I had the honor to acknowledge verbally the receipt of your letter of
the 3rd of August, when you did me that of making the inquiry verbally
about six weeks ago; and I beg leave to assure you, that I am, with due
respect, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant,
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER CXXXII.--TO M. DE TERNANT, February 17, 1793
TO M. DE TERNANT.
Philadelphia, February 17, 1793.
Sir,
I have duly received your letter of yesterday, and am sensible of your
favor in furnishing me with your observations on the statement of the
commerce between our two nations, of which I shall avail myself for the
good of both. The omission of our participation with your vessels, in
the exclusive transportation of our tobacco, was merely that of the
copy, as it was expressed in the original draught where the same
circumstance respecting our whale-oil was noted: and I am happy that
your notice of it has enabled me to reinstate it before the report
goes out of my hand. I must candidly acknowledge to you, that I do
not foresee the same effect in favor of our navigation, from the late
reduction of duties on our tobaccos in France, which you seem to expect.
The difference in favor of French vessels is still so great, as, in my
opinion, to make it their interest to quit all other branches of the
carrying business, to take up this; and as your stock of shipping is
not adequate to the carriage of all your exports, the branches which
you abandon will be taken up by other nations: so that this difference
thrusts us out of the tobacco carriage, to let other nations in to the
carriage of other branches of your commerce.
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