The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
DEAR SIR,--Your favor of August the 4th came to hand by our last post,
together with the "extract of a letter from a gentleman of Philadelphia,
dated July the 10th," cut from a newspaper stating some facts which
respect me. I shall notice these facts. The writer says that "the day
after the last despatches were communicated to Congress, Bache, Leib, &c.,
and a Dr. Reynolds, were _closeted_ with me." If the receipt of visits
in my public room, the door continuing free to every one who should call
at the same time, may be called _closeting_, then it is true that I was
_closeted_ with every person who visited me; in no other sense is it
true as to any person. I sometimes received visits from Mr. Bache and
Dr. Leib. I received them always with pleasure, because they are men of
abilities, and of principles the most friendly to liberty and our present
form of government. Mr. Bache has another claim on my respect, as being
the grandson of Dr. Franklin, the greatest man and ornament of the age and
country in which he lived. Whether I was visited by Mr. Bache or Dr. Leib
the day after the communication referred to, I do not remember. I know
that all my motions in Philadelphia, here, and everywhere, are watched and
recorded. Some of these spies, therefore, may remember better than I do,
the dates of these visits. If they say that these two gentlemen visited me
on the day after the communication, as their trade proves their accuracy,
I shall not contradict them, though I affirm that I do not recollect it.
However, as to Dr. Reynolds I can be more particular, because I never
saw him but once, which was on an introductory visit he was so kind as
to pay me. This, I well remember, was before the communication alluded
to, and that during the short conversation I had with him, not one word
was said on the subject of any of the communications. Not that I should
not have spoken freely on their subject to Dr. Reynolds, as I should also
have done to the letter writer, or to any other person who should have
introduced the subject. I know my own principles to be pure, and therefore
am not ashamed of them. On the contrary, I wish them known, and therefore
willingly express them to every one. They are the same I have acted on
from the year 1775 to this day, and are the same, I am sure, with those of
the great body of the American people. I only wish the real principles of
those who censure mine were also known. But warring against those of the
people, the delusion of the people is necessary to the dominant party. I
see the extent to which that delusion has been already carried, and I see
there is no length to which it may not be pushed by a party in possession
of the revenues and the legal authorities of the United States, for a
short time indeed, but yet long enough to admit much particular mischief.
There is no event, therefore, however atrocious, which may not be
expected. I have contemplated every event which the Maratists of the day
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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