To George Washington from John Sinclair, 30 May 1796
From John Sinclair
Whitehall [London] 30th May 1796
Sir
Being unfortunately much troubled with an Inflammation in my Eyes, I beg Your Excellency will have the Goodness to excuse the Liberty I take, in making use of a borrowed Hand.
The Session of the Board of Agriculture has closed for this Year, and I am now preparing to go to Scotland, which hurries me much; but I could not think of leaving this Town, without having the Honour of acknowledging the Receipt of Your obliging Letter of the 20th of February, with the Inclosure.1 I regret much that any Circumstance should have prevented for the present (but I hope that some time or other it will be effected) the establishing of that Agreement so interesting to Humanity, and from which all Nations must derive such Benefit, but, I hope that Your Excellency will have it in View, whenever a proper Opportunity occurs.2
We have printed an additional Appendix to the Chapter on Manures, on which we should be glad to be favored with the Remarks of the intelligent Farmer to whom the former Paper on that Subject was given.3 We are now carrying on a Set of Experiments, under the Directions of Dr Fordyce, which I trust will clear up the Doctrine of Vegetation and Manures.4 The Queries respecting Live Stock, Copies of which are also sent, will, I trust, throw much Light on that important Department in Husbandry.5
I take the Liberty at the same time of sending to Your Excellency Copies of my Address to the Board, explaining the Progress we have made during the last session; also specimens of the Manner in which we acknowledge the Receipt of Communications, and return Our Thanks to those who merit them.6
I am glad to hear that Your Excellency preserves good Health, and if you wish to enjoy Tranquillity and Ease, as you cannot expect that Satisfaction in America where even at Mount Vernon you would be perpetually applied to on Matters of Business, I hope you will excuse me expressing my Hopes and Wishes, that you would think of spending at least one Year of Tranquillity and Ease in England, where, I am sure, you would be received in a Manner highly flattering and agreeable, by all Ranks and Descriptions of People, and by none with more Respect and Regard than by Him, who has Honour to subscribe himself, Your Excellency’s faithful and obedient Servant
John Sinclair
N.B. I hope that a very beneficial Intercourse will be established between America and Great Britain, in the article of oil Cake—I have ordered the Bookseller to send Your Excellency two Sets of the corrected County Reports, as they come out,7 and he will settle regarding the Price with his Correspondent in America. I think that there cannot be too many of those Reports circulated there—I shall write to Your Excellency from Scotland respecting the Farms on the Mount Vernon Estate.
LS, DLC:GW.
GW acknowledged this letter when he wrote Sinclair on 10 Dec. (DLC:GW).
1. GW had enclosed his advertisement dated 1 Feb. to lease Mount Vernon farms and sell his western lands.
Sinclair subsequently wrote GW from Whitehall on 11 Sept.: “I do not much like the present aspect of Europe, and have some thoughts, incase of accidents, to secure an asylum for my family in america. The Revolution of France, now confirmed, will probably occasion Revolutions in other Countries, and it is not impossible, even here, where, though the government is good, yet it is ill administered. Indeed what else could be expected from surrendering the administration of the affairs of a great country, to inexperienced boys, such as Pitt and his companions, to lawyers, like Dundas & Wedderburn, who are men of information and abilities in the line of their own profession, but were not trained up to be regular statesmen; and having nobody to look up to, incase of their dismission, but such characters as Fox and Sheridan, who have talents, particularly those of an oratorical nature, but from their dissipation, their extravagance, their pecuniary difficulties, and in some respects, their vicious conduct, never can acquire, the confidence of the people, and who have not application enough for public business; With a load of debts and taxes on the country almost unsupportable, and yet increasing every year; without any bounds to our public expences, and our public credit not a little shook; and joined to all these untoward circumstances at home, with so formidable an enemy abroad as France, an armed nation, ably governed, within a few hours sail of us, these points united, furnish but a gloomy prospect, to a thinking native of this country.
“I should be glad to be favoured with your opinion, respecting a purchase in America, on a moderate scale, from 2 to £3000. you wrote me that you had some farms to let in the neighbourhood of Mount Vernon. Have any of them a tolerable good house, and instead of letting them on a short lease, would you grant, what in Scotland is called a feu, a species of perpetual lease, at a rent not augmentable, or would you sell them out right, as they seem to be in an eligible part of the country. If either plan would be acceptable, have the goodness to mention the terms” (ALS, DLC:GW).
Alexander Wedderburn (1733–1805), first baron Loughborough, served as lord chancellor of Great Britain from 1793 to 1801.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), the dramatist, allied in Parliament with Charles James Fox to argue that the French had a right to form their own government and that Great Britain should recognize the result.
2. Sinclair is referring to his Plan of an Agreement among the Powers in Europe, and the United States of America, for the Purpose of rewarding Discoveries of general Benefit to Society (London, 1795), which he had enclosed with his letters to GW of 18 July 1795.
3. The Additional Appendix to the Outlines of the Fifteenth Chapter of the Proposed General Report from the Board of Agriculture. On the Subject of Manures (London, 1796) was in GW’s library at his death ( 90).
4. George Fordyce (1736–1802), a London physician, graduated from the University of Edinburgh. He wrote on medicine, chemistry, and mineralogy as well as agriculture.
Fordyce printed his proposal for the experiments as Plan for Ascertaining the Effects of the Different Sorts of Manures in Promoting Vegetation (London, 1795).
5. Sinclair sent Queries Relating to Live Stock (n.p., n.d.). GW held three copies in his library (see 89).
6. For this address, see Sinclair to GW, 14 May 1796, postscript and n.2 to that document.
7. For citations to the Board of Agriculture county surveys in GW’s library at the time of his death, see 92–95.
Sinclair had played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Board of Agriculture in 1793 as an association in Great Britain to promote scientific agriculture.