SOME LETTERS 
 
 OF 
 
 Ralph Izard 
 
 TO 
 
 Thomas Jefferson. 
 
 I 
 
 CONTRIBUTED BY 
 
 WORTHINGTON C FORD. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 Walker, Evans & Cogswell Co., Printers. 
 
 19U1. 
 
presi:nti;i) isy 
 
"A 
 
4^. 
 
 SOME LETTERS 
 
 OF 
 
 Ralph Izard 
 
 Thomas Jefferson 
 
 CONTRIBUTED BY 
 
 WORTHINGTON C. FORD. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 Walker, Evans & Cogswell Co., Printers. 
 
 1901. 
 
[Fifty Copies Reprinted from the South Carolina Historical 
 AND Genealogical Magazine for July, 1901.] 
 
 T^, 
 
LETTERS OF RALPH IZARD. 
 
 COMMUNICATED BY WORTHINGTON C. FORD, OF BOSTON. 
 [k. IZAKD to JEFFERSON.] 
 
 Tlie Elms, South Carolina, 27tii April 1784 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I am much flattered by a very friendly letter which I 
 received a few days a2:o from you. Nothing can be more 
 pleasing than expressions of regard from those we esteem and 
 love. You are so good as to promise me a letter now and 
 then; be assured that I shall at all times be happy to hear 
 from you. We have had repeated accounts of the disagreea- 
 ble situation of Congress at Annapolis. That the States 
 should be so inattentive to their interest is much to be 
 lamented ; this is a matter I never think of but with a mixture 
 of indignation and sorrow. How can the negligence of 
 Maryland be accounted for ? Is she ignorant of the advan- 
 tages to be derived from the residence of Congress ? or does 
 she suppose, as the citizens of Philadelphia foolishly and 
 presumptuously did, that it is impossible for them to go any 
 where else ? At the commencement of the war I was well 
 aware that at the end of it we should have difficulties to 
 contend with. The inattention and even disrespect shewn to 
 the federal government by almost every State in the Union, 
 will be productive of the most serious and 1 fear fatal conse- 
 quences, and was not one among the number of which I was 
 at the time appreiiensive. 
 
 You will have heard that our Legislature has passed the 5 
 per cent law. Considerable opposition was ajiven to it by 
 some of the ablest and most respectable men of the country. 
 It was however carried by a majority of three to one; and I 
 hope the conduct of the other States will make it unneces- 
 
sary to repeal it till our public debt is paid. Our Legislature 
 have likewise shewn themselves remarkably moderate towards 
 the refugees. The confiscation and amercement laws are in 
 a great measure done away. In this also I hope the other 
 States will follow our example. Would to God I could say 
 that tranquility was perfectly restored to this State. Dissen- 
 sions and factions still exist, and like the Hydra, when one 
 head is destroyed, another arises. The British liave deprived 
 us of a great deal of our property. The inconveniences aris- 
 ing from their conflagrations and robberies will, however, in 
 a short time be forgotten,. The animosity and hatred planted 
 by them in the breasts of our citizens against each other, is 
 the most serious injury they have done us. Some joined the 
 enemy from inclination. Others, in the most difficult times, 
 from compulsion, and believing the cause desperate and 
 almost totally lost. Nine out of ten of those who received 
 British protection T suppose to be of the latter description 
 and had in the beginning shewn themselves both in council 
 and in the field friendly to our cause. These can not, except 
 in a few instances, forgive those who refused to bend to the 
 power at that time existing in the State, and chose to commit 
 their lives and property to the issue of the contest. 
 
 1 entirely concur witli 3'ou in opinion respecting the cession 
 of the back lands, and spoke of it several times during the 
 course of last winter. The expedient you mention to settle 
 the difference with our young sister, I think a good one; but 
 1 fear she will not have wisdom enough to adopt it. 
 
 I am settled upon an agreeable spot, about 1 8 miles from 
 Charles Town. A plantation long neglected, but pleasantly 
 situated and capable ol great improvement. This I am 
 attempting; and my inclination M^ould lead me never to enter 
 again into public life. 
 
 [Rest on farming.] 
 
[r. IZAKD to JEFFERSON.] 
 
