DEARSIR，——Ishallsometimesaskyourpermissiontowriteyouletters，notofficialbutprivate。Thepresentisofthiskind，andisoccasionedbythequestionproposedinyoursofJune14。”whetheritwouldbeusefultoustocarryallourownproductions，ornone?”
Wereweperfectlyfreetodecidethisquestion，Ishouldreasonasfollows。Wehavenowlandsenoughtoemployaninfinitenumberofpeopleintheircultivation。Cultivatorsoftheeartharethemostvaluablecitizens。Theyarethemostvigorous，themostindependant，themostvirtuous，&theyaretiedtotheircountry&weddedtoit’sliberty&interestsbythemostlastingbonds。Aslongthereforeastheycanfindemploymentinthisline，Iwouldnotconvertthemintomariners，artisansoranythingelse。Butourcitizenswillfindemploymentinthislinetilltheirnumbers，&ofcoursetheirproductions，becometoogreatforthedemandbothinternal&foreign。
Thisisnotthecaseasyet，&probablywillnotbeforaconsiderabletime。Assoonasitis，thesurplusofhandsmustbeturnedtosomethingelse。Ishouldthenperhapswishtoturnthemtotheseainpreferencetomanufactures，becausecomparingthecharactersofthetwoclassesIfindtheformerthemostvaluablecitizens。Iconsidertheclassofartificersasthepandersofvice&theinstrumentsbywhichthelibertiesofacountryaregenerallyoverturned。Howeverwearenotfreetodecidethisquestiononprinciplesoftheoryonly。Ourpeoplearedecidedintheopinionthatitisnecessaryforustotakeashareintheoccupationoftheocean，&theirestablishedhabitsinducethemtorequirethattheseabekeptopentothem，andthatthatlineofpolicybepursuedwhichwillrendertheuseofthatelementasgreataspossibletothem。I
thinkitadutyinthoseentrustedwiththeadministrationoftheiraffairstoconformthemselvestothedecidedchoiceoftheirconstituents：andthatthereforeweshouldineveryinstancepreserveanequalityofrighttotheminthetransportationofcommodities，intherightoffishing，&intheotherusesofthesea。Butwhatwillbetheconsequence?Frequentwarswithoutadoubt。Theirpropertywillbeviolatedonthesea，&inforeignports，theirpersonswillbeinsulted，imprisoned&c。forpretendeddebts，contracts，crimes，contraband，&c。，&c。Theseinsultsmustberesented，evenifwehadnofeelings，yettopreventtheireternalrepetition，orinotherwords，ourcommerceontheocean&inothercountriesmustbepaidforbyfrequentwar。Thejustestdispositionspossibleinourselveswillnotsecureusagainstit。Itwouldbenecessarythatallothernationswerejustalso。Justiceindeedonourpartwillsaveusfromthosewarswhichwouldhavebeenproducedbyacontrarydisposition。
Buttopreventthoseproducedbythewrongsofothernations?Byputtingourselvesinaconditiontopunishthem。Weaknessprovokesinsult&injury，whileaconditiontopunishitoftenpreventsit。
Thisreasoningleadstothenecessityofsomenavalforce，thatbeingtheonlyweaponwithwhichwecanreachanenemy。Ithinkittoourinteresttopunishthefirstinsult；becauseaninsultunpunishedistheparentofmanyothers。Wearenotatthismomentinaconditiontodoit，butweshouldputourselvesintoitassoonaspossible。
IfawarwithEnglandshouldtakeplace，itseemstomethatthefirstthingnecessarywouldbearesolutiontoabandonthecarryingtradebecausewecannotprotectit。Foreignnationsmustinthatcasebeinvitedtobringuswhatwewant&totakeourproductionsintheirownbottoms。Thisalonecouldpreventthelossofthoseproductionstous&theacquisitionofthemtoourenemy。Ourseamenmightbeemployedindepredationsontheirtrade。Buthowdreadfullyweshallsufferonourcoasts，ifwehavenoforceonthewater，formerexperiencehastaughtus。IndeedIlookforwardwithhorrortotheverypossiblecaseofwarwithanEuropeanpower，&thinkthereisnoprotectionagainstthembutfromthepossessionofsomeforceonthesea。OurvicinitytotheirWestIndiapossessions&tothefisheriesisabridlewhichasmallnavalforceonourpartwouldholdinthemouthsofthemostpowerfulofthesecountries。Ihopeourlandofficewillridusofourdebts，&thatourfirstattentionthenwillbetothebeginninganavalforceofsomesort。Thisalonecancountenanceourpeopleascarriersonthewater，&Isupposethemtobedeterminedtocontinuesuch。
