But Jefferson was not the officer to forget or neglect his duties to his
own government, during the five years spent in France.
Algiers, one of the pestilent Barbary States, held a number of American
captives which she refused to release except upon the payment of a large
ransom. It had been the custom for years for the powerful Christian
nations to pay those savages to let their ships alone, because it was
cheaper to do so than to maintain a fleet to fight them. Jefferson
strove to bring about a union of several nations with his own, for the
purpose of pounding some sense into the heads of the barbarians and
compelling them to behave themselves.
One reason why he did not succeed was because our own country had no
navy with which to perform her part in the compact.
France, with that idiotic blindness which ruled her in those fearful
days, maintained a protective system which prevented America from
sending cheap food to starving people, nor was Jefferson able to effect
more than a slight change in the pernicious law. One thing done by him
made him popular with the masses. His "Notes on Virginia" was published
both in French and English. Like everything that emanated from his
master hand, it was well conceived and full of information.
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