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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

T. JEFFERSON TO JOHN ADAMS. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 8 (Letters and State Papers 1782-1799) [1853]

Edition used:

The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, by his Grandson Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856). 10 volumes. Vol. 8.

Part of: The Works of John Adams, 10 vols.

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T. JEFFERSON TO JOHN ADAMS.

Paris, 23 February, 1787.

Dear Sir,—

The notables met yesterday. The King opened the assembly with a short speech, wherein he expressed his inclination to consult with them on the affairs of his kingdom, to receive their opinions on the plans he had digested, and to endeavor to imitate the head of his family, Henry IV., whose name is so dear to the nation. The speech was affectionate. The garde des sceaux spoke about twenty minutes, complimented the clergy, the noblesse, the magistrates, and tiers état. The comptroller-general spoke about an hour. He enumerated the expenses necessary to arrange his department when he came to it; he said, his returns had been minutely laid before the King; he took a review of the preceding administrations, and more particularly of M. Neckar’s. He detailed the improvements which had been made; he portrayed the present state of the finances, and sketched the several schemes proposed for their improvement. He spoke on a change in the form of the taxes, the removal of the interior custom-houses to the frontiers, provincial administrations, and some other objects. The assembly was then divided into committees. To-day there was to be another grand assembly, the plans more fully explained, and referred to the discussion of the committees. The grand assembly will meet once a week, and vote individually. The propriety of my attending the first audience day of Count Montmorin, which will not be till the 27th, retards my departure till then.

I have read your book with infinite satisfaction and improvement. It will do great good in America; its learning and its good sense will, I hope, make it an institute for our politicians, old as well as young. There is one opinion in it, however, which I will ask you to reconsider, because it appears to me not entirely accurate, and not likely to do good. Page 362.1 “Congress is not a legislative, but a diplomatic assembly.” Separating into parts the whole sovereignty of our States, some of these parts are yielded to congress. Upon these I should think them both legislative and executive, and that they would have been judiciary also, had not the confederation required them, for certain purposes, to appoint a judiciary. It has, accordingly, been the decision of our courts, that the confederation is a part of the law of the land, and superior in authority to the ordinary laws, because it cannot be altered by the legislature of any one State. I doubt whether they are at all a diplomatic assembly. On the first news of this work, there were proposals to translate it. Fearing it might be murdered in that operation, I endeavored to secure a good translator. This is done, and I lend him my copy to translate from. It will be immediately commenced, to prevent others attempting it. I am, with sincere esteem and respect, &c.

Thomas Jefferson.

[1 ]Of the first edition. The passage will be found in Vol. iv. p. 579 of this work, with Mr. Jefferson’s comment in a note.