in　the　Notes　on　Virginia。　　You

quote　from　Volney's　account　of　the　United　States　what　his　words　do

not　justify。　　His　words　are；　〃on　coming　from　Fredericktown；　one　does

not　see　the　rich　perspective　mentioned　in　the　Notes　of　Mr。　Jefferson。

On　observing　this　to　him　a　few　days　after；　he　informed　me　he　had　his

information　from　a　French　engineer　who；　during　the　war　of

Independence；　ascended　the　height　of　the　hills；　and　I　conceive　that

at　that　elevation　the　perspective　must　be　as　imposing　as　a　wild

country；　whose　horizon　has　no　obstacles；　may　present。〃　That　the　scene

described　in　the　〃Notes〃　is　not　visible　from　any　part　of　the　road

from　Fredericktown　to　Harper's　ferry　is　most　certain。　　That　road

passes　along　the　valley；　nor　can　it　be　seen　from　the　tavern　after

crossing　the　ferry；　and　we　may　fairly　infer　that　Mr。　Volney　did　not

ascend　the　height　back　of　the　tavern　from　which　alone　it　can　be　seen；

but　that　he　pursued　his　journey　from　the　tavern　along　the　high　road。

Yet　he　admits；　that　at　the　elevation　of　that　height　the　perspective

may　be　as　rich　as　a　wild　country　can　present。　　But　you　make　him

〃surprised　to　find；　_by　a　view　of　the　spot_；　that　the　description　was

_amazingly　exaggerated。_〃　But　it　is　evident　that　Mr。　　Volney　did　not

ascend　the　hill　to　_get　a　view　of　the　spot_；　and　that　he　supposed

that　that　height　may　present　as　imposing　a　view　as　such　a　country

admits。　　But　Mr。　Volney　was　mistaken　in　saying　I　told　him　I　had

received　the　description　from　a　French　engineer。　　By　an　error　of

memory　he　has　misapplied　to　this　scene　what　I　mentioned　to　him　as　to

the　Natural　Bridge。　　I　told　him　I　received　a　_drawing_　of　that　from　a

French　engineer　sent　there　by　the　Marquis　de　Chastellux；　and　who　has

published　that　drawing　in　his　travels。　　I　could　not　tell　him　I　had

the　description　of　the　passage　of　the　Potomac　from　a　French　engineer；

because　I　never　heard　any　Frenchman　say　a　word　about　it；　much　less

did　I　ever　receive　a　description　of　it　from　any　mortal　whatever。　　I

visited　the　place　myself　in　October　1783；　wrote　the　description　some

time　after；　and　printed　the　work　in　Paris　in　1784…5。　　I　wrote　the

description　from　my　own　view　of　the　spot；　stated　no　fact　but　what　I

saw；　and　can　now　affirm　that　no　fact　is　exaggerated。　　It　is　true　that

the　same　scene　may　excite　very　different　sensations　in　different

spectators；　according　to　their　different　sensibilities。　　The

sensations　of　some　may　be　much　stronger　than　those　of　others。　　And

with　respect　to　the　Natural　Bridge；　it　was　not　a　description；　but　a

drawing　only；　which　I　received　from　the　French　engineer。　　The

description　was　written　before　I　ever　saw　him。　　It　is　not　from　any

merit　which　I　suppose　in　either　of　these　descriptions；　that　I　have

gone　into　these　observations；　but　to　correct　the　imputation　of　having

given　to　the　world　as　my　own；　ideas；　and　false　ones　too；　which　I　had

received　from　another。　　Nor　do　I　mention　the　subject　to　you　with　a

desire　that　it　should　be　any　otherwise　noticed　before　the　public　than

by　a　more　correct　statement　in　any　future　edition　of　your　work。




　　　　　　　　You　mention　having　enclosed　to　me　some　printed　letters

announcing　a　design　in　which　you　ask　my　aid。　　But　no　such　letters

came　to　me。　　Any　facts　which　I　possess；　and　which　may　be　useful　to

your　views；　shall　be　freely　communicated；　and　I　shall　be　happy　to　see

you　at　Monticello；　should　you　come　this　way　as　you　propose。　　You　will

find　me　engaged　entirely　in　rural　occupations；　looking　into　the　field

of　science　but　occasionally　and　at　vacant　moments。




　　　　　　　　I　sowed　some　of　the　Benni　seed　the　last　year；　and　distributed

some　among　my　neighbors；　but　the　whole　was　killed　by　t