Excerpts from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson
Julian P. Boyd, ed.. ((Princeton, N.J., 1953)
Volume 8: 25 February to 31 October 1785
25 February 1785 From George Washington, pp. 3-6.
[Not an answer to any particular letter of Jefferson's.]
p. 3: "I have the honor to inclose you the copy of an Act which passed the assemblies of Virginia and Maryland at the close of their respective sessions . . . for the purpose of opening a road of communication between the highest navigation of the Potomac, and the River Cheat; and have concurred in an application to the State of Pennsylvania for leave to open another road from Fort Cumberland, or Wills Creek to the Yohiogany, at the three forks or Turkey foot."
pp. 4-5: "I foresee such extensive political consequences depending on the navigation of these two rivers [The Potomac and the James] and communicating them
by short and easy roads with the waters of the Western Territory, that I am pained by every doubt of obtaining the means for their accomplishment. For this
reason, I also wish you would be so obliging as to direct your enqueries after one or more characters who have skill in this kind of work; that if Companies
should be incorporated under the present acts, and should incline to send to France, or England for an Engineer, or Man of practical knowledge in these kind of
works, there may be a clue to the application."
12 April 1785 From James Monroe (in New York), pp. 75-80.
p. 75: "Since my last I have received yours of the 11th. of Novr. and 10th. of Decr."
p. 78""I shall transmit you the journals of Congress as far as they are printed. They will give you at least the resolutions which determine the erection of buildings
at the falls of the Delaware and our intermediate residence here. Our dependence for their erection at Georgetown had been on the southern States and as soon
as Congress conven'd we found they had given it up. All further opposition we therefore considered as useless. One hundred thousand dolrs. are appropriated to
it. Between Phila. and this place we were indifferent as a temporary residence; we consider'd our State as no otherwise interested than as it might respect the
delegates attending in Congress; upon fœderal principles that this should have been the preference. It must have a good appearance for the fœderal government
to pay attention to the part which hath suffer'd most, from the depredations of the war; add to this the province of Canada in possession at present of the
fur-trade. The first exertion of the States must be to draw it thence and afterwards it may take its direction thro' the Potowmk. or whatever channel is open'd to
it. But the 100,000 dolrs are upon no fund. Whether they are to be requir'd from the States or not will become the question. It would be fortunate if a delay could
take place."
20 April 1785 From Francis Hopkinson (in Philadelphia), pp. 98-101.
p. 98: "Your Favour of the 13. Jany. last did not get to hand before the 16. Instt."
p. 99: "They [Congress] are settled at New York and according to Report are as little satisfied with their Situation there as they were in this City. They have
resolved to build a fœderal City for themselves on the banks of the Delaware either near or opposite to Trenton. Mr. Rt. Morris, Genl. Dickinson and a Mr.
Brown of Rhode Island are appointed commissioners to carry this Resolution into Effect. Mr. Morris sets off for New York Tomorrow on that Business."
27 April 1785 From James Madison, pp. 110-116.
p. 110:"I have received your two favors of Novr. 11 and Decr. 8."
pp. 112-113: "I have not learnt with certainty whether Genl. Washington will accept or decline the shares voted him by the assembly in the Companies for opening our rivers. If he does not chuse to take to himself any benefit from the donation, he has I think a fine opportunity at once of testifying his disinterested purposes, of shewing his respect for the assembly, and of rendering a service to his country. He may accept the gift so far as to apply it to the scheme of opening the rivers, and may then appropriate the revenue which it is hereafter to produce, to some patriotic establishment. I lately dropped a hint of this sort to one of his friends and was told that such an idea had been suggested to him. The private subscriptions for Potowmac I hear amount to £10,000 Sterling. I can not discover that those for James River deserve mention, or that the undertaking is pushed with any spirit. If those who are most interested in it let slip the present opportunity, their folly will probably be severely punished by the want of such another. It is said the undertaking on the Susquehannah by Maryland goes on with great spirit and expectations."
