William B. W. Allone to Thomas Jefferson, 20 February 1810
From William B. W. Allone
New York Feb 20th 1810
Respected Sir
I do not know what excuse1 I can make for thus intruding myself upon your notice except2 the one of hard necessity. I know you are a man of few words therfor i’ll begin without farther ceremony3—My Father has written a pamphlet vindicating the administration of the late President, which I am certain (will please every real Republican)4 but he is so very poor at present that he cannot spare money from the use of his family (which is large) to publish it5—I have therefore without his knowledge writen this to you which is to request you to enclose to William B W Allone Esq New York money sufficient to set it going6—if you do not send the pamphlet cannot be published—Yours in haste
W B W Allone
PS I Write two with different directions for7 fear of miscarriage
WBWA
RC (MHi); at head of text: “The Honble T Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 28 Feb. 1810 and so recorded in SJL; notation by TJ: “a swindler.” Dupl (MHi); lacks postscript; endorsed by TJ as received 28 Feb. 1810 and so recorded (separately from RC) in SJL; notation by TJ: “a swindler.”
1. RC: “exuse.” Dupl: “excuse.”
2. RC: “you notice exept.” Dupl: “your notice except.”
3. Dupl: “are one of those men men like to come immediatly to the Point, so to begin.”
4. Preceding nine words omitted in Dupl.
5. Dupl: “but is so much involved that he cannot publish it.”
6. Dupl: “as much money as you think will set it well agoing & if it succeeds you may depend upon being well reimbursed. tho I know you are so generous that you do not care about that.”
7. RC: “fo.”