Iwroteyoutwopubliclettersonthe14thinst。，sincewhichI
havereceivedyoursofJuly13。Ishallalwaysbepleasedtoreceivefromyouinaprivatewaysuchcommunicationsasyoumightnotchusetoputintoapublicletter。
BOOKSFORASTATESMAN
_ToJamesMadison_
_Paris，September1，1785_
DEARSIR，——MylasttoyoubyMonsieurdeDoradour，wasdatedMaythe11th。Sincethat，IhavereceivedyoursofJanuarythe22nd，withsixcopiesoftherevisal，andthatofAprilthe27th，byMr。
Mazzei。
Allisquiethere。TheEmperorandDutchhavecertainlyagreed，thoughtheyhavenotpublishedtheiragreement。MostofhisschemesinGermanymustbepostponed，iftheyarenotprevented，bytheconfederacyofmanyoftheGermanicbody，attheheadofwhichistheKingofPrussia，andtowhichtheElectorofHanoverissupposedtohaveacceded。Theobjectoftheleagueistopreservethemembersoftheempireintheirpresentstate。Idoubtwhetherthejealousyentertainedofthisprince，andwhichissofullyevidencedbythisleague，maynotdefeattheelectionofhisnephewtobeKingoftheRomans，andthusproduceaninstanceofbreakingthelinealsuccession。NothingisasyetdonebetweenhimandtheTurks。Ifanythingisproducedinthatquarter，itwillnotbeforthisyear。
ThecourtofMadridhasobtainedthedeliveryofthecrewofthebrigBetsey，takenbytheEmperorofMorocco。TheEmperorhadtreatedthemkindly，newclothedthem，anddeliveredthemtotheSpanishminister，whosentthemtoCadiz。ThisistheonlyAmericanvesselevertakenbytheBarbaryStates。TheEmperorcontinuestogiveproofsofhisdesiretobeinfriendshipwithus，or，inotherwords，ofreceivingusintothenumberofhistributaries。Nothingfurtherneedbefearedfromhim。IwishtheAlgerinesmaybeaseasilydealtwith。IfancythepeaceexpectedbetweenthemandSpain，isnotlikelytotakeplace。IamwellinformedthatthelateproceedingsinAmerica，haveproducedawonderfulsensationinEnglandinourfavor。Imeanthedispositionwhichseemstobebecominggeneral，toinvestCongresswiththeregulationofourcommerce，and，inthemeantime，themeasurestakentodefeattheavidityoftheBritishgovernment，graspingatourcarryingbusiness。Icanaddwithtruth，thatitwasnottillthesesymptomsappearedinAmerica，thatIhavebeenabletodiscoverthesmallesttokenofrespecttowardstheUnitedStates，inanypartofEurope。Therewasanenthusiasmtowardsus，alloverEurope，atthemomentofthepeace。Thetorrentofliespublishedunremittingly，ineveryday’sLondonpaper，firstmadeanimpression，andproducedacoolness。TherepublicationoftheseliesinmostofthepapersofEurope，doneprobablybyauthorityofthegovernments，todiscourageemigrationscarriedthemhometothebeliefofeverymind。TheysupposedeverythinginAmericawasanarchy，tumult，andcivilwar。ThereceptionoftheMarquisFayettegaveachecktotheseideas。Thelateproceedingsseemtobeproducingadecisivevibrationinourfavor。IthinkitpossiblethatEnglandmayplybeforethem。Itisanationwhichnothingbutviewsofinterestcangovern。Iftheyproduceusgoodthere，theywillherealso。ThedefeatoftheIrishpropositionsisalsoinourfavor。
Ihaveatlengthmadeupthepurchaseofbooksforyou，asfarasitcanbedoneatpresent。TheobjectswhichIhavenotyetbeenabletoget，Ishallcontinuetoseekfor。Thosepurchased，arepackedthismorningintwotrunks，andyouhavethecatalogueandpriceshereinenclosed。Thefuturechargesoftransportationshallbecarriedintothenextbill。Theamountofthepresentis1154
