With respect to the German redemptioners,
you know I can do nothing, unless authorized by law. It would be made a
question in Congress, whether any of the enumerated objects to which
the constitution authorizes the money of the Union to be applied, would
cover an expenditure for importing settlers to Orleans. The letter of
the revolutionary sergeant was attended to by General Dearborn, who
wrote to him informing him how to proceed to obtain his land.
Doctor Eustis's observation to you, that 'certain paragraphs in the
National Intelligencer,' respecting my letter to you, 'supposed to be
under Mr. Jefferson's direction, had embarrassed Mr. Jefferson's friends
in Massachusetts; that they appeared like a half denial of the letter,
or as if there was something in it not proper to be owned, or that
needed an apology,' is one of those mysterious half confidences
difficult to be understood. That tory printers should think it
advantageous to identify me with that paper, the Aurora, &c. in order to
obtain ground for abusing me, is perhaps fair warfare. But that any one
who knows me personally should listen one moment to such an insinuation,
is what I did not expect. I neither have, nor ever had, any more
connection with those papers than our antipodes have; nor know what is
to be in them until I see it in them, except proclamations and other
documents sent for publication. The friends in Massachusetts who could
be embarrassed by so weak a weapon as this, must be feeble friends
indeed.
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