To Thomas Jefferson from Pierre Samuel Du Pont de Nemours, 2 April 1802
From Pierre Samuel Du Pont de Nemours
New York. 2 Avril 1802.
Monsieur le Président,
Je vous prie d’approuver que je mette sous votre enveloppe un Mémoire assez étendu que Je suis chargé de communiquer à Mr. Bushrood Washington, et qui interesse notre Ami la Fayette.
J’ai déja pris la liberté de vous adresser la Lettre que le Ministre Barbé-Marbois a écrite au Général Davies, auquel je ne savais aucun autre moyen de la faire parvenir.
Vous aurez sans doute eu la bonté de la lire, comme je vous en priais.—Et à sa situation.
Vos Plénipotentiaires avaient donné à ses amis l’esperance que le Congrès trouverait digne des Etats unis de secourir le guerrier habile et intrepide, le Négociateur honorable et intelligent, l’homme pur et vertueux qui les a secourus.
Ils avaient êté jusqu’à penser qu’on pourrait lui donner,
| 20,000 Dollars | pour payer ce qu’il doit à des Citoyens des Etats unis; |
| 20,000 | en Bestiaux de belles races et bons instrumens aratoires pour monter sa ferme; |
| 20,000 | en Actions de la Banque des Etats unis. |
| 60,000 |
Y a-t-il sur cela quelques demarches de faites?
Si elles ne le sont pas, qui les fera?
Si on les fait, auront elles du succès?
Voila ce que je demande à votre amitié.
Les appuyer par vous et vos amis, c’est ce qu’il est inutile de vous demander. Vous y êtes assez porté de vous même.
La Session s’avance.—Il me semble qu’il n’y a pas un moment à perdre pour ceux qui ont cet honorable dessein.
Salut, respect, inviolable et profond attachement
Du Pont (de Nemours)
Editors’ Translation
New York. 2 Apr. 1802
Mister President,
I beg you to approve my having put in your envelope a rather lengthy memorandum that I have been commissioned to communicate to Mr. Bushrod Washington, which interests our friend Lafayette.
I have already taken the liberty of addressing to you the letter that Minister Barbé de Marbois wrote to General Davie, to whom I had no other way of sending it.
You doubtlessly had the kindness to read it as I begged you to. And your friendship for Lafayette must have made you take a lively interest in his situation.
Your plenipotentiary ministers had given his friends hope that Congress would find it worthy of the United States to give aid to the skillful and fearless warrior, the honorable and intelligent negotiator, the pure and virtuous man who assisted them.
They went so far as to think that he might be given:
| 20,000 dollars | to pay what he owes to citizens of the United States; |
| 20,000 | in thoroughbred livestock and good plowing instruments to set up his farm; |
| 20,000 | in shares of the Bank of the United States. |
| 60,000 |
Have any steps been taken about that?
If they have not been, who will take them?
If they are taken, will they have some success?
That is what I request of your friendship.
To support them, you and your friends, that is what is unnecessary to ask of you. You are quite inclined to it yourself.
The session is advancing. It seems to me that there is not a moment to lose for those who have in mind this honorable plan.
Greetings, respect, unchangeable and deep affection
Du Pont (de Nemours)
RC (DLC); at head of text: “A Son Excellence Thomas Jefferson Président des Etats unis”; endorsed by TJ as received 5 Apr. and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure not found.
J’AI DÉJA PRIS LA LIBERTÉ: Du Pont to TJ, 21 Feb. 1802. For Du Pont’s request that TJ forward correspondence from François Barbé de MARBOIS to William R. Davie, see TJ to Davie, 28 Feb., and Davie’s reply of 20 Mch.
LE CONGRÈS: in an act of 3 Mch. 1803 concerning military land warrants, Congress authorized warrants to Lafayette for 11,520 acres. Acts of March 1804 and March 1805 authorized him to take up the land in Orleans Territory (, 2:236, 306, 329).