 The Elms, 1()\^ June, 1T85. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I have lately received your favour of the 29*.^ Jany and at 
 the same time 4 volumes of the Bibliotheque Physico-CEeono- 
 mique. for which I am much obliged to you. As soon as I 
 received your letter of 22^ May 1784, I laid the contents of 
 it before our Chamber of Commerce and desired their senti- 
 ments on the points you mentioned. Enclosed is a copy of 
 their report which has already been transmitted to you. I 
 send you likewise enclosed a copy of a paper which contains 
 the sentiments of Mr. Hall, the collector of the customs, a 
 very well informed merchant in Charleston on the same sub- 
 ject. [ Another copy of this j)aper I enclosed you in my letter 
 of last January, which I hope got safe to your hands. It 
 will give me great pleasure to learn that those papers were 
 received time enough to be of service to you in your nego- 
 ciations. ) 
 
 The backwardness which you mention of Great Britain 
 toward America is very astonishing. It seems to be a contin- 
 uation of the same bad policy which has already brought 
 them into so much trouble, and whicli I think will bring 
 them into more. If they were simply to check the extensive 
 credit hitherto given and limit their exports to tliis country 
 within moderate bounds, they would act wisely. But she is 
 grasping at too much when she aims at the entire monopoly 
 of the carrying trade. This has occasioned much ill will 
 towards her in several parts of this country, particularly in 
 Xew England. It is said that Great Britain has encouraged 
 the piratical states to attack our vessels. If this could be 
 proved, I should prefer a war against her rather than against 
 Algiers. But it is a melanclioly fact that we are not in a 
 condition to go to war with anybody. You are of opinion 
 tliat we should go to war with the Barbarians rather than 
 become tributary to them. The latter is certainly disgrace- 
 
6 
 
 fill; but how shall we avoid it without falling into greater 
 evils ? The reverses of America, under the present manage- 
 ment, do not appear to be adequate to the discharge of the 
 public debt. Where then shall we find resources to carry on 
 war — a war too without a prospect of prizes to encourage 
 adventurers. The injury that was done to the commerce of 
 Great Britain during the late war, was not effected by the 
 Continental frigates, but b}' privateers, and very few of 
 those would be fitted. out against Tripoli, Tunis and Algiers. 
 The Emperor's proceedings must before this time be mani- 
 fested respecting Holland. The navigation of the Scheldt 
 is certainly an important object. But if there should be a 
 war, I think there must be deeper designs than the Scheldt. 
 That matter is of no consequence to Russia. Holland may 
 be deserted by some of her allies who wish to see the Stadt- 
 holder sovereign of that country. The dismemberment of 
 Poland has happened in our day, and I think it probable 
 that there may be an active partition of that country on the 
 death of Poniatowsky. There are many otlier arrangements 
 which ambition and policy may dictate; and the war with 
 Holland may be the mask under which the execution of them 
 may be effected. For a valuable consideration the Czarina 
 and the King of Prussia may even consent to make the 
 empire hereditary in the House of Austria. 
 
 These things are at a distance from us and we can think 
 of them and hear of their being executed without much 
 emotion. But our own affairs trouble me a good deal. We 
 owe a large sum of money, and we are not taking proper 
 measures to pay it. This is neither consistent with our 
 interest, nor our honor. Our governments tend too much to 
 Democracy. A handicraftsman thinks an apprenticeship 
 necessary to make him acquainted with his business. But our 
 back countrymen are of opinion that a politician may be 
 born such (sic) as well as a poet. I live as mucli as possible 
 in the country and shall continue a member of the Legislature 
 as long as my constituents think that I can render them 
 
service. In no other situation will I ever be engaged iu 
 public business. * * * j^_ Izard. 
 
 [e. IZAKD to JEFFERSON. J 
 
 Charleston, l?t July 1786. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I received a few weeks ago in the city your favour of so 
 old a date as the 26t^ Sejjt. and am glad to find that the 
 commercial papers which I sent you liad at last got to your 
 hands. England is not disposed to enter into a treaty with 
 us upon principles of equity and is determined to exclude us 
 from the West Indian trade as much as possible. This is a 
 very troublesome piece of business and the adventurers, 
 particularly those from the northern States, have sustained 
 and will continue to sustain considerable losses. The conduct 
 of France with regard to her islands, unfortunately encour- 
 ages the British government to persist. This appears to me 
 impolitic, in many points, but particularly so in one. There 
 are many well wishers to Great Britain in every State on this 
 Continent, at all times ready to trump up imaginary causes 
 of dissatisfaction^ and to draw invidious comparisons between 
 the past and JDresent times. The present state of the com- 
 merce of America with the West Indies certainly cannot be 
 added to the catalogue of advantages which she has derived 
 from the Revolution, and I should imagine that France 
 would find her account in not letting America feel even that 
 disadvantage. I have considered attentively, and I think 
 impartially, what has been said on the propriety of the 
 mother country's enjoying the monopoly of the commerce of 
 her colonies, as a compensation for protection, and I think 
 the arguments plausible, bat by no means conclusive. If 
 France were to remove all restraints on this subject, G. 
 Britain would unquestionably be compelled to follow her 
 example. 
 
