CHAPTER XIII.

1788-1789.

First Official Acts in 1788-Paul Jones-Pecuniary Difficulties of United States Jefferson repairs to Holland-With Adams effects Loans-Tour up the Rhine-Mathematical Formula for shaping a Plow-State of Paris at his Return-Letter to General Washington-Proposes transferring French Debts to Holland-Gives Brissot Letters of Introduction-Outfit-New Consular Convention-Annoyed by French Creditors of United States-Repulses Impertinence of General Armand-Asks Leave of Absence-Nobody to grant it-Miscellaneous Correspondence of the Year-Questions a Theory of Newton-Disregard of mere Authority in Science-Newton, Buffon, and Lavoisier-Blunders of the Learned-Curtain drops on Poor Ledyard-His Warm Affection for JeffersonJefferson declines joining Society for Abolition of Slave Trade-English Judicial Decisions in America-Letter to General Washington-Inside Views Opinion on Female Influence in French Politics-Further History of French Affairs-Famine in the Winter of 1788-9-Relief from America-Recall of French Minister in America asked-Governeur Morris's Secret-Extracts from Letters and Diary of Morris-Speculations France on Morris's Shoulders-Jefferson's Views of Proper Objects of the PatriotsSack of Reveillon's House-Opening of States-General-Disputes between OrdersLafayette's Instructions and Jefferson's Advice-Progress of Events Jefferson's Letter to St. Etienne-Proposes a Charter of Rights-Patriots demand too much and lose all Character of Necker-Jefferson and Mirabeau-Further Events-"Let the People eat Grass"-The Issue of Blood made up-Jefferson between the Military and the People-Different Accounts of the Fray-Attack on the Bastile-Another Chance for Compromise thrown away-Jefferson's Opinion of the King and Queen-He is invited to Assist in forming a Constitution-His Reasons for declining-Constitution Settled at his House-The Parties in the National Assembly-Explanations between Jefferson and Montmorin-Personal Affairs-Jefferson neither Federalist nor AntiFederalist-Made LL.D. by Harvard University-His Answer-Family IncidentsMartha wishes to enter a Convent-Letter to General Washington-Views on Titles of Honor in United States-Views on Neutrality between France and England-Past and Present Course of these Nations towards the United States-English Sympathisers in United States This Party existed before the French Revolution Jefferson averse to entering President's Cabinet-"Can one Generation of Men bind another?"-He receives Leave of Absence-Particulars of Journey until final Sailing-His Valedictory to France-Some Review of his Diplomatic Labors-Discharge of Minor DutiesAttentions to Americans Abroad-His Course towards Young Travellers-His Strong Partiality for Young Men-Other Unofficial Duties-Ability of his Dispatches-Political Prophesying His Diplomatic Career commands Universal Applause-Mr. Jay's Testimony on the Subject-Judge Marshall's-Daniel Webster's-English ExpressionsMartha Jefferson's Narrative of Journey Home-Danger at Norfolk-Reception at Home-Old Wormley's Version of the Reception-An African Ovation.

ONE of Mr. Jefferson's first official acts, in 1788, was to dispatch a special agent to Denmark to obtain reparation for prizes

VOL I.-32

497

498

COMMODORE PAUL JONES.

[СНАР. ХІІ. captured by Commodore John Paul Jones from the English, during the recent war; and which having put into Bergen in distress, were, by the orders of the Danish Court, taken from their captors and delivered back to the English. Congress having intrusted our Minister to France with the negotiation, and with the appointment of an agent, he very properly selected Jones himself. Jefferson always entertained a favorable opinion of this remarkable man, and had employed his services on several previous occasions. Thus, three years earlier, he had sent him to Brest to observe Laperouse's ill-fated expedition then fitting out-as it had been reported that it was designed to plant a colony or trading factories on the west coast of North America.' Jefferson seems to have entertained these suspicions for a long time, and indeed until they were dispelled by a full knowledge of the facts. He always spoke of Jones in his correspondence, and always treated him personally as a discreet and intelligent man, whose honor and whose patriotism to his adopted country were entirely above suspicion. Very soon after the mission of the latter to Denmark, a circumstance occurred which illustrated his character in these particulars. Received as a Vice-Admiral into the Russian service, he annexed as a condition of his acceptance, that he should be permitted to withdraw whenever the United States required his services.

