Hi! Do you know what Lafayette thought of Charles Thomson?
I’ve tried looking for things from Charles Thomson but haven’t been able to find anything. They most likely met in Congress when Lafayette first came (below are pictures from The Journal which was the published minutes of congress). Although it does not specifically state that Thomson was there, he most likely was because he rarely missed congress
But the journal doesn’t say anything about views.
I also know that Lafayette visited the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia and I remember Thomson talking about it in a letter to Thomas Jefferson but he didn’t go to that meeting
I also know that Charles Thomson died in August 1824, during Lafayette’s tour.
From Charles Thomson’s side, I can’t find anything. Granted, he destroyed all of his papers about the Revolution in his later life, but I was wondering about lafayettes side.
Don’t worry if you can’t find anything about Thomson, he’s not the best remembered person in history.
I also apologize for the length of this ask
Dear @i-like-old-things,
never mind the length, I like long and specific asks! Most of all though, thank you for the ask; I think you put more research and sources into the ask alone than I in my answer. :-)
As you yourself already suspected, there is not too much information that I an offer you with regard to the relationship between Charles Thomson and La Fayette - but that does not mean that there is nothing.
First of all, La Fayette and Thomson exchanged letters. An astonishing number of two letters, both of them unpublished as far as I can tell. Thomson wrote to La Fayette on July 10, 1781, telling him that McKean has been elected as the President of the Continental Congress. On August 15, 1781 La Fayette replied and acknowledged the letter and thanking Thomson for letting him know.
Secondly, I agree with you that La Fayette and Thomson in all likelihood met when La Fayette first came to America. In general, La Fayette was always quite well informed about the proceedings of Congress and about the people serving in official positions. That being said, they also met later, in 1778. The British government has sent the Carlisle Peace Commission to America and La Fayette famously clashed with the head of the Commission, Lord Carlisle, challenging him to a duel. La Fayette spend a considerable amount of time with Congress and in his Memoirs he recollects a breakfast with the members of Congress. It sound as if all members currently in Philadelphia were present for this breakfast and I could imagine that Thomson was also present. Even if the two of them did not met during this particular instance they most certainly met during this time in general.
They also met in August of 1784 when La Fayette had come a third time to America. Thomson wrote to Benjamin Franklin on August 13, 1784:
I need not mention with what marks of cordiality and Affection the Marquis de la Fayette, who came to this place last Monday, was received by all ranks of people. His stay was but short as he was anxious to see general Washington. He left town this Morning and expects to return in three or four Weeks.
From the letters and what I have gathered so far, La Fayette’s and Thomson’s relationship was restricted to business and while by all accounts friendly not too intimate. We find little comments by La Fayette on Thomson’s character save one remark in his Memoirs. La Fayette praised the conduct of Congress as a whole during the negotiations with the Carlisle Peace Commission by writing that “congress remained ever noble, firm and faithful (…)”. He especially includes Thomson in this statement by citing a letter Thomson wrote General Clinton around that time. You could therefor make the argument that La Fayette thought Thomson, at least during this time, noble, firm and faithful.
I hope you have/had a fantastic day!
