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

TO COL. BURWELL BASSETT. - George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, vol. II (1758-1775) [1889]

Edition used:

The Writings of George Washington, collected and edited by Worthington Chauncey Ford (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1889). Vol. II (1758-1775).

Part of: The Writings of George Washington, 14 vols.

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TO COL. BURWELL BASSETT.

Mount Vernon, Aug. 2, 1765.

Dear Sir,

By a craft sent around by Capt. Boyes we had the pleasure to hear you were all well, but suffering with the drought as we are. We have never had the ground wet in this neighborhood since the heavy rains which fell about the first of May. In June early we had a shower that refreshed the corn and gave a little start to hemp, but the dry weather which followed, and hath since continued, renders our prospects truely melancholy. However, not 10 miles from hence in the forest, they are perfectly seasonable, and have promising crops of corn and tobacco, which is a favorable circumstance for us, as our wants of bread may be supplied from thence. To render my misfortunes more compleat, I lost most of my wheat by the rust, so that I shall undergo the loss of a compleat crop here, and am informed that my expectations from below are not much better.

I have not yet heard how you succeeded in electioneering, but there was little room to doubt of yours; I changed the scene from Frederick to this county and had an easy and creditable pool,1 and was preparing to attend, when the proclamation for proroguing the assembly came to hand (on the 28th ult.). I am convinced at the same time that the governor had no inclination to meet an assembly at this juncture. The bearer waits; I have only time therefore to add my compliments to Mrs Bassett and family.2

[1 ]At an election of Burgesses for Fairfax County, held on 16 July, 1765, Washington received 201 votes, John West, 148, and John Posey, 131; besides some single votes were nearly all cast for Col. West.

[2 ]“The Parliament by their bounty given for American hemp and flax, seem desirous of encouraging the growth of them in the Plantations; but as they are articles altogether new to us, and I believe not much of our lands well adapted for them; and as the proper kind of packages, freight and accustomed charges, are little known here, I should be much obliged to you for advising me of the general prices one might expect in your part for good hemp and flax (rough & undressed), watered and prepared as directed by the Act; With an estimate of the freight and all other incident charges per tonn, that I may form some idea of the profits resulting from the growth.”—To Capel and Osgood Hanbury, 20th September, 1765.

“The third bounty of this kind [to encourage the importation of materials of manufacture] was that granted (much about the time that we were beginning sometimes to court, and sometimes to quarrel with our American colonies) by the 4 Geo. III. c. 26. upon the importation of hemp, or undressed flax, from the British plantations. This bounty was granted for twenty-one years, from the 24th June, 1764, to the 24th June, 1785. For the first seven years it was to be at the rate of eight pounds the ton, for the second at six pounds, and for the third at four pounds.”—Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, Book 4, chap. viii.

“It cannot reasonably be imagined, that I felt any pleasing sensations upon the receipt of your letter of the 13th of February, covering accounts of sales for one hundred and fifty-three hogsheads of Master Custis’s tobacco, and one hundred and fifteen of mine.

“That the sales are pitifully low needs no words to demonstrate; and that they are worse than many of my acquaintance upon the river Potomac have got in the outports, and from Mr. Russell and other merchants of London, for common Aronoke tobacco, is a truth equally as certain. Nay, not so good as I myself have got from Mr. Gildart of Liverpool for light rent tobaccos (shipped to him at the same time I did to you) of the meanest sort; such as you once complained of, as the worst of Maryland, and not salable. Can it be otherwise than a little mortifying, then, to find that we, who raise none but sweet-scented tobacco, and endeavor, I may venture to add, to be careful in the management of it, however we fail in the execution, and who, by a close and fixed correspondence with you, contribute so largely to the despatch of your ships in this country, should meet with such unprofitable returns? Surely I may answer, No! Notwithstanding, you will again receive my own crops this year, and sixty-seven hogs-heads of Master Custis’s; but, Gentlemen, you must excuse me for adding, (as I cannot readily conceive, that our tobaccos are so much depreciated in quality, as not only to sell much below other marks of good repute, but actually for less, as I before observed, than the commonest kinds do,) that justice to myself and ward will render it absolutely necessary for me to change my correspondence, unless I experience an alteration for the better. . . .

“Tobacco, I well perceive, for a year or two past, has fallen in its value. From what causes I shall not take upon me to determine; and I am not so extravagant as to believe, that my own and Master Custis’s crops should fetch their usual prices, when other good tobacco met with abatements. But I am really selfish enough to expect, that we ought to come in for a part of good prices that are going, from a belief that our tobacco is of a quality not so much inferior to some, that still sells well, and that so considerable a consignment, when confined in a manner to one house, as ours is, would lay claim to the best endeavors of the merchant in the sales, and in the return of goods; for many articles of which I pay exceeding heavily, another thing I cannot easily account for, unless it is on a presumption, that they are bought at very long credits, which by no means ought to be the case. For, where a person has money in a merchant’s hand, he should doubtless have all the benefits that can result from that money; and in a like manner, where he pays interest for the use of the merchant’s, should he be entitled to the same advantages; otherwise it might well be asked, For what purpose is it that interest is paid?

“Once, upon my urging a complaint of this nature, you wrote me, that the goods ought to be sent back, and they should be returned upon the shopkeeper’s hands in cases of imposition; but a moment’s reflection points out the inconveniences of such a measure, unless the imposition be grossly abusive, or we could afford to have a year’s stock beforehand. How otherwise can a person, who imports bare requisites only, submit to lie a year out of any particular article of clothing, or necessary for family use, and have recourse to such a tedious and uncertain way of relief as this, when possibly a trades-man would deny the goods and consequently refuse them? It is not to be done. We are obliged to acquiesce in the present loss, and hope for future redress.

“These, Gentlemen, are my sentiments, fully and candidly expressed, without any design, believe me, of giving you offense; but, as the selling of our tobaccos well, and the purchasing of our goods upon the best terms, are matters of the utmost consequence to our well-doing, it behoves me to be plain and sincere in my declarations on these points, previous to any change of measures, that I may stand acquitted of the imputation of fickleness, if I am at last forced to a discontinuance of my correspondence with your house.”—To Robert Cary & Co., 20th September, 1765.