Thomas Jefferson, as third President

Autograph letter signed in the third person, 1 page (9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.; 252 x 201 mm), Washington, 8 March 1805, to Thomas Elwyn; two tiny fold separations, two minor marginal repairs, some light creases.

Sabin 22375; Shaw & Shoemaker 8777; Sowerby, Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson 3324

On 22 February 1805, Thomas Elwyn, a Democratic-Republican from New Hampshire, had sent Jefferson an inscribed copy of his anonymous Letter to a Federalist, in Reply to Some of the Popular Objections to the Motives and Tendency of the Measures of the Present Administration, a pamphlet he had written defending Jefferson's administration against the attacks of the rival Federalist party.

Four days after delivering his second inaugural address, Jefferson sent the present letter to Elwyn, thanking him for the publication, endorsing his efforts to elect a Democratic-Republican governor in the Granite State—and rebuking his Federalist opponents for their continued hostility.

"Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to mr Elwyn & his thanks for the pamphlet he has been so kind as to send him, and which he shall peruse with pleasure in his first spare moment. he had before observed what was said in the Chronicle of it’s conciliatory tendency. some are of opinion that attempts at conciliation are useless. this is true only as to distinguished leaders who had committed themselves so far that their pride will not permit them to correct themselves. but it is not true as to the mass of those who had been led astray by an honest confidence in the government & by misinformation. the great majority of these has already reconciled itself to us, & the rest are doing so as fast as the natural progress of opinion will permit. he presents his friendly salutations to Mr. Elwyn."

Jefferson added a notation to the title-page of his copy of Elwyn's Letter to a Federalist, now in the Library of Congress, "by Thomas Elwyn, Portsmouth N.H."