To Thomas Jefferson from Edmund Randolph, 26 August 1792
From Edmund Randolph
Philadelphia August 26. 1792.
Dear sir
Mr. Wilson, after a consultation with his brethren, has allowed Pagan’s writ of error. No security is required, as he is in custody. His counsel and attorney are informed of this, and will, I presume, proceed without delay.
I wrote to Mr. Madison, on the subject of the attack in Fenno’s paper, signed an American; expecting, that he would communicate the part of my letter at least to you. On such an occasion, it is difficult to know, what course ought to be pursued. Indeed the discretion of the person interested ought to be the guide. I shall therefore only say, that I shall not hesitate to be instrumental, where you think I can be serviceable; and that I am with truth Dear sir yr. friend & serv.
Edm: Randolph
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 9 Sep. 1792 and so recorded in SJL.
The context in which Justice James Wilson issued a writ of error in the case of Pagan v. Hooper is discussed in note to George Hammond to TJ, 26 Nov. 1791. Randolph’s 12 Aug. 1792 letter to Mr. Madison is in xiv, 348–50. The object of Randolph’s concern was the attack on TJ’s role in the founding of the National Gazette by “An American” in the Gazette of the United States of 11 Aug. 1792, the second of three pieces written under this pseudonym by the Secretary of the Treasury (, xii, 188–93).