n beauty to any thing in
America, and not inferior to any thing in the world. It is very simple.
Have you a copying press? If you have not, you should get one. Mine
(exclusive of paper, which costs a guinea a ream) has cost me about
fourteen guineas. I would give ten times that sum, to have had it from
the date of the stamp act. I hope you will be so good as to continue
your communications, both of the great and small kind, which are equally
useful to me. Be assured of the sincerity with which I am, Dear Sir,

your friend and servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CII.--TO MESSRS. DUMAS AND SHORT, September 1, 1785

TO MESSRS. DUMAS AND SHORT.

Paris, September 1, 1785.

Gentlemen,

I have been duly honored with the receipt of your separate letters of
August 23rd, and should sooner have returned an answer, but that as you
had written also to Mr. Adams, I thought it possible I might receive his
sentiments on the subject, in time for the post. Not thinking it proper
to lose the occasion of the post, I have concluded to communicate to you
my separate sentiments, which you will of course pay attention to, only
so far as they may concur with what you shall receive from Mr. Adams.

On a review of our letters to the Baron de Thulemeyer, I do not find
that we had proposed that the treaty should be in two columns, the
one English, and the other what he should think proper. We certainly
intended to have proposed it. We had agreed together that it should be
an article of system with us, and the omission of it, in this instance,
has been accidental. My own opinion, therefore, is, that to avoid the
appearance of urging new propositions when every thing appeared to be
arranged, we should agree to consider the French column as the original,
if the Baron de Thulemeyer thinks himself bound to insist on it: but
if the practice of his court will admit of the execution in the two
languages, each to be considered as equally original, it would be very
pleasing to me, as it will accommodate it to our views, relieve us from
the embarrassment of this precedent, which may be urged against us on
other occasions, and be more agreeable to our country, where the French
language is spoken by very few. This method will be also attended with
the advantage, that if any expression in any part of the treaty is
equivocal in the one language, its true sense will be known by the
corresponding passage in the other.

The errors of the copyist, in