PARIS, Sept. 16, 1787.
DEAR SIR,--I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your favors of Dec.
the 13th and 22d, 1786, and of Jan., 1787. These should not have been
so long unanswered, but that they arrived during my absence on a
journey of between three and four months through the southern parts of
France, and northern of Italy. In the latter country, my time allowed
me to go no farther than Turin, Milan, and Genoa: consequently, I
scarcely got into classical ground. I took with me some of the
writings, in which endeavors have been made to investigate the passage
of Annibal over the Alps, and was just able to satisfy myself, from a
view of the country, that the descriptions given of his march are not
sufficiently particular to enable us, at this day, even to guess at his
track across the Alps. In architecture, painting, sculpture, I found
much amusement; but more than all, in their agriculture, many objects
of which might be adopted with us to great advantage. I am persuaded,
there are many parts of our lower country where the olive tree might be
raised, which is assuredly the richest gift of heaven. I can scarcely
except bread. I see this tree supporting thousands among the Alps,
where there is not soil enough to make bread for a single family. The
caper too, might be cultivated with us. The fig we do raise. I do not
speak of the vine, because it is the parent of misery. Those who
cultivate it are always poor, and he who would employ himself with us
in the culture of corn, cotton, &c., can procure, in exchange for them,
much more wine, and better than he could raise by its direct culture.
I sent you formerly copies of the documents on the Tagliaferro family,
which I had received from Mr. Febroni. I now send the originals. I have
procured for you a copy of Polybius, the best edition; but the best
edition of Vitruvius, which is with the commentaries of Ticinus, is not
to be got here. I have sent to Holland for it. In the meantime, the
Polybius comes in a box containing books for Peter Carr, and for some
of my friends in Williamsburg and its vicinities. I have taken the
liberty of addressing the box to you. It goes to New York in the packet
boat which carries this letter, and will be forwarded to you by water,
by Mr. Madison. Its freight to New York is paid here. The
transportation from thence to Williamsburg will be demanded of you, and
shall stand as the equivalent to the cost of Polybius and Vitruvius, if
you please. The difference either way will not be worth the trouble of
raising and transmitting accounts. I send you herewith, a state of the
contents of the box, and for whom each article is. Among these are
some, as you will perceive, of which I ask your acceptance. It is a
great comfort to me, that while here, I am able to furnish some
amusement to my friends, by sending them such productions of genius,
ancient and modern, as might otherwise escape them; and I hope they
will permit me to avail myself of the occasion while it lasts.
This world is going all to war. I hope ours will remain clear of it. It
is already declared between the Turks and Russians, and considering the
present situation of Holland, it cannot fail to spread itself all over
Europe. Perhaps it may not be till next spring, that the other powers
will be engaged in it: nor is it as yet clear how they will arrange
themselves. I think it not impossible that France and the two empires
may join against all the rest. The Patriotic party in Holland will be
saved by this, and the Turks sacrificed. The only thing which can
prevent the union of France and the two empires, is the difficulty of
agreeing about the partition of the spoils. Constantinople is the key
of Asia. Who shall have it? is the question. I cannot help looking
forward to the re-establishment of the Greeks as a people, and the
language of Homer becoming again a living language, as among possible
events. You have now with you Mr. Paradise, who can tell you how easily
the modern may be improved into the ancient Greek.
You ask me in your letter, what ameliorations I think necessary in our
federal constitution. It is now too late to answer the question, and it
would always have been presumption in me to have done it. Your own
ideas, and those of the great characters who were to be concerned with
you in these discussions, will give the law, as they ought to do, to us
all. My own general idea was, that the States should severally preserve
their sovereignty in whatever concerns themselves alone, and that
whatever may concern another State, or any foreign nation, should be
made a part of the federal sovereignty; that the exercise of the
federal sovereignty should be divided among three several bodies,
legislative, executive, and judiciary, as the State sovereignties are;
and that some peaceable means should be contrived, for the federal head
to force compliance on the part of the States. I have reflected on your
idea of wooden, or ivory diagrams, for the geometrical demonstrations.
I should think wood as good as ivory; and that in this case, it might
add to the improvement of the young gentlemen, that they should make
the figures themselves. Being furnished by a workman with a piece of
veneer, no other tool than a penknife and a wooden rule, would be
necessary. Perhaps pasteboards, or common cards, might be still more
convenient. The difficulty is, how to reconcile figures which must have
a very sensible breadth to our ideas of a mathematical line, which, as
it has neither breadth nor thickness, will revolt more at these than at
simple lines drawn on paper or slate. If, after reflecting on this
proposition, you would prefer having them made here, lay your commands
on me, and they shall be executed.
I return you a thousand thanks for your goodness to my nephew. After my
debt to you for whatever I am myself, it is increasing it too much to
interest yourself for his future fortune. But I know, that to you, a
consciousness of doing good is a luxury ineffable. You have enjoyed it
already, beyond all human measure, and that you may long live to enjoy
it, and to bless your country and friends, is the sincere prayer of him
who is, with every possible sentiment of esteem and respect, dear Sir,
your most obedient, and most humble servant.