livres13sous，which，reckoningtheFrenchcrownofsixlivresatsixshillingsandeightpence，Virginiamoney，ispound64，3s。
whichsumyouwillbesogoodastokeepinyourhands，tobeusedoccasionallyintheeducationofmynephews，whentheregularresourcesdisappointyou。TothesameuseIwouldprayyoutoapplytwenty-fiveguineas，whichIhavelentthetwoMr。FitzhughsofMarmion，andwhichIhavedesiredthemtorepayintoyourhands。Youwillofcoursedeductthepriceoftherevisals，andofanyotherarticlesyoumayhavebeensokindastopayforme。GreekandRomanauthorsaredearerhere，than，Ibelieve，anywhereintheworld。
Nobodyherereadsthem；whereforetheyarenotreprinted。DonUlloa，intheoriginal，isnottobefound。Thecollectionoftractsontheeconomiesofdifferentnations，wecannotfind；norAmelot’stravelsintoChina。IshallsendthesetwotrunksofbookstoHavre，theretowaitaconveyancetoAmerica；forastothefixingthepacketsthere，itisasuncertainasever。Theotherarticlesyoumention，shallbeprocuredasfarastheycanbe。KnowingthatsomeofthemwouldbebettergotinLondon，IcommissionedMr。Short，whowasgoingthere，togetthem。Hehasnotyetreturned。Theywillbeofsuchanature，asthatIcangetsomegentlemanwhomaybegoingtoAmerica，totaketheminhisportmanteau。LeMairebeingnowabletostandonhisownlegs，therewillbenonecessityforyouradvancinghimthemoneyIdesired，ifitisnotalreadydone。IamanxioustohearfromyouonthesubjectofmyNotesonVirginia。Ihavebeenobligedtogivesomanyofthemhere，thatIfeartheirgettingpublished。IhavereceivedanapplicationfromtheDirectorsofthepublicbuildings，toprocurethemaplanfortheircapitol。Ishallsendthemonetakenfromthebestmorselofantientarchitecturenowremaining。Ithasobtainedtheapprobationoffifteenorsixteencenturies，andis，therefore，preferabletoanydesignwhichmightbenewlycontrived。Itwillgivemoreroom，bemoreconvenient，andcostless，thantheplantheysentme。Prayencouragethemtowaitforit，andtoexecuteit。ItwillbesuperiorinbeautytoanythinginAmerica，andnotinferiortoanythingintheworld。Itisverysimple。Haveyouacopyingpress?Ifyouhavenot，youshouldgetone。Mineexclusiveofpaperwhichcostsaguineaareamhascostmeaboutfourteenguineas。Iwouldgivetentimesthatsum，tohavehaditfromthedateofthestampact。Ihopeyouwillbesogoodastocontinueyourcommunications，bothofthegreatandsmallkind，whichareequallyusefultome。BeassuredofthesinceritywithwhichIam，DearSir，yourfriendandservant，ENCLOSURE
_livressousden_
DictionnairedeTrevoux。5vol。fol。，5f12……28-0-0
LaConquistadiMexico。DeSolis。fol。7f10。
relieure7f。14-10
Traitedemoraleetdebonheur。12mo。2v。in1。2-8
Wicquefortdel’Ambassadeur。2。v。4to。7-4
Burlamaqui。PrincipesdudroitPolitique4to。
3f12relieure2f5。5-17
ConquistadelaChinaporelTartaroporPalafox。
12mo。3-
Codedel’humanitedeFelice。13。v。4to……104-0
13。firstlivrasonsoftheEncyclopedie47。vols。
4to。being48flessthansubscription……348-0
14th。livraisonofdo。4。v。4to。24-0
Peyssonel。2-0
Bibliothequephysico-oeconomique。4。v。12mo。
10f4。rel。3f。13-4
CultivateurAmericain。2。v。8vo。7f17。rel。2f10。10-7
Mirabeausurl’ordredesCincinnati。10f10。rel。1f5
prohibited……11-15
CoutumesAmglo-NormadsdeHouard。4。v。
4to。40frel。10f。50-0
Memoriessurl’Amerique4v。4to。24-0
TottsurlesTurcs。4。v。in2。8vo。10f。rel。2f1012-10
Neckarsurl’AdministrationdesFinancesdeFrance。3。v。12mo。7f10rel。2f5……9-15
lebon-sens。12mo。6frel。15sprohibited……6-15
_livressousden_
Mably。Princessdemorale。
1。V。12mo……312}
etudedel’histoire1……210}
maniered’ecrirel’histoire1。28}
constitutiond’Amerique1……116}relieuredesurl’histoiredeIIvols。，France。2。v……6}15s。8f541-1
droitdel’Europe3。v。710}
ordresdessocieties……2}
principesdesnegotiations……210}
entretiensdePhocion……2}
desRomains。210}