part13-第12章

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the　condition　of　giving　two　years　of　military　service；　if　that

country　should　be　attacked　within　7　years。　　The　defence　of　the

country　would　thus　be　placed　on　the　spot；　and　the　additional　number

would　entitle　the　territory　to　become　a　State；　would　make　the

majority　American；　&　make　it　an　American　instead　of　a　French　State。

This　would　not　sweeten　the　pill　to　the　French；　but　in　making　that

acquisition　we　had　some　view　to　our　own　good　as　well　as　theirs；　and　I

believe　the　greatest　good　of　both　will　be　promoted　by　whatever　will

amalgamate　us　together。




　　　　　　　　I　have　tired　you；　my　friend；　with　a　long　letter。　　But　your

tedium　will　end　in　a　few　lines　more。　　Mine　has　yet　two　years　to

endure。　　I　am　tired　of　an　office　where　I　can　do　no　more　good　than

many　others；　who　would　be　glad　to　be　employed　in　it。　　To　myself；

personally；　it　brings　nothing　but　unceasing　drudgery　&　daily　loss　of

friends。　　Every　office　becoming　vacant；　every　appointment　made；　me

donne　un　ingrat；　et　cent　ennemis。　　My　only　consolation　is　in　the

belief　that　my　fellow　citizens　at　large　give　me　credit　for　good

intentions。　　I　will　certainly　endeavor　to　merit　the　continuance　of

that　good…will　which　follows　well…intended　actions；　and　their

approbation　will　be　the　dearest　reward　I　can　carry　into　retirement。




　　　　　　　　God　bless　you；　my　excellent　friend；　and　give　you　yet　many

healthy　and　happy　years。







　　　　　　　　LAWS　OF　VIRGINIA




　　　　　　　　_To　William　Waller　Hening_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　January　14；　1807_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　Dec。　26th；　was　received　in　due　time。

The　only　object　I　had　in　making　my　collection　of　the　laws　of

Virginia；　was　to　save　all　those　for　the　Public　which　were　not　then

already　lost；　in　the　hope　that　at　some　future　day　they　might　be

republished。　　Whether　this　be　by　public　or　private　enterprise；　my　end

will　be　equally　answered。　　The　work　divides　itself　into　two　very

distinct　parts；　to　wit；　the　printed　and　the　unprinted　laws。　　The

former　begin　in　1682；　（Purvis'　collection。）　My　collection　of　these　is

in　strong　volumes；　well　bound；　and　therefore　may　safely　be

transported　anywhere。　　Any　of　these　volumes　which　you　do　not　possess；

are　at　your　service　for　the　purpose　of　republication；　but　the

unprinted　laws　are　dispersed　through　many　MS。　volumes；　several　of

them　so　decayed　that　the　leaf　can　never　be　opened　but　once　without

falling　into　powder。　　These　can　never　bear　removal　further　than　from

their　shelf　to　a　table。　　They　are；　as　well　as　I　recollect；　from　1622

downwards。　　I　formerly　made　such　a　digest　of　their　order；　and　the

volumes　where　they　are　to　be　found；　that；　under　my　own

superintendence；　they　could　be　copied　with　once　handling。　　More　they

would　not　bear。　　Hence　the　impracticability　of　their　being　copied　but

at　Monticello。　　But　independent　of　them；　the　printed　laws；　beginning

in　1682；　with　all　our　former　printed　collections；　will　be　a　most

valuable　publication；　&　sufficiently　distinct。　　I　shall　have　no　doubt

of　the　exactness　of　your　part　of　the　work；　but　I　hope　you　will　take

measures　for　having　the　typography　&　paper　worthy　of　the　work。　　I　am

lead　to　this　caution　by　the　scandalous　volume　of　our　laws　printed　by

Pleasants　in　1803；　&　those　by　Davis；　in　1796　were　little　better；　both

unworthy　the　history　of　Tom　Thumb。　　You　can　have　them　better　&

cheaper　printed　anywhere　north　of　Richmond。　　Accept　my　salutations　&

assurances　of　respect。







　　　　　　　　LESSONS　OF　THE　BURR　CONSPIRACY




　　　　　　　　_To　Governor　William　C。　C。　Claiborne_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　February　3；　1807_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　pray　you　to　read　the　enclosed　letter；　to　seal

