Jefferson’s name is not in the list of subscribers; his copy was sent to him by the author; see the correspondence below. The dedication, dated from Hartford, June 1790, is addressed to The President, The Vice President, The Senators, and The Representatives of the United States of America.

The title of Essays IV, V and VI is On Government; in the table of Contents at the beginning of Essay V is entered The Subject [i.e. Government] continued, with a Consideration of Mr. Jefferson’s Arguments in Favor of an unalterable Constitution. The whole essay is a discussion of Jefferson’s views, with quotations, and quotations from the Notes on Virginia .

Essay XVI, Remarks on the Method of Burying the Dead among the Nativs [ sic -- Ed. ] of this Country, also contains quotations from the Notes on Virginia.

In sending him a copy of the book with a letter dated from Hartford, October 14, 1790, Webster mentioned to Jefferson that he had entered into a discussion of his arguments: “The act of Congress, which secures to authors an exclusive right to their publications, requires that a copy of the work to be secured should be lodged in your office, within six months from the time of recording the same. On the 22 ^d of June last, I recorded the title of my “grammatical Institute” & “Essays,” with the Clerk of Connecticut District. Enclosed are two orders on my booksellers for a copy of my Essays to be appropriated as the act acquires, [ sic -- Ed. ] and another copy, which please to accept for your private use. The reason of my enclosing two orders is, that I am not informed whether your office is now in N York or Philadelphia. If in N York, M ^r Allen will deliver the books to your servant; if in Philad ^a, M ^r Dobson will do it.

"A copy of the Institute will be forwarded as soon as an improved edition, now in the press, shall be finished; and if the six months should expire before that time, I flatter myself no advantage will be taken of a delay, occassioned merely by my wish to deposit, in your office, none but well printed copies.

"You will observe Sir, I have, in two places in the Essays, mentioned your name; and in one of them, with a view to confute your opinions on a political question. I hope however that your name & opinions are mentioned with that respect which is due to your superior rank & abilities, & which I certainly feel for both.”

Jefferson replied from Philadelphia on December 4: “ Your favor of Oct. 4. came to my hands on the 20 ^th. of November. application was made a day or two after to m ( ^~ r) Dobson for the copies of your essays, which were recieved, and one of them lodged in the office. for that intended for myself be pleased to accept my thanks. I return you the order on m ( ^~ r) Allen, that on Dobson having been made use of instead of it. I submit to your consideration whether it might not be adviseable to record a second time your right to the Grammatical institutes in order to bring the lodging of the copy in my office within the 6. months made a condition by the law? I have not at this moment an opportunity of turning to the law to see if that may be done: but I suppose it possible that the failure to fulfill the legal condition on the first record might excite objections against the validity of that.

" In mentioning me in your essays, and canvassing my opinions, you have done what every man has a right to do, and it is for the good of society that that right should be freely exercised. no republic is more real than that of letters, and I am the last in principles, as I am the least in pretensions to any dictatorship in it. had I other dispositions, the philosophical & dispassionate spirit with which you have expressed your own opinions in opposition to mine, would still have commanded by [ sic -- Ed. ] approbation. a desire of being set right in your opinion, which I respect too much not to entertain that desire, induces me to hazard to you the following observations. it had become an universal & almost ”