Jefferson's

The posi

Another subject now began "to press upon "mind," to use his own words, "like a mountain." " tion of affairs between the United States and their European creditors had always been a source of great annoyance to our Ministers. Not even the interest of the French debt, so peculiarly one of honor, and the repayment of which was so pressingly needed, was met. And the Treasury Board had recently announced that they could not possibly make further remittances to Europe within a year-indeed, until the new Government established under the federal Constitution (of 1787) should go into operation and should make provisions for raising the money. In the meantime, the American Ministers in Europe were expected to sustain the credit of their country by meeting the demands against it, from the proceeds of a loan which had been opened in Holland, but which, after being but in small part filled, had ceased to be taken up. Two hundred and Jefferson to Jay, August 14, 1785. 2 Letter to John Adams, March 2d, 1788.

CHAP. XIII.]

FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.

499

seventy thousand florins would be requisite to meet interest, in the coming June. The holders of the former bonds offered to take all the remaining ones, provided they might receive out of them the interest of a part of the United States domestic debt, of which they were also the holders. Jefferson had no authority to accept this proposal.' He writes in his Memoir :

"Mr. Adams, while residing at the Hague, had a general authority to borrow what sums might be requisite for ordinary and necessary expenses. Interest on the public debt, and the maintenance of the diplomatic establishment in Europe, had been habitually provided in this way. He was now elected Vice-President of the United States, was soon to return to America, and had referred our bankers to me for future counsel, on our affairs in their hands. But I had no powers, no instructions, no means, and no familiarity with the subject. It had always been exclusively under his management, except as to occasional and partial deposits in the hands of Mr. Grand, banker in Paris, for special and local purposes.

*

*

* Mr. Adams had received his appointment to the court of London while engaged at Paris, with Dr. Franklin and myself, in the negotiations under our joint commissions. He had repaired thence to London, without returning to the Hague, to take leave of that government. He thought it necessary, however, to do so now, before he should leave Europe, and accordingly went there. I learned his departure from London, by a letter from Mrs. Adams, received on the very day on which he would arrive at the Hague. A consultation with him, and some provision for the future, was indispensable, while we could yet avail ourselves of his powers; for when they would be gone, we should be without resource. I was daily dunned by a company who had formerly made a small loan to the United States, the principal of which was now become due; and our bankers in Amsterdam had notified me that the interest on our general debt would be expected in June; that if we failed to pay it, it would be deemed an act of bankruptcy, and would effectually destroy the credit of the United States, and all future prospect of obtaining money there."

Two days after receiving Mrs. Adams's letter (March 4th), Jefferson set out for Amsterdam, travelling as usual in his own carriage by post horses. He went by the way of Valenciennes, Bruxelles, Antwerp, Rotterdam, and the Hague, where he found Mr. Adams, and they proceeded together to Amsterdam, which they reached on the 10th.

Both Ministers concurred in the belief that it would be better at once, by a new and sufficient loan, to provide for the demands against the government for the current and two succeeding years, for the purpose of placing the latter at its ease, and its credit in security, during what they foresaw would be a very trying period. Bonds for a new loan of a million of florins

1 Jefferson to Jay, March 16th.

500

JOURNEY TO HOLLAND AND GERMANY. [CHAP. XIII.

were accordingly executed-but the American bankers were instructed not to sell them, until Congress should give its approbation to the action of the Ministers.

Nothing urgent demanding Jefferson's immediate presence in Paris, he determined to proceed up the Rhine as far as Strasbourg on his return route. He kept a journal of his journey. It is as dry and utilitarian in its tone and topics as his previous productions of the same class. It gives precise and oftentimes minute details in regard to the topography, agriculture, population, architecture, mechanical arts, etc., of the country passed through, and will be found entire in the ninth volume of the Congress edition of his works.'

