TO THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
Monticello, July 25,1808.
Dear Sir,—I enclose you the petition of Somes, to do in it whatever is agreeable to general rule.
Punqua Winchung, the Chinese Mandarin, has, I believe, his head quarters at New York, and therefore his case is probably known to you. He came to Washington just as I had left it, and therefore wrote to me, praying permission to depart for his own country with his property, in a vessel to be engaged by himself. I enclose you Mr. Madison's letter, which contains everything I know on the subject. I consider it as a case of national comity, and coming within the views of the first section of the first embargo act. The departure of this individual with good dispositions, may be the means of making our nation known advantageously at the source of power in China, to which it is otherwise difficult to convey information. It may be of sensible advantage to our merchants in that country. I cannot therefore but consider that a chance of obtaining a permanent national good should overweigh the effect of a single case taken out of the great field of the embargo. The case, too, is so singular, that it can lead to no embarrassment as a precedent.
I think, therefore, he should be permitted to engage a vessel to carry himself and his property, under such cautions and recommendations to him as you shall think best.
I leave it therefore to yourself to direct all the necessary details without further application to me, and for this purpose send you a blank passport for the vessel, &c., and Mr. Graham will obtain and forward you passports from the foreign ministers here. I salute you with affection and respect.
TO MR. BIBB.
Monticello, July 28, 1808.
Sir,—I received duly your favor of July 1st, covering an offer of Mr. McDonald of an iron mine to the public, and I thank you for taking the trouble of making the communication, as it might have its utility. But having always observed that public works are much less advantageously managed than the same are by private hands, I have thought it better for the public to go to market for whatever it wants which is to be found there; for there competition brings it down to the minimum of value. I have no doubt we can buy brass cannon at market cheaper than we could make iron ones. I think it material too, not to abstract the high executive officers from those functions which nobody else is charged to carry on, and to employ them in superintending works which are going on abundantly in private hands. Our predecessors went on different principles; they bought iron mines, and sought for copper ones. We own a mine at Harper's Ferry of the finest iron ever put into a cannon, which we are afraid to attempt to work. We have rented it heretofore, but it is now without a tenant.
We send a vessel to France and England every six weeks, for the purposes of public as well as mercantile correspondence. These the public papers are in the habit of magnifying into special missionaries for great and special purposes. It is true that they carry our public despatches, whether the subject of the day happens to be great or small. The Osage was one of these; but she was charged with nothing more than repetitions of instructions to our ministers not to cease in their endeavors to have the obnoxious orders and decrees repealed. She brought not a tittle of the least interest. The St. Michael was another of these vessels, and may now be expected in a few days. The schooner Hope was a third, and sailed a few days ago. She may be expected a fortnight before Congress meets, and our ministers are apprized that whatsoever the belligerent powers mean to do, must be done before that time, as on the state of things then existing and known to us, Congress will have to act. I return the letter of Mr. McDonald, as it may be useful for other purposes, and salute you with esteem and respect.