to General Mason’s, he wrote to me that he was a fugitive in want of employ, wished to know if he could get into a counting-house or a school, in my neighborhood or in that of Richmond; that he had materials for a volume, and if he could get as much money as would buy the paper, the profit of the sale would be all his own.  I availed myself of this pretext to cover a mere charity, by desiring him to consider me a subscriber for as many copies of his book as the money inclosed (fifty dollars) amounted to; but to send me two copies only, as the others might lie till called for.  But I discouraged his coming into my neighborhood.  His first writings here had fallen far short of his original ‘Political Progress,’ and the scurrilities of his subsequent ones began evidently to do mischief.  As to myself, no man wished more to see his pen stopped:  but I considered him still as a proper object of benevolence.  The succeeding year he again wanted money to buy paper for another volume.  I made his letter, as before, the occasion of giving him another fifty dollars.  He considers these as proofs of my approbation of his writings, when they were mere charities, yielded under a strong conviction that he was injuring us by his writings.  It is known to many, that the sums given to him were such, and even smaller than I was in the habit of giving to others in distress, of the federal as well as the republican party, without attention to political principles.  Soon after I was elected to the government, Callender came on here, wishing to be made post-master at Richmond.  I knew him to be totally unfit for it:  and however ready I was to aid him with my own charities (and I then gave him fifty dollars), I did not think the public offices confided to me to give away as charities.  He took it in mortal offence, and from that moment has been hauling off to his former enemies, the federalists.  Besides the letter I wrote him in answer to the one from General Mason’s, I wrote him another containing answers to two questions he addressed to me; 1. whether Mr. Jay received salary as Chief Justice and Envoy at the same time; and 2. something relative to the expenses of an embassy to Constantinople.  I think these were the only letters I ever wrote him in answer to volumes he was perpetually writing to me.  This is the true state of what has passed between him and me.  I do not know that it can be used without committing me in controversy, as it were, with one too little respected by the public to merit that notice.  I leave to your judgment what use can be made of these facts.  Perhaps it will be better judged of, when we see what use the tories will endeavor to make of their new friend.  I shall leave this on the 21st, and be at Monticello probably on the 24th, or within two or three days of that, and shall hope, ere long, to see you there.  Accept assurances of my affectionate attachment.

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CCXCVIII.—­TO GOVERNOR MONROE, July 17, 1802