Page:Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies, from the papers of Thomas Jefferson - Volume 1.djvu/57

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Anatomy, Medicine and Chemistry, and one of Modern lan guages; and the charter confining us to six professorships, we added the Law of Nature and Nations, and the Fine Arts to the duties of the Moral professor, and Natural History to those of the professor of Madiematics and Natural Philosophy.

Being now, as it were, identified with the Commonwealth itself, to write my own history, during the two years of my administration, would be to write the public history of that portion of the revolution within this state. This has been done by others, and particularly by Mr. Girardin, who wrote his Continuation of Burke s History of Virginia, while at Milton, in this neighborhood, had free access to all my papers while composing it, and has given as faithful an account as I could mjself. For this portion, therefore, of my own life, I refer altogether to his history. From a belief that, under the pres sure of the invasion under which we were then laboring, the public would have more confidence in a Military chief, and that the Mili tary commander, being invested with the Civil power also, both might be wielded with more energy, promptitude and effect for the defence of the state, I resigned the administration at the end of my second year, and General Nelson was appointed to succeed me.

Soon after my leaving Congress, in September, 76, to wit, on the last day of that month, I had been appointed, with Dr. Frank lin, to go to France, as a Commissioner, to negociate treaties of al liance and commerce with that government. Silas Deane,then in France, acting as* agent for procuring military stores, was joined with us in commission. But such was the state of my family that I could not leave it, nor could I expose it to the dangers of the sea, and of capture by the British ships, then covering the ocean. I saw, too, that the laboring oar was really at home, where much was to be done, of the most permanent interest, in new modelling our governments, and much to defend our fanes and fire-sides from the desolations of an invading enemy, pressing on our country in every point. I declined, therefore, and Dr. Lee was appointed in my place. On the 15th of June, 1781, 1 had been appointed, with Mr. Adams, Dr. Franklin, Mr. Jay, and Mr. Laurens, a Minister Plenipotentiary for negociating peace, then expected to be effected through the mediation of the Empress of Russia. The same rea sons obliged me still to decline ; and the negociation was in fact never entered on. But, in the autumn of the next year, 1 782, Con-

agent for military supplies, and also for sounding the dispositions of the go vernment of France, and seeing how far they would favor us, either secretly or openly. His appointment had been by the Committee of foreign corres pondence, March, 177C.
 * His ostensible character was to be that of a merchant, his real one that of

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