Book Reviews : The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Vol. I, 1760-1776. Edited by JULIAN P. BOYD. Lyman H. Butterfield and Mina R. Bryan, associate editors. (Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1950. Pp. 1viii, 679. $10.00.)

• DOI: 10.1177/106591295000300421
• Author: W.O. Farber
• Date: 01 December 1950
• Published date: 01 December 1950
• Subject Matter: Articles

640

Peace,

1776-1784.

Along

with

this

stands

the

monumental

task,

just

begun,

of

the

Princeton

University

Press

in

bringing

out

The

Papers

of

Thomas

Je f f erson.

Now

comes

Mrs.

Kimball’s

third

volume,

covering

what

is,

in

many

ways,

one

of

the

most

delightful

chapters

in

the

Jefferson

story.

This

is

not

a

diplomatic

history

but

a

minutely

detailed

account

of

Jefferson’s

travels

and

environment

while

United

States

minister

in

Paris

on

the

eve

of

the

French

Revolution.

The

author

obviously

knows

Europe

well

and

can

thereby

develop

fully

and

intimately

these

years

in

Paris,

the

trips

through

northern

Italy,

England,

and

particularly

the

journey

up

the

Rhine.

Always

alert

to

the

possibility

of

increasing

the

yield

and

diversification

of

agriculture,

Jefferson

took

singular

notice

of

the

culture

of

rice

in

Italy

and

the

viniculture

of

France

and

Germany.

The

ubiquitous

Jefferson

never

ceased

to

attract

a

stimulating

circle

of

friends

and

visitors,

American

and

European.

The

American

legation

became

a

center

of

hospitality;

indeed,

&dquo;no

one

with

any

intellectual

pre-

tensions

could

arrive

in

Paris

without

engaging

Jefferson’s

interest

and

help,

if

needed&dquo;

(p.

242).

Chapters

detailing

&dquo;The

World

of

Art&dquo;

and

&dquo;The

Circle

of

Literati&dquo;

elaborate

upon

this

theme.

The

description

of

Jefferson’s

ministerial

duties

and

diplomatic

nego-

tiations,

although

occupying

less

space,

is

valuable

and

interesting.

His

attempts

to

secure

commercial

treaties

for

the

United

States,

and

the

successful

revision

of

the

consular

convention

with

France

provide

a

useful

insight

into

the

problems

confronting

American

statesmen

in

this

period.

The

chapter

devoted

to

the

delicate

question

of

American

war

debts

to

Holland

and

France

found

Jefferson

in

the

role

of

financier,

a

difficult

and,

at

times,

embarrassing

task,

but

one

in

which

he

enjoyed

satisfaction

from

firm

accomplishment.

He

derived

less

credit

for

his

questionable

inter-

vention

in

the

affairs

of

France

at

the

onset

of

the

revolution.

Nevertheless,

his

close

relationship

with

many

of

the

French

leaders

of

the

day

placed

him

in

the

position

of

observer

extraordinary.

The

lively

chronicle

of

his

reactions

to

the

French

movement

for

freedom

is

noteworthy.

Adding

greatly

to

the

pleasure

and

understanding

of

the

reader

are

fifteen

excellent

contemporary

paintings,

drawings

and

engravings,

judi-

ciously

selected

and

well

reproduced.

STEPHEN

S.

GOODSPEED.

University

of

California,

Santa

Barbara

College.

The

Papers

of

Thomas

Jefferson.

Vol.

I,

1760-1776.

Edited

by

JULIAN P.

BOYD.

Lyman

H.

Butterfield

and

Mina

R.

Bryan,

associate

editors.

(Princeton:

Princeton

University

Press.

1950.

Pp.

1viii,

679.

$10.00.)

The

preparation

of

The

Papers

of

Thomas

Jefferson

constitutes

an

am-

bitious

and

significant

project.

The

announced

purpose

is

&dquo;to

present

the