11From Thomas Jefferson to William Drayton, 7 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
It is time I should inform you what has been done in pursuance of the commission you honored me with relative to the olive trees. My former letters have informed you that I immediately lodged orders at Marseilles to have sent a good number of olive plants of the best species and a great quantity of olives. The olives were to be sowed to raise stocks (which always yeild a bad fruit of their...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Parent, 7 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
N’ayant pas encore reçu reponse à mes lettres ecrites en Amerique pour demander permission d’y aller pour quelques mois il est très possible que vous me trouverez à Paris si votre projet de venir ici les premiers jours de ce mois s’execute. Je serai bien aise de vous voir et de vous parler au sujet de votre fils. En m’expliquant vos idées à son sujet je saurai si je puis vous etre de quelque...
13From Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael, 8 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Jan. 26. to Mar. 27. is duly received and I thank you for the interesting papers it contained. The answer of Don Ulloa, however, on the subject of the canal through the American isthmus, was not among them tho’ mentioned to be so. If you have omitted it through accident I shall thank you for it at some future occasion, as I wish much to understand that subject thoroughly. Our...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Lewis Littlepage, 8 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Feb. 12. has been duly received, and in exchange for it’s information, I shall give you that which you desire relative to American affairs. Those of Europe you can learn from other sources. All our states acceded unconditionally to the new constitution except N. Carolina and Rhode island. The latter rejects it in toto. N. Carolina neither rejected nor received it, but asked...
15From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 9 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my letter of Mar. 1. by the way of Havre and those of March 12th. and 15th. by the way of London no opportunity of writing has occurred till the present to London. There are no symptoms of accomodation between the Turks and two empires, nor between Russia and Sweden. The Emperor was on the 16th. of the last month expected to die certainly. He was however a little better when the last...
16To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 10 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
Since mine of Jan. 14. yours of Jan. 2. & Mar. 1. have been handed to me; the former by mr̃ Jones, whom I am glad to know on your recommendation and to make him the channel of evidencing to you how much I esteem whatever comes from you. the internal agitations of this country & the inactivity to which England is reduced by the State of imbecillity in which the madness of the king has...
17To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 10 May 1789 (Washington Papers)
I am now to acknolege the honor of your two letters of Nov. 27 and Feb. 13 both of which have come to hand since my last to you of Dec. 4 and 5. the details you are so good as to give me on the subject of the navigation of the waters of the Patowmac and Ohio are very pleasing to me, as I consider the union of those two rivers as among the strongest links of connection between the eastern &...
18From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 10 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Since mine of Jan. 14. yours of Jan. 2. and Mar. 1. have been handed to me; the former by Mr. Jones, whom I am glad to know on your recommendation and to make him the channel of evidencing to you how much I esteem whatever comes from you.—The internal agitations of this country and the inactivity to which England is reduced by the state of imbecillity in which the madness of the king has...
19From Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 10 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am now to acknolege the honor of your two letters of Nov. 27. and Feb. 13. both of which have come to hand since my last to you of Dec. 4. and 5. The details you are so good as to give me on the subject of the navigation of the waters of the Patowmac and Ohio are very pleasing to me, as I consider the union of those two rivers as among the strongest links of connection between the eastern...
20To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 11 May 1789 (Madison Papers)
My last to you was of the 15th. of March. I am now in hourly expectation of recieving my leave of absence. The delay of it a little longer will endanger the throwing my return into the winter, the very idea of which is horror itself to me. I am in hopes this is the last letter I shall have the pleasure of writing you before my departure. The madness of the king of England has gone off, but...
21From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 11 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of the 15th. of March. I am now in hourly expectation of recieving my leave of absence. The delay of it a little longer will endanger the throwing my return into the winter, the very idea of which is horror itself to me. I am in hopes this is the last letter I shall have the pleasure of writing you before my departure. The madness of the king of England has gone off, but...
22From Thomas Jefferson to the Commissioners of the Treasury, 11 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to acknolege the receipt of your letter of Feb. 20. which came very opportunely to set us to rights as to the order of application of the money to be raised on the last loan. Our bankers insisted that some resolution of Congress authorised them to furnish no money for any other purposes till they should first have received all the interest which should become due on the Dutch...
23From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 12 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am this moment returned from Versailles, and it is the last moment allowed me to write by this occasion. The Tiers etat remain unshaken in their resolution to do no business with the other orders but voting by persons. The Nobles are equally determined and by a majority of ⅘ or ⅚ to vote only by orders. Committees of accomodation indeed are appointed, but with little prospect of effect....
24From Thomas Jefferson to William Jones, 17 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now to acknolege the receipt of your favors of Octob. 20. and Dec. 20 . My proposition (referred to in your letter of Octob. 20) was to fix times of paiment for my part of Mr. Wayles’s debt on his private account, and that these paiments of my third should discharge me and my property of all responsibility for the remaining two thirds. Without having acceded to my propositions you...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Louis de Pontière, 17 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am honoured with your letter of the 6th. instant and sincerely sorry that you should experience inconveniencies for the want of the arrearages due to you from the United States. I have never ceased to take every measure which could promise to procure to the foreign officers the paiment of these arrears. At present the matter stands thus. Congress have agreed to borrow a sum of money in...
