Th：Jeffersonpresentshisrespectfulsalutationstomrs。
Smith，andsendshertheGeraniumsheexpressedawillingnesstoreceive。itisinverybadcondition，havingbeenneglectedlatterly，asnotintendedtoberemoved。hecannotgiveithispartingblessingmoreeffectuallythanbyconsigningittothenourishinghandofmrs。
Smith。Ifplantshavesensibility，astheanalogyoftheirorganisationwithoursseemstoindicate，itcannotbutbeproudlysensibleofherfosteringattentions。ofhisregretsatpartingwiththesocietyofWashington，averysensibleportionattachestomrs。
Smith，whosefriendshiphehasparticularlyvalued。herpromisetovisitMonticelloissomeconsolation；andhecanassurehershewillbereceivedwithopenarmsandheartsbythewholefamily。heprayshertoacceptthehomageofhisaffectionateattachmentandrespect。
THEPOTATOANDHARPER’SFERRY
_ToHoratioG。Spafford_
_Monticello，May14，1809_
SIR，——IhavedulyreceivedyourfavorofApril3d，withthecopyofyour”GeneralGeography，”forwhichIprayyoutoacceptmythanks。Myoccupationsherehavenotpermittedmetoreaditthrough，whichalonecouldjustifyanyjudgmentexpressedonthework。Indeed，asitappearstobeanabridgmentofseveralbranchesofscience，thescaleofabridgmentmustenterintothatjudgment。
Differentreadersrequiredifferentscalesaccordingtothetimetheycanspare，andtheirviewsinreading，andnodoubtthattheviewofthescienceswhichyouhavebroughtintothecompassofa12movolumewillbeaccommodatedtothetimeandobjectofmanywhomaywishforbutaverygeneralviewofthemInpassingmyeyerapidlyoverpartsofthebook，Iwasstruckwithtwopassages，onwhichIwillmakeobservations，notdoubtingyourwish，inanyfutureedition，torendertheworkascorrectasyoucan。Inpage186yousaythepotatoeisanativeoftheUnitedStates。IpresumeyouspeakoftheIrishpotatoe。Ihaveinquiredmuchintothequestion，andthinkIcanassureyouthatplantisnotanativeofNorthAmerica。Zimmerman，inhis”GeographicalZoology，”
saysitisanativeofGuiana；andClavigero，thattheMexicansgotitfromSouthAmerica，_itsnativecountry。_ThemostprobableaccountIhavebeenabletocollectis，thatavesselofSirWalterRaleigh’s，returningfromGuiana，putintothewestofIrelandindistress，havingonboardsomepotatoeswhichtheycalledearth-apples。Thattheseasonoftheyear，andcircumstanceoftheirbeingalreadysprouted，inducedthemtogivethemalloutthere，andtheywerenomoreheardorthoughtof，tilltheyhadbeenspreadconsiderablyintothatisland，whencetheywerecarriedoverintoEngland，andthereforecalledtheIrishpotatoe。FromEnglandtheycametotheUnitedStates，bringingtheirnamewiththem。
TheotherpassagerespectsthedescriptionofthepassageofthePotomacthroughtheBlueRidge，intheNotesonVirginia。YouquotefromVolney’saccountoftheUnitedStateswhathiswordsdonotjustify。Hiswordsare，”oncomingfromFredericktown，onedoesnotseetherichperspectivementionedintheNotesofMr。Jefferson。
Onobservingthistohimafewdaysafter，heinformedmehehadhisinformationfromaFrenchengineerwho，duringthewarofIndependence，ascendedtheheightofthehills，andIconceivethatatthatelevationtheperspectivemustbeasimposingasawildcountry，whosehorizonhasnoobstacles，maypresent。”Thatthescenedescribedinthe”Notes”isnotvisiblefromanypartoftheroadfromFredericktowntoHarper’sferryismostcertain。Thatroadpassesalongthevalley，norcanitbeseenfromthetavernaftercrossingtheferry；andwemayfairlyinferthatMr。Volneydidnotascendtheheightbackofthetavernfromwhichaloneitcanbeseen，butthathepursuedhisjourneyfromthetavernalongthehighroad。
