5456. MONOPOLY, Tobacco.—[further continued]
Some symptoms make
me suspect that my proceedings to reduce the
abusive administration of tobacco by the Farmers
General have indisposed towards me a
powerful person in Philadelphia, who was
profiting from that abuse. An expression in the
enclosed letter of M. de Calonnes would seem
to imply that I had asked the abolition of Mr.
Morris's contract. I never did. On the contrary,
I always observed to them that it would
be unjust to annul that contract. I was led to
this by principles both of justice and interest.
Of interest, because that contract would keep
up the price of tobacco here to thirty-four,
thirty-six and thirty-eight livres, from which it
will fall when it shall no longer have that support.
However, I have done what was right,
and I will not so far wound my privilege of
doing that, without regard to any man's interest,
as to enter into any explanation of this
paragraph with him. Yet I esteem him highly,
and suppose that hitherto he had esteemed me.—
To James Monroe. Washington ed. ii, 70.
(P.
1786)
