1862 September 13 Linden Hll

                           Linden Hill Sept 13th 1862

My dear Sir  [Edmund Randolph?]

                         I had the pleasure of a visit
from Mr. Sayre, a few days ago, and he gave
me some account of the ravages of the Yankees in
the neighborhood of Brentwood and of the wanton
destruction of your son's property.  I sympathize
with him in his losses, but much more with
you in the destruction of your manuscripts and
correspondence, which had been with you, for
[years?] a labor of love, and if published would
have been of infinite value to the future
historian of the state, and have offered
information in regard to the agricultural re-
forms of the last twenty years, and the private
history of the glorious revolution through which
we are now passing, accessible in no other
quarter.  I hope however your characteristic ener-
gy and perseverance will enable you yet to
make good the loss.
 Mr. Sayre mentioned that the owners of Marl-
boro had offered to sell it for $75.000. I intend to
express the opinion that it would be a very
injudicious proceeding, (although the [?] to

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to[sic]  think otherwise) and to give some reasons for my
opinion--I hope you will pardon me for giving
counsel in a matter about which my advice was not as-
ked and in regard to which the parties interest
are so well qualified to form a judicious opinion
Marlboro however is so intimately connected with
the improvement of the agriculture of the states
that any farmer has a right to feel an interest
in its future condition--The price asked it seems
to me extremely low in the present condition  of
the currency--You know that my whole heart is in
the revolution and I would ask nothing to discredit
the currency. So far from it I will with
pleasure sell to the government whatever I
have that may be wanted for the public service,
in exchange for it, yet I do not think that
patriotism would require me to sell to private
speculators my property payable in the present
currency, which is now  [?] fifty pr cent below
the specie standard, and if the war continues must
still further depreciate.  I know that the
notes are fundable in treasury bonds at 8 pr ct in[tere]st
and I have no doubt of the ultimate solvency of
these bonds, not necessarily at the day at which
they profess to be payable, for most probably they
will have to be rescinded, but they will be
ultimately paid  In the meant time the interest
will be payable in treasury notes, which may
however [?] as valueless as the French
assignates on the old continental money We

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should be blind to the teachings of history if we
did not perceive this.  There has been no instance
in which an [?] paper currency has been
issued in low quantities without great
depreciation--The notes of the Bank of England al
though not redeemable in cash, did  for a time
maintain the par of species, but only because
of the small amount of the issue and of other
causes not practical to this inquiry- There can
be no limit to the issue of treasury notes but
the necessities of the war which are [?]
and it is difficult to anticipate the degree of their
depreciation , whereas such land as Marlboro
can never depreciate.  It will always command
a monopoly price, because such land is in very
scarce quantity anywhere--Mr Sayre supposes the
loss of slave labour will diminish greatly the
value of lands in Virginia, In this I think he
is mistaken, so far at least as lands of the first
quality are concerned--I am not aware that
land, in Virgina depreciated at the close of the
revolutionary war, although Mr Jefferson informs
us that Cornwallis in six months during 1781
robbed Virginia of twenty thousand slaves, a
loss relatively quite as large as we shall
sustain during the present war.  As a hay
farm for the supply of the Richmond market
even if little or no grain were made on it, Marl
-boro would be of great value, and for that
purpose little labor would be required.

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I have been settled at this place quietly for
the last two months, enjoying in abundance
the "kindly fruits of the earth," and the agreeable
society of my own and my son's family.  We see few
visitors, the news papers keep us advised of the war
which rages around us, in which we feel the
deepest interest on account of our sons, and friends
and country--I have no male companions and
for the want of such society, "hold converse with
the mighty dead-" There is a fine collection of
books here, and I employ my self very diligently
in reading them--I have looked a little into
the ancient and a great deal in to the modern
classics, and read two works by living
authors in which I have been greatly interested
Guigot, History of civilization and Randalls
Life of Jefferson--the first is regarded a work
of great profoundity, which I had frequently
looked into but never read thoroughly before
I suffers I doubt not in the translation
but the authors views do not seem altogether
satisfactory to me, and indeed since the degrading
and revolting conduct of our civilized and christian
brothers of the North, I begin to fear if civilization
and [true?] christianity have made progress any
where it has not been on this continent
The life of Jefferson is a work of very great
merit.  I confess it has given me a truer view
of Jeffersons character and a much higher estimation
of the man than I ever had before  truly your friend
                                                Willoughby Newton.

Willoughby Newton, 1802-1874,  Virginia lawyer and Congressman

MSS 3026