rass the trade of
France, Holland, &c. by such measures as several of them have practised
against England, by loading her merchandise with partial imposts,
refusing admittance to it altogether, excluding her merchants, &c. &c.
For you will observe, that though, by the second reservation before
mentioned, they can prohibit the importation of any species of
merchandise, as, for instance, though they may prohibit the importation
of wines in general, yet they cannot prohibit that of French wines in
particular. Another advantage is, that the nations having treaties with
Congress, can and do provide in such treaties for the admission of
their consuls, a kind of officer very necessary for the regulation
and protection of commerce. You know that a consul is the creature of
treaty. No nation, without an agreement, can place an officer in another
country, with any powers or jurisdiction whatever. But as the States
have renounced the separate power of making treaties with foreign
nations, they cannot separately receive a consul: and as Congress have,
by the Confederation, no immediate jurisdiction over commerce, as
they have only a power of bringing that jurisdiction into existence
by entering into a treaty, till such treaty be entered into, Congress
themselves cannot receive a consul. Till a treaty then, there exists no
power in any part of our government, federal or particular, to admit
a consul among us: and if it be true, as the papers say, that you have
lately sent one over, he cannot be admitted by any power in existence
to an exercise of any function. Nothing less than a new article, to be
agreed to by all the States, would enable Congress, or the particular
States, to receive him. You must not be surprised then, if he be not
received.

I think I have by this time tired you with American politics, and will
therefore only add assurances of the sincere regard and esteem, with
which I have the honor to be, Dear Sir,

your most obedient, humble servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CV.--TO BARON GEISMER, September 6, 1785

TO BARON GEISMER.

Paris, September 6, 1785.

Dear Sir,

Your letter of March the 28th, which I received about a month after its
date, gave me a very real pleasure, as it assured me of an existence
which I valued, and of which I had been led to doubt. You are now too
distant from America, to be much interested in what passes there. From
the London gazettes, and the papers copying them, you are l