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DEAR SIR； Your favor of December 12 came duly to hand； as
did the 2'd。 letter to Doctor Linn； and the treatise of Phlogiston；
for which I pray you to accept my thanks。 The copy for Mr。
Livingston has been delivered； together with your letter to him； to
Mr。 Harvie； my secretary； who departs in a day or two for Paris； &
will deliver them himself to Mr。 Livingston； whose attention to your
matter cannot be doubted。 I have also to add my thanks to Mr。
Priestley； your son； for the copy of your Harmony； which I have gone
through with great satisfaction。 It is the first I have been able to
meet with； which is clear of those long repetitions of the same
transaction； as if it were a different one because related with some
different circumstances。
I rejoice that you have undertaken the task of comparing the
moral doctrines of Jesus with those of the ancient Philosophers。 You
are so much in possession of the whole subject； that you will do it
easier & better than any other person living。 I think you cannot
avoid giving； as preliminary to the comparison； a digest of his moral
doctrines； extracted in his own words from the Evangelists； and
leaving out everything relative to his personal history and
character。 It would be short and precious。 With a view to do this
for my own satisfaction； I had sent to Philadelphia to get two
testaments Greek of the same edition； & two English； with a design to
cut out the morsels of morality； and paste them on the leaves of a
book； in the manner you describe as having been pursued in forming
your Harmony。 But I shall now get the thing done by better hands。
I very early saw that Louisiana was indeed a speck in our
horizon which was to burst in a tornado； and the public are
unapprized how near this catastrophe was。 Nothing but a frank &
friendly development of causes & effects on our part； and good sense
enough in Bonaparte to see that the train was unavoidable； and would
change the face of the world； saved us from that storm。 I did not
expect he would yield till a war took place between France and
England； and my hope was to palliate and endure； if Messrs。 Ross；
Morris； &c。 did not force a premature rupture； until that event。 I
believed the event not very distant； but acknolege it came on sooner
than I had expected。 Whether； however； the good sense of Bonaparte
might not see the course predicted to be necessary & unavoidable；
even before a war should be imminent； was a chance which we thought
it our duty to try； but the immediate prospect of rupture brought the
case to immediate decision。 The _denoument_ has been happy； and I
confess I look to this duplication of area for the extending a
government so free and economical as ours； as a great achievement to
the mass of happiness which is to ensue。 Whether we remain in one
confederacy； or form into Atlantic and Mississippi confederacies； I
believe not very important to the happiness of either part。 Those of
the western confederacy will be as much our children & descendants as
those of the eastern； and I feel myself as much identified with that
country； in future time； as with this； and did I now foresee a
separation at some future day； yet I should feel the duty & the
desire to promote the western interests as zealously as the eastern；
doing all the good for both portions of our future family which
should fall within my power。
Have you seen the new work of Malthus on population？ It is one
of the ablest I have ever seen。 Altho' his main object is to
delineate the effects of redundancy of population； and to test the
poor laws of England； & other palliations for that evil； several
important questions in political economy； allied to his subject
incidentally； are treated with a masterly hand。 It is a single 4'to。
volume； and I have been only able to read a borrowed copy； the only
one I have yet heard of。 Probably our friends in England will think
of you； & give you an opportunity of reading it。 Accept my
affectionate salutations； and assurances of great esteem & respect。
MALTHUS AND THE NEW WORLD
_To Jean Baptiste Say_
_Washington； February 1； 1804_
DEAR SIR； I have to acknowledge the receipt of your obliging
letter； and with it； of two very interesting volumes on Political
Economy。 These found me engaged in giving the leisure moments I
rarely find； to the perusal of Malthus' work on population； a work of
sound logic； in which some of the opinions of Adam Smith； as well as
of the economists； are ably examined。 I was pleased； on turning to
some chapters where you treat the same questions； to find his
opinions corroborated by yours。 I shall proceed to the reading of
your work with great pleasure。 In the meantime； the present
conveyance； by a gentleman of my family going to Paris； is too safe
to hazard a delay in making my acknowledgments for this mark of
attention； and for having afforded to me a satisfaction； which the
ordinary course of literary communications could not have given me
for a considerable time。
The differences of circumstance between this and the old
countries of Europe； furnish differences of fact whereon to reason；
in questions of political economy； and will consequently produce
sometimes a difference of result。 There； for instance； the quantity
of food is fixed； or increasing in a slow and only arithmetical
ratio； and the proportion is limited by the same ratio。
Supernumerary births consequently add only to your mortality。 Here
the immense extent of uncultivated and fertile lands enables every
one who will labor to marry young； and to raise a family of any size。
Our food； then； may increase geometrically with our laborers； and our
births； however multiplied； become effective。 Again； there the best
distribution of labor is supposed to be that which places the
manufacturing hands alongside the agricultural； so that the one part
shall feed both； and the other part furnish both with clothes and
other comforts。 Would that be best here？ Egoism and first
appearances say yes。 Or would it be better that all our laborers
should be employed in agriculture？ In this case a double or treble
portion of fertile lands would be brought into culture； a double or
treble creation of food be produced； and its surplus go to nourish
the now perishing births of Europe； who in return would manufacture
and send us in exchange our clothes and other comforts。 Morality
listens to this； and so invariably do the laws of nature create our
duties and interests； that when they seem to be at variance； we ought
to suspect some fallacy in our reasonings。 In solving this question；
too； we should allow its just weight to the moral and physical
preference of the agricultural； over the manufacturing； man。 My
occupations permit me only to ask questions。 They deny me the time；
if I had the information； to answer them。 Per