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Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

"Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3"

I was the more so too, as I had myself during the whole of your
absence, as well as since your return, been a constant butt for every
shaft of calumny which malice and falsehood could form, and the presses,
public speakers, or private letters disseminate. One of these, too,
was of a nature to touch yourself; as if, wanting confidence in your
efforts, I had been capable of usurping powers committed to you, and
authorizing negotiations private and collateral to yours. The real truth
is, that though Doctor Logan, the pretended missionary, about four or
five days before he sailed for Hamburg, told me he was going there, and
thence to Paris, and asked and received from me a certificate of
his citizenship, character, and circumstances of life, merely as
a protection, should he be molested on his journey in the present
turbulent and suspicious state of Europe, yet I had been led to consider
his object as relative to his private affairs; and though, from an
intimacy of some standing, he knew well my wishes for peace and my
political sentiments in general, he nevertheless received then no
particular declaration of them, no authority to communicate them to any
mortal, nor to speak to any one in my name, or in any body's name, on
that, or any other subject whatever; nor did I write by him a scrip of
a pen to any person whatever.


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