2091. DEBTS DUE BRITISH, Jefferson's Personal.—
With respect to myself, I
acknowledge to you that I do not think an interest
justly demandable during the war.
Whatever I owed, with interest previous and
subsequent to the war, I have taken measures
for paying as speedily as possible. My chief
debts are to yourself, and to Mr. Jones, of
Bristol. In the year 1776, before there was a
shilling of paper money issued, I sold land for
£4200 to pay these two debts. I did not receive
the money till it was not worth oak leaves.
I have lost the principal and interest of these
debts once then in attempting to pay them.
Besides this, Lord Cornwallis's army took off
thirty of my slaves, burned one year's crop of
tobacco in my houses, and destroyed another
in the fields with other damages to the amount
of three or four thousand pounds. Still, I am
renewing my efforts to pay what I justly ought;
and I hope these will be more successful. My
whole estate is left in the hands of Mr. Lewis,
of Albemarle, and Mr. Eppes, of Chesterfield,
to apply its whole profits to the payment of
my debts. * * * Till payment is effected,
I shall not draw one shilling from the estate,
nor resume its possession. * * * I think it
very possible that you will not concur with me
in opinion as to the intermediate interest; and
that so far I shall meet your censure. Both
parties are liable to feel too strongly the arguments
which tend to justify their endeavors to
avoid this loss. Yet after making allowances
for this prejudice, it seems to me impossible
but that the hardships are infinitely greater on
our side than on yours. You have lost the interest
but it is not we who have gained it. We
deem your nation the aggressors. They took
those profits which arose from your property in
our hands, and inflicted on us immeasurable
losses besides. I urge these considerations because,
while they decide my own opinion, I wish
them to weigh so much as to preserve me yours,
which I highly esteem, and should be afflicted
were I to lose it.—
To Alexander McCaul.
Ford ed., iv, 204.
(L.
1786)
