I sincerely rejoice to find that you
preserve your health so well. That you may so go on to the end of
the chapter, and that it may be a long one, I sincerely pray. Make
my friendly salutations acceptable to Mrs. Gates, and accept yourself
assurances of the great and constant esteem and respect of, Dear Sir,
your friend and servant,
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER CCXXIV.--TO JAMES MADISON, February 22, 1798
TO JAMES MADISON.
Philadelphia, February 22, 1798.
Dear Sir,
Yours of the 12th is received. I wrote you last on the 15th, but the
letter getting misplaced, will only go by this post. We still hear
nothing from our Envoys. Whether the executive hear, we know not. But if
war were to be apprehended, it is impossible our Envoys should not find
means of putting us on our guard, or that the executive should hold back
their information. No news, therefore, is good news. The countervailing
act, which I sent you by the last post, will, confessedly, put American
bottoms out of employ in our trade with Great Britain. So say well
informed merchants. Indeed, it seems probable, when we consider that
hitherto, with the advantage of our foreign tonnage, our vessels could
only share with the British, and the countervailing duties will, it is
said, make a difference of five hundred guineas to our prejudice on a
ship of three hundred and fifty tons.
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