From Thomas Jefferson to William Wardlaw, 25 May 1797
To William Wardlaw
Philadelphia May 25. 97.
Dear Sir
[I have] your receipts for the [monies] […]1 cre[dited] […] to bring with me a memorandum of the […]2 destined for Dr. Jackson, and he had recieved no letter […]. But he conjectured the sum you wished paid to be 77.14.D. Should that added to 7.67 D. to Bache vary from what I recieved, it can enter into account between us, as I have not with me the book in which I noted what I recieved. We have nothing important the last week from Europe. Prices are here as when I wrote to Colo. Bell. The Senate has answered the President by an echo of his speech. The House of Representatives have not yet answered. The […] part of the house is so nearly on a balance with that which has just awoke to our honour, dignity, independance, freedom of commerce &c. […] accompanying negociation with a [threat] […]3 [But] it is difficult to say whether the answer will breathe peace […], or look towards war. If the former, the [session will be short, as there will be] nothing to do. If the latter it may be long, unless they find their measures cut short by the hazard of […] [or] […] the present taxes, less than which will not carry on a war; and not a dollar can be borrowed either here or in Europe. On this circumstance we [rest our] ultimate hope of preserving peace. The danger of having bills of exchange paid off in London in depreciated paper […]4 bills. The merchants prefer remitting […]5 they will get a premium. The banks are sensible that if our specie be expended they [will] be in great danger of being unable to pay their [own] paper [in specie when] called on, and that a small war will break them. Hence great alarm—Take care nothing from me gets into the newspapers. I am Dear Sir [Your friend & servt]
Th: Jefferson
PrC (DLC); badly faded; at foot of text: “Dr. Wardlaw.”
William Wardlaw, a physician who lived in Charlottesville, helped TJ give smallpox vaccinations at Monticello in 1801. He moved to Richmond by 1810 and established himself as a druggist (, ii, 930n; Wardlaw to TJ, 1 Nov. 1810; The Richmond Directory, Register and Almanac, for the Year 1819 [Richmond, 1819], 73).
TJ had received $85.17 from Wardlaw on 1 May 1797 for payments to the Philadelphia apothecary and physician Dr. David Jackson and to Benjamin Franklin Bache (, ii, 935, 959, 961).
When I wrote to Colo. Bell: TJ to Thomas Bell, 18 May 1797. The Senate has answered the President: see the Senate to John Adams, 23 May.
Letters from Wardlaw to TJ of 16 Oct., 28 Dec. 1794, and 17 Jan. 1795, recorded in SJL as received on their respective dates, the first from Charlottesville, have not been found.
1. Estimated three words illegible.
2. Estimated three words illegible.
3. Estimated four words illegible.
4. Estimated five words illegible.
5. Estimated three words illegible.