Details
JEFFERSON, THOMAS, President. Autograph letter signed ("Th:Jefferson") to William Jarvis, U.S. Consul at Lisbon, Portugal [redirected to Portsmouth, N.H.]; Washington, D.C., 5 December 1810. 2 pages, 4to, integral address leaf with panel in Jefferson's hand, marked "Care of D. Humphreys," and "Free" and bearing JEFFERSON'S FRANK: "Free Th:Jefferson," small seal hole, partial fold tear, light stain along central fold, with separate cover sheet bearing recipient's docket.
A PRESIDENT WHO WOULD NOT "SACRIFICE DUTY TO FEELING," ON SOME FAVORITE WINES
A fine letter in which Jefferson expresses his pleasure at his recent retirement to Monticello, thanks Jarvis for a selection of Portuguese wines, which he praises highly, and extolls him for his effort to import the valuable breed of Merino ship to America. "Our newspapers...gave me the first arrival in Boston, & I lose no 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 correspondences which my warmest wishes would have led me to. I found it would be a sacrifice of duty to feeling which therefore I forbade myself. Hence so many of your favors remained unacknowledged, but I was not the less sensible of their kind tenor....I reserved myself therefore to make a general acknowledgement when retired to a situation of leisure....Permit me...to return you my many thanks for the many marks of attention I received from you, while in the administration, and the reiterated proofs of your approbation & support.
"You may remember some wines you were kind so kind as to procure for me in 1803. Carrasquiera, Peruda, & Beyras. The first of these is now abroach [the cask tapped] 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 Termo wines will not keep unless fortified with brandy, and how injurious to the quality and estimation of those wines their brewing practices are. The Beyras, with the age it has, 12 years, has become also a fine wine. It did not promise this at first. Altho[ugh] sweet, it is not too much so, & is highly flavored. Come however and judge for yourself, that you may bear testimony to others....I must acknowledge your last favors in putting me on the list of those who were enabled to extend the improvement of one of the most valuable races of our domestic animals. The 4 Merinos [sheep] are now safe with me, and good preparations made for their increase the ensuing season. Pursuing the spirit of the liberal donor, I consider them deposited with me for the general good, and divesting myself of all views of gain, I propose to devote them to the diffusion of the race through our state....I shall send a pair to every count of the state, in rotation, until the whole are possessed of them. This object will be much facilitated by the great shipments you have made of the same race, and the portion of them offered for sale in this state. The expence and risk you took on yourself by this measure, but especially the promptitude with which you availed us of this single opportunity of transferring the rich possession to your own country merits our general acknowldgement, and justifies our wishes that you may be duly remunerated...." Jefferson extends a warm invitation to Jarvis to visit him, if circumstances should bring him to the vicinity of Richmond, and adds effusive praise for Jarvis as Consul: "...I cannot omit the duty I owed you in my late capacity [as President], 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 alone, 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...."
William Jarvis (1770-1859) of Boston was appointed Consul and Chargé d'affaires at Lisbon by Jefferson and held that important post from 1802 to 1811. When Napoleon conquered Spain in 1808, Jarvis had the opportunity to buy 3,500 selected Merino sheep. This very profitable breed had been carefully protected from foreigners by the Spanish government and their export forbidden for centuries. He supplied Jefferson and then Madison with fine Portuguese wines. (The present letter from Jefferson is referred to in the DAB article on Jarvis).
A PRESIDENT WHO WOULD NOT "SACRIFICE DUTY TO FEELING," ON SOME FAVORITE WINES
A fine letter in which Jefferson expresses his pleasure at his recent retirement to Monticello, thanks Jarvis for a selection of Portuguese wines, which he praises highly, and extolls him for his effort to import the valuable breed of Merino ship to America. "Our newspapers...gave me the first arrival in Boston, & I lose no 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 correspondences which my warmest wishes would have led me to. I found it would be a sacrifice of duty to feeling which therefore I forbade myself. Hence so many of your favors remained unacknowledged, but I was not the less sensible of their kind tenor....I reserved myself therefore to make a general acknowledgement when retired to a situation of leisure....Permit me...to return you my many thanks for the many marks of attention I received from you, while in the administration, and the reiterated proofs of your approbation & support.
"You may remember some wines you were kind so kind as to procure for me in 1803. Carrasquiera, Peruda, & Beyras. The first of these is now abroach [the cask tapped] 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 Termo wines will not keep unless fortified with brandy, and how injurious to the quality and estimation of those wines their brewing practices are. The Beyras, with the age it has, 12 years, has become also a fine wine. It did not promise this at first. Altho[ugh] sweet, it is not too much so, & is highly flavored. Come however and judge for yourself, that you may bear testimony to others....I must acknowledge your last favors in putting me on the list of those who were enabled to extend the improvement of one of the most valuable races of our domestic animals. The 4 Merinos [sheep] are now safe with me, and good preparations made for their increase the ensuing season. Pursuing the spirit of the liberal donor, I consider them deposited with me for the general good, and divesting myself of all views of gain, I propose to devote them to the diffusion of the race through our state....I shall send a pair to every count of the state, in rotation, until the whole are possessed of them. This object will be much facilitated by the great shipments you have made of the same race, and the portion of them offered for sale in this state. The expence and risk you took on yourself by this measure, but especially the promptitude with which you availed us of this single opportunity of transferring the rich possession to your own country merits our general acknowldgement, and justifies our wishes that you may be duly remunerated...." Jefferson extends a warm invitation to Jarvis to visit him, if circumstances should bring him to the vicinity of Richmond, and adds effusive praise for Jarvis as Consul: "...I cannot omit the duty I owed you in my late capacity [as President], 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 alone, 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...."
William Jarvis (1770-1859) of Boston was appointed Consul and Chargé d'affaires at Lisbon by Jefferson and held that important post from 1802 to 1811. When Napoleon conquered Spain in 1808, Jarvis had the opportunity to buy 3,500 selected Merino sheep. This very profitable breed had been carefully protected from foreigners by the Spanish government and their export forbidden for centuries. He supplied Jefferson and then Madison with fine Portuguese wines. (The present letter from Jefferson is referred to in the DAB article on Jarvis).