2093. DEBTS DUE BRITISH, Jefferson's Personal.—[further continued].
Besides these reasons in
favor of the general mass of debtors, I have
some peculiar to my own case. In the year
1776, before a shilling of paper money was issued,
I sold lands to the amount of four thousand
two hundred pounds sterling. In order to
pay these two debts I offered the bonds of the
purchasers to your agent, Mr. Evans, if he
would acquit me, and accept of the purchasers
as debtors in my place. They were as sure as
myself had he done it. These debts, being
turned over to you, would have been saved to
you by the treaty of peace, but he declined it.
Great sums of paper money were afterwards
issued. This depreciated, and payment was
made me in this money when it was but a
shadow. Our laws do not entitle their own
citizens to require repayment in these cases,
though the treaty authorizes the British creditor
to do it. Here, then, I lost the principal and
interest once. Again Lord Cornwallis encamped
ten days on an estate of mine at Elk island,
having his headquarters in my house. He
burned all the tobacco houses and barns on
the farm, with the produce of the former year
in them. He burned all the enclosures, and
wasted the fields in which the crop of that year
(it was the month of June), was growing. He
killed or carried off every living animal, cutting
the throats of those which were too young for
service. Of the slaves, he carried away thirty.
The useless and barbarous injury he did me,
in that instance, was more than would have
repaid your debt, principal and interest. Thus
I lost it a second time. Still I lay my shoulder
assiduously to the payment of it a third time.
In doing this, however, I think yourself will be
of opinion that I am authorized in justice to
clear it of every article not demandable in strict
right. Of this nature I consider interest during
the war.—
To William Jones.
Ford ed., iv, 353.
(1787)
