To Thomas Jefferson from Gideon Granger, with Jefferson’s Note, 13 May 1803
From Gideon Granger, with Jefferson’s Note
Suffield May 13th. 1803.
Dr Sir.
I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 8th. and in return to communicate Intelligence no less pleasing. yesterday our Legislature assembled at the City of Hartford. The Votes for Govr. were—for Trumbull something over 14,300. for Kirby 7,848. last year Trumbull had over eleven Thousand and Kirby 4,523. The Increase of votes in our favor Since the last Struggle is 3,325. and exceeding the increase of federal votes in proportion a little short of 2,200. votes. I cannot be precise as my Letters are circulating amongst Our Citizens for their encouragement. party runs excessively high here—evry thing is said and done by the Tories. the Republicans Keep themselves cool & active. They are now aranging for the next Struggle. Their Spirit is good—but they are warm for removals. I inclose you the Copy of a petition which was this day presented to the Legislature. The Legislature of Rhode Island Mr. Ellery has just informd. me takes very strong ground.
Your sincere friend
Gidn Granger
[Note by TJ:]
this year, of 100 parts of the whole voters we had 35 parts—they 65
last year of 100. parts of the whole voters we had 29 parts they 71
| our increase then is in the ratio of | 29:35 |
| 6:7 |
RC (DLC); note by TJ written in left margin; endorsed by TJ as received 19 May and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure not found, but see TJ to Granger, 20 May.
There were fewer Republicans in the legislature that assembled at hartford in May 1803. A year earlier, the Connecticut House included 55 Republicans and 136 Federalists. At the fall 1802 assembly at New Haven, the number of Republicans had increased to 66. In 1803, the total number of representatives in the Connecticut House increased to 193, but the number of Republicans declined to 48 versus 145 Federalists. The Republicans did much better in the fall 1803 election, increasing their number to 63 (Michael J. Dubin, Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures: A Year by Year Summary, 1796–2006 [Jefferson, N.C., 2007], 32–3).
votes for govr.: Jonathan Trumbull received 14,375 votes in 1803 compared with 11,398 in 1802. Ephraim Kirby’s percentage of the votes increased from 28.4 in 1802 to 35.3 in 1803 (Michael J. Dubin, United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776–1860: The Official Results by State and County [Jefferson, N.C., 2003], 17; Norwich Connecticut Centinel, 17 May; Newport Rhode-Island Republican, 28 May 1803).