 Our western posts are not to be delivered up, and the 
 reason given is, because in some of the States the legislatures 
 
8 
 
 have thrown obstructions in the way of the recovery of debts. 
 I am sorry that sucli a pretext has been given ; but before the 
 passing of the laws complained of, G. Britain did not show 
 any disposition to give up the posts. Certain it is that if the 
 courts of law were to be opened for the recovery of debts 
 generally and without restrictions, and property made liable 
 to be seized and sold by the sheriff for cash, many persons 
 would be ruined, who have property to four times the value 
 of their debts. The British merchants and the Tories who 
 lost little or nothing by the war, are in possession of the 
 greatest part of the specie in the country and would enrich 
 themselves at the expense of the real friends of America who 
 risked everything for her defence. This would doubtless be 
 an evil of consider.ible magnitude; but in my opinion it 
 would be better that the treaty should be fulfilled and the 
 law take its course, than that a reproach should be cast on so 
 many States of the Union. It is to be lamented that at the 
 negociation of the general treaty of peace it had not been 
 provided that no greater obstruction should be thrown in the 
 way of tue recovery of British debts than those of the citizens 
 of America, instead of the words which now stand in the 
 treaty. The reasonableness of such a proposition must have 
 been obvious to the British negociators and could not have 
 been opposed. I have great doubts with regard to the utility 
 of the posts in question. If the Spaniards had had the 
 country ceded to them which those posts are intended to 
 command, I believe it would be no disadvantage to the 
 United States. But I am sorry the British should keep 
 possession of them, and that we should be in so weak a con- 
 dition as to be unable to compel them to do us justice. * * 
 
 R. Izard. 
 
 [R. IZARD TO JEFFERSON.] 
 
 Dear Sir, Charleston, ¥V April, 1787 
 
 ^ I have lately been favoured with your letter of 18th. 
 November, whicli went to New York, and from thence came 
 
to me here by the post. You mention the Hague, and are 
 so obliging as to wish me there: for this mark of your friend- 
 ship be pleased to accept of my thanks. Had the funds of 
 the United States allowed them to make the appointment you 
 allude to last year, I would have accepted of it,and devoted 
 three years of my life to their service. At present I' feel 
 much disinclined to it and most heartily wish that Mr. Madi- 
 son may be elected, whenever the finances of Congress will 
 admit of it. He is a member of the Continental Convention 
 which is to meet in Philadelphia next month for tne purpose 
 of revising the articles of Confederation. If the powers of 
 Congress can be so far extended as to give efficacy the decisions 
 of that bod3% the measure will assuredly contribute to the 
 security and happiness of the Continent. At present our 
 affairs are by no means in a desirable state. 
 
 I agree, with you perfectly in opinion respecting the pro- 
 priety of our cultivating the closest and most intimate con- 
 nexion with France. We have already derived great benefit 
 from her, and much greater may still be expected. We are 
 under considerable obligations to you for your exertions 
 respecting the commerce of every part of the continent, and 
 I am confident that very beneficial consequences will result 
 from a continuance of them. The copy of the letter from 
 M. de Calonne to you which you enclosed me shews the good 
 disposition of the ministry towards ms. Much remains how- 
 ever yet to be done; and I am happy to think that whatever 
 extension is given to the commerce of America may, by good 
 management be made beneficial to France. I should be very 
 glad if their manufactories could supply us as well, and as 
 cheap as those of England with the coarse articles which are 
 absolutely necessary in this country : I mean negro cloaths, 
 blankets and implements of husbandry. When I was in 
 Paris I secured from London a yard of negro cloath called 
 there White Plains, and a broad hoe, and gave them to M. 
 Abeille, who was a member of a society for the promotion of 
 comn^erce., The cloth is near a yard wide, perfectly white, 
 
10 
 
 very substantial, and comfortable wear for negros, and is 
 from 12 to 14:^ pence sterling per yard, by the piece. The 
 broad hoes are from 1 7 to 18 shillings and 6 pence, a dozen, 
 and very good blankets 4 shillings and 3 pence each. I have 
 just copied these articles, with their prices from an invoice 
 lately received from Mess^^ Mannings and Vaughan in Lon- 
 don, for the use of my plantations : they were all remarkably 
 good. M. Abeille told me that the manufacturers of France 
 would soon be able to supply us with the articles 1 have 
 mentioned, as good and as I wish this could be done; and if 
 it could I am persuaded that four-fifths of the planters in 
 this State would deal with France in preference to England. 
 You say that France could consume our whole crop of rice. 
 This might easily be done if tlie matter were put in a proper 
 train. It would give me much j^leasure to see it, and returns 
 made entirely in the manufactures, wines &c. of France. It 
 is supposed that France contains 24 millions of inhabitants. 
 If each of them were to consume two pounds of rice in a year, 
 the amount would be 96.000 barrels of 500 1^ which is more 
 than our annual export of that article since the war. I have 
 seen your letter to Mr Jay in which you mention the com- 
 parative goodness of our rice with that of Italy, and you 
 think ours is not sent to market in as good order as theirs. 
 In this I am persuaded you are mistaken. When I was in 
 Italy, I visited some of the best rice plantations in that 
 country, and was surprised to find how inferior their manage- 
 ment of the grain was to ours after they had got it into the 
 barn yard. You may observe how much whiter our rice is 
 than theirs, which must be owing to that circumstance. Our 
 rice is more broken than theirs, which is occasioned by other 
 causes; they clean it less than we do, and their grain is 
 thicker in proportion to its length, resembling barley, which 
 makes it less liable to be broken by the pestle. I have seen 
 the grocers in Paris employed in picking out the whole grains 
 from the broken ones. This is a needless trouble as one is 
 just as good as the other. If you have observed the 
 
