Thomas Jefferson to John F. Oliveira Fernandes, 17 July 1816
To John F. Oliveira Fernandes
Monticello July 17. 16.
Dear Sir
I recieved yesterday your favor of the 12th inst. I had so long ago as the 24th of March advised mr Gibson of the call for the cost of the cask of Teneriffe which would be made on him, and have written to him this day to remind him of it and to desire the payment of your draught.
I thank you for the book you have been so kind as to send me. I had seen some extracts from it in the newspapers which had excited my curiosity, and I shall read it with gratification. the world begins now to be apprised of the jesuitical politics of the court of St James, the paradoxical composition of liberty & oppression in their g[over]nment, their ostentatious grandeur & real meanness, their commercial avarice under the cloak of kindness and generosity. still may there be peace between them & us until we are more advanced in growth & strength. in 20. years we shall be 20. millions and in 40. years 40 millions. I look forward to those days with triumph altho’ I shall live to see neither. have you seen the Journal of the young man of Massachusets? it is one of the most attaching narratives I ever read, and will pierce deeply & irresistably into the British character. he gives side blows as he goes along to French, Spaniards and Portuguese, acknoleging he knows nothing of them but from his fellow prisoners of those nations, but of the British he speaks knowingly & experimentally. I expect very soon, without knowing exactly when, a visit from your learned countryman Correa, now minister of Portugal; I wish you could find motives for meeting him here. as his visit will be of some weeks I would gladly give you notice of his arrival. should you recieve a supply of genuine port, unbrandied, & such as you could recommend I should be glad to take a quarter cask of it
Th: Jefferson
PoC (DLC); ink stained; at foot of text: “Doctr Fernandes”; endorsed by TJ.
Index Entries
- A Journal, of a Young Man of Massachusetts (A. G. Babcock; ed. B. Waterhouse) search
- Babcock, Amos G.; A Journal, of a Young Man of Massachusetts (ed. B. Waterhouse) search
- Corrêa da Serra, José; proposed visit of search
- Gibson & Jefferson (Richmond firm); and wine acquired by TJ search
- Great Britain; prisoners of war in search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; orders wine from J. F. Oliveira Fernandes search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; British government search
- L’Angleterre Vue a Londres et dans ses Provinces, pendant un séjour de dix années, dont six comme prisonnier de guerre (R. M. Pillet) search
- Oliveira Fernandes, John Francisco; and wine for TJ search
- Oliveira Fernandes, John Francisco; letters to search
- Pillet, René Martin; L’Angleterre Vue a Londres et dans ses Provinces, pendant un séjour de dix années, dont six comme prisonnier de guerre search
- port (wine) search
- Tenerife (wine) search
- War of1812; prisoners of war search
- Waterhouse, Benjamin; editsA Journal, of a Young Man of Massachusetts (A. G. Babcock) search
- wine; of Tenerife search
- wine; port search
- wine; TJ orders from J. F. Oliveira Fernandes search