1To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 11 October 1784 (Jefferson Papers)
When I Heard of Your Going to France, I heartly lamented I Could not Have the Honour to Receive You there. But in the Same time Anticipated the pleasure to wait upon You this Winter in our French Capital. Your Voyage to Europe I Ever Considered as a favourite Wish of mine and on Every public and private Account am Happy to think You at last Have Consented to go. Permit me, my dear Sir farther...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 14 February 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Le Mis. De la Fayette a l’honneur de faire ses compliments à Monsieur Jefferson et lui envoye la lettre de Mr. Le Cte. De Florida Blanca. Il verra que dans ce tems l’article des Limites avoit été différemment reglé que les prétensions Espagnoles ne semblent l’annoncer. L’original de cette lettre fut envoye dans le tems au Congres. Une Copie remise à Mr. Jay mais il n’y eut rien de plus de fait...
3To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, June 1785–May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter, My dear Sir, Will Be delivered By M. de la Tagnerette a Gentleman Well Acquainted with financeering Matters who is one of the farmers of the Postoffice. He has some ideas Regarding our tobaccoes which I Advised Him to Communicate You. Bonjour My dear friend. LAF. RC ( MHi ); without indication of addressee or date. This letter could have been written at any time between 1785 and...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 4 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
This letter will be delivered By a private Courier of Mis. de Noailles who Has Been in My family, and who, I am sure, will take proper Care of my Dispatches. Since I Had the pleasure to see you, I have Been at the prussian Court, and the prussian Camps with which I was much pleased. And Now am at Vienna, with an intention soon to Return to Potsdam where there will Be great deal of Maneuvring....
5From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, with Thomas Boylston’s Proposal, [ca. 13 November 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Boylston proposes to bring to France this next year from 100 to 500 tons of Spermaceti whale oil on the following terms. 1. Government to remit all duties on it to permit him to take freight back to the W. Indies and there to take sugar and molasses for the U.S. He will lay out half the price received in the productions and manufactures of France and will sell them at auction in America,...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [before 8 February 1786] (Jefferson Papers)
Otchikeita is Gone to the abbé, and Kayenlaha will wait for You to Morrow. It is probable Mr. du Crest will be there, Ambassador from the Court of the Palais Royal. Duke d’Harcourt writes me that Eleven Suits him Better than ten. Adieu. Here is an Application from Horace’s to our Good General Here are three Verses made By M. de Marmontel RC ( DLC ); unsigned; without indication of addressee or...
7From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 9 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The Mr. John Ledyard, who proposes to undertake the journey through the Northern parts of Asia and America, is a citizen of Connecticut, one of the united states of America. He accompanied Capt. Cook in his last voiage to the North-western parts of America, and rendered himself useful to that officer, on some occasions, by a spirit of enterprize which has distinguished his whole life. He has...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 20 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I forgot last night a very material circumstance in my calculation. The Farmers general are, by their bail, obliged to keep a certain provision of tobacco and snuff always on hand. I believe it is three years consumption. However for fear of error I will call it two years; because were the bail silent on this head they would certainly have always on hand one year’s stock ready for manufacture,...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [ca. 6 March 1786] (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed, my dear Sir, I send you a letter to Gnl. Knox wherein I mention Count d’estaing’s Anecdote as He gave it to me. Your idea Respecting Paul Jones is Very Good, and if He is prevailed upon to go, altho’ you deni you think yourself Warranted in Advancing public Monney to Him, He will easily find it Among His friends. And I think the sooner He goes, the better. Wishing you a good journey...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, with “Avis au Comité du Commerce”, [19] March 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed I send you several letters which Have been intrusted to me, and Now are forwarded by a safe Hand. You will also find one I had writen to you at the time of your departure which Arrived too late. The Epistle to Joseph Brant is writen by My Young indian whom I Requested to ask Brant what are His Views and His Hopes from the Court of Great Britain. I am every Minute waiting for a Copy of...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 15 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Monsr. Famin called on me on the subject of making Honfleur a free port; and wished me to sollicit it. I told him that it was for our interest, as for that also of all the world, that every port of France and of every other country should be free; that therefore we must wish Honfleur to be made so; that if the matter was in agitation the Count de Vergennes would probably speak of it to me in...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 17 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
It seems that a writ of surseance is what Mr. Ridout desires. In what cases this is granted, by what power, and thro whom the applications go, I am ignorant, as I have always declined asking them for any body; my idea having been that where they could be obtained according to fixed rules, they would be granted of course on any application; and that where it was not agreeable to rule to grant...
13From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, with Enclosure, 17 July 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the honour of inclosing to you an estimate of the Exports and Imports of the United states. Calculations of this kind cannot pretend to accuracy, where inattention and fraud combine to suppress their objects. Approximation is all they can aim at. Neither care nor candour have been wanting on my part to bring them as near the truth as my skill and materials would enable me to do. I...
