Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. Many spelling inconsistencies were noted and unchanged in the text (e.g. Geisner/Geismer, Eldridge/Elbridge, Williamsburg/Williamsburgh, Thoulouse/Toulouse, Albermarle/Albemarle). On page 20, "becames destructive" should possibly be "becomes destructive". Evident errors in the printing of the letter from the Count de Vergennes on pages 73 and 74 have been left as printed. On page 117, "public powder" should possibly be "public power". On page 271, "Crochet" should possibly be "Crocket". On page 582, the date May 27 is repeated. Inconsistent punctuation in the legal citations (pages 147 to 162), has been left as printed. [Illustration: Th. Jefferson] THE WRITINGS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON: BEING HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY, CORRESPONDENCE, REPORTS, MESSAGES, ADDRESSES, AND OTHER WRITINGS, OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE. PUBLISHED BY THE ORDER OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS ON THE LIBRARY, FROM THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS, DEPOSITED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES, TABLES OF CONTENTS, AND A COPIOUS INDEX TO EACH VOLUME, AS WELL AS A GENERAL INDEX TO THE WHOLE, BY THE EDITOR H. A. WASHINGTON. VOL. I. NEW YORK: H. W. DERBY, 625 BROADWAY. 1861. Entered, according by Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by TAYLOR & MAURY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Columbia. STEREOTYPED BY THOMAS B. SMITH 216 William St., N. Y. PREFACE.