Thomas Jefferson Papers
Documents filtered by: Date="1801-04-30"
sorted by: date (ascending)
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-33-02-0569

To Thomas Jefferson from Charles Goodwin, 30 April 1801

From Charles Goodwin

Silver Bluff, Barnewell District So Carolina,
April 30th 1801.

Sir

The conversations of Mr Allston who has lately returned from the northward, & of Mr Charles Pinckney who has since him returned, seem to render it certain that Mr Cochran the present Marshall is to be removed. The circumstance of his being an eastern man, & the dupe of eastern policy, made us hope, as soon as we should be blessed by your exhaltation to the dignified office which is now dignified by you Sir, that a factious wrong headed youngster would no longer be continued in the important office of Marshall, where he has unremittingly checked the free course of justice by his partial selection of jurymen—our hopes are to be realized as we learn from Mr Pinckney; & many of my partial friends having expressed a wish that I would offer myself for the office of Marshall, I take the liberty of notifying to you that my services are at your disposal. If however, Sir, any other gentleman has been thought of by yourself, I entreat that I may not interfere with him, & that you will be assured that the prefference of any other gentleman will not occasion the least abatement of the homage I owe you, & of the veneration inspired by your virtues. As my friend Judge Ramsay is going down the country to preside in the circuit spring court, I shall solicit him to take charge of this letter, & as there are strong reasons for believing that a letter addressed to yourself would be opened at the Charleston post office, by Mr Bacoat the post Master, I shall request Judge Ramsay to deposit this at the Savannah post office (as he will return by Savannah) & will also take the precaution of putting it under cover to the postmaster general. I have the pleasure to inform you, good & great Sir, that your being called to preside over the people of America has given infinite delight in this district, & we all rely with confidence on a republican & at the same time energetic administration of the government. That you may live long, & throughout life enjoy all those blessings which we are permitted to enjoy here is the fervent prayer of

Yr devoted fellow Citizen

Charles Goodwin

RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); endorsed by TJ as received 26 May and so recorded in SJL with notation “Off.”

London native Charles Goodwin emigrated to South Carolina in 1780 and became a naturalized citizen in 1783. A lawyer, major of militia, and planter at Silver Bluff on the Savannah River near Augusta, Georgia, he represented Winton (later Barnwell) District in the South Carolina General Assembly from 1800 to 1805 (S.C. Biographical Directory, Senate description begins N. Louise Bailey and others, eds., Biographical Directory of the South Carolina Senate, 1776–1985, Columbia, S.C., 1986, 3 vols. description ends , 1:583; Ephraim Ramsay to TJ, 2 May 1801).

Index Entries