11 
 
 same thing, perhaps that may have led yon to think that 
 our rice was not in as good order as the Italian. I am desirous 
 of trying how their rice would succeed ia this country; and tor 
 that reason should be obliged to you if you could procure and 
 send me any quantity of the seed from one to ten bushels. 
 It might be easily shipped for this port from Marseilles; and 
 the best seed should be chosen. I was in hopes that you might 
 have been able to have induced the Portuguese to receive 
 our rice on the same terms they did before the war. Lisbon 
 used to take from us annually 20.000 barrels, and now there 
 is none sent there, which is a considerable disadvantage to us. 
 If Honfleur is made a free port, by proper management the 
 greatest part of the rice which would otherwise be sent to 
 Cowes, might be drawn there. It might be made a depot 
 for all the goods of Europe consumed by America, and the 
 ships of this country and of France, might return at once 
 with whatever they wanted, -v^nthout having the trouble of 
 ffoing farther up tlie Channel. This would be a stroke at 
 the carrying trade of England and diminish in a considerable 
 degree the nursery of their seamen. France would unques- 
 tionably be beneiited by this. In my opinion a proper judg- 
 ment of her prosperity can never be formed abstractedly; 
 that of England must be her scale. Upon this idea my 
 opinion was formed respecting the restrictions on our trade 
 to the West India Islands. If they were entirely removed 
 from those of France, England would be under the necessity 
 of following the example, and her seamen would be dimin- 
 ished. Her strength and prosperity depend entirely on the 
 number of her seamen : but France has internal resources, 
 and a great marine is oidy necessary for her, because her 
 rival is possessed of one. * * * The war bore particu- 
 larly hard on this State. Most of us have been considerably 
 injured and I have had my share of the public calamity. I 
 find myself in debt about £8.000 sterling, with an estate 
 which ought not to feel any inconvenience from such a 
 sum. * * ^ B,a: Izard. 
 
12 
 
 [K. IZAKD to JEFFERSON.] 
 
 Charles Town S*? April 17S9. 
 
 ;«■ * * My acknowledgments to you for the yery able and 
 active part you have taken respecting the staple commodity 
 of this country. The price of rice is considerably lower here 
 how than it has been since the peace. One great canse of 
 this, 1 suppose, must be the total loss of the Portugal market, 
 which is now supplied from Brazil. This is a loss to us 
 w^hich there seems to be no hope of recovering. Dr. Turn- 
 bull, a physician of eminence in this city, resided several 
 years at Constantinople and other parts of the Turkish 
 dominions. I have had many conversations with him on the 
 subiect of rice, and he is of opinion that Constantinople 
 alone might take off the whole of our crop at a better price 
 than is obtained at present. The Barbary corsairs deter our 
 merchants from venturing into the Mediterranean. Before 
 the Revolution, several ships loaded with rice went from 
 hence to Constantinople and sold their cargoes well : at 
 present, I do not know if ihey would be admitted there, as 
 we have no treaty with the Grand Seignor. The French, 
 however, might for some time be the carriers. Will you be 
 so good as to turn this matter in your thoughts ? It is an 
 object of considerable magnitude, and may be of infinite 
 service to this country. 
 
 You have without doubt had a list transmitted 1o you of 
 the members of both branches of the new government. The 
 bad weather and equinoctial winds have detained me here, 
 but I expect to embark to-morrow for New York. Every 
 man of common sense and common affection for America 
 must be strongly affected by the consideration of the humili- 
 ating state into which we are plunged. The evil has arisen 
 principally from the want of an efficient and energetic govern- 
 ment, pervading every part of the United States. By what- 
 ever appellation therefore, gentlemen may choose to be distin- 
 guished, whether by federal or by anti- federal, I hope we 
 
13 
 
 shall not be wasting time with idle discussions about amend- 
 ments to the Constitution, but that we shall go to work imme- 
 diately about the finances, and endeavor to extricate ourselves 
 from our present embarrassed and disgraceful situation. * •^ * 
 
 R. Izard. 
 
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