第67章

TheyhavebeenlongendeavoringtobatterdowntheGovernor，whohasalwaysbeenafirmrepublican。TherewerecharacterssuperiortohimwhomIwishedtoappoint，buttheyrefusedtheoffice：Iknownobettermanwhowouldacceptofit，anditwouldnotberighttoturnhimoutforonenotbetter。Butitisthe2d。cause，abovementioned，whichisdeep-seated&permanent。TheFrenchmembersoftheLegislature，beingthemajorityinbothHouses，latelypassedanactdeclaringthatthecivil，orFrenchlaws，shouldbethelawsoftheirland，andenumeratedabout50foliovolumes，inLatin，asthedepositoriesoftheselaws。TheGovernornegativedtheact。Oneofthehousesthereuponpassedavoteforself-dissolutionoftheLegislatureasauselessbody，whichfailedintheotherHousebyasinglevoteonly。Theyseparated，however，&havedisseminatedallthediscontenttheycould。IproposetothemembersofCongressinconversation，theenlisting30，000volunteers，Americansbybirth，tobecarriedatthepublicexpense，&settledimmediatelyonabountyof160acresoflandeach，onthewestsideoftheMississippi，ontheconditionofgivingtwoyearsofmilitaryservice，ifthatcountryshouldbeattackedwithin7years。Thedefenceofthecountrywouldthusbeplacedonthespot，andtheadditionalnumberwouldentitletheterritorytobecomeaState，wouldmakethemajorityAmerican，&makeitanAmericaninsteadofaFrenchState。

ThiswouldnotsweetenthepilltotheFrench；butinmakingthatacquisitionwehadsomeviewtoourowngoodaswellastheirs，andI

believethegreatestgoodofbothwillbepromotedbywhateverwillamalgamateustogether。

Ihavetiredyou，myfriend，withalongletter。Butyourtediumwillendinafewlinesmore。Minehasyettwoyearstoendure。IamtiredofanofficewhereIcandonomoregoodthanmanyothers，whowouldbegladtobeemployedinit。Tomyself，personally，itbringsnothingbutunceasingdrudgery&dailylossoffriends。Everyofficebecomingvacant，everyappointmentmade，medonneuningrat，etcentennemis。Myonlyconsolationisinthebeliefthatmyfellowcitizensatlargegivemecreditforgoodintentions。Iwillcertainlyendeavortomeritthecontinuanceofthatgood-willwhichfollowswell-intendedactions，andtheirapprobationwillbethedearestrewardIcancarryintoretirement。

Godblessyou，myexcellentfriend，andgiveyouyetmanyhealthyandhappyyears。

LAWSOFVIRGINIA

_ToWilliamWallerHening_

_Washington，January14，1807_

SIR，——YourletterofDec。26th，wasreceivedinduetime。

TheonlyobjectIhadinmakingmycollectionofthelawsofVirginia，wastosaveallthoseforthePublicwhichwerenotthenalreadylost，inthehopethatatsomefuturedaytheymightberepublished。Whetherthisbebypublicorprivateenterprise，myendwillbeequallyanswered。Theworkdividesitselfintotwoverydistinctparts；towit，theprintedandtheunprintedlaws。Theformerbeginin1682，(Purvis’collection。)Mycollectionoftheseisinstrongvolumes，wellbound，andthereforemaysafelybetransportedanywhere。Anyofthesevolumeswhichyoudonotpossess，areatyourserviceforthepurposeofrepublication，buttheunprintedlawsaredispersedthroughmanyMS。volumes，severalofthemsodecayedthattheleafcanneverbeopenedbutoncewithoutfallingintopowder。Thesecanneverbearremovalfurtherthanfromtheirshelftoatable。Theyare，aswellasIrecollect，from1622

downwards。Iformerlymadesuchadigestoftheirorder，andthevolumeswheretheyaretobefound，that，undermyownsuperintendence，theycouldbecopiedwithoncehandling。Moretheywouldnotbear。HencetheimpracticabilityoftheirbeingcopiedbutatMonticello。Butindependentofthem，theprintedlaws，beginningin1682，withallourformerprintedcollections，willbeamostvaluablepublication，&sufficientlydistinct。Ishallhavenodoubtoftheexactnessofyourpartofthework，butIhopeyouwilltakemeasuresforhavingthetypography&paperworthyofthework。IamleadtothiscautionbythescandalousvolumeofourlawsprintedbyPleasantsin1803，&thosebyDavis，in1796werelittlebetter；bothunworthythehistoryofTomThumb。Youcanhavethembetter&

cheaperprintedanywherenorthofRichmond。Acceptmysalutations&

assurancesofrespect。

LESSONSOFTHEBURRCONSPIRACY

_ToGovernorWilliamC。C。Claiborne_

_Washington，February3，1807_

DEARSIR，——Iprayyoutoreadtheenclosedletter，tosealanddeliverit。Itexplainsitselfsofully，thatIneedsaynothing。IamsincerelyconcernedforMr。Reibelt，whoisamanofexcellentunderstandingandextensivescience。Ifyouhadanyacademicalberth，hewouldbemuchbetterfittedforthatthanforthebustlingbusinessoflife。IenclosetoGeneralWilkinsonmymessageofJanuary22d。Ipresume，however，youwillhaveseenitinthepapers。ItgivesthehistoryofBurr’sconspiracy，allbutthelastchapter，whichwill，Ihope，bethatofhiscapturebeforethistime，atNatchez。Yoursituationshavebeendifficult，andwejudgeofthemeritofouragentstherebythemagnitudeofthedangerasitappearedtothem，notasitwasknowntous。Ongreatoccasionseverygoodoff