François-Alexandre-Frédéric, duc de LA ROCHEFOUCAULD-LIANCOU - Lot 531

Lot 531
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François-Alexandre-Frédéric, duc de LA ROCHEFOUCAULD-LIANCOU - Lot 531
François-Alexandre-Frédéric, duc de LA ROCHEFOUCAULD-LIANCOURT (1747-1827) philanthropist and economist, deputy to the Constituent (Academy of Sciences). 23 L.A.S (2 unsigned), Philadelphia, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Liancourt 1795-1799, to Nicholas Olive in New-York (one to a Consul); about 30 pages in-4, some addresses. Interesting political and commercial correspondence, dated Philadelphia (February 11, 1795-February 10, 1797), then Amsterdam and Hamburg (September 26, 1797-June 6, 1799), and finally Liancourt (December 1, 1799). The duke showed himself to be an active trader and dealt first of all with his correspondent in New York: he took care to negotiate goods such as coffee, potash or sugar, and regularly inquired about the prices of these goods in the ports of the United States and Europe. He also endeavored to assist his son in his business ventures. He was a close observer of American and French politics and spoke of the threat of war between the United States and France.Philadelphia February 7, 1797. "Icy there are many taxes and as many bankruptcies [...] I think the government is beginning to realize that the Treaty with England is neither so advantageous to America, nor so loyal as it has been pleased to say. I still like Americans, but they are not the ones from the cities"... Amsterdam 26 September. "I find it hard to understand this boast that has an army raised and organized, when there is no enemy, and that calls the Washington General as one would call the church of St. Genevieve. The Americans are big children" .... November 22. "I am unhappy [...] for myself, I am even more unhappy for our country, which from revolution to revolution is going straight to despotism by way of civil war. I am still unable to disentangle the threads of this revolution of 4 September [coup d'état of 18 fructidor]. It seems to me that the imprudence on the part of those who really wanted the Republic without Jacobins was great [...]. But what a horrible way of proceeding [....] what a contempt of the legal forms! "... June 24, 1798. He does not believe any more that, although President John Adams "draws his little sword, war will follow", nobody wants it... He also deals with his position of exile, evoking his hope to see himself removed from the list of emigrants, and the work of his friends in this direction. 4 floréal [to a Consul]. He must however be careful, and use a Dutch name and passport on his return to Europe; he relates his extreme vigilance at the time of a brief passage in Paris. 7 April. Also as a precaution, his son must trade under the pseudonym Frederic Shefter... Philadelphia, Sunday evening. He is sometimes homesick: "The climate is hellish. O France, France! It is better to die there than to live in America"... He also evokes many characters, emigrants or important politicians: Talleyrand, the Duke of Montpensier and the Duke of Beaujolais (their arrival "the day before yesterday from Marseilles where they had been four years in prison", February 10, 1797), the future Louis-Philippe, La Fayette, etc. We enclose a copy of a letter concerning him.
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