p. 113: "I understand that Chase and Jennifer on the part of Maryland, Mason and Henderson on the part of Virginia have had a meeting on the proposition of Virga. for settling the navigation and jurisdiction of Potowmac below the falls, and have agreed to report to the two assemblies, the establishment of a concurrent jurisdiction on that river and Chesapeak. The most amicable spirit is said to have governed the negociation."
p. 114: "I received a letter from the Marquis Fayette dated on the eve of his embarcation which has the following paragraph. 'I have much confered with the general upon the Potowmac system. Many people think the navigation of the Mississippi is not an advantage but it may be the excess of a very good thing viz. the opening of your rivers. I fancy it has not changed your opinion but beg you will write me on the subject. In the meanwhile I hope Congress will act cooly and prudently by Spain who is such a fool that allowance must be made.' It is unlucky that he should have left America with such an idea as to the Mississippi. It may be of the worse consequence as it is not wholly imaginary, the prospect of extending the commerce of the Atlantic states to the western waters having given birth to it. I can not believe that many minds are tainted with so illiberal and short sighted a policy. I have thought it was not amiss to write the marquis according to the request of his letter and have stated to him the motives and obligations which must render the United States inflexible on the subject of the Mississippi, the folly of Spain in contesting it and our expectation from the known influence of France over Spain and her friendly dispositions toward us. It is but justice to the marquis to observe that in all our conversations on the Mississippi he expressed with every mark of sincerity a zeal for our claims and a pointed dislike to the national character and policy of Spain and that if his zeal should be found to abate I should construe it to be the effect of a supposed revolution in the sentiments of America." [many words in the foregoing passage had been written in code.]
p. 116: Ed. Note: "I can not believe that many minds are tainted with so illiberal and short sighted a policy." Madison evidently did not know that Washington
supported such a policy. Lafayette's letter which so alarmed its recipient was probably a mere reflection of this fact.
30 April 1785 Mémoire de Jacques le Maire (in Richmond), pp. 123-132.
p. 130: [Le Maire discussed Spain and the Mississippi, but I have not tried to translate the section, because it doesn't seem to say much new or discuss riparian rights in general.]
p. 131: "Le General Wasington . . . s'est rendu sur les lieux en 7bre. 1784., a examiné avec des gens de l'Art jusqu'à quel poient [point] les divers rivieres etoient nevigables, qu'els etoient les endroits où il seroit le plus convenable d'ouvrir ou de perfectioner les routes à travers les Montagnes, qu'elles etoient les branches navigables des rivieres qui tombent dans L'Atlantique qui s'approchassent le plus des branches Navigables de L'Ohyo. Et comme ce projet a été examiné avec attention, et d'après ces resultats et L'opinion des Commissaires nommés par les Etats de Virginie et de Mariland pour examiner murement ce projet, on a été convaincu que de touttes les rivieres de L'Atlantique celle qui s'approche le plus des branches Navigables de L'Ohyo etoit le poutoumack, n'y ayant que 30 à 40. miles au plus depuis L'og'stown où [c]ette riviere cesse d'etre navigable jusqu'à Jeesferry sur la riviere Cheat dont j'ai parlé cy dessus. Il est vray que la navigation du poutoumack est interompüe par quelques chûtes ou endroits rapides, dont la plus considerables est à 12. miles au dessus d'Alexandrie et à cinq au dessus de Gearge town où les Vaisseaux peuvent remonter. Les chûtes ont été Examinées avec le plus grand Soin et l'on a vu qu'il etoit non seulement practicable, mais même peu difficile à les rendre Navigables. En consequence une Compagnie par Action s'est formée sous la protection des gouvernements de Virginie et du Mariland et on luy a accordé le privilege de lever de certains droits (qu'on a irrevocablement fixés d'avance) sur les bateaux qui passeroient dans la Suitte sur le poutoumack à condition qu'ils enleveroient les obstacles qui en obstruent la navigation."
