r friend

and servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER LXXVII.--TO E. CARRINGTON, August 4,1787

TO E. CARRINGTON.

Paris, August 4,1787.

Dear Sir,

Since mine of the 16th of January, I have been honored by your favors of
April the 24th and June the 9th. I am happy to find that the States have
come so generally into the scheme of the federal convention, from which,
I am sure, we shall see wise propositions. I confess, I do not go as
far in the reforms thought necessary, as some of my correspondents in
America; but if the convention should adopt such propositions, I shall
suppose them necessary. My general plan would be, to make the States
one as to every thing connected with foreign nations, and several as
to every thing purely domestic. But with all the imperfections of our
present government, it is, without comparison, the best existing, or
that ever did exist. Its greatest defect is the imperfect manner in
which matters of commerce have been provided for. It has been so often
said, as to be generally believed, that Congress have no power by the
Confederation to enforce any thing; for example, contributions of money.
It was not necessary to give them that power expressly; they have it
by the law of nature. When two parties make a compact, there results to
each a power of compelling the other to execute it. Compulsion was never
so easy as in our case, where a single frigate would soon levy on the
commerce of any State the deficiency of its contributions; nor more
safe than in the hands of Congress, which has always shown that it
would wait, as it ought to do, to the last extremities, before it
would execute any of its powers which are disagreeable. I think it
very material, to separate, in the hands of Congress, the executive and
legislative powers, as the judiciary already are, in some degree. This,
I hope, will be done. The want of it has been the source of more
evil, than we have experienced from any other cause. Nothing is so
embarrassing nor so mischievous, in a great assembly, as the details
of execution. The smallest trifle of that kind, occupies as long as the
most important act of legislation, and takes place of every thing else.
Let any man recollect, or look over, the files of Congress: he will
observe the most important propositions hanging over, from week to week,
and month to month, till the occasions have passed them, and the things
never done. I have ever viewed the executive details as the gr