Volume II Part 47 (1/2)

FOOTNOTES:

[856] Marshall to Paulding, April 4, 1835; _Lippincott's Magazine_ (1868), ii, 624-25.

[857] Was.h.i.+ngton to Bushrod Was.h.i.+ngton, Aug. 27, 1798; _Writings_: Ford, xiv, 75.

[858] _Ib._ In September, 1797, when Marshall was absent on the X. Y. Z.

mission, Was.h.i.+ngton received a letter from one ”John Langhorne” of Albemarle County. Worded with skillful cunning, it was designed to draw from the retired President imprudent expressions that could be used against him and the Federalists. It praised him, denounced his detractors, and begged him to disregard their a.s.saults. (Langhorne to Was.h.i.+ngton, Sept. 25, 1797; _Writings_: Sparks, xi, 501.) Was.h.i.+ngton answered vaguely. (Was.h.i.+ngton to Langhorne, Oct. 15, 1797; _Writings_: Ford, xiii, 428-30.) John Nicholas discovered that the Langhorne letter had been posted at Charlottesville; that no person of that name lived in the vicinity; and that Was.h.i.+ngton's answer was called for at the Charlottesville post-office (where Jefferson posted and received letters) by a person closely connected with the master of Monticello. It was suspected, therefore, that Jefferson was the author of the fict.i.tious letter. The mystery caused Was.h.i.+ngton much worry and has never been cleared up. (See Was.h.i.+ngton to Nicholas, Nov. 30, 1797; _ib._, footnote to 429-30; to Bushrod Was.h.i.+ngton, March 8, 1798; _ib._, 448; to Nicholas, March 8, 1798; _ib._, 449-50.) It is not known what advice Marshall gave Was.h.i.+ngton when the latter asked for his opinion; but from his lifelong conduct in such matters and his strong repugnance to personal disputes, it is probable that Marshall advised that the matter be dropped.

[859] Paulding: _Was.h.i.+ngton_, ii, 191-92.

[860] Marshall to Paulding, _supra._

[861] Marshall to Paulding, _supra._ This letter was in answer to one from Paulding asking Marshall for the facts as to Was.h.i.+ngton's part in inducing Marshall to run for Congress.

[862] Pickering to Marshall, Sept. 20, 1798; Pickering MSS., Ma.s.s. Hist.

Soc.

[863] _Ib._

[864] Adams to Pickering, Sept. 14, 1798; _Works_: Adams, viii, 595.

[865] Adams to Pickering, Sept. 26, 1798; _Works_: Adams, viii, 597.

[866] Adams to Rush, June 25, 1807; _Old Family Letters_, 152.

[867] Wood, 260. Wood's book was ”suppressed” by Aaron Burr, who bought the plates and printer's rights. It consists of dull attacks on prominent Federalists. Jefferson's friends charged that Burr suppressed it because of his friends.h.i.+p for the Federalist leaders. (See Cheetham's letters to Jefferson, Dec. 29, 1801, Jan. 30, 1802, _Proceedings_, Ma.s.s.

Hist. Soc. (April and May, 1907) 51-58.) Soon afterward Jefferson began his warfare on Burr.

[868] Marshall to Pickering, Oct. 15, 1798; Pickering MSS., Ma.s.s. Hist.

Soc. This campaign was unusually acrimonious everywhere. ”This Electioneering is worse than the Devil.” (Smith to Bayard, Aug. 2, 1798; _Bayard Papers_: Donnan, 69.)

[869] See Statutes at Large, 566, 570, 577, for Alien Acts of June 18, June 25, and July 6, and _ib._, 196, for Sedition Law of July 14, 1798.

[870] This section was not made a campaign issue by the Republicans.

[871] Jefferson to Madison, May 10, 1798; _Works_: Ford, viii, 417; and to Monroe, May 21, 1798; _ib._, 423. Jefferson's first harsh word was to Madison, June 7, 1798; _ib._, 434.

[872] Hamilton to Wolcott, June 29, 1798; _Works_: Lodge, x, 295.

[873] Madison to Jefferson, May 20, 1798; _Writings_: Hunt, vi, 320.

[874] For the Federalists' justification of the Alien and Sedition Laws see Gibbs, ii, 78 _et seq._

[875] As a matter of fact, the anger of Republican leaders was chiefly caused by their belief that the Alien and Sedition Laws were aimed at the Republican Party as such, and this, indeed, was true.

[876] Jefferson to S. T. Mason, Oct. 11, 1798; _Works_: Ford, viii, 450.

[877] Was.h.i.+ngton to Spotswood, Nov. 22, 1798; _Writings_: Ford, xiv, 121-22.

[878] Was.h.i.+ngton to Murray, Dec. 26, 1798; _Writings_: Ford, xiv, 132.

[879] Was.h.i.+ngton to Bushrod Was.h.i.+ngton, Dec. 31, 1798; _ib._, 135-36.