“ de La Fayette, et Je n’y Changerai rien que de Concert avec vous.

"Je vous supplie, Monsieur, de me pardonner toutes mes importunités. Rien n’egale, Le vif interet que je prens à vos nouvelles republiques: cet interet aura du moins L’Avantage d’en donner des idées Justes, et quand il seroit inutile d’ailleurs, vous vous plairés surement, Monsieur, à Continuer d’instruire un homme, qui se Livre avec tant d’ardeur, à un travail honorable pour Les etats unis . . .”

Again, in a letter dated only Vendredi, Démeunier wrote to Jefferson: “M. Démeunier est penetré de reconnaissance de tout ce que Monsieur Jefferson a La bonté de faire pour Lui: Il est si agreable et si heureux, d’avoir L’honneur de causer avec un homme si parfaitement instruit, si zelé pour Les choses interessantes, et si interessante Lui-même en-tous égards, que M. Démeunier prendra peut-être La Liberté de Lui demander encore quelques momens.

"Il va corriger et etendre Le Morceau sur Les etats unis d’après Les renseignemens de Monsieur Jefferson; il le fera transcrire ensuite, et il aura L’honneur de Le Lui envoyer, il ose esperer que cette Lecture ne deplaira pas au Ministre des etats unis . . .”

The Jefferson papers in the Library of Congress contain also a fragment of 12 pages, in Jefferson’s autograph, undated, with notes in English and French, used in the article on the Etats Unis in the Encyclopédie. A part of this material is to be found in Section X, De la Population des Etats-Unis.

Jefferson made use of the notes prepared for Démeunier to answer the questions of others.

To some questions put to him by Van Hogendorp, in a letter dated from Leyden, August 2, 1786, Jefferson answered almost entirely from his notes for the Encyclopédie. Van Hogendorp wrote: “. . . I am writing a Dissertation De ratione Subsidii foederatis debiti, and take the freedom to desire your answering without any delay the following Queries. Which are at present the general interests of the United states? What is the extent of the Congress’s power in managing them? Which are the expences of Congress? Which the revenues. In which way do the particular states contribute to the general expences? Are general duties, to be levied by Congress, still expected to be acquiesced to by the States? . . . A short but authentic account of the present state of the Bank of North America would be very acceptable to me.”

Jefferson replied from Paris on August 25 in a letter of four closely written pages, reading in part: “ Your favour of the 2 ^d. instant has been duly recieved, and I employ the first moment which has been at my disposal to answer it. The author of the part of the new Encyclopedia which relates to Political economy having asked of me materials for the article Etats-Unis, stating a number of questions relative to them, I answered them as minutely & exactly as was in my power. he has from these compiled the greater part that article. I take the liberty of inclosing you one of them which will give you all the details to which your letter refers, as it is in my power to furnish them. I can even refer you to the passages which answer your several questions . . . ”

Jefferson then pointed out the pages where the questions were answered. Later in the letter Jefferson gave an account of the Banks, and of his own part in the Encyclopédie: “ . . . The Philadelphia bank was incorporated by Congress. this is perhaps the only instance of their having done that, which they had no power to do. necessity obliged them to give this institution the appearance of their countenance, because in that moment they were without any other resource for money. the legislature of Pennsylvania however passed an act of incorporation for the bank, & declared that the holders of stock should be responsible only to the amount of their stock. lately that legislature has repealed their act. the consequence is that the bank is now altogether a private institution and every holder is liable for it’s engagements in his whole property. this has had a curious effect. it has given those who deposit money in the bank a greater faith in it, while it has rendered the holders very discontented, as being more exposed to risk, and has induced many to sell out, so that I have heard ”