[My very rough translation from le Maire's idiomatic French follows:]
In September 1784, General Washington consulted with experts about how far the various rivers are navigable, where it would be most suitable to open or
perfect roads through the mountains, and which branches of the Atlantic rivers approach the navigable branches of the Ohio. This project was examined
attentively, and according to these results and the opinion of the commissioners named by Virginia and Maryland to carefully examine this project, one was
convinced that of all the rivers of the Atlantic that which approaches more of the navigable branches of the Ohio, it is the Potomac, by having but 30 to 40 miles
beyond Logstown[?], where this river ceases being navigable, until Jees[?] Ferry on the Cheat river about which I spoke above. It is true that the navigation of
the Potomac is interrupted by some falls or rapids, of which the most considerable is 12 miles above Alexandria and five miles above Georgetown, [the limit of]
where vessels can go up. The falls were examined with the greatest care and one saw that it is not only practicable, but not even very difficult to make them
navigable. Consequently a stock company was formed under the protection of the governments of Virginia and Maryland and granted the privilege to raise
certain tolls (which they irrevocably fixed in advance) on the boats which pass in series on the Potomac provided that they can surmount the obstacles which
block its navigation. [details of the shares followed.]
16 May 1785 From Richard Henry Lee (in New York), pp. 153-155.
p. 154: "Effectual measures are taking by the Assemblies of Virginia and Maryland and by the former alone for opening the navigation between the Potomac and
James Rivers with the western waters."
17 June 1785 To James Monroe (from Paris), pp. 227-234.
p. 227: "I received three days ago your favor of Apr. 12. You therein speak of a former letter to me, but it has not come to hand, nor any other of later date than the 14th. of December. My last to you was of the 11th. of May. . . . These conveiances are now becoming deranged."
pp. 228-229: "I like your removal to N. York, and hope Congress will continue there and never execute the idea of building their federal town. Before it could be
finished a change of members in Congress, or the admission of new states would remove them somewhere else. It is evident that when a sufficient number of the
Western states come in, they will remove it to George town. In the mean time it is our interest that it should remain where it is, and give no new pretensions to
any other place."
10 July 1785 To George Washington (from Paris), pp. 279-281.
p. 280: "On receiving the favour of your letter of Feb. 25. I communicated the plan for clearing the Patowmac, with the act of assembly, and an explanation of
it's probable advantages, to [banker] Mr. [Ferdinand] Grand, whose acquaintance and connection with the monied men here enabled him best to try it's success.
He has done so, but to no end. . . . I place an immense importance to my own country on this channel of connection with the new Western states. I shall continue
uneasy till I know that Virginia has assumed her ultimate boundary to the Westward. The late example of the state of Franklin separated from N. Carolina
increases my anxieties for Virginia."
26 September 1785 From George Washington, pp. 555-558.
p. 555-556: "I have the pleasure to inform you, that the subscriptions to the inland Navigations of the Rivers Potomack and James require no aid from
Foreigners. . . . I am very happy to find that your sentiments respecting the interest [i.e., shares] the Assembly was pleased to give me in the two navigations of
Potomack and James Rivers, coincide so well with my own. I never for a moment, entertained any idea of accepting. The difficulty which laboured in my Mind
was how to refuse without giving offence."
17 October 1785 From Archibald Stuart (in Richmond), pp. 644-647.
p. 644: "I shall with pleasure now inform you that the companies under the "Acts for improveing and extending the navigation of James and Potowmack Rivers"
have more than compleated the Subscriptions for that purpose. They were not authorized to exceed the sum of one hundred thousand dollars for each River.
The Potowmack Company had their subscriptions first compleated and have at present upwards of one hundred hands employed in blowing Rocks &c. . . .
Commissioners have been appointed to survey these Rivers and make Report how far they may be made navigable, at what expence, and how near this
navigation will approach to the navigation of the Western Waters."
22 October 1785 From David Ross (in Richmond), pp. 659-661.
pp. 659-660: "The long talkt of and much wisht for improvement of the Navigation of James River and Powtmk. is actually begun under the Auspices of Genl. Washington. . . . Commissioners are appointed to make a similar survey of Powtmk. River but they have not yet proceeded on the business."