Yetheadmits，thatattheelevationofthatheighttheperspectivemaybeasrichasawildcountrycanpresent。Butyoumakehim”surprisedtofind，_byaviewofthespot_，thatthedescriptionwas_amazinglyexaggerated。_”ButitisevidentthatMr。Volneydidnotascendthehillto_getaviewofthespot_，andthathesupposedthatthatheightmaypresentasimposingaviewassuchacountryadmits。ButMr。VolneywasmistakeninsayingItoldhimIhadreceivedthedescriptionfromaFrenchengineer。ByanerrorofmemoryhehasmisappliedtothisscenewhatImentionedtohimastotheNaturalBridge。ItoldhimIreceiveda_drawing_ofthatfromaFrenchengineersenttherebytheMarquisdeChastellux，andwhohaspublishedthatdrawinginhistravels。IcouldnottellhimIhadthedescriptionofthepassageofthePotomacfromaFrenchengineer，becauseIneverheardanyFrenchmansayawordaboutit，muchlessdidIeverreceiveadescriptionofitfromanymortalwhatever。I
visitedtheplacemyselfinOctober1783，wrotethedescriptionsometimeafter，andprintedtheworkinParisin1784-5。Iwrotethedescriptionfrommyownviewofthespot，statednofactbutwhatI
saw，andcannowaffirmthatnofactisexaggerated。Itistruethatthesamescenemayexciteverydifferentsensationsindifferentspectators，accordingtotheirdifferentsensibilities。Thesensationsofsomemaybemuchstrongerthanthoseofothers。AndwithrespecttotheNaturalBridge，itwasnotadescription，butadrawingonly，whichIreceivedfromtheFrenchengineer。ThedescriptionwaswrittenbeforeIeversawhim。ItisnotfromanymeritwhichIsupposeineitherofthesedescriptions，thatIhavegoneintotheseobservations，buttocorrecttheimputationofhavinggiventotheworldasmyown，ideas，andfalseonestoo，whichIhadreceivedfromanother。NordoImentionthesubjecttoyouwithadesirethatitshouldbeanyotherwisenoticedbeforethepublicthanbyamorecorrectstatementinanyfutureeditionofyourwork。
Youmentionhavingenclosedtomesomeprintedlettersannouncingadesigninwhichyouaskmyaid。Butnosuchletterscametome。AnyfactswhichIpossess，andwhichmaybeusefultoyourviews，shallbefreelycommunicated，andIshallbehappytoseeyouatMonticello，shouldyoucomethiswayasyoupropose。Youwillfindmeengagedentirelyinruraloccupations，lookingintothefieldofsciencebutoccasionallyandatvacantmoments。
IsowedsomeoftheBenniseedthelastyear，anddistributedsomeamongmyneighbors；butthewholewaskilledbytheSeptemberfrost。Igotalittleagainthelastwinter，butitwassowedbeforeIreceivedyourletter。ColonelFenofNewYorkreceivesquantitiesofitfromGeorgia，fromwhomyoumayprobablygetsomethroughtheMayorofNewYork。ButIlittleexpectitcansucceedwithyou。Itisaboutashardyasthecottonplant，fromwhichyoumayjudgeoftheprobabilityofraisingitatHudson。
Isaluteyouwithgreatrespect。
CIRCULATINGLIBRARIES
_ToJohnWyche_
_Monticello，May19，1809_
SIR，——YourfavorofMarch19thcametohandbutafewdaysago，andinformsmeoftheestablishmentoftheWestwardMillLibrarySociety，ofitsgeneralviewsandprogress。Ialwayshearwithpleasureofinstitutionsforthepromotionofknowledgeamongmycountrymen。Thepeopleofeverycountryaretheonlysafeguardiansoftheirownrights，andaretheonlyinstrumentswhichcanbeusedfortheirdestruction。Andcertainlytheywouldneverconsenttobesousedweretheynotdeceived。Toavoidthis，theyshouldbeinstructedtoacertaindegree。Ihaveoftenthoughtthatnothingwoulddomoreextensivegoodatsmallexpensethantheestablishmentofasmallcirculatinglibraryineverycounty，toconsistofafewwell-chosenbooks，tobelenttothepeopleofthecounty，undersuchregulationsaswouldsecuretheirsafereturninduetime。Theseshouldbesuchaswouldgivethemageneralviewofotherhistory，andparticularviewofthatoftheirowncountry，atolerableknowledgeofGeography，theelementsofNaturalPhilosophy，ofAgricultureandMechanics。Shouldyourexampleleadtothis，itwilldogreatgood。Havinghadmorefavorableopportunitiesthanfalltoeveryman’slotofbecomingacquaintedwiththebestbooksonsuchsubjectsasmightbeselected，IdonotknowthatIcanbeotherwiseusefultoyoursocietythanbyofferingthemanyinformationrespectingthesewhichtheymightwish。Myservicesinthiswayarefreelyattheircommand，andIbegleavetotendertoyourselfmysalutationsandassurancesofrespect。”THESPIRITOFMANUFACTURE”
