MONTHLY 



JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



VOL. U. APRIL, 1847. NO. 10, 



WASHINGTON'S ACCOUNT 



OF THE 



AGRICULTURAL ADVANTAGES OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1796. 



[Correspondence on Agriculture between Sir John Sinclair and Gen, Washington.] 



An Account of the Circumstances which induced Sir ^ ~Xj y ' ^^ 

 John Sinclair to apply to General WASHiNGTON>r ' f^ ^^■'<^'yt^C'-tiyy>^ 



information respecting the several States of North Amer- 

 ica, in the year 1796. 



/<^«^ /^g,2/. 



" At the commencement of the year 1796, the aspect of public affairs in Great Britain be- 

 -came of the gloomiest description. Such was the success of the arms of France, and such 

 the terror which they inspired, that the Continent seemed to be completely subdued ; while 

 the affairs of Great Britain itself were so unsuccessfully conducted as to give rise to the most 

 serious apprehensions, in the minds of many, that it could not much longer continue the 

 contest. The Minister who then governed this conutrj- (the Right Honorable William Pitt) 

 was endowed with extraordiiiarj' talents and almost unequaled powers of eloquence. Ho 

 was much better calculated, however, to shine in a popular assembly than to conduct a war, 

 more especially in conjunction with other States, whom it was necessary to manage, to con- 

 ciliate, and to rouse to the greatest possible exertions. He had not, himself, acquired any 

 knowledge of foreign nations, and he would not listen to the communications of those who 

 wished to give him true information respecting their characters and views — how far they 

 might be depended on, and what they were capable of effecting. For some years I hod 

 been in habits of great nlimacy with him, during which period every suggestion ti-ansmitted 

 by me for his consideration was almost uuifonnly attended to. But latterly, from an inor- 

 dinate confidence in his own resources, uu unwillingness to Usteu to disagreeable truths, 

 (which an independent character felt it his duty to state, when any occasion required it,) 

 and a dislike to those who would not be completely subservient to him on all occasions, he 

 all at once altered so much his style of behavior toward me that our coimection together wa« 

 dissolved. 



" At that period of time, any person who did not believe in the infallibility of William Pitt 

 ■was considered a species of public enemy. Disgusted with a nation which had thus sub- 

 mitted itself to the control of one individual, whom I considered in the light of a personal 

 enemy, and seeing but little prospect that the countiy would be extricated from the difficul- 

 ties in which it was involved, unle.ss a different system was pursued, which was not veiy 

 probable, I naturally thought it necessary to look out for an asylum for myself and family, 



(913) as 



