Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Law, 6 November 1813

To Thomas Law

Monticello Nov. 6. 13.

Dear Sir

Your favor of Oct. 1. came duly to hand, and in it the Memorial which I now return. I like well your idea of issuing treasury notes bearing interest, because I am persuaded they would soon be withdrawn from the circulation and locked up in vaults & private hoards. it would put it in the power of every man to lend his 100. or 1000.D. tho’ not able to go forward on the great scale and be the most advantageous way of obtaining1 a loan. the other idea of creating a National bank, I do not concur in, because it seems now decided that Congress has not that power, (altho’ I sincerely wish they had it exclusively) and because I think there is already a vast redundancy, rather than a scarcity of paper medium. the rapid rise in the nominal price of land and labor (while war & blockade should produce a fall) proves the progressive state of the depreciation of our medium.

ever with great esteem and respect

Your’s

Th: Jefferson

RC (NNGL, on deposit NHi); at foot of text: “Thomas Law esq.”; addressed (torn): “Thomas [. . .]”; franked; postmarked Charlottesville, 10 Nov. PoC (DLC); endorsed by TJ. Enclosure not found.

1Word interlined in place of “making.”

Index Entries

  • Bank of the United States; opposition to search
  • banks; T. Law on search
  • Congress, U.S.; and renewal of bank charter search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; banks search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; paper money search
  • Law, Thomas; letters to search
  • Law, Thomas; on banks and banking search
  • Law, Thomas; on interest-bearing treasury notes search
  • Treasury Department, U.S.; treasury notes search