_ToP。S。DupontdeNemours_
_Monticello，June28，1809_
DEARSIR，——TheinterruptionofourcommercewithEngland，producedbyourembargoandnon-intercourselaw，andthegeneralindignationexcitedbyherbarefacedattemptstomakeusaccessoriesandtributariestoherusurpationsonthehighseas，havegeneratedinthiscountryanuniversalspiritformanufacturingforourselves，andofreducingtoaminimumthenumberofarticlesforwhichwearedependentonher。Theadvantages，too，oflesseningtheoccasionsofriskingourpeaceontheocean，andofplantingtheconsumerinourownsoilbythesideofthegrowerofproduce，aresopalpable，thatnotemporarysuspensionofinjuriesonherpart，oragreementsfoundedonthat，willnowpreventourcontinuinginwhatwehavebegun。Thespiritofmanufacturehastakendeeprootamongus，anditsfoundationsarelaidintoogreatexpensetobeabandoned。Thebearerofthis，Mr。Ronaldson，willbeabletoinformyouoftheextentandperfectionoftheworksproducedherebythelatestateofthings；andtohisinformation，whichisgreatestastowhatisdoinginthecities，Icanaddmyownastothecountry，wheretheprincipalarticleswantedineveryfamilyarenowfabricatedwithinitself。Thismassof_household_manufacture，unseenbythepubliceye，andsomuchgreaterthanwhatisseen，issuchatpresent，thatletourintercoursewithEnglandbeopenedwhenitmay，notonehalftheamountofwhatwehaveheretoforetakenfromherwilleveragainbedemanded。Thegreatcallfromthecountryhashithertobeenofcoarsegoods。Thesearenowmadeinourfamilies，andtheadvantageistoosensibleevertoberelinquished。Itisoneofthoseobviousimprovementsinourconditionwhichneededonlytobeonceforcedonourattention，neveragaintobeabandoned。
Amongtheartswhichhavemadegreatprogressamongusisthatofprinting。Heretoforeweimportedourbooks，andwiththemmuchpoliticalprinciplefromEngland。Wenowprintagreatdeal，andshallsoonsupplyourselveswithmostofthebooksofconsiderabledemand。Butthefoundationofprinting，youknow，isthetype-foundry，andamaterialessentialtothatisantimony。
UnfortunatelythatmineralisnotamongthoseasyetfoundintheUnitedStates，andthedifficultyanddearnessofgettingitfromEngland，willforceustodiscontinueourtype-founderies，andresorttoheragainforourbooks，unlesssomenewsourceofsupplycanbefound。Thebearer，Mr。Ronaldson，isoftheconcernofBinney&
Ronaldson，type-foundersofPhiladelphia。HegoestoFranceforthepurposeofopeningsomenewsourceofsupply，wherewelearnthatthisarticleisabundant；theenhancementofthepriceinEnglandhastaughtusthefact，thatitsexportationthitherfromFrancemustbeinterrupted，eitherbythewarorexpressprohibition。Ourrelations，however，withFrance，aretoounlikeherswithEngland，toplaceusunderthesameinterdiction。RegulationsforpreventingthetransportationofthearticletoEngland，underthecoverofsuppliestoAmerica，maybethoughtrequisite。Thebearer，Iampersuaded，willreadilygiveanyassuranceswhichmayberequiredforthisobject，andthewantsofhisowntype-foundryhereareasufficientpledgethatwhathegetsis_bonafide_tosupplythem。IdonotknowthattherewillbeanyobstacletohisbringingfromFranceanyquantityofantimonyhemayhaveoccasionfor；butlestthereshouldbe，Ihavetakenthelibertyofrecommendinghimtoyourpatronage。
Iknowyourenlightenedandliberalviewsonsubjectsofthiskind，andthefriendlyinterestyoutakeinwhateverconcernsourwelfare。
IplaceMr。Ronaldson，therefore，inyourhands，andprayyoutoadvisehim，andpatronizetheobjectwhichcarrieshimtoEurope，andissointerestingtohimandtoourcountry。Hisknowledgeofwhatispassingamonguswillbearichsourceofinformationforyou，andespeciallyastothestateandprogressofourmanufactures。Yourkindnesstohimwillconferanobligationonme，andwillbeanadditionaltitletothehighandaffectionateesteemandrespectofanancientandsincerefriend。
ANEDITIONOFWRITINGS
_ToJohnW。Campbell_
_Monticello，September3，1809_