To Thomas Jefferson from Daniel Carroll Brent, 29 March 1804
From Daniel Carroll Brent
Alexandria March 29th. 1804
Sir—
I expected to have been in the City before this, but am detained by the Court now sitting here. I therefore now enclose you, from hence, the paper you put into my hands the other day—The federalists are marked F. the republicans R—I have endeavourd to mark them faithfully, & correctly, it is possible I may be mistaken in some few characters—the sound republicans are, I believe, Geo: Gilpin, Samuel Croudson, & William Dunlap, those others marked R have not been so decided—permit me while writeing to say, that my personal esteem for Col. Sims, will make me regret, that you shou’d find it necessary, or proper to remove him—I have been requestd to say that both Doct. Walter Jones, and Genl. Thomson Mason, the late State Senator from the Counties of Fairfax & Prince William, wish the appointment, if Col. Sims shou’d be removed—the worth and talents of the former gentleman are well known to you Mr. Mason is highly respected & esteemed; is much interested in the rise and progress of this place, as his residence and property are about six miles from it—he is a man of business, and accuracy, was tutured to it by his father; & as to money matters, there is no man, in whom greater confidence can be placed—I am authorized to state he will remove to town if he shou’d be appointed. I am Sir with the highest & esteem yr. Obt. Sert.
Daniel C. Brent
NB. a few are markd d I know not how to State them.
D C B
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); endorsed by TJ as received 30 Mch. and “Syms Mason Jones” and so recorded in SJL.
esteem for col. sims: Brent sent the president other correspondence against the removal of Charles Simms. On 22 Mch., Alexandria merchant John Thomas Ricketts informed Brent that the efforts to remove Simms originated with Federalists determined “to wreck their Vengence on Simm, Close in with some Restless Democrats” who backed other candidates for the office. Ricketts, who had once served as surety for Simms when they were “pointed Political Enemies,” declared “that The Removal would be disgusting to the merchants generally whether Democrat Federalist or what you please, Including almost Every man of wealth in the place” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR, endorsed by TJ: “Symms not to be removed. Ricketts to D. C. Brent”; , 5:91n). On 23 Mch., George Gilpin informed Brent of a petition being “handed about” secretly to have Simms removed. He thought the collectorship was “well conducted” under Simms. The merchants of Alexandria, Gilpin maintained, did not want a change (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Simms not to be removed”). Robert Young, whom TJ appointed in 1802 as consul at Havana, wrote Brent from Alexandria on 23 Mch. that Simms had informed him of a memorial being privately circulated (RC in same, endorsed by TJ: “Symms not to be removed”; Vol. 35:388n).
TJ also acquired a letter written by A. Harrison at Fairfax Court House on 22 Mch. According to TJ’s endorsement, the letter was to Brent’s brother, Richard Brent. Harrison noted that Simms’s family would suffer “want and poverty” in the event of his removal. Simms was “greatly tortured” by anxiety (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR, endorsed by TJ: “Syms Charles. not to be removd. mr Harrison to Richd. Brent”; Vol. 33:345n).