William Lee to Thomas Jefferson, 6 March 1820
From William Lee
Washington March 6. 1820
Respected & dear Sir/,
Mr Arganil a respectable french homme de Lettres residing in Newport R.I. is anxious to procure the situation of professor of the French, Spanish & Italian languages in one of our Colleges for which I believe him eminently qualified. Thinking it possible that such a person may be wanted in the institution patronised by you I take the liberty to inclose for your perusal two or three of his letters to me and one of his essays entitled Apel à la Raison—He writes and speaks English very well—& as far as I can judge is every way qualified for the employment he solicits—He is very poor & is unpleasantly situated in a place where frenchmen are not liked particularly if they are not rich—Should there be any prospect of his success will you Sir have the goodness to write me on the subject—
Wm Lee
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “Mr Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 18 Mar. 1820 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures not found.
mr arganil may have been Joseph Achard, a barber and radical French Jacobin. After the Jacobins lost power in France, he fled to Arganil, Portugal, and changed his name to Juan Francisco Arganil. By 1822 Arganil was in Colombia, South America, where he operated a medical practice and became involved with the local revolutionary junta. He died in Bogotá in 1842 (Alberto Miramon, Tres Personajes Historicos: Arganil, Russi y Oyón [1983]; Newport Rhode-Island Republican, 19 May 1819 [for a letter for “Arganil de F. J.” awaiting collection at the Newport post office]).
apel à la raison: “Appeal to Reason.”
Index Entries
- Achard, Joseph; writings of search
- Arganil, Juan Francisco (Joseph Achard); identified search
- Arganil, Mr.; introduced to TJ search
- Arganil, Mr.; writings of search
- French language; applicants to teach at University of Virginia search
- Italian language; applicants to teach at University of Virginia search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; works sent to search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation to search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of introduction to search
- Lee, William (1772–1840); introduces J. Achard to TJ search
- Lee, William (1772–1840); letters from search
- patronage; letters of application and recommendation to TJ search
- Spanish language; applicants to teach at University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Faculty and Curriculum; faculty applicants search