On February 11, 1799, he wrote to Monroe: “ . . . under two other covers you will recieve a copy of the French originals of Gerry’s communicñs for your self and a doz. of G. N’s pamphlets on the laws of the last session. I wish you to give these to the most influential characters among our country-men, who are only misled, are candid enough to be open to conviction, & who may have most effect on their neighbors. it would be useless to give them to persons already sound. do not let my name be connected with the business . . . ”

On February 13, he wrote similarly to Archibald Stuart: “ . . . under separate cover, you will recieve some pamphlets written by George Nicholas on the acts of the last session. these I would wish you to distribute, not to sound men who have no occasion for them, but to such as have been misled, are candid & will be open to the conviction of truth, and are of influence among their neighbors. it is the sick who need medicine & not the well. do not let my name appear in the matter . . . ”

George Nicholas, 1754-1799, Virginia politician, was the brother of Wilson Cary Nicholas. He was born in Williamsburg and made his political debut in the House of Delegates by moving an investigation into the conduct of Jefferson during Arnold’s invasion. He later retracted the charges and became one of Jefferson’s leading supporters. In 1790 he removed to Kentucky and became the first Attorney General of that State. In 1798 he took a leading part in framing and advocating Jefferson’s anti-federalist resolutions of that year. He died whilst this pamphlet was in the press.

Robert Goodloe Harper, 1765-1828, was admitted to the bar in South Carolina in 1786. A federalist and opposed to Jefferson, he was an advocate of the Alien and Sedition Laws.

On the title-page Jefferson has written the name of the author: De Witt Clinton.

Sent to Jefferson by the author on May 16, 1807, when he wrote from New York: “In looking over some old Pamphlets I came across a pamphlet which I transmit by this mail. It was written by me in reply to a furious priest of the name of Linn, during a season of leisure in the country. As I presume you have not seen it, the perusal of it may fill up a vacant hour . . .”

Jefferson replied from Washington on May 24: “ Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to m( ^~ r) Clinton & his thanks for the pamphlet sent him. he recollects the having read it at the time with a due sense of his obligation to the author whose name was surmised tho’ not absolutely known, and a conviction that he had made the most of his matter. the ground of defence might have been solidly aided by the assurance (which is the absolute fact) that the whole story fathered on Mazzei was an unfounded falsehood. D ^r. Linn, as aware of that, takes care to quote it from a dead man, who is made to quote from one residing in the remotest part of Europe. equally false was D ^r. Linn’s other story about Bishop Madison’s lawn sleeves, as the bishop can testify, for certainly Th: J. never saw him in lawn sleeves. had the Doctor ventured to name time, place & person for his third lie, (the government without religion) it is probable he might have been convicted on that also. but these are slanders & slanderers whom Th: J. has thought it best to leave to the scourge of public opinion. he salutes m ( ^~ r) Clinton with esteem & respect.”

For Dr. Linn’s pamphlet see no. 3226.

De Witt Clinton, 1769-1828, statesman and scholar, Mayor and later Governor of New York. Other works by him appear in this catalogue.