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,--Our post having ceased to ride ever since the inoculation began
in Richmond, till now, I received three days ago, and all together, your
friendly favors of March the 2d, 9th, 12th, 14th, and Colonel Monroe's of
March the 3d and 16th. I have been particularly gratified by the receipt
of the papers containing yours and Smith's discussion of your regulating
propositions. These debates had not been seen here but in a very short
and mutilated form. I am at no loss to ascribe Smith's speech to its true
father. Every tittle of it is Hamilton's except the introduction. There
is scarcely anything there which I have not heard from him in our various
private though official discussions. The very turn of the arguments is the
same, and others will see as well as myself that the style is Hamilton's.
The sophistry is too fine, too ingenious, even to have been comprehended
by Smith, much less devised by him. His reply shows he did not understand
his first speech; as its general inferiority proves its legitimacy,
as evidently as it does the bastardy of the original. You know we had
understood that Hamilton had prepared a counter report, and that some of
his humble servants in the Senate were to move a reference to him in order
to produce it. But I suppose they thought it would have a better effect
if fired off in the House of Representatives. I find the report, however,
so fully justified, that the anxieties with which I left it are perfectly
quieted. In this quarter, all espouse your propositions with ardor, and
without a dissenting voice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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