Thomas Jefferson Papers

To Thomas Jefferson from J. D. Rittener, 2 October 1803

From J. D. Rittener

[ Vev]ey 2e 8bre. 1803
en Suisse

Des longtems J’ai le Projet de M’aller fixer dans Votre Patrie, & di conduire Quelques—bons laboureur. si Jusqu’ici je ne l’ai Executé c’est le Manque de Moyen, Car pour Se procurer des laboureur il faut pouvoir leurs payer les fraix de Voyage, qui sont assé Conséquand. J’ai donc crus Monsieur le Président devoir M’adresser directement a vous pour Vous demander si le Gouvernement, (Qui Paroit S’interresser a ce qu’il s’introduise des Collomb Agriculteur) ne payeroit pas les fraix de Voyage a ceux qui iroit. tant pour l’agriculture que des Gens De Professions, dans ce Cas il faudroit Qu’une Maison a Bordeaux féut chargèr de Payer les fraix, a l’arrivée audit Bordeaux & une au lieux du Debarquement Jusqu’a la Destination, Quand aux terres Qu’elle Sonts les Conditions Sous les Qu’elles ont Les delivres & la Quantité a châque famille, Je prend la Liberté de vous adresser la Presente Sous Envelope de notre Consul de Comerce a Bordeaux: dans l’attente d’une réponse, recevez Monsieur le Pres. les Salutations bien Sincerres de Votre devoue Serviteur

J. D. Rittener

Editors’ Translation

[Vevey], Switzerland
2 Oct. 1803

It has been my longtime intention to settle in your country and bring workers there. I have not yet accomplished that goal because I lack the means to do so. To hire workers one must pay their travel costs, which are considerable. I thus feel obliged, Mister President, to address you directly to ask if your administration (which seems to be interested in having farmers immigrate) could pay the travel expenses of those who go there for farming or other professions. In that case, a company in Bordeaux would need to be entrusted with paying the costs upon arrival in Bordeaux and again from there to the destination. As for land, under what terms is it distributed? And how much for each family? I take the liberty of including this letter in the pouch of our commercial consul in Bordeaux. In hopes of your reply, please accept, Mister President, the very sincere greetings of your devoted servant.

J. D. Rittener

RC (DLC); torn; addressed: “a Monsieur le President des Etats Unis a Vasencton en Amerique”; addressed at head of text to president of the United States at Boston (“a Bostond”); franked; postmarked (blurred) New York, [30] Jan.; endorsed by TJ as received 3 Feb. 1804 and so recorded in SJL.

In 1810, Rittener obtained a concession to mine coal at a location not far from Vevey in the canton of Vaud, but the operation closed after a few years when he was unable to make an arrangement to supply fuel for a salt works (Michel Maignan, “L’Histoire des exploitations houilleres Vaudoises,” Minaria Helvetica, 7 [1987], 25; Marcel Godet and others, eds., Dictionnaire historique & biographique de la Suisse, 7 vols. [Neuchatel, 1920-33], 2:159).

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