14To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 2 August [1786] (Jefferson Papers)
I Have spoken with Baron de Grimm who, it Seems, Has No Notion to Continue the Monthly 25 guineas, and says He Has taken no other Engagement But to advance that sum once—for you must know, Between You and me that the 25 guineas exceeding this Sum Have Been delivered under his Name on my Account, which of course the Empress will Reimburse if She Accepts of the proposal. In the mean while Baron...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 24 August 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Your other friends here being so much better qualified to give you the transactions of this metropolis during your absence, it would be presumption in me to touch on them. I assume therefore the office of your correspondent for American affairs, in the discharge of which I may stand a chance to communicate to you details which you cannot get in the ordinary course of your correspondence, and...
16To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 30 August 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I Have been Honoured with your welcome favour of the 24th just as I Had set down at Luneville with an Intention to write to you, and give you an account of my Round about journey, which shall be at an End By the 20th of the Next Month. In an official, and a private letter June the 16th, General Knox acknoledged the Receipt of our letters inclosing a Note from Count d’Estaing and Says He Has...
17To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [23 October 1786] (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed, my dear sir, I Send You the arrêts du Conseil about Wines. While you are printing Mr. de Calonne’s letter, Could you not Have it on two Columns, the one in English. It will be better translated By Mr. Short than By our News paper printers, and prove Convenient to such of our friends who Cannot well Read french. Let me have twenty Copies. Our last Evening’s Conversation, together with...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 3 November 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I have recieved your favor of the second instant . The reason for my importing harness from England is a very obvious one. They are plated, and plated harness is not made at all in France as far as I have learnt. It is not from a love of the English but a love of myself that I sometimes find myself obliged to buy their manufactures. I must make one observation with respect to the use I make of...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 28 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I am just now, my dear Sir, in the moment of my departure. Monsr. de Montmorin having given us audience at Paris yesterday, I missed the opportunity of seeing you once more. I am extremely pleased with his modesty, the simplicity of his manners, and his dispositions towards us. I promise myself a great deal of satisfaction in doing business with him. I hope he will not give ear to any...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 11 April 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Your head, my dear friend, is full of Notable things; and being better employed, therefore, I do not expect letters from you. I am constantly roving about, to see what I have never seen before and shall never see again. In the great cities, I go to see what travellers think alone worthy of being seen; but I make a job of it, and generally gulp it all down in a day. On the other hand, I am...
21To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 6 June 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
It would Be almost as easy to shoot one of the flying Geniuses of the Arabian Nights as to direct a letter to the place where it Has the Best chance to Hit You. I Have Been dilatory in My Answer, which must be imputed to the public Hurry of National Affairs. But as I Now Hope for Your Speedy Return, I shall Make this letter the Shorter Because I Have thousand things to tell you. Our Assembly...
22To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 27 August 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Notwithstanding the Advantage of Your Situation in the busy Center of public Affairs, I know that our Country News will not be Quite Uninteresting to You, particularly when they Are Mixed with the Personal News of a family Most sincerely Attached to You. Our Preliminary Assembly is at an End, the journal of which I Have directed to be sent to You. We Had No details to Enter into, but it Has...
23To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, with Enclosure, 18 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Thus far I Have Come down from My Mountains, and Hope I will not Be sent Back without some decision or other Respecting American affairs. Inclosed is the Copy of a letter to M. Lambert which I Have writen as soon as I Knew His Appointement. I also inform M. de la Boulaïe that I will Be Ready to Meet Him Every day in the Next week, But that I am obliged to set out Again on the fifth of October...
24[To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, 5? November 1787] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Nemours [5?] Nov. 1787. Recorded in SJL as dated “tuesday (Nov. 5)” and received on 9 Nov. 1787; however, Tuesday fell on 6 Nov. in 1787, so TJ was in error either in the day of the week or the date. Not found.]
25To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [25? December 1787] (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed, My dear friend, I send You the Proposed Constitution which I Have Received on My Way. What do You think of the powers of the president? I am affraid that our friends are gone a little too far on the other side. But suppose it is the Case, and General Washington is the president, I know him too well not to think He will find the danger, and lessen the authority Before He Goes over....
26To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [12 July 1788] (Jefferson Papers)
I thank You, My dear sir, on the Good News You Give me from S. Carolina . I Hope Virginia will not fail. Every thing Goes on well But the Point Relative to the Presidency which You and I Have at Heart. I Confess this Makes me Uneasy. Will the General Agree with You. The Moment He Adopts our Opinion, My fear is Gone. Our Internal trouble did take a decided turn. The late Arrêt du Conseil Missed...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 19 November 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I send you my dear Sir my Observations on the Whale fishery. The translator and printer have been cruelly long about them. I send copies of them to M. de Montmorin, Luzerne, Neckar, and Lambert. You know there was a blank left at the end of the arret shewn us on Sunday night, as to the manner of proving our oil. I suspect Chardon so much, that I shall not be easy without knowing how it is...
28From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, [26 March?] 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am plagued to death with the applications of people who knowing the friendship you are so good as to entertain for me, wish to make use of it for their purposes. In general I get rid of them by a positive refusal to add to the thousands of applications and perplexities which you have already. You will see that the inclosed however cannot be parried altogether. I cannot refuse to send it to...