part14-第9章

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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。；　&c。；　these　having　become　the　acts　of　public　bodies；

there　can　be　no　personal　claim　to　them；　and　they　would　no　more　find

readers　now；　than　the　journals　and　statute　books　in　which　they　are

deposited。




　　　　　　　　I　have　presented　this　general　view　of　the　subjects　which　might

have　been　within　the　scope　of　your　contemplation；　that　they　might　be

correctly　estimated　before　any　final　decision。　　They　belong　mostly　to

a　class　of　papers　not　calculated　for　popular　reading；　and　not　likely

to　offer　profit；　or　even　indemnification　to　the　re…publisher。

Submitting　it　to　your　consideration；　I　tender　you　my　salutations　and

respects。







　　　　　　　　INDIAN　VOCABULARIES




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Benjamin　S。　Barton_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　September　21；　1809_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　received　last　night　your　favor　of　the　14th；　and

would　with　all　possible　pleasure　have　communicated　to　you　any　part　or

the　whole　of　the　Indian　vocabularies　which　I　had　collected；　but　an

irreparable　misfortune　has　deprived　me　of　them。　　I　have　now　been

thirty　years　availing　myself　of　every　possible　opportunity　of

procuring　Indian　vocabularies　to　the　same　set　of　words：　my

opportunities　were　probably　better　than　will　ever　occur　again　to　any

person　having　the　same　desire。　　I　had　collected　about　fifty；　and　had

digested　most　of　them　in　collateral　columns；　and　meant　to　have

printed　them　the　last　year　of　my　stay　in　Washington。　　But　not　having

yet　digested　Captain　Lewis's　collection；　nor　having　leisure　then　to

do　it；　I　put　it　off　till　I　should　return　home。　　The　whole；　as　well

digest　as　originals；　were　packed　in　a　trunk　of　stationary；　and　sent

round　by　water　with　about　thirty　other　packages　of　my　effects；　from

Washington；　and　while　ascending　James　river；　this　package；　on　account

of　its　weight　and　presumed　precious　contents；　was　singled　out　and

stolen。　　The　thief　being　disappointed　on　opening　it；　threw　into　the

river　all　its　contents；　of　which　he　thought　he　could　make　no　use。

Among　these　were　the　whole　of　the