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

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

frost。　　I　got　a　little　again　the　last　winter；　but　it　was　sowed　before

I　received　your　letter。　　Colonel　Fen　of　New　York　receives　quantities

of　it　from　Georgia；　from　whom　you　may　probably　get　some　through　the

Mayor　of　New　York。　　But　I　little　expect　it　can　succeed　with　you。　　It

is　about　as　hardy　as　the　cotton　plant；　from　which　you　may　judge　of

the　probability　of　raising　it　at　Hudson。




　　　　　　　　I　salute　you　with　great　respect。







　　　　　　　　CIRCULATING　LIBRARIES




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Wyche_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　19；　1809_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　March　19th　came　to　hand　but　a　few　days

ago；　and　informs　me　of　the　establishment　of　the　Westward　Mill　Library

Society；　of　its　general　views　and　progress。　　I　always　hear　with

pleasure　of　institutions　for　the　promotion　of　knowledge　among　my

countrymen。　　The　people　of　every　country　are　the　only　safe　guardians

of　their　own　rights；　and　are　the　only　instruments　which　can　be　used

for　their　destruction。　　And　certainly　they　would　never　consent　to　be

so　used　were　they　not　deceived。　　To　avoid　this；　they　should　be

instructed　to　a　certain　degree。　　I　have　often　thought　that　nothing

would　do　more　extensive　good　at　small　expense　than　the　establishment

of　a　small　circulating　library　in　every　county；　to　consist　of　a　few

well…chosen　books；　to　be　lent　to　the　people　of　the　county；　under　such

regulations　as　would　secure　their　safe　return　in　due　time。　　These

should　be　such　as　would　give　them　a　general　view　of　other　history；

and　particular　view　of　that　of　their　own　country；　a　tolerable

knowledge　of　Geography；　the　elements　of　Natural　Philosophy；　of

Agriculture　and　Mechanics。　　Should　your　example　lead　to　this；　it　will

do　great　good。　　Having　had　more　favorable　opportunities　than　fall　to

every　man's　lot　of　becoming　acquainted　with　the　best　books　on　such

subjects　as　might　be　selected；　I　do　not　know　that　I　can　be　otherwise

useful　to　your　society　than　by　offering　them　any　information

respecting　these　which　they　might　wish。　　My　services　in　this　way　are

freely　at　their　command；　and　I　beg　leave　to　tender　to　yourself　my

salutations　and　assurances　of　respect。







　　　　　　　　〃THE　SPIRIT　OF　MANUFACTURE〃




　　　　　　　　_To　P。　S。　Dupont　de　Nemours_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　June　28；　1809_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　The　interruption　of　our　commerce　with　England；

