To Thomas Jefferson from David C. DeForest, 25 January 1805
From David C. DeForest
Newhaven 25 Jany 1805
Sir,
Having passed some time in South America near the close of the French Revolutionary War, more particularly in Brazil and La Plata, and having witnessed many of the difficulties into which our Countrymen plunged themselves from their ignorance of the customs and trade of the Spanish Provinces near the La Plata, and being satisfied that the carrying trade of that Country must devolve on neutrals should Spain be again engaged in war with England, as appears highly probable, I have thought of establising myself in mercantile business at Buenos Ayres immediately after the expected War shall have been declared—In consequence of which determination I am induced to apply to you Sir for the Consulship or commercial Agency to that Vice Kingdom, believing that such appointment would aid me much in the prosecution of my own private business, and also place me in a situation to render important services to my Countrymen who should extend their Commerce thither, and who generally speaking would much need the assistance of some Person thoroughly acquainted with the Commercial regulations of the Government of that Country, and competent to the management of any disputed case which may happen there with the Government or Individuals.—
From the opportunities which I have had, I am induced to believe myself possessed of more knowledge of the Spanish Provinces of La Plata than the generality of my Countrymen who have visited them—and for further information respecting my pretentions to the appointment I solicit I beg leave to refer you to the Letters accompanying this—
Being an entire Stranger to you Sir perhaps it is proper that I should say, the high respect I have for the Present Administration of the Government of my Country will lead me to the adoption of every measure which I may think calculated for its support.
With the most profound respect and Esteem I have the honor to Subscribe myself Sir, your most Obet. huml. Sert,
David C. DeForest
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); at head of text: “The President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as a letter of 24 Jan. received 25 Feb. and “office” and so recorded in SJL. FC (CtY); in DeForest’s hand; below signature, DeForest wrote, “This letter was left in care of Isaac Mills Esqr. to receive & enclose one from Mr Edwards & another from Mr. Bishop, & forward them all on to Washington.” Enclosures: probably letters from Pierpont Edwards and Abraham Bishop, recorded in SJL as “Edwards & Bishop,” 18 Feb., received 25 Feb. from New Haven with notation “Deforest for office,” but not found.
David C. DeForest (1774-1825) of Huntington, Connecticut, had a short career in the army before turning to the sea, first as a sailor and then as a smuggler working along the east coast of South America. In 1807, DeForest opened a commission house in Buenos Aires that served as his base of operation for a number of enterprises, both legitimate and illegitimate. DeForest was expelled from Buenos Aires in 1809. Three years later, he returned when a new government was installed, and although he was never able to convince the United States to appoint him consul, he did establish himself as a “financial pillar in his adopted country” and a friend of its government. In 1818, and with dual citizenship, DeForest moved back to the United States as Argentina’s consul general to the United States and settled permanently in New Haven (Samuel Flagg Bemis, “Early Diplomatic Missions from Buenos Aires to the United States 1811-1824,” Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, 49 [1939], 79-81, 97; , 1:364; Benjamin Keen, David Curtis DeForest and the Revolution of Buenos Aires [New Haven, 1947], 11, 15, 33, 53-7, 121-2).