To Thomas Jefferson from Jean Chas, 7 May 1803
From Jean Chas
paris 17 floreal L’an 11. [7 May 1803]
monsieur Le président.
daignés accepter quelques exemplaires du parallele de bonaparte avec charlemagne. L’amour de la verité, et du bien public m’ont dicté cet ouvrage.
il y a deja quelque tems que j’ai eu Lhonneur de vous envoyer Le tableau historique et politique des operations civiles et militaires de bonaparte, et trente exemplaires de L’histoire de La revolution de L’amerique Septentrionale. j’ignore si mes depeches vous ont eté remises.
je m’occupe d’une seconde edition de L’histoire de La revolution des etats unis. je vous prie, monsieur Le president d’en accepter La dedicace. cet ouvrage merite de paroitre Sous vos auspices. il est honorable pour moi d’offrir a L’admiration publique L’histoire d’un peuple dont je respecte Les vertus, et admire Le courage. vous etes digne, monsieur Le president, d’etre Le chef d’une nation qui promet d’heureuses et brillantes destinées.
recevés avec bonté, monsieur Le president Les assurances de mon profond respect.
j chas
Editors’ Translation
Paris, 17 Floreal Year 11 [7 May 1803]
Mister President,
Please accept these copies of my Parallèle de Bonaparte avec Charlemagne, a work that was dictated by my love of truth and the public good.
Some time ago, I had the honor of sending you the Tableau historique et politique des opérations militaires et civiles de Bonaparte and thirty copies of the Histoire politique et philosophique de la révolution de l’Amérique septentrionale. I do not know whether you received them.
I am now working on a second edition of the history of the American Revolution, and seek your permission, Mr. President, to dedicate the book to you. It is worthy of being published under your auspices. I am honored to hold up for public admiration the history of a people whose virtues I respect and whose courage I admire. You are worthy, Mr. President, of leading a nation that looks ahead to such an auspicious, brilliant destiny.
Receive with kindness, Mr. President, the assurance of my profound respect.
j chas
RC (DLC); English date supplied; below signature: “rue du bout du monde n. 184”; endorsed by TJ as received 15 July and so recorded in SJL.
Bonaparte encouraged comparisons to charlemagne and the Frankish Empire, had a medal struck in the emperor’s honor, and later in 1803 had a statue of him erected in Paris. Chas’s brief Parallèle de Bonaparte avec Charlemagne was printed in Paris in 1803. Chas had previously sent TJ his earlier work on the first consul, Sur Bonaparte (Thierry Lentz, Le Grand Consulat, 1799–1804 [Paris, 1999], 261, 456; , 181; Leo Gershoy, The French Revolution and Napoleon [Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1964], 379; Vol. 33:516, 517).
TJ received Chas’s tableau in February 1802 and had the book bound later in the year (Vol. 36:95–6; Vol. 38:483, 484n).
l’histoire: Chas sent TJ a copy of his work on the American Revolution, the Histoire politique et philosophique de la révolution de l’Amérique septentrionale, in the spring of 1801. TJ acknowledged receiving the book in a letter to Chas in September of that year (Vol. 33:515–17; Vol. 35:203–4).
d’en accepter la dedicace: TJ did not reply to this letter, which was the last correspondence between them.