Thomas Jefferson Papers

George Hebb to Thomas Jefferson, 25 May 1822

From George Hebb

Baltimore May 25. 1822

Sir.

I addressed you on the 21st Int. Since when “A Native of Virginia” has again appeared in the Federal Republican with remarks on your Letter of explanation of the Bill Transaction and although his writing Discover him to be a man of considerable ingenuity, Still his resoning is deceptive and unsound—the effect appears, however, to produce some excitement and a Belief with some that the amount of the Bill was received twice by you—in canvassing the Subject with some of my acquaintances Several Points have presented themselves to me which might tend to make the subject more clear—The Bill was, enclosed by you to Grand & Co—by reference to a copy of your Letter inclosing the Bill the manner of applying the proceeds of the Bill may be assertained, whether it was to be remitted to you or to remain with them subject to your order or whether to be applied to any other account as directed by you, if the latter, as the Bill was not received by them, there must have ben some other appropriation instead of it—it may give you some trouble1 to examine old Papers and correspondences—but as you have commenced the Subject, it would be satisfactory to your Friends that the transaction Should be placed in the most unquestionable point of view, which I feel assured you can do—   Information was received here this morning that Reigo and the Principle members of the Cortes had ben assasinated and that the Mob entered the Palace and murdered the whole of the Royal Family—this account was communicated in a private Letter from Madrid to a House at Paris & a private Letter conveyed it to the Editor [of]2 the London Courier and was published in that paper on the 13th April—   I remain your

Most Obt

Geo Hebb

RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as a letter from “Hebbe George” received 30 May 1822 and so recorded (with last name spelled correctly) in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with FC of TJ to James H. Caldwell, 27 Aug. 1824, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr Monticello Virginia The Post at Baltimore will forward this Letter to the Post office nearest to Monticello”; frank trimmed; postmarked Baltimore, 25 May.

TJ’s letter of explanation was his missive to Ritchie & Gooch of 13 May 1822. The report that the president of the Spanish Cortes, Rafael del Riego y Núñez (reigo), and a number of his liberal colleagues had been assassinated and that in response a mob had killed the whole of the royal family was false.

1Manuscript: “treouble.”

2Omitted word editorially supplied.

Index Entries

  • Baltimore, Md.; Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph search
  • Courier (London newspaper) search
  • Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph (newspaper) search
  • Ferdinand VII, king of Spain; family of search
  • Ferdinand VII, king of Spain; rumored assassination of search
  • Grand & Compagnie (Paris firm) search
  • Hebb, George; and rumored assassinations in Spain search
  • Hebb, George; and “A Native of Virginia” search
  • Hebb, George; letters from search
  • London; Courier search
  • newspapers; Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph search
  • newspapers; LondonCourier search
  • Riego y Núñez, Rafael del; rumored assassination of search
  • Spain; Cortes of search
  • Spain; rumored assassinations in search
  • “A Native of Virginia” (pseudonym); accuses TJ of misuse of public funds search
  • “A Native of Virginia” (pseudonym); TJ’s replies to search