Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Pierre Samuel Du Pont de Nemours to Thomas Jefferson, 4 July 1811

From Pierre Samuel Du Pont de Nemours

Paris 4 juillet 1811.

Mon respectable Ami,

voici le dernier Volume des Œuvres de Mr Turgot. vous y verrez parce quil écrivait au docteur Price et au Sage Franklin combien il aimait votre Patrie.

Je fais passer à Monsieur le Président une copie corrigée de mon Mémoire sur les Finances des Etats-unis dont je vous ai envoyé la minute l’année derniere.

Et aussi une copie corrigée de l’ouvrage que vous m’aviez demandé sur l’éducation nationale.

On m’a dit que Mr Barlow avait traité le même Sujet. Je serais bien curieux de savoir en quoi nous nous raprochons et en quoi nous differons; et d’avoir votre jugement sur les deux ouvrages.

J’ai encore à donner pour completter l’edition actuelle1 de Mr Turgot une seconde Edition très augmentée des Mémoires sur Sa vie, son Administration, et Ses Ouvrages. Et en retravaillant ces Mémoires j’ai pleuré comme la premiere fois.

La cessation du Ministere de ce Grand Homme et sa mort, ont êté des malheurs bien graves pour le Genre humain.

quand vous recevrez le volume qui en contiendra les dernieres preuves, je serai vraisemblablement bien près de partir pour Monticello: car je veux être enterré en terre Sainte, c’est-à-dire en terre libre. Il me semble que j’y serai plus tranquille, et que mes os y porteront quelque bonheur.

agrez mon inviolable, et tendre, et bien respectueux attachement.

DuPont (de nemours)

Editors’ Translation

Paris 4 July 1811.

My respectable Friend,

Here is the final volume of Mr Turgot’s works. You will see by what he wrote to Doctor Price and the wise Franklin how much he loved your country.

I am forwarding to the President a corrected copy of my memoir on the finances of the United States, the draft of which I sent to you last year.

And also a corrected copy of the work you had requested of me on national education.

I was told that Mr. Barlow had treated the same subject. I would be very curious to know how we are similar and how we differ, and to have your judgment on these two works.

To complete the current edition of Turgot’s writings, I have still to produce a second, much enlarged edition of his Memoirs on his Life, Administration, and Works. And upon returning once again to these memoirs, I cried like I had the first time I saw them.

The cessation of this great man’s ministry and his death have been very serious misfortunes for mankind.

When you receive the volume that contains the final proof of this, I will probably be about to leave for Monticello: because I want to be buried in holy ground, that is to say in a free land. It seems to me that I will be more tranquil and that my bones will bring some happiness there.

Please accept my inviolable, tender, and very respectful attachment.

DuPont (de nemours)

RC (DLC); dateline at foot of text; at head of text: “a Son Excellence Thomas Jefferson ancien Président des Etats-Unis”; endorsed by TJ as received 9 Sept. 1811 and so recorded in SJL. Tr (DeGH: H. A. Du Pont Papers, Winterthur Manuscripts; posthumous copy). Translation by Dr. Genevieve Moene. Enclosure: Du Pont, ed., Oeuvres de Mr Turgot, ministre d’état, précédées et accompagnées de mémoires et de notes sur sa vie, son administration et ses ouvrages (Paris, 1808–11; Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 2436; Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library [1829] description ends , 11 [no. 702]), vol. 9. Possibly enclosed in James Madison to TJ, 7 Sept. 1811, not found, which is recorded in SJL as received from Montpellier the following day.

On this day Du Pont sent Madison manuscript copies of his works on American finance and education, as well as four printed copies of the last volume of Turgot’s Oeuvres for Madison, Du Pont’s children, the APS description begins American Philosophical Society description ends , and TJ (Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, John C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, 1962– , 29 vols.: Congress. Ser., 17 vols.; Pres. Ser., 5 vols.; Sec. of State Ser., 7 vols description ends , Pres. Ser., 3:369–70).

Turgot’s letters to Richard price and Benjamin franklin are in Du Pont, ed., Oeuvres de Mr Turgot, 9:376–404. Du Pont’s mémoire sur les finances des etats-unis is printed above at 28 July 1810. Joel barlow advocated placing a university in the nation’s capital in his Prospectus of a National Institution, to be established in the United States (Washington, 1806).

1Word added in left margin.

Index Entries

  • American Philosophical Society; P. S. Du Pont de Nemours sends works to search
  • Barlow, Joel; Prospectus of a National Institution search
  • Barlow, Joel; U.S. minister to France search
  • Du Pont de Nemours, Pierre Samuel; and J. Madison search
  • Du Pont de Nemours, Pierre Samuel; edits Turgot’s Oeuvres search
  • Du Pont de Nemours, Pierre Samuel; letters from search
  • Franklin, Benjamin; and A. R. J. Turgot search
  • French language; letters in, from; P. S. Du Pont de Nemours search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; works sent to search
  • Madison, James; and P. S. Du Pont de Nemours’s essay on American financial system search
  • Madison, James; letters from accounted for search
  • Oeuvres (A. R. J. Turgot) search
  • Price, Richard (British author and philosopher); and Turgot search
  • Prospectus of a National Institution, to be established in the United States (Barlow) search
  • Turgot, Anne Robert Jacques; Oeuvres search