1From Thomas Jefferson to Jacob Gerrit Diriks, 2 July 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
As a private individual and citizen of America I can with propriety and truth deliver it to you as my firm belief that the loan office certificate you shewed me, and all others of the same kind will be paid, principal and interest, as soon as the circumstances of the United states will permit: that I do not consider this as a distant epoch, nor suppose there is a publick debt on earth less...