Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) to William Jarvis re: Jefferson's pleasure at recent retirement
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03320 Author/Creator: Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) Place Written: Monticello Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 05 December 1810 Pagination: 2 p. + FF 25 x 20 cm Order a Copy
Written as retired President to Jarvis, American consul at Lisbon. Jefferson also thank Jarvis for Merino sheep and the wines he sent.
Notes: Not in Bergh or Ford. Jarvis served as American consul to Lisbon from 1802-11. (David Humphreys, who delivered the letter, had served as U.S. Minister to Spain, 1796-1801. The DAB article on Jarvis wrongly identifies him as Jarvis' predecessor in Lisbon.) When Napoleon conquered Spain, the centuries-old ban on exportation of Merino sheep was lifted. Jarvis used the opportunity to purchase 3,500 sheep and ship them to America. The DAB notes that his contribution to American husbandry was commemorated by a sheep carved on his headstone in Weathersfield, VT.
Monticello Dec. 5. 10
Dear Sir,
Our newpapers recieved yesterday evening, gave me the first information of your arrival in Boston, & I lose not time in congratulating you on it. while occupied in the government, the everlasting pressure of business, which would not permit itself to be put off, rendered it impossible to maintain correspondencies which my warmest wishes have led me to. I found it would be a sacrifice of duty to feeling which therefore I forbade myself. hence to many of your favors remained unacknowleged. but I was not the less sensible of their kind tenor, and the friendly spirit which dicseted [sic] them. I reserved my self therefore to make a general acknoligement when retired to a situation of leisure, which has been delayed till now by the expectation of your present visit to the US. permit me therefore nor to return you my thanks for the many marks of attention I recieved from you, while in th eadministration, and the reiterated proofs of your approbation & support. in an especial manner however, I must acknolege your last favors in putting me on the last of those who were enabled to extend the improvement of one of the most valuable races of our domestic animals. the Merinos are now safe with me here and good preparations made for their increse the ensuing reason. pursuing the spirit of the liberal donor, I consider them as deposited with me for the gerneral good, and divesting myself of all views of gain, I propose to devote them to the diffusion if th erace through our state. as fast as their increase shall permit, I shall send a pair to every country of the state, in rotation, until the whole are posessed of them. this object will be much accelerated by the great shipments you have dade of the same race, and the portion if them offered for sale in this state. the expence [sic] and risk you took on your self by this measure, but especially the promptitude with which you availed us of this simple opportunity of transferring the rich possession Mr. Jarvis to your own
country merits our general acknolegements, and justifies our wishes that you may be duly renumerated by advantageous disposals of them here. should this business or any other circumstance lead you to Richmond, I hope you will feel disposed to vary the route of your return. it will give you the view of a very different country form that through which you will pass to Richmond and may give us the pleasure of seeing you here, and of possessing you some days. the passage of the mail stage near us twice a week will facilitate this. you may remember some wines you were so kind as to procure for me in 1803. Carrasqueira, Amda & Geyras. the first of these is now abroach, and is among the best wines I have ever had. it would be a great pleasure to give you proofs here how erroneous is the opinion of the Lisbon merchants that the Terms wines will not keep unless fortified with brady, and how injurioust the the quality and estimation of those wines their brewing practices are. the Oeyras, with the age it has, 7 years, has become also a fine wine. it did not promise this at first. Altho [sic] sweet, it is not too much so, & is highly flavored. come however & judge for yourself, that you may bear testimony to others.
So far my letter is merely private. but I cannot omit the duty I owned you in my late capacity, of bearing witness to your public services during my administration. the zeal & intelligence with which they were rendered, placed you preeminently among the faithful of the public servants. ever in unison with the measures of the administration, they gave to them all the effect which could be derived from your station, and frequent advantages for which we were indebted to your vigilance anlone, and to the confidence which your good conduct had established with that government. this testimony is justly due to you. it is a tribute to truth which I render with sincerity & gratification, & it is one which you had a right to expect from me. accept, with it, the assurance of my great esteem & consideration.
Th. Jefferson
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