To Thomas Jefferson from Tompson J. Skinner, 9 January 1804
From Tompson J. Skinner
Washington Jany. 9th 1804
Dear Sir
The Bearer Mr Easton A Citisen of New York, is Solicitous that you should become Acquainted with his Character, I am Situated at A Considerable Distance from him, But have Connections And Acquaintance in the County where he resides—
By whom I have been informed that Mr Easton was a very respectable Gentleman, of Fair Character And promising Talents, And A firm Undeviating Republican—The enclosed you will perceive is from A Gentleman whose practice is in the Same Courts, Who I consider to be Cautious, Delicate And Correct in all his Recommendations, And therefore Do not hesitate in Giving my opinion, that his Communication is Entitled to Respect
have the honor to be with Sentiments of Affection & esteem Your Humble. Servt—
Tompson J Skinner
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); at head of text: “To President Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 6 Feb. and “Easton Rufus to be Atty N.O.” and so recorded in SJL with a brace connecting it to letters received the same day from Philip Van Cortlandt of 1 Feb. and Oliver Phelps of 4 Feb. Enclosure: Nathan Williams to Skinner, Washington, 2 Jan. 1804, stating that he has recently met with Rufus Easton, his Oneida County neighbor and acquaintance, and is willing to render his assistance in securing him a federal appointment; Williams and Easton have practiced at the same bar, and Williams considers him “a person of good moral character, a firm republican,” and “a Counsellor of respectable standing & talents, of the Supreme Court of Judicature of the State of N. York”; Williams asks that Skinner forward this information to the president, “with an intimation of the credit due to my recomendation” (same).
An influential Republican from western Massachusetts, Tompson J. Skinner (1752-1809) was a militia general and former state legislator who served in Congress from 1797 to 1799. Reelected in 1803, he resigned his House seat the following year after TJ appointed him commissioner of loans. His term of office lasted only a few months, however, terminating when TJ appointed him U.S. marshal for Massachusetts in November 1804 (; Paul Goodman, The Democratic-Republicans of Massachusetts: Politics in a Young Republic [Cambridge, Mass., 1964], 79-82; , 1:471, 476; TJ to Skinner, 15 June 1804).