Vol. III, Appendix (A) By the President of the U. States of America, A Proclamation. Signed by the President, Th: Jefferson, and James Madison, the Secretary of State.

Appendix (G) A letter to the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, signed by Jefferson and dated from Washington, January 22, 1807.

Appendix (H) A message to the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, signed by Jefferson and dated January 26, 1807.

Jefferson’s original drafts of all these Appendices are in the Jefferson Papers in the Library of Congress.

Appendix (Bb) A letter to General Wilkinson, signed by Jefferson and dated from Washington, January 3, 1807.

A copy of this letter in the handwriting of Isaac Coles but signed by Jefferson, is in the Jefferson papers in the Library of Congress.

Aaron Burr, 1756-1835, tied with Jefferson for the Presidency in 1800 and became the third Vice-President of the United States. He was arrested in 1807 on a charge of treason and brought to trial before the United States circuit court at Richmond, Virginia.

In his notes and his correspondence Jefferson frequently expressed his opinion of Burr and his trial. In a note of conversations with Burr dated January 26, 1804, he wrote: . . . I had never seen Col ^o. B. till he came as a member of Senate. his conduct very soon inspired me with distrust. I habitually cautioned m ( ^~r ) Madison against trusting him too much . . .”

At the time of the trial, in 1807, Jefferson mentioned Burr in much of his correspondence. On March 24, in a letter to Robert R. Livingston, he wrote: “ . . . Burr has indeed made a most inglorious exhibition of his much over-rated talents. he is now on his way to Richmond for trial . . . ”

On March 26 to Colonel George Morgan: “ . . . Burr is on his way to Richmond for trial, & if the judges do not discharge him before it is possible to collect the testimony from Maine to New Orleans, there can be no doubt where his history will end . . . your’s was the very first intimation I had of this plot, for which it is but justice to say you have deserved well of your country . . . ”

On April 2, to James Bowdoin: “ . . . no better proof of the good faith of the US. could have been given, than the vigour with which we have acted, & the expence incurred in suppressing the enterprize mediated [ sic -- Ed. ] lately by Burr against Mexico . . . you have doubtless seen my several messages to Congress, which give a faithful narrative of that conspiracy. Burr himself, after being disarmed by our endeavors of all his followers, escaped from the custody of the court of Mis ( ^~i ) pi, but was taken near fort Stoddert, making his way to Mobile, by some country people, who brought him on as a prisoner to Richmond, where he is now under a course for trial. hitherto we have believed our law to be that suspicion on probable gounds [ sic -- Ed. ] was sufficient cause to commit a person for trial, but the judges here have decided that conclusive evidence of guilt must be ready in the moment of arrest; or they will discharge the malefactor. if this is still insisted on, Burr will be discharged; because his crimes having been sown from Maine thro’ the whole line of the Western waters to N. Orleans, we cannot bring the witnesses here under 4. months. the fact is that the Federalists make Burr’s cause their own, and exert their whole influence to shield him from punishment, as they did the adherents of Miranda, and it is unfortunate that federalism is still predominant in our judiciary department, which is consequently in opposition to the legislative & Executive branches, & is able to baffle their measures often . . . ”

Similar passages occur in other letters from Jefferson at this time.