To his son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph, Jefferson wrote on July 3: “ . . . having nothing to communicate in the line of public news, I will state something personal. you will observe by the enclosed & preceding papers, that I am mentioned on the subject of Paine’s pamphlet on the rights of man: & you will have seen a note of mine prefixed to that pamphlet, whence it has been inferred that I furnished the pamphlet to the printer & procured it’s publication. this is not true. The fact was this. m ( ^~ r) Beckley had the only copy of that pamphlet in town. he lent it to m( ^~ r) Madison, who lent it to me under the injunction to return it to Beckley within the day. Beckley came for it before I had finished reading it, and desired as soon as I had done, I would sent [ sic -- Ed. ] it to a m( ^~ r) Jonathan B. Smith whose brother was to reprint it. being an utter stranger to m( ^~ r) J. B. Smith, I explained to him in a note that I sent the pamphlet to him by order of m( ^~ r) Beckley, and, to take off somewhat of the dryness of the note, I added ‘that I was glad to find it was to be reprinted here &c as you have seen in the printed note. I thought so little of this note that I did not even retain a copy of it: and without the least information or suspicion that it would be published, out it comes the next week at the head of the pamphlet. I knew immediately that it would give displeasure to some gentlemen fast by the chair of government who were in sentiment with Burke, & as much opposed to the sentiments of Paine. I could not disavow my note, because I had written it: I could not disavow my approbation of the pamphlet, because I was fully in sentiment with it: and it would have been trifling to have disavowed merely the publication of the note, approving at the same time of the pamphlet. I determined therefore to be utterly silent, except so far as verbal explanations could be made. the Vice president, who is at Boston, took up the cudgels under the name of Publicola. he is in turn assailed by a host of republican champions. I think it probable he will be aided by some of his compeers, but, more cautious than him, they will mask themselves better. for my part I am determined to let them write & wrangle as they please, without intermeddling in word or deed. ”

A week later, on July 10, Jefferson wrote to Monroe: “ . . . The papers which I send m( ^~ r) Randolph weekly, & which I presume you see, will have shewn you what a dust Paine’s pamphlet has kicked up here. my last to m ( ^~ r) Randolph will have given an explanation as to myself which I had not time to give when I sent you the pamphlet. a writer under the name of Publicola, in attacking all Paine’s principles, is very desirous of involving me in the same censure with the author. I certainly merit the same, for I profess the same principles; but it is equally certain I never meant to have entered as a volunteer into the cause. my occupations do not permit it. some persons here are insinuating that I am Brutus, that I am Agricola, that I am Philodemos &c &c. I am none of them, being decided not to write a word on the subject, unless any printed imputation should call for a printed disavowal, to which I should put my name. a Boston paper has declared that m ( ^~ r) Adams ‘has no more concern in the publication of the writings of Publicola than the author of the Rights of man himself’. if the equivoque here were not intended, the disavowal is not entirely credited, because not from m ( ^~ r) Adams himself & because the stile & sentiments raise so strong a presumption. besides to produce any effect he must disavow Davila & the Defence of the American constitutions. a host of writers have risen in favor of Paine, & prove that in this quarter at least the spirit of republicanism is sound . . . ”

To John Adams, the Vice President of the United States, Jefferson wrote on July 17: “ I have a dozen times taken up my pen to write to you & as often laid it down again, suspended between opposing considerations. I determine however to write from a conviction that truth between candid minds, can never do harm. the first of Paine’s pamphlets on the Rights of man, which came to hand here, belonged to m ( ^~ r) Beckley. he lent it to m( ^~ r) Madison who lent it to me; and while I was reading it m( ^~ r) Beckley called on me for it, &, as I had not finished it, he desired me as soon as I should have done so, to send it to m( ^~ r) Jonathan B. Smith, whose brother meant to reprint it. I finished reading it, and, as I had no acquaintance with m( ^~ r) Jonathan B. Smith, propriety required that I should explain to him why I, a stranger to him, sent him the ”