To Thomas Jefferson from the Citizens of Bristol County, Massachusetts, 19 December 1804
From the Citizens of Bristol County, Massachusetts
Sir
We the subscribers Citysons of the County of Bristol Commonwealth of Massechusetts, Do humbly Petition your Excelency that the Collector at New Bedford and the Collector at Dighton in said County, may be removed From the offices aforesaid—
We are of an oppinion that the removel of those officers, and the appointment of Men to succed them, who are of ability and frindly to our Excelent Goverment, and the Present Administration, would unite the people in said County, and much incourage the frinds of rasional Liberty, and of a Republican Goverment. The present Officers with all their assistants and those under their influance, are opposed to the Present Administration, and some of them at different times on days of Electons have been Violent in their Conduct, and very indecent in their Language, towards the Frinds of Goverment the Executive Officers of the same, and the majority of both Houses of Congress.—Therefore pray your Excelency, to take the Premeces into Consideration, And do in the same as wisdom shall direct—
as in duty bound shall ever pray—
Taunton December 19th. 1804
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR, 12:638-9); in a clerk’s hand, including 65 signatures; at head of text: “To His Excelancy Thomas Jefferson Esquire Presdent of the United States of Amarica”; endorsed by TJ with notation “New Bedford Dighton Petn Collectors to be removd.”
In a letter of 28 Nov. to an unidentified recipient, John Nye likewise criticized the Federalist prejudices of Edward Pope, the Collector at New Bedford. Nye testified that Pope had angrily denounced a pro-Jefferson address by Calvin Chaddock and had characterized the president as a “man of an infamous moral character” who sought the “destruction of all religion, and all good government” (DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Pope. Collectr. N. Bedford”). A letter of 20 Dec. from Nathan Willis to Chaddock similarly denounced Pope and his deputies and predicted that the collectorship “will most Certainly fall to you” (same; endorsed by TJ: “Chaddock Calvin to be Collector of New Bedford”). A few other communications touted Chