The quest for indentured workers

When they looked to Europe for workers, the president and the commissioners yearned for stonecutters because "the few here have us under command as to terms."

Actually the quote I used in the book was “could command their price.” The quote above comes from the October 1794 letter from the commissioners to James Greenleaf that I scanned below. I didn't use it in the book because it gives the impression that there was a dire shortage of stone cutters. Here is a payroll from December 1794. http://archivepayrolls.blogspot.com/2014/12/payroll-for-stonecutter-december-1794.html  

There were plenty of stone cutters. The importance of the letter is not as a description of reality but as a projection of the commissioners' idea of the best of all worlds. Beginning in 1792 http://founders.archives.gov/?q=Correspondent%3A%22Commissioners%20for%20the%20District%20of%20Columbia%22%20Correspondent%3A%22Washington%2C%20George%22&s=1111311111&r=26and not petering out  until 1796, the urge to get indentured workers from Europe was sung with many refrains. This is how it went in the letter to Greenleaf:

...You know the state of our funds and how necessary it is to make the most vigorous exertions in the course of next year.... The work before us and the period in which it is to be done urge us at this moment to enter into very extensive contracts if the state of our funds permitted, among others we deem it indispensable to procure a number of Stone Cutters. They are not to be had in this country. The few here have us under command as to terms -

How did the yearning for indentured workers relate to slave hire? It wasn't racism because there were no African American stone cutters available. The commissioners' yearning exposed their fear of free workers. Indentured workers were not slaves but in order to get passage to the New World they signed away their freedom for a limited term.

While planning monumental buildings for the ages, President Washington and the commissioners thought in the short term when it came to hiring the men to build it. The money they paid for indentured servants went to sea captains, just as the wages for hired slaves went to their usually faraway masters. Wages paid to free workers generally stayed in the area.  But far more important than building a local economy was checking the demands of free laborers. That is how the commissioners justified slave hire in 1792. In the 1794 letter below they put it this way:

- We see no means so likely to check the exorbitant prices of building as the arrival of a number of Tradesmen and Labourers at the City of Washington and this check will be more effectual if a proportion of them are under terms of service for a time part to yourself and others to the Commissioners....

Ironically, this mean approach continued even as the commissioners thought the investments of James Greenleaf guaranteed financing of the city until 1800. He was going to Europe to get a loan to support his own operations and the commissioners'.  The commissioners were giving him advice, if not a warning, to join them in their check-the-demands-of-labor policy. In that regard, Greenleaf operated on the opposite principle and made generous contracts with workers and his salaried employers. See  http://capitalslaves.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-dazzling-greatness-of-james.htm

As it turned out, Greenleaf didn't get a loan and soon went bankrupt. No indentured workers were hired on the commissioners' account. Here is my transcription of other parts of the letter and, below the scans of letter discussed in this post, there is another letter to Greenleaf of the same date somewhat thinking out loud about indentured stone cutters: http://capitalslaves.blogspot.com/2015/12/gardens-for-workers.html

we therefore request you will on your arrival in Europe pursue immediately such measures as will most probably insure the obtaining of a number of men who have been bred to cutting and laying free stone, among them there should be some who have been in the practice of stone carving in the same line....

We will engage to pay not exceeding thirty Guineas per annum (we think L20 Sterling high) and for maintenance (clothing excepted) for as many years as you can obtain them for, not exceeding four years and not under two at least. We agree that you should pay their passage to the City of Washington on account of the Commissioners, they allowing 1/3 of their passage money to be deducted out of their Wages annually for three years or 1/2 for two years. It will be necessary that the terms and obligations should be fixed with precision so as to leave no difficulties on their arrival.

With respect to the Stone Carvers there is such a difference both in execution and taste, that it may be necessary to leave this to the chance of your procuring them to come over on their own risk with regard to the price for their service, but on a certainty of being very liberal according to their respective merits - from 3 to 6 at least of such persons will be necessary, we mean such as would be qualified to take each of them in charge a number of Stone Carvers & cutters. Some of them should be capable of cutting Capitals of the higher order.
We would extend our views further if not constrained by considerations already mentioned, and desire you to have procured a number of suitable tradesmen and labourers on the best terms you can, but fear this must depend on the success of the Loan - if favorable you will do so in this as you will for yourself