26From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Vaughan, 17 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am to acknolege, all together, the receipt of your favors of Mar. 17. 26. and May 7. and to return you abundant thanks for your attention to the article of Dry rice, and the parcel of seeds you sent me. This is interesting, because even should it not take place of the wet rice in S. Carolina, it will enable us to cultivate this grain in Virginia, where we have not lands disposed for the wet...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Paine, 19 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of Feb. 16 to Apr. 13. of May 3. and 10. are received, and the two last are sent to Mr. Leroy who will communicate them to the academy. You know that the States general are met and probably have seen the speeches at the opening of them. The three orders sit in distinct chambers. The great question whether they shall vote by orders or persons can never be surmounted amicably. It has...
28From Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 19 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 4th. inst. is duly received. I am in hourly expectation of receiving letters permitting me to go to America for a few months, and shall leave Paris within a very few days after I shall have received them. As this is probably the last letter I can have the honour of writing you before my return, I will do myself the pleasure of putting you into possession of the state of...
29From Thomas Jefferson to St. John de Crèvecoeur, 20 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am now to acknolege the receipt of your several favors of Oct. 20. Nov. 20. and Jan. 5. and to thank you for the pamphlets you have been so kind as to send me. A conveiance by the way of London enables me to write the present, for I never think of writing news by the circumnavigation of the Bordeaux packet. You know that your states general are met, and you have seen the speeches of the king...
30From Thomas Jefferson to Moustier, 20 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor of writing to you on the 13th. of March by the way of London. Another conveiance the same way now occurring, I avail myself of it to send you a list of the deputies to the States general, which I presume will be interesting to you. You will already have received the speeches of the king, Garde des sceaux, and Mr. Necker, as I know that M. de Monmorin wrote to you the evening of...
31From Thomas Jefferson to Maria Cosway, 21 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have not yet, my dear friend, received my leave of absence, but I expect it hourly, and shall depart almost in the hour of receiving it. My absence will be of about six months. I leave here a scene of tumult and contest. All is politics in this capital. Even love has lost it’s part in conversation. This is not well, for love is always a consolatory thing. I am going to a country where it is...
32From Thomas Jefferson to Edward Jerningham, 21 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received with much pleasure your charming poem on enthusiasm and return you many thanks for it. I mark with peculiar satisfaction the prophecy relative to my own country and am enthusiast enough to believe it will be in some degree verified. The honour of your acquaintance while you were in Paris would have made me very happy, and I shall think myself authorised to court it, should any...
33From Thomas Jefferson to John Trumbull, 21 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have not yet received my leave of absence, but I expect it hourly, and shall go off within a week after I receive it. Mr. Short will stay till I come back, and then I think he has it in contemplation to return to America; of this however I am not sure, having avoided asking him lest he should mistake mere curiosity for inclination. If he does not go, all which I am going to say may be...
34From Thomas Jefferson to Nathaniel Barrett, 24 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly received your favor of Mar. 6.—Were the appointment of a Consul at Rouen to depend on me, there is assuredly no one who would have so just a claim to it as yourself. But it will rest with the President. In my letter to Mr. Jay on the subject of the Consulships I have ventured to suggest some ideas on the subject, and tho’ I did not at the time know that you would settle at Rouen,...
35From Thomas Jefferson to Giovanni Fabbroni, 24 May 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have to acknolege the receipt of your favor of Mar. 25. and to thank you for your attentions and services to my friends Mr. Short and Mr. Rutledge. Those gentlemen have spoke to me of yourself and Madame Fabbroni in terms which shew they have been very sensible of your civilities and are very grateful for them. Be so good also as to convey to your brother my acknoledgements for the present...
36From Thomas Jefferson to Edward Bancroft, 1 June 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I have not before acknoleged the receipt of your favor of April 28. because I expected every post to receive Mr. Paradise’s deed. But a letter from Mrs. Paradise by yesterday’s post damps our expectations. I do not doubt but you have urged every spur to hasten Mr. Young. But Mr. Paradise insists on my writing to you on the subject. In fact he is on a gridiron till he can receive these papers...
37From Thomas Jefferson to William Jones, 1 June 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I received yesterday your favor of May 22. and receive it with great pleasure as it assures me you will write to Mr. Hanson to settle Mr. Wayles’s account with us. I have never seen a copy of that account since the one you transmitted first after his death, nor have Mr. Eppes and Mr. Skipwith explained to me the objections made, fully. One objection I know is to interest, and another to the...
38From Thomas Jefferson to Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 1 June 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of May the 5th. and 15th. should not have been so long unacknoleged but that I expected always that the next post would bring us the long-expected deed. Your last of May 26. puts off our hopes indefinitely. I cannot paint to you Mr. Paradise’s impatience to leave this place. He happened to be present when I received your letter, and instead of pressing him to write Mr. Young, I...
39From Thomas Jefferson to John Trumbull, 1 June 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of May 26. came to hand yesterday. The balance shall be immediately remitted. Perhaps it may be disagreeable to Mr. Grand to give a bill of exchange for so small a sum, in which case I will send the cash itself by Mr. Paradise adding to it the price of Sterne’s sentimental journey, printed in London by Wenman No. 144. Fleet street in 16s. or in 24s, which I will beg the favor of you...
40From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 3 June 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Revolving further in my mind the idea started yesterday evening of the king’s coming forward in a seance royale and offering a charter containing all the good in which all parties agree, I like it more and more. I have ventured to sketch such a charter merely to convey my idea, which I now inclose to you, as I do also to M. de St. Etienne. I write him a letter of apology for my meddling in a...