1Jefferson’s Statement of Refusal to Authenticate Writings, December 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
The minister plenipotentiary for the United states of America finds himself under the necessity of declining to authenticate writings destined to be sent to the United states, for this main reason, that such authentication is not legal evidence there. After a reason so sufficient it seems superfluous to add that, were his authentication admissible in the courts of the United states, he could...