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I wrote you, in a former letter, on the subject of a Mr. Paradise, who owns an estate in Virginia in right of his wife, and who has a considerable sum due to him in our loan office.  Since I came here, I have had opportunities of knowing his extreme personal worth, and his losses by the late war.  He is, from principle, a pure republican, while his father was as warm a tory.  His attachment to the American cause, and his candid warmth, brought him sometimes into altercations on the subject with his father, and some persons interested in their variance, artfully brought up this subject of conversation whenever they met.  It produced a neglect in the father.  He had already settled on him a sum of money in the funds:  but would do no more, and probably would have undone that, if he could.  When remittances from Virginia were forbidden, the profits of the Virginia estate were carried into our loan office.  Paradise was then obliged to begin to eat his capital in England:  from that, to part with conveniences, and to run in debt.  His situation is now distressing; and would be completely relieved, could he receive what is due to him from our State.  He is coming over to settle there.  His wife and family will follow him.  I never ask unjust preferences for any body.  But if, by any just means, he can be helped to his money, I own I should be much gratified.  The goodness of his heart, his kindness to Americans before, during, and since the war, the purity of his political and moral character, interest me in the events impending over him, and which will infallibly be ruinous, if he fails to receive his money.  I ask of you, on his behalf, that in pursuing the path of right, you will become active for him, instead of being merely quiescent, as you might be, were his merit and his misfortunes unknown to you.

I have put into the hands of Mr. Fulwar Skipwith for you, a packet containing some catalogues, which he will forward.  I am, with very sincere esteem, Dear Sir,

your friend and servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER VI.—­TO THE COUNT DE VERGENNES, May 3, 1786

TO THE COUNT DE VERGENNES.

Paris, May 3, 1786.

Sir,

After begging leave to present my respects to your Excellency, on my return to this place, I take the liberty of offering to your attention some papers, which I found on my arrival here, written by sundry merchants of L’Orient and others, some of whom are citizens of the United States, and all of them concerned in the trade between the two countries.  This has been carried on by an exchange of the manufactures and produce of this country, for the produce of that, and principally for tobacco, which, though, on its arrival here, confined to a single purchaser, has been received equally from all sellers.  In confidence of a continuance of this practice, the merchants of both countries were carrying on their commerce of