produced　by　our　embargo　and　non…intercourse　law；　and　the　general

indignation　excited　by　her　barefaced　attempts　to　make　us　accessories

and　tributaries　to　her　usurpations　on　the　high　seas；　have　generated

in　this　country　an　universal　spirit　for　manufacturing　for　ourselves；

and　of　reducing　to　a　minimum　the　number　of　articles　for　which　we　are

dependent　on　her。　　The　advantages；　too；　of　lessening　the　occasions　of

risking　our　peace　on　the　ocean；　and　of　planting　the　consumer　in　our

own　soil　by　the　side　of　the　grower　of　produce；　are　so　palpable；　that

no　temporary　suspension　of　injuries　on　her　part；　or　agreements

founded　on　that；　will　now　prevent　our　continuing　in　what　we　have

begun。　　The　spirit　of　manufacture　has　taken　deep　root　among　us；　and

its　foundations　are　laid　in　too　great　expense　to　be　abandoned。　　The

bearer　of　this；　Mr。　Ronaldson；　will　be　able　to　inform　you　of　the

extent　and　perfection　of　the　works　produced　here　by　the　late　state　of

things；　and　to　his　information；　which　is　greatest　as　to　what　is　doing

in　the　cities；　I　can　add　my　own　as　to　the　country；　where　the

principal　articles　wanted　in　every　family　are　now　fabricated　within

itself。　　This　mass　of　_household_　manufacture；　unseen　by　the　public

eye；　and　so　much　greater　than　what　is　seen；　is　such　at　present；　that

let　our　intercourse　with　England　be　opened　when　it　may；　not　one　half

the　amount　of　what　we　have　heretofore　taken　from　her　will　ever　again

be　demanded。　　The　great　call　from　the　country　has　hitherto　been　of

coarse　goods。　　These　are　now　made　in　our　families；　and　the　advantage

is　toosensible　ever　to　be　relinquished。　　It　is　one　of　those　obvious

improvements　in　our　condition　which　needed　only　to　be　once　forced　on

our　attention；　never　again　to　be　abandoned。




　　　　　　　　Among　the　arts　which　have　made　great　progress　among　us　is　that

of　printing。　　Heretofore　we　imported　our　books；　and　with　them　much

political　principle　from　England。　　We　now　print　a　great　deal；　and

shall　soon　supply　ourselves　with　most　of　the　books　of　considerable

demand。　　But　the　foundation　of　printing；　you　know；　is　the

type…foundry；　and　a　material　essential　to　that　is　antimony。

Unfortunately　that　mineral　is　not　among　those　as　yet　found　in　the

United　States；　and　the　difficulty　and　dearness　of　getting　it　from

England；　will　force　us　to　discontinue　our　type…founderies；　and　resort

to　her　again　for　our　books；　unless　some　new　source　of　supply　can　be

found。　　The　bearer；　Mr。　Ronaldson；　is　of　the　concern　of　Binney　&

Ronaldson；　type…founders　of　Philadelphia。　　He　goes　to　France　for　the

purpose　of　opening　some　new　source　of　supply；　where　we　learn　that

this　article　is　abundant；　the　enhancement　of　the　price　in　England　has

taught　us　the　fact；　that　its　exportation　thither　from　France　must　be

interrupted；　either　by　the　war　or　express　prohibition。　　Our

relations；　however；　with　France；　are　too　unlike　hers　with　England；　to

place　us　under　the　same　interdiction。　　Regulations　for　preventing　the

transportation　of　the　article　to　England；　under　the　cover　of　supplies

to　America；　may　be　thought　requisite。　　The　bearer；　I　am　persuaded；

will　readily　give　any　assurances　which　may　be　required　for　this

object；　and　the　wants　of　his　own　type…foundry　here　are　a　sufficient

pledge　that　what　he　gets　is　_bona　fide_　to　supply　them。　　I　do　not

know　that　there　will　be　any　obstacle　to　his　bringing　from　France　any

quantity　of　antimony　he　may　have　occasion　for；　but　lest　there　should

be；　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　recommending　him　to　your　patronage。

I　know　your　enlightened　and　liberal　views　on　subjects　of　this　kind；

and　the　friendly　interest　you　take　in　whatever　concerns　our　welfare。

I　place　Mr。　Ronaldson；　therefore；　in　your　hands；　and　pray　you　to

advise　him；　and　patronize　the　object　which　carries　him　to　Europe；　and

is　so　interesting　to　him　and　to　our　country。　　His　knowledge　of　what

is　passing　among　us　will　be　a　rich　source　of　information　for　you；　and

especially　as　to　the　state　and　progress　of　our　manufactures。　　Your

kindness　to　him　will　confer　an　obligation　on　me；　and　will　be　an

additional　title　to　the　high　and　affectionate　esteem　and　respect　of

an　ancient　and　sincere　friend。







　　　　　　　　AN　EDITION　OF　WRITINGS




　　　　　　　　_To　John　W。　Campbell_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　September　3；　1809_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　July　29th　came　to　hand　some　time　since；

but　I　have　not　sooner　been　able　to　acknowledge　it。　　In　answer　to　your

proposition　for　publishing　a　complete　edition　of　my　different

writings；　I　must　observe　that　no　writings　of　mine；　other　than　those

merely　official；　have　been　published；　except　the　Notes　on　Virginia

and　a　small　pamphlet　under　the　title　of　a　Summary　View　of　the　rights

of　British　America。　　The　Notes　on　Virginia；　I　have　always　intended　to

revise　and　enlarge；　and　have；　from　time　to　time；　laid　by　materials

for　that　purpose。　　It　will　be　long　yet　before　other　occupations　will

permit　me　to　digest　them；　and　observations　and　inquiries　are　still　to

be　made；　which　will　be　more　correct　in　proportion　to　the　length　of

time　they　are　continued。　　It　is　not　unlikely　that　this　may　be　through

my　life。　　I　could　not；　therefore；　at　present；　offer　anything　new　for

that　work。




　　　　　　　　The　Summary　View　was　not　written　for　publication。　　It　was　a

draught　I　had　prepared　for　a　petition　to　the　king；　which　I　meant　to

propose　in　my　place　as　a　member　of　the　convention　of　1774。　　Being

stopped　on　the　road　by　sickness；　I　sent　it　on　to　the　Speaker；　who

laid　it　on　the　table　for　the　perusal　of　the　members。　　It　was　thought

too　strong　for　the　times；　and　to　become　the　act　of　the　convention；

but　was　printed　by　subscription　of　the　members；　with　a　short　preface

written　by　one　of　them。　　If　it　had　any　merit；　it　was　that　of　first

taking　our　true　ground；　and　that　which　was　afterwards　assumed　and

maintained。




　　　　　　　　I　do　not　mention　the　Parliamentary　Manual；　published　for　the

use　of　the　Senate　of　the　United　States；　because　it　was　a　mere

compilation；　into　which　nothing　entered　of　my　own　but　the

arrangement；　and　a　few　observations　necessary　to　explain　that　and

some　of　the　cases。




　　　　　　　　I　do　not　know　whether　your　view　extends　to　official　papers　of

mine　which　have　been　published。　　Many　of　these　would　be　like　old

newspapers；　materials　for　future　historians；　but　no　longer

interesting　to　the　readers　of　the　day。　　They　would　consist　of

reports；　correspondences；　messages；　answers　to　addresses；　a　few　of　my

reports　while　Secretary　of　State；　might　perhaps　be　read　by　some　as

essays　on　abstract　subjects。　　Such　as　the　report　on　measures；　weights

and　coins；　on　the　mint；　on　the　fisheries；　on　commerce；　on　the　use　of

distilled　sea…water；　&c。　　The　correspondences　with　the　British　and

French　ministers；　Hammond　and　Genet；　were　published　by　Congress。　　The

messages　to　Congress；　which　might　have　been　interesting　at　the

moment；　would　scarcely　be　read　a　second　time；　and　answers　to

addresses　are　hardly　read　a　first　time。




　　　　　　　　So　that　on　a　review　of　these　various　materials；　I　see　nothing

encouraging　a　printer　to　a　re…publication　of　them。　　They　would

probably　be　bought　by　those　only　who　are　in　the　habit　of　preserving

State　papers；　and　who　are　not　many。




　　　　　　　　I　say　nothing　of　numerous　draughts　of　reports；　resolutions；

declarations；　&c。；　drawn　as　a　Member　of　Congress　or　of　the

Legislature　of　Virginia；　such　as　the　Declaration　of　Independence；

Report　on　the　Money　Mint　of　the　United　States；　the　act　of　religious

freedom；　&c。