In view of the names and dates provided by the catalogue of 1839, some of the tracts would seem to have been as follows:
1. [HAMILTON,
Alexander.]
Letters of Pacificus: Written in justification of the President’s Proclamation of Neutrality. Published originally in the year 1793.
Philadelphia: printed by
Samuel H. Smith, No. 118 Chestnut-Street,
1796.
E313 .H2
32 leaves, the last with
Samuel H. Smith’s advertisement.
Sabin 29967.
Evans 30533.
Ford,
Bibliotheca Hamiltoniana, 60.
This is the
first edition in pamphlet form. The
Letters were published originally in the
Gazette of the United States
.
Jefferson mentioned these letters in the postscript of a letter to James Madison dated from Philadelphia, June 29, 1793: “
. . . you will see a peice signed pacificus in defense of the proclmñ. you will readily know the pen. I know it the more readily
because it is an amplication only of the topics urged in discussing the question when first proposed. the right of the
Executive
to declare that we are
not bound to execute the guarantee
was then advanced by him and denied by me. no other opinion expressed on it. in this paper he repeats it, & even considers
the proclamation as such a declaration. but if any body intended it as such (except himself) they did not then say so.--the
passage beginning with the words ‘the answer to this is &c. is precisely the answer he gave at the time to my objection that
the Executive had no authority to issue a declaration of neutrality, nor to do more than declare the actual state of things
to be that of peace.--‘for until the new government is acknoleged the treaties &c. are of course suspended.’ . . .
”
On July 7, Jefferson again wrote to Madison: “
I wrote you on the 30
th. ult. and shall be uneasy till I have heard you have received it. I have no letter from you this week. you will perceive
by the inclosed papers that they are to be discontinued in their present form & a daily paper published in their stead,
if subscribers enough can be obtained.
I fear they cannot, for nobody here scarcely has ever taken his paper. you will see in these Col
o. H’s 2
d. and 3
d. pacificus. nobody answers him, & his doctrine will therefore be taken for confessed. for god’s sake, my dear Sir, take up
your pen, select the most striking heresies, and cut him to peices in the face of the public. there is nobody else who can
& will enter the lists with him . . .
”
Madison replied to this on July 18: “. . . I have read over the subject which you recommend to my attention. It excites equally surprise & indignation, and ought
certainly to be taken notice of by some one who can do it justice . . .”
On July 30 he again wrote: “. . . I have forced myself into the task of a reply. I can truly say I find it the most grating one I ever experienced . .
.”
[3169]
2. [MADISON,
James.]
Letters of Helvidius: Written in reply to Pacificus, on the President’s Proclamation of Neutrality. Published originally in the year 1793.
Philadelphia: printed by
Samuel H. Smith, No. 118, Chesnut Street,
m dcc.xcvi
. [1796.]
E313 .H22
First Edition in pamphlet form. 24 leaves.
Evans 30734.
Ford,
Bibliotheca Hamiltoniana, 62.
It was with this pamphlet, originally printed in the
Gazette of the United States
, that Madison “entered the lists” against Pacificus. The first number appeared on August 24, 1793.
Madison was in constant communication with Jefferson with regard to these papers and on August 22nd, two days before the publication
of the first number in the Gazette, he wrote: “I left home the day before yesterday which was the date of my last. it was to be accompanied by 2. and perhaps tho’ not probably
3 additional ”
