To Alexander Hamilton from Théophile Cazenove, 26 April 1791
From Théophile Cazenove1
Philade. du 26 avril 1791
Mr. A. Hamilton
Je vous prie de me faire savoir si les éclaircissemens que vous désirés2 rélativemt. aux piastres seront fournis par la réponse aux questions detaillées sur la Notte que j’ai l’honnr. de vous envoyer.
Mes amis d’hollande m’ont authorisés á leur assurer quelque intérét dans les entreprises utiles qui se formeroient ici: je considere comme tel le plan de la Compe. de manufactures3 que Mr. Duer m’a communiqué de votre part!
Vous avés, Monsieur, acquis de si justes droits a la Confiance des Capitalistes hollandois, qu’il leurs suffira de savoir que vous avés formé un projet, ou que vous vous intéressés a sa réussite, pour désirer & chercher d’y contribuer de leur côté.
LC, Gemeentearchief Amsterdam, Holland Land Company. In 1964 the Holland Land Company documents were transferred from the Nederlandsch Economisch-Historisch Archief, Amsterdam.
1. Cazenove, a native of Holland, conducted a brokerage and commercial business in Amsterdam from 1763 to 1788. In 1789 he was appointed by four Dutch banking houses—Peter Stadnitski and Son, Nicholaas and Jacob Van Staphorst, P. and C. Van Eeghen, and Isaac Ten Cate and Hendrick Vollenhoven—to handle their speculations in American securities. Cazenove arrived in the United States in 1790. In 1792 he persuaded his employers to invest in western lands in the United States. For that purpose the Dutch bankers were joined by Wilhem and Jan Willink and Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck. Although the banking firms did not formally organize as the Holland Land Company until February 13, 1796, Cazenove from 1792 to 1794 purchased five million acres of land in western New York and northern and western Pennsylvania for his Dutch principals. He also purchased considerable amounts of Federal and state debts, bought substantial shares in the Bank of the United States, and invested in a number of canal promotions.
2. The inquiries mentioned in this paragraph concern information about coinage which H wished to obtain in connection with the establishment and operation of the United States Mint. In a letter, which has not been found, H had written to Cazenove, as he had to several others on this subject. See H to William Seton, December 3, 1790 ( , VII, 190–92); Seton to H, January 10, 1791 ( , VII, 422–23); H to Thomas Jefferson, April 14, 1791 ( , VIII, 284–86); H to Pierre Charles L’Enfant, May 24, 1791 ( , VIII, 354–55); John B. Church to H, August 2, 1791 ( , IX, 4–5); William Short to H, September 23, 1791 ( , IX, 226–29). See also “Report on the Establishment of a Mint,” January 28, 1791 ( , VII, 462–607).
3. For H’s efforts to secure the financial support of Cazenove and his Dutch associates for the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, see H to William Duer, April 20, 1791 ( , VIII, 300–01). For Cazenove’s expressions of interest in the S.U.M., see, for example, Cazenove to “Mrs. M. M.,” April 13, 27, 1791 (LC, Gemeentearchief Amsterdam, Holland Land Company).