Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 25 March 1815
To William Short
Monticello Mar. 25. 15.
Dear Sir
I was waiting to write to you on the subject of my bonds only until I could recieve an answer to a letter I had written enquiring the footing on which treasury notes could be recieved. here they are eagerly recieved at par and the interest, while no one will recieve a bank note but for the purposes of the moment. I speak of the country people, and not of the banking cabals. your letter removing all doubt, as soon as my library can be delivered, and the notes for it recieved I shall pay off the two bonds due, & probably all. this cannot be till April, and may not till May. but it shall1 not be delayed one moment which I can prevent. in the mean time inform me whether you would prefer notes payable at Washington or Philadelphia, and whether in a single large note, or in those of 1000. 100. 50. or 20.D indeed I am not certain that they will issue any larger than 1000.
There is reason to expect Colo Monroe here shortly. if he will give me a single day your affair shall be settled.
I do not wonder at your wish to return to France. were it not for my family and possessions here, I should prefer that residence to any other. Paris is the only place where a man who is not obliged to do any thing will always find something amusing to do. here the man who has nothing to do is the prey of ennui.
| ‘Life’s cares are comforts, such by heav’n designed: |
| He that has none, must make them or be wretched.’ |
in this country a family for leisure moments, and a farm or profession for those of employment2 are indispensable for happiness. these mixed with books, a little letter writing, and neighborly and friendly society constitute a plenum of occupation and of happiness which leaves no wish for the noisy & barren amusements and distractions of a city.—God bless the peace! no man in the US. wished for it more than myself. yet without the ‘sauce à l’Orleans’ the dish would not have been so highly palatable. I salute you with constant & affectionate friendship
Th: Jefferson
RC (ViW: TJP); postscript written perpendicularly in left margin; addressed: “William Short esquire Philadelphia”; franked; postmarked Charlottesville, 29 Mar.; endorsed by Short as received 2 Apr. 1815. PoC (CSmH: JF); on verso of reused address cover of Patrick Gibson to TJ, 14 Dec. 1814; postscript added separately in left margin; endorsed by TJ.
The answer to the enquiry about treasury notes was John Vaughan to TJ, 24 Mar. 1815. life’s cares are comforts … or be wretched comes from Edward Young’s poem, “Night the Second. on Time, Death, Friendship” (Young, The Works of the Author of the Night-Thoughts [London, 1762], 3:26; no. 4548; , 100). sauce à l’orleans (“Orleans sauce”) refers to the recent American victory at the Battle of New Orleans.
In a letter dated 3 Mar. 1814, Short had returned Pierre Samuel dupont de Nemours, Sur l’éducation nationale dans les États-Unis d’Amérique (Paris, 1812; , 5 [nos. 207, 209–10]). In 1818 TJ acquired the first sixteen volumes (out of seventeen) of Friedrich Melchior, Freiherr von grimm, Correspondance Littéraire, Philosophique et Critique (Paris, 1812–14; , 14 [no. 918]) (Robert Walsh to TJ, 27 Jan. 1818; Joseph Milligan to TJ, 6 Feb. 1818).
1. Manuscript: “shell.”
2. Preceding four words interlined.
Index Entries
- banks; currency issued by search
- books; of correspondence search
- books; on education search
- Correspondance littéraire, philosophique et critique (F. M. Grimm) search
- currency; exchange of search
- Du Pont de Nemours, Pierre Samuel; Sur l’éducation nationale dans les États-Unis d’Amérique search
- education; books on search
- education; P. S. Du Pont de Nemours on search
- France; TJ on search
- Ghent, Treaty of (1814); TJ on search
- Grimm, Friedrich Melchior, Baron von; Correspondance littéraire, philosophique et critique search
- Highland (J. Monroe’s Albemarle Co. estate); boundary dispute search
- Highland (J. Monroe’s Albemarle Co. estate); J. Monroe plans to visit search
- Indian Camp (W. Short’s Albemarle Co. estate); boundary dispute search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; loans books search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; and Highland–Indian Camp boundary dispute search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; debt to W. Short search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Literary Quotes; E. Young search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; a happy life search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; Battle of New Orleans search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; city life search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; France search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; living in U.S. search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; Paris search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; Treaty of Ghent (1814) search
- Library of Congress; payment for TJ’s library search
- Monroe, James; and Highland–Indian Camp boundary dispute search
- Monroe, James; plans to visit Highland estate search
- New Orleans, Battle of (1815); TJ on search
- Night the Second. on Time, Death, Friendship (E. Young) search
- Paris; TJ on life in search
- Short, William; and Indian Camp search
- Short, William; letters to search
- Short, William; TJ’s debt to search
- Sur l’éducation nationale dans les États-Unis d’Amérique (P. S. Du Pont de Nemours) search
- Treasury Department, U.S.; treasury notes search
- United States; TJ on life in search
- Young, Edward; Night the Second. on Time, Death, Friendship search