remarkably sanguine is the landholder, that the members of the privy council would be senators of the new Congress, in which case the elections would undoubtedly be made according to the conventional list of nominations, as that he ventures to predict, though Mr. Martin was to double his efforts, he would fail in his object. Thus whilst this blazing star of federalism is taking great pains to hold up Mr. Gerry and Mr. Mason, as having held private meetings “to aggrandize old Massachusetts and the antient dominion” he has confessed enough to shew that his private meetings were solely to aggrandize himself. THE LETTERS OF A LANDHOLDER, WRITTEN BY OLIVER ELLSWORTH. Printed In The Connecticut Courant And The American Mercury, November, 1787-March, 1788. Note. The letters of a Landholder were so obviously written by a a member of the federal convention, that their authorship could not long remain a secret. They were published simultaneously in the _Connecticut Courant_ at Hartford and the _American Mercury_ at Litchfield, and this so clearly indicated Oliver Ellsworth as the writer that they were at once credited to his pen. The letters had a very wide circulation, numbers being reprinted as far north as New Hampshire, and as far south as Maryland. They called out several replies, three of which, by Gerry, Williams and Martin, are printed in this collection. A Landholder, I. The Connecticut Courant, (Number 1189) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1787. TO THE HOLDERS AND TILLERS OF LAND. The writer of the following passed the first part of his life in mercantile employments, and by industry and economy acquired a sufficient sum on retiring from trade to purchase and stock a decent plantation, on which he now lives in the state of a farmer. By his present employment he is interested in the prosperity of agriculture, and those who derive a support from cultivating the earth. An acquaintance with business has freed him from many prejudices and jealousies, which he sees in his neighbors, who have not intermingled with mankind, nor learned by experience the method of managing an extensive circulating property. Conscious of an honest intention he wishes to address his brethren on some political subjects which now engage the public attention, and will in the sequel greatly influence the value of landed property. The new constitution for the United States is now before the public, the people are to determine, and the people at large generally determine right, when they have had means of information.