1161From Thomas Jefferson to Albert Gallatin, 23 April 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
My ideas on the questions relative to the Active, letter of marque stated in your letter of yesterday, are as follows. 1. Letters of marque have been considered ever since the decisions of 1793. to be of a mixed character, but that the commercial character predominates; and as a commercial vessel of private property we have in some case, since the proclamation of July, considered them as not...