and　deliver　it。　　It　explains　itself　so　fully；　that　I　need　say

nothing。　　I　am　sincerely　concerned　for　Mr。　Reibelt；　who　is　a　man　of

excellent　understanding　and　extensive　science。　　If　you　had　any

academical　berth；　he　would　be　much　better　fitted　for　thatthan　for　the

bustling　business　of　life。　　I　enclose　to　General　Wilkinson　my　message

of　January　22d。　　I　presume；　however；　you　will　have　seen　it　in　the

papers。　　It　gives　the　history　of　Burr's　conspiracy；　all　but　the　last

chapter；　which　will；　I　hope；　be　that　of　his　capture　before　this　time；

at　Natchez。　　Your　situations　have　been　difficult；　and　we　judge　of　the

merit　of　our　agents　there　by　the　magnitude　of　the　danger　as　it

appeared　to　them；　not　as　it　was　known　to　us。　　On　great　occasions

every　good　officer　must　be　ready　to　risk　himself　in　going　beyond　the

strict　line　of　law；　when　the　public　preservation　requires　it；　his

motives　will　be　a　justification　as　far　as　there　is　any　discretion　in

his　ultra…legal　proceedings；　and　no　indulgence　of　private　feelings。

On　the　whole；　this　squall；　by　showing　with　what　ease　our　government

suppresses　movements　which　in　other　countries　requires　armies；　has

greatly　increased　its　strength　by　increasing　the　public　confidence　in

it。　　It　has　been　a　wholesome　lesson　too　to　our　citizens；　of　the

necessary　obedience　to　their　government。　　The　Feds；　and　the　little

band　of　Quids；　in　opposition；　will　try　to　make　something　of　the

infringement　of　liberty　by　the　military　arrest　and　deportation　of

citizens；　but　if　it　does　not　go　beyond　such　offenders　as　Swartwout；

Bollman；　Burr；　Blennerhasset；　Tyler；　&c。；　they　will　be　supported　by

the　public　approbation。　　Accept　my　friendly　salutations；　and

assurances　of　esteem　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　THE　BURR　TRIAL




　　　　　　　　_To　William　Branch　Giles_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　April　20；　1807_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　the　6th；　on　the　subject　of　Burr's

offences；　was　received　only　4　days　ago。　　That　there　should　be　anxiety

&　doubt　in　the　public　mind；　in　the　present　defective　state　of　the

proof；　is　not　wonderful；　and　this　has　been　sedulously　encouraged　by

the　tricks　of　the　judges　to　force　trials　before　it　is　possible　to

collect　the　evidence；　dispersed　through　a　line　of　2000　miles　from

Maine　to　Orleans。　　The　federalists；　too；　give　all　their　aid；　making

Burr's　cause　their　own；　mortified　only　that　he　did　not　separate　the

Union　or　overturn　the　government；　&　proving；　that　had　he　had　a　little

dawn　of　success；　they　would　have　joined　him　to　introduce　his　object；

their　favorite　monarchy；　as　they　would　any　other　enemy；　foreign　or

domestic；　who　could　rid　them　of　this　hateful　republic　for　any　other

government　in　exchange。




　　　　　　　　The　first　ground　of　complaint　was　the　supine　inattention　of　the

administration　to　a　treason　stalking　through　the　land　in　open　day。

The　present　one；　that　they　have　crushed　it　before　it　was　ripe　for

execution；　so　that　no　overt　acts　can　be　produced。　　This　last　may　be

true；　tho'　I　believe　it　is　not。　　Our　information　having　been　chiefly

by　way　of　letter；　we　do　not　know　of　a　certainty　yet　what　will　be

proved。　　We　have　set　on　foot　an　inquiry　through　the　whole　of　the

country　which　has　been　the　scene　of　these　transactions；　to　be　able　to

prove　to　the　courts；　if　they　will　give　time；　or　to　the　public　by　way

of　communication　to　Congress；　what　the　real　facts　have　been。　　For

obtaining　this；　we　are　obliged　to　appeal　to　the　patriotism　of

particular　persons　in　different　places；　of　whom　we　have　requested　to

make　the　inquiry　in　their　neighborhood；　and　on　such　information　as

shall　be　voluntarily　offered。　　Aided　by　no　process　or　facilities　from

the　_federal_　courts；　but　frowned　on　by　their　new　born　zeal　for　the

liberty　of　those　whom　we　would　not　permit　to　overthrow　the　liberties

of　their　country；　we　can　expect　no　revealments　from　the　accomplices

of　the　chief　offender。　　Of　treasonable　intentions；　the　judges　have

been　obliged　to　confess　there　is　probable　appearance。　　What　loophole

they　will　find　in　it；　when　it　comes　to　trial；　we　cannot　foresee。

Eaton；　Stoddart；　Wilkinson；　and　two　others　whom　I　must　not　name；　will

satisfy　the　world；　if　not　the　judges；　on　that　head。　　And　I　do　suppose

the　following　overt　acts　will　be　proved。　　1。　The　enlistment　of　men　in

a　regular　way。　　2。　The　regular　mounting　of　guard　round

Blennerhassett's　island　when　they　ex