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 JEFFERSON TO JOHN JAY, FROM PARIS, AUGUST 23, 1785 



The following letter contains one of Jefferson's famous statements about 

 the place of agriculture in the life of the Nation. 



.... The present [letter] ... is occasioned by the question pro- 

 posed in yours of June the 14th; "whether it would be useful to us. 

 to carry all our own productions, or none?" j 



Were we perfectly free to decide this question, I should reason as 

 follows. We have now lands enough to employ an infinite number of 

 people in their cultivation. Cultivators of the earth are the most 

 valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, 

 the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country, and wedded to 

 its liberty and interests, by the most lasting bonds. As long, there- 

 fore, as they can find employment in this line, I would not convert 

 them into mariners, artisans, or anything else. But our citizens will 

 find employment in this line, till their numbers, and of course their 

 productions, become too great for the demand, both internal and for- 

 eign. This is not the case as yet, and probably will not be for a 

 considerable time. As soon as it is, the surplus of hands must be turned 

 to something else. I should then, perhaps, wish to turn them to the 

 sea in preference to manufactures; because, comparing the characters 

 of the two classes, I find the former the most valuable citizens.... 



But what will be the consequence? Frequent wars without a doubt. 

 Their property will be violated on the sea, and in foreign ports, their 

 persons will be insulted, imprisoned, &c . , for pretended debts, con- 

 tracts, crimes, contraband, 8:c . , Scc . These insults must be resented, 

 even if we had no feelings, yet to prevent their eternal repetition; 

 or in other words, our commerce on the ocean and in other countries, 

 must be paid for by frequent war. ... I hope our land office will 

 rid us of our debts, and that our first attention then, will be, to the 

 beginning a naval force of some sort. This alone can countenance our 

 people as carriers on the water, and I suppose them to be determined 

 to continue such. ... - H. A. Washington, ed. , The Writings of Thomas J[effer- 

 son. 1:403-405 (Washington, D. C, Taylor & Maury, 1853). 



