7854. SHEEP (Merinos), Importing.—
The necessity we are under, and the determination
we have formed of emancipating ourselves
from a dependence on foreign countries for manufactures which may be advantageously
established among ourselves, has produced a
very general desire to improve the quality of
our wool by the introduction of the Merino
race of sheep. Your sense of the duties you
owe to your station will not permit me to ask,
nor yourself to do any act which might compromit
you with the government [Spain] with
which you reside, or forfeit that confidence on
their part which can alone enable you to be
useful to your country. But, as far as that will
permit you to give aid to the procuring and
bringing away some of the valuable race, I take
the liberty of soliciting you to do so. It will
be an important service rendered to your country;
to which you will be further encouraged
by the assurance that the enterprise is solely on
the behalf of agricultural gentlemen of distinguished
character in Washington and its
neighborhood, with a view of disseminating the
benefits of their success as widely as they can.
Without any interest in it myself, other than
the general one, I cannot help wishing a favorable
result * * *.—
To George W. Irving. Washington ed. v, 479.
(M.
Nov. 1809)
