PARIS, November 14, 1786.
SIR,--The house of Le Coulteux, which for some centuries has been the
wealthiest of this place, has it in contemplation to establish a great
company for the fur trade. They propose that partners interested one
half in the establishment, should be American citizens, born and
residing in the United States. Yet if I understood them rightly, they
expect that that half of the company which resides here, should make
the greatest part, or perhaps the whole of the advances, while those
on our side of the water should superintend the details. They had,
at first, thought of Baltimore as the centre of their American
transactions. I have pointed out to them the advantages of Alexandria
for this purpose. They have concluded to take information as to
Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York, for a principal deposit, and
having no correspondent at Alexandria, have asked me to procure a state
of the advantages of that place, as also to get a recommendation of the
best merchant there, to be adopted as partner and head of the business
there. Skill, punctuality and integrity are the requisites in such a
character. They will decide on their whole information, as to the place
for their principal factory. Being unwilling that Alexandria should lose
its pretensions, I have undertaken to procure them information as to
that place. If they undertake this trade at all, it will be on so great
a scale as to decide the current of the Indian trade to the place they
adopt. I have no acquaintance at Alexandria or in its neighborhood; but,
believing you would feel an interest in the matter, from the same
motives which I do, I venture to ask the favor of you to recommend to me
a proper merchant for their purpose, and to engage some well-informed
person to send me a representation of the advantages of Alexandria, as
the principal deposit of the fur trade.
The author of the political part of the "Encyclopédie Methodique"
desired me to examine his article, "Etats Unis." I did so. I found it a
tissue of errors; for, in truth, they know nothing about us here.
Particularly, however, the article "Cincinnati" was a mere philippic
against that institution; in which it appeared that there was an utter
ignorance of facts and motives. I gave him notes on it. He reformed it,
as he supposed, and sent it again to me to revise. In this reformed
state, Colonel Humphreys saw it. I found it necessary to write that
article for him. Before I gave it to him, I showed it to the Marquis de
La Fayette, who made a correction or two. I then sent it to the author.
He used the materials, mixing a great deal of his own with them. In a
work, which is sure of going down to the latest posterity, I thought it
material to set facts to rights as much as possible. The author was
well disposed; but could not entirely get the better of his original
bias. I send you the article as ultimately published. If you find any
material errors in it, and will be so good as to inform me of them, I
shall probably have opportunities of setting this author to rights.
What has heretofore passed between us on this institution, makes it my
duty to mention to you, that I have never heard a person in Europe,
learned or unlearned, express his thoughts on this institution, who did
not consider it as dishonorable and destructive to our governments; and
that every writing which has come out since my arrival here, in which
it is mentioned, considers it, even as now reformed, as the germ whose
development is one day to destroy the fabric we have reared. I did not
apprehend this, while I had American ideas only. But I confess that
what I have seen in Europe has brought me over to that opinion; and
that though the day may be at some distance, beyond the reach of our
lives perhaps, yet it will certainly come, when a single fibre left of
this institution will produce an hereditary aristocracy, which will
change the form of our governments from the best to the worst in the
world. To know the mass of evil which flows from this fatal source, a
person must be in France; he must see the finest soil, the finest
climate, the most compact State, the most benevolent character of
people, and every earthly advantage combined, insufficient to prevent
this scourge from rendering existence a curse to twenty-four out of
twenty-five parts of the inhabitants of this country. With us, the
branches of this institution cover all the States. The southern ones,
at this time, are aristocratical in their dispositions; and, that that
spirit should grow and extend itself, is within the natural order of
things. I do not flatter myself with the immortality of our
governments; but I shall think little also of their longevity, unless
this germ of destruction be taken out. When the society themselves
shall weigh the possibility of evil, against the impossibility of any
good to proceed from this institution, I cannot help hoping they will
eradicate it. I know they wish the permanence of our governments, as
much as any individuals composing them.
An interruption here, and the departure of the gentleman by whom I send
this, oblige me to conclude it, with assurances of the sincere respect
and esteem with which I have the honor to be, dear Sir, your most
obedient, and most humble servant.