The pocket account-book, as usual, throws a good deal of additional light on the journal-but we can devote but little space to either. He left Amsterdam March 30th, and reached Nymegen on the 31st. Crossing the Prussian frontier the next morning, he saw, without any change of soil or climate, a sudden transition from opulence to poverty, and the "fear of slaves visible in the faces of the Prussian subjects." Dusseldorf was reached on the 2d of April, and he paid exactly "two florins one stiver" for seeing its famous gallery. He arrived at Cologne the next day, and Bonn and Coblentz on the 4th. Entering Nassau, he passed up the Maine to Frankfort and Hanau, and the difference in the agriculture and commercial stir in the republic and the landgravate, suggests the customary political comparisons. Remaining three days at Frankfort, he returned down the Maine to Mayence on the 11th. He next passed through Oppenheim and Worms, and reached Manheim. He paused here two days, making excursions to Heidelburg, and to points where celebrated German wines were made, such as Hocheim, Johansberg, and Rudesheim. At Heidelburg, we have a very brief description of the ruins of the Château, as he terms it (the huge palace of the Electors of the Palatinate, one of the vastest and most magnificent wrecks of medieval grandeur in Germany)-in less than a dozen lines; and about an equal number are devoted to the "ton of Heidelburg!" The Drachenfels, Ehrenbreitstein, Rheinfels, etc., are not, we believe, even named.

He left Manheim on the 15th of April, reached Carlsruhe

2 Pp. 373-403.

CHAP. XIII.
•]

RULE FOR SHAPING A PLOW.

501

the same day, and Strasbourg on the next. On the 17th, he struck across the northwest part of France, by the way of Nancy, to St. Dizier on the Marne, and followed the banks of that river to Paris, which he reached on the 23d of April.

It has been claimed that Mr. Jefferson was the first who laid down a rule-a mathematical formula-for shaping the mouldboard of a plow. The first notice of this which we have met in his writings, occurs in his journal of his progress from Strasbourg to Nancy, dated April 19th. The following quotation contains all he there said on the subject (though we shall have more of it subsequently):

"Oxen plough here with collars and hames. The awkward figure of their mould-board leads one to consider what should be its form. The offices of the mould-board are to receive the sod after the share has cut under it, to raise it gradually, and to reverse it. The fore-end of it, then, should be horizontal to enter under the sod, and the hind end perpendicular to throw it over; the intermediate surface changing gradually from the horizontal to the perpendicular. It should be as wide as the furrow, and of a length suited to the construction of the plough. The following would seem a good method of making it: Take a block, whose length, breadth, and thickness, is that of your intended mould-board, suppose two and a half feet long, and eight inches broad and thick. Draw the lines a d and cd, figure 1; with a saw, the toothed edge of which is straight, enter at a and cut on, guiding the hind part of the saw on the line a b, and the fore part on the line a d, till the saw reaches the points e and d, then enter it at c and cut on, guiding it by the lines c b and c d till it reaches the points b and a d. The quarter, a b c d, will then be completely cut out, and the diagonal from d to b laid bare. The piece may now be represented as in figure 2. Then saw in transversely at every two inches till the saw reaches the line c e, and the diagonal bd, and cut out the pieces with an adze. The upper surface will thus be formed. With a gauge opened to eight inches, and guided by the lines e e, scribe the upper edge of the board from d b, cut that edge perpendicular to the face of the board, and scribe it of the proper thickness. Then form the under side by the upper, by cutting transversely with the saw, and taking out the piece with an adze. As the upper edge of the wing of the share rises a little, the fore end of the board, bc, will rise as much from a strict horizontal position, and will throw the hind end, e d, exactly as much beyond the perpendicular, so as to promote the reversing of the sod."

Fig. 1. Fig. 2.

Mr. Jefferson thus sums up and comments on the situation of affairs as he found them in the French capital on his return from his seven weeks' absence:

"On my return from Holland, I found Paris as I had left it, still in high fermentation. Had the Archbishop, on the close of the Assembly of Notables, immedi.