From Thomas Jefferson to Gideon Granger, 8 May 1803
To Gideon Granger
Washington May. 8. 1803.
Dear Sir
I promised to inform you of the result of the Virginia elections. one only has issued differently from what I expected; that is the Eastern shore district. the 2. Eastern shore counties were almost in the entire mass a body of tories during the revolutionary war, among whom we were obliged to station a regiment or two to keep them in order. they have never lost that spirit. they have now given 735. federal votes & 55 republican. there being some division in the Western shore counties of the residue of the district, the federal candidate has carried it by a majority of about 150. out of about 1920. votes given in the whole district say 1000. against 900. Brent’s case you know. Sprigg lost it against Stephenson, a Fed, by a majority not yet known1 [. . .], but it is [. . .]. he had been living in the state but one year, unfortunately had attached interest enough to him to be able to prevent Lawrence Washington (nephew of the General and) a good republican, who could otherwise have been elected with certainty. Holmes, where the Feds counted to carry their man, got 1000. against 473. Jackson, where they had been very sure also carried his by about 200. we have therefore 3. black sheep in our flock of 22.—Monroe’s appointment was known at Paris Feb. 24. he may be expected to have arrived there the middle of Apr. in the Journal des defenseurs (the special paper of Buonaparte, edited by his secretary) is a pretty long tirade against those, whom they call Anglomen, in the US. for endeavoring to irritate our citizens against France by pretending that the act of the Intendant of N. Orleans was dictated by France; and quoting with approbation the republican papers which proved that the body of our nation had seen through the wicked design ‘de ces feuilles excitratices,’ (these inflamatory papers.) the ground of war between England & France is much deeper & more irremoveable than the public are aware. I consider it as next to impossible that they should compromise the real differences. Accept my affectionate & respectful salutations.
Th: Jefferson
PrC (DLC); blurred; at foot of text: “Gideon Granger esq.”
For Republican Burwell Bassett’s campaign in the eastern shore counties, part of the newly reorganized twelfth congressional district, see “A Democrat” to TJ, 30 Mch. In the end, Thomas Griffin, the federal candidate, reportedly won by 33 votes, 1089 to 1056. brent’s case: Joseph Lewis, Jr., defeated the incumbent Republican Richard Brent in the district composed of Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties. Republican over confidence leading to a poor turnout in Prince William County was cited as the cause of Brent’s defeat (New-York Gazette, 18 Apr.; Gazette of the United States, 16 May; , 4:541; Vol. 32:460n).
Federalists accused Maryland native Osburn sprigg, a Hampshire County delegate in the Virginia assembly from 1800 to 1803, of forming the second congressional district in a way that “would secure his election to the next Congress.” The opposition described him as “a thorough going Jeffersonian” who believed “that Tom Paine was inspired to write the ‘Age of Reason.’ ” James stephenson defeated Sprigg by 131 votes, 984 to 853. nephew of the general: son of George Washington’s brother Samuel, Lawrence A. Washington served in the Virginia Senate from 1801 to 1803 (, 220, 224, 226, 228, 230; , 1:122–3; , 28; Hartford Connecticut Courant, 11 May 1803; Vol. 35:228–9n).
Incumbent Republican David holmes defeated Isaac Vanmeter by 1,134 to 477 votes, respectively. Republican John G. jackson, who represented Harrison County in the house of delegates from 1798 to 1801, defeated Thomas Wilson, the state senator representing Monongalia, Harrison, and other counties in 1803 (, 28; , 212, 216, 220, 230, 234; Vol. 36:492n).
1. Remainder of sentence interlined.