part13-第4章

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the　western　confederacy　will　be　as　much　our　children　&　descendants　as

those　of　the　eastern；　and　I　feel　myself　as　much　identified　with　that

country；　in　future　time；　as　with　this；　and　did　I　now　foresee　a

separation　at　some　future　day；　yet　I　should　feel　the　duty　&　the

desire　to　promote　the　western　interests　as　zealously　as　the　eastern；

doing　all　the　good　for　both　portions　of　our　future　family　which

should　fall　within　my　power。




　　　　　　　　Have　you　seen　the　new　work　of　Malthus　on　population？　　It　is　one

of　the　ablest　I　have　ever　seen。　　Altho'　his　main　object　is　to

delineate　the　effects　of　redundancy　of　population；　and　to　test　the

poor　laws　of　England；　&　other　palliations　for　that　evil；　several

important　questions　in　political　economy；　allied　to　his　subject

incidentally；　are　treated　with　a　masterly　hand。　　It　is　a　single　4'to。

volume；　and　I　have　been　only　able　to　read　a　borrowed　copy；　the　only

one　I　have　yet　heard　of。　　Probably　our　friends　in　England　will　think

of　you；　&　give　you　an　opportunity　of　reading　it。　　Accept　my

affectionate　salutations；　and　assurances　of　great　esteem　&　respect。







　　　　　　　　MALTHUS　AND　THE　NEW　WORLD




　　　　　　　　_To　Jean　Baptiste　Say_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　February　1；　1804_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　have　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　obliging

letter；　and　with　it；　of　two　very　interesting　volumes　on　Political

Economy。　　These　found　me　engaged　in　giving　the　leisure　moments　I

rarely　find；　to　the　perusal　of　Malthus'　work　on　population；　a　work　of

sound　logic；　in　which　some　of　the　opinions　of　Adam　Smith；　as　well　as

of　the　economists；　are　ably　examined。　　I　was　pleased；　on　turning　to

some　chapters　where　you　treat　the　same　questions；　to　find　his

opinions　corroborated　by　yours。　　I　shall　proceed　to　the　reading　of

your　work　with　great　pleasure。　　In　the　meantime；　the　present

conveyance；　by　a　gentleman　of　my　family　going　to　Paris；　is　too　safe

to　hazard　a　delay　in　making　my　acknowledgments　for　this　mark　of

attention；　and　for　having　afforded　to　me　a　satisfaction；　which　the

ordinary　course　of　literary　communications　could　not　have　given　me

for　a　considerable　time。




　　　　　　　　The　differences　of　circumstance　between　this　and　the　old

countries　of　Europe；　furnish　differences　of　fact　whereon　to　reason；

in　questions　of　political　economy；　and　will　consequently　produce

sometimes　a　difference　of　result。　　There；　for　instance；　the　quantity

of　food　is　fixed；　or　increasing　in　a　slow　and　only　arithmetical

ratio；　and　the　proportion　is　limited　by　the　same　ratio。

Supernumerary　births　consequently　add　only　to　your　mortality。　　Here

the　immense　extent　of　uncultivated　and　fertile　lands　enables　every

one　who　will　labor　to　marry　young；　and　to　raise　a　family　of　any　size。

Our　food；　then；　may　increase　geometrically　with　our　laborers；　and　our

births；　however　multiplied；　become　effective。　　Again；　there　the　best

distribution　of　labor　is　supposed　to　be　that　which　places　the

manufacturing　hands　alongside　the　agricultural；　so　that　the　one　part

shall　feed　both；　and　the　other　part　furnish　both　with　clothes　and

other　comforts。　　Would　that　be　best　here？　　Egoism　and　first

appearances　say　yes。　　Or　would　it　be　better　that　all　our　laborers

should　be　employed　in　agriculture？　　In　this　case　a　double　or　treble

portion　of　fertile　lands　would　be　brought　into　culture；　a　double　or

treble　creation　of　food　be　produced；　and　its　surplus　go　to　nourish

the　now　perishing　births　of　Europe；　who　in　return　would　manufacture

and　send　us　in　exchange　our　clothes　and　other　comforts。　　Morality

listens　to　this；　and　so　invariably　do　the　laws　of　nature　create　our

duties　and　interests；　that　when　they　seem　to　be　at　variance；　we　ought

to　suspect　some　fallacy　in　our　reasonings。　　In　solving　this　question；

too；　we　should　allow　its　just　weight　to　the　moral　and　physical

preference　of　the　agricultural；　over　the　manufacturing；　man。　　My

occupations　permit　me　only　to　ask　questions。　　They　deny　me　the　time；

if　I　had　the　information；　to　answer　them。　　Perhaps；　as　worthy　the

attention　of　the　author　of　the　Traite　d'Economie　Politique；　I　shall

find　them　answered　in　that　work。　　If　they　are　not；　the　reason　will

have　been　that　you　wrote　for　Europe；　while　I　shall　have　asked　them

because　I　think　for　America。　　Accept；　Sir；　my　respectful　salutations；

and　assurances　of　great　consideration。







　　　　　　　　GRIEF　AND　GRIEVANCES




　　　　　　　　_To　Abigail　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　June　13；　1804_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　MADAM　　The　affectionate　sentiments　which　you　have　had

the　goodness　to　express　in　your　letter　of　May　20。　towards　my　dear

departed　daughter；　have　awakened　in　me　sensibilities　natural　to　the

occasion；　and　recalled　your　kindnesses　to　her　which　I　shall　ever

remember　with　gratitude　and　friendship。　　I　can　assure　you　with　truth

they　had　made　an　indelible　impression　on　her　mind；　and　that；　to　the

last；　on　our　meetings　after　long　separations；　whether　I　had　heard

lately　of　you；　and　how　you　did；　were　among　the　earliest　of　her

enquiries。　　In　giving　you　this　assurance　I　perform　a　sacred　duty　for

her；　and　at　the　same　time　am　thankful　for　the　occasion　furnished　me

of　expressing　my　regret　that　circumstances　should　have　arisen　which

have　seemed　to　draw　a　line　of　separation　between　us。　　The　friendship

with　which　you　honoured　me　has　ever　been　valued；　and　fully

reciprocated；　and　altho'　events　have　been　passing　which　might　be

trying　to　some　minds；　I　never　believed　yours　to　be　of　that　kind；　nor

felt　that　my　own　was。　　Neither　my　estimate　of　your　character；　nor　the

esteem　founded　in　that；　have　ever　been　lessened　for　a　single　moment；

although　doubts　whether　it　would　be　acceptable　may　have　forbidden

manifestations　of　it。　　Mr。　Adams's　friendship　and　mine　began　at　an

earlier　date。　　It　accompanied　us　thro'　long　and　important　scenes。

The　different　conclusions　we　had　drawn　from　our　political　reading　and

reflections　were　not　permitted　to　lessen　mutual　esteem；　each　party

being　conscious　they　were　the　result　of　an　honest　conviction　in　the

other。　　Like　differences　of　opinion　existing　among　our　fellow

citizens　attached　them　to　the　one　or　the　other　of　us；　and　produced　a

rivalship　in　their　minds　which　did　not　exist　in　ours。　　We　never　stood

in　one　another's　way：　for　if　either　had　been　withdrawn　at　any　time；

his　favorers　would　not　have　gone　over　to　the　other；　but　would　have

sought　for　some　one　of　homogeneous　opinions。　　This　consideration　was

sufficient　to　keep　down　all　jealousy　between　us；　and　to　guard　our

friendship　from　any　disturbance　by　sentiments　of　rivalship：　and　I　can

say　with　truth　that　one　act　of　Mr。　Adams's　life；　and　one　only；　ever

gave　me　a　moment's　personal　displeasure。　　I　did　consider　his　last

appointments　to　office　as　personally　unkind。　　They　were　from　among　my

most　ardent　political　enemies；　from　whom　no　faithful　cooperation

could　ever　be　expected；　and　laid　me　under　the　embarrasment　of　acting

thro'　men　whose　views　were　to　defeat　mine；　or　to　encounter　the　odium

of　putting　others　in　their　places。　　It　seemed　but　common　justice　to

leave　a　successor　free　to　act　by　instruments　of　his　own　choice。　　If

my　respect　for　him　did　not　permit　me　to　ascribe　the　whole　blame　to

the　influence　of　others；　it　left　something　for　friendship　to　forgive；

and　after　brooding　over　it　for　some　little　time；　and　not　always

resisting　the　expression　of　it；　I　forgave　it　cordially；　and　returned

to　the　same　state　of　esteem　and　respect　for　him　which　had　so　long

subsisted。　　Having　come　into　life　a　little　later　than　Mr。　Adams；　his

career　has　preceded　mine；　as　mine　is　followed　by　some　other；　and　it

will　probably　be　closed　at　the　same　distance　after　him　which　time

originally　placed　between　us。　　I　maintain　for　him；　and　shall　carry

into　private　life　an　uniform　and　high　measure　of　respect　and　good

will；　and　for　yourself　a　sincere　attachment。　　I　have　thus；　my　dear

Madam；　opened　myself　to　you　without　reserve；　which　I　have　long　wished

an　opportunity　of　doing；　and；　without　knowing　how　it　will　be

recieved；　I　feel