to dislodge them.  For all the particulars I must refer you to Mr. Dawson, a member of Congress, fully informed and worthy of entire confidence.  Give me leave to ask for him your attentions and civilities, and a verbal communication of such things on your side the water as you know I feel a great interest in, and as may not with safety be committed to paper.  I am entirely unable to conjecture the issue of things with you.

Accept assurances of my constant esteem and high consideration.

Th:  Jefferson

LETTER CCLXXVII.—­TO THOMAS PAINE, March 18, 1801

TO THOMAS PAINE.

Washington, March 18, 1801,

Dear Sir,

Your letters of October the 1st, 4th, 6th, and 16th, came duly to hand, and the papers which they covered were, according to your permission, published in the newspapers and in a pamphlet, and under your own name.  These papers contain precisely our principles, and I hope they will be generally recognised here.  Determined as we are to avoid, if possible, wasting the energies of our people in war and destruction, we shall avoid implicating ourselves with the powers of Europe, even in support of principles which we mean to pursue.  They have so many other interests different from ours, that we must avoid being entangled in them.  We believe we can enforce those principles, as to ourselves, by peaceable means, now that we are likely to have our public councils detached from foreign views.  The return, of our citizens from the phrenzy into which they had been wrought, partly by ill conduct in France, partly by artifices practised on them, is almost entire, and will, I believe, become quite so.  But these details, too minute and long for a letter, will be better developed by Mr. Dawson, the bearer of this, a member of the late Congress, to whom I refer you for them.  He goes in the Maryland, a sloop of war, which will wait a few days at Havre to receive his letters, to be written on his arrival at Paris.  You expressed a wish to get a passage to this country in a public vessel.  Mr. Dawson is charged with orders to the captain of the Maryland to receive and accommodate you with a passage back, if you can be ready to depart at such short warning.  Robert R. Livingston is appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to the republic of France, but will not leave this till we receive the ratification of the convention by Mr. Dawson.  I am in hopes you will find us returned generally to sentiments worthy of former times.  In these it will be your glory to have steadily labored, and with as much effect as any man living.  That you may long live to continue your useful labors, and to reap their reward in the thankfulness of nations, is my sincere prayer.

Accept assurances of my high esteem and affectionate attachment.

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CCLXXVIII.—­TO M. DE REYNEVAL, March 20, 1801