180 Thomas Rodney. THOMAS KODNEY. BY SIMON GEATZ, ESQ. (Continued from page 65.) Thomas Rodney to Ccesar A. Rodney. Washington, M. T. May 2d. 1809. My dear Son Yours of the 19th of March came to hand by the Mail before last but I was absent when the Mail returned— My advice respecting yourself you will find in a former Letter. The appointments mentd. by you Came on in the papers before your Letter—I doubt whether the government can part with Mr. Gallatin Conveniently at this Important Crisis at least—His turn of mind sutes his office and he is a Vigilent officer & pays great attention to his department in and altho he is not a favorite of mine I shall not deny him what he merits— I like Economy but not that partial kind which deals out money too liberal in some directions and too nigardly in others—Genuine Economy is uniform and always (in governments) aught to be Impartial [?] for as Constitutionally public money is a Compensation for public Services—it aught always to be in proportion to the services—The Partial Repeal of the Embargo has been of no benefit here to the Price of Cotton—It got up to 13 dols but has fallen again to ten a hundred— By our latest accounts (to wit to the 16th of Jany.) the French have beat the Brittish out of Spain so that no doubt the Emperor is in full possession of that Country —I presume this will bring about Peace unless Eng- land should Determine to defend the Spanish American Colonies, who seem to aim at Independence (which I wish them to obtain) but in this Case Napoleon will Thomas Rodney. 181 turn all Ms force against England herself in good Earnest to destroy her. Present my Eespects to Mr. Poindexter. I am sorry lie did not succeed but tell him that such things sometimes turn out for the better in the End—I mentioned to Major Carter & Mr. Stark his being in want of money and they are Exerting them- selves to dispose of his Cotton to the best advantage. I have not written to Mr. P. D. Expecting that if he was appointed he would have Come on but will write as I now presume he will attend the Ensuing Sessions of Congress. Judge Leak rides the Spring Circuit but as soon as the Supreme Court is over will set off for his family and probably will not return till next Spring so that the laboring oar will fall on me again unless our new Judge Mr. Martin Comes on—Gen1. Wilkinson is at Orleans and as the Brittish are busy in the French "West Indies, will probably have nothing to do, and it is said will move most of the troops to this territory on ace1, of their health but your information will be better than mine on this subject—We have had green peas here two weeks, and my wheat will be fit to cut this week— Wheat that grows here is equal to that of Delaware or Maryland—and the ground produces more. I raised last year about 45 bush8 on an acre & a half and this year 1 acre will produce 20 to 25 bus1. I have not heard from Dover or Delaware for a long time—Know not what has become of them— Thomas Eodney P. S. The People of this Territory are a mixed mul- titude and Include a great Variety of Caractors among those are Some who Fled here to the Brittish in the Early part of our Revolution—Some who came while the Spaniards Euled here—There are too renegades from the States who having been punished there fly here where they are not known—Some of them reform and become good Citizens—others pursue their Evil VOL. XLV.—13 182 Thomas Rodney. way and give our Courts some trouble—But the far greater part of the Citizens are good Eepublicans and are animated by a firm active and Energetic Spirit of Patriotism not Exceeded in any of the States—They turned out to oppose Burr's Conspiracy with such readiness and alacraty as Military Men that nothing more [torn] have been asked of them—Yet [torn] they approved the general tenor of the [torn] President's Conduct they were Induced by some Circumstances to believe that his Mind had been prejudiced in some Degree by Misrepresentations against the Inhabitants of this Territory—This they Attributed to person who they thought did not Merit so much of his Confidence— There are few more generally acquainted with the People here than I am—aftd I believe that on any ardent & just occasion the Eepublicans would support the General Government with as much Energy and Alacraty as any part of the Union I mention this to dispel any unfavorable Ideas that may have been Entertained at Head Quarters—In fact this territory is the Bullwork of the western Country, T.E. Thomas Rodney to Gwsar A. Rodney. Town Washington M. T. Septr. 30th 1809, My dear Son I flattered myself some time ago with the hope of having it in my power to visit my friends in Delaware next Winter but Judge Leak went off for his family last June and is not expected back Untill next Spring; and Judge Martin of N. C. our new Judge has not yet arrived nor is it known here when he will come—I re- ceived a Letter from him in July in which he proposed being here in that month but July, August & September have passed away and we have heard nothing further from him, so that the whole duties of the Superior Judiciary have remained on my Hands since May, and Thomas Rodney. 183 I have three or four Counties yet to hold the fall Cir- cuit Courts in two others I have already passed through. It is not only Expensive but laborious to be on the Cir- cuit and sit alone for better than two months, Espe- cially in such Uncomfortable Court Houses as we have yet in this new Country—I sincerely hope that when there is occasion to appoint another judge for this Ter- ritory that some gentleman of the Law in the Territory will be preferred—Our gentlemen at the bar here are numerous and many of them not inferior to any that Can be had in the States who would come to this Country. Special Pleading is adhered to in our Courts perhaps with as much Strictness Elegance and propriety as in any of the States, so that Even the Young Lawyers are obliged to read their books and be very attentive to their business or want bread—beside there are sev- eral gentlemen in the territory who have read the Law but have declined the practice—I have said this much because for 4 years past I have felt the burthen and inconvenience both to myself, by being left so often alone, and to the people by the delay of their business as it requires two Judges to hold the Supreme Court and there are so many Counties that one judge unless he had an Iron Constitution Cannot attend them all the full time required to git through the business of each— But the unfortunate situation of the Country for want of a market makes delay at present no very great in- convenience—Indeed there is so little money, and the Country so much in debt that if the Courts were to go through their business, the Country would be in a great measure ruined; for the most wealthy people in it canr not pay their debts at this time—Yet when this is the Case Suits are always multiplied. "We hear that the Brittish Minister which was prom- ised to settle all our Differences has arrived—But after the principles they have avowed; and their Condem- 184 Thomas Rodney. nation of the Conduct of Mr. Erskine, what can they propose that will not condemn their own Cabinet or offend ours? Their disposition has been uniformly offensive toward the U. S. since the Peace of 1783 to this time—is the outrage they have Committed on the Conduct of their own Minister because he Endeav*. to assuage the irretation, any Evidence of their Inten- tion to propose anything reasonable or Acceptable to us? Certainly not. "What then is left for us to do? Must we shut ourselves up in our own Country and all our Surplus produce, and all our Shiping be left to rot and waste on our hands? The People Indeed have Bourne this, while there was a prospect of its produc- ing advantageous Effects, but will the Enterprising Spirit and Industry of the Americans bare to have their hands always tied? I presume not—What Else can they do? Is it not time after so many outrages, and provocations for them to range all their Marshal spirit, all their Virtue & Patriotism, all their Energy and fire, and Present a firm, bold, determined and war- like Front to Great Brittain; and tell them as we did heretofore, that since Every peaceable and persuavive Measure has faild, we are prepaired to defend our rights at the point of the Bayonet? But I still hope that the people will Confide in the wisdom of our government, and that they will pursue those measures that will be most calculated to secure the safety and promote the prosperity of our Country. General Wilkinson and a Considerable part of the army are Expected at Fort Dearbourn near this town in a few days—The Gen1, wishes to reside in town but will find it difficult to git a House that will be Con- venient—It has been more sickly here than usual—The new Govr.