FOUR LETTERS

"...la importancia de aquel Puerto" — Mariano Moreno

AM | @HDI1780

[1] Volney to Jefferson. Volney, and later Alexander von Humboldt and Mariano Moreno, were all keen readers of Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia (*). "Si vous reimprimez Vos Notes de Virginie, j'aurai Veritable plaisir à Vous en extraire ce qui vous conviendra". But then something interesting happens. Robespierre is dead, and a new, balanced constitution, is in place. Volney notes that the flow of credit is back to normal: "... l'on vend à terme de 90 jours, chose inouië depuis 3 ans". In other words: despotic government destroys credit markets; only freedom, the rule of law and stable property rights can bring them back to life.

(*) Volney to Thomas Jefferson, 12 December 1796, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Barbara B. Olberg (ed.), Vol. 29, March 1796 to December 1797. Princeton University Press, 2002, p. 222.
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[2] Dana to Adams. Francis Dana, the head of a mission from the Continental Congress to the Russian court [see], writes from St-Petersburg (*). The P.S. of the letter is about two books anxiously awaited by the American diplomat: Raynal's Histoire des deux Indes and Smith's Wealth of Nations (in that order). "If Capt: Bell who went over to England while I was in Holland, has not bought the Abbe Raynal's History of the Indies (in English), and Smith's Wealth of Nations, for me, pray give the necessary directions to Messrs: Sigourney & Co: to send me the last Editions of both works, on my account, and to forward them in my name by the first good opportunity to Mr: Jona: Jackson". The aura of Histoire des deux Indes was still immense; in the United States, it would start to decline towards the end of the War, with Jefferson, Paine and Mazzei focusing on its weak points (mostly the absurd notion of dégénération).

(*) Francis Dana to John Adams, 6 December 1781. Gregg L. Lint (ed.) The Papers of John Adams, Vol. 12, October 1781-April 1782. Harvard University Press, 1996, p. 147.
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[3] De Lolme to Franklin. From 1775 onwards, Paris is the scene of an enthralling political debate. Some of the sharpest minds, like Jean-Louis de Lolme and Benjamin Franklin, are involved. "Hôtel de Portugal rue de Mail: The last time I was in Paris I did myself the honour to call at Passy, in order to pay my respects to you, when I was not so for-tunate as to meet you: as I should be extremely sorry to experience now the same disappointment, I take the liberty to acquaint you with my being in Paris, and should be very happy if you would condescend to inform me of the properest time for me to call at your house, supposing you think proper to receive my visit. I send you inclosed the proposals of the periodical paper I prepare to publish: the reason of my coming to Paris, is to procure the admission of it in France: this is a favour not very easy to be obtained."

(*) Jean-Louis De Lolme to Benjamin Franklin, 26 November 1781 [see].

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[4] Moreno a Funes. Ávido lector de Raynal, Mariano Moreno está obsesionado por el mal estado de los puertos sobre el Río de la Plata. En la Historia de las dos Indias, el estado de los puertos es uno de los principales criterios de atraso/adelanto de un país [ver]. Moreno, Secretario de la Junta, utiliza el lenguaje de Raynal: "Ud se ha manifestado lleno de placer en el paseo á la Ensenada, exigimos por tributo un discurso sobre la importancia de aquel Puerto, la obligacion del govierno en protegerlo, el interes de estas provincias en su fomento, y la firmeza con que deben arrostrarse todas las dificultades, que se opongan á la prosperidad de un establecimiento, que honrará la memoria de sus autores, y hara la felicidad de los que ahora contribuyan con sacrificios personales". En 1780, Raynal describía el puerto de la Ensenada como una "espèce de village" (HDI 1780, viii.34), una humillación que Moreno estaba particularmente deseoso de revertir.

(*) Mariano Moreno a Gregorio Funes, 27 de octubre de 1810. En Mariano Moreno. Escritos, Vol. 2, Ricardo Levene (ed.). Buenos Aires: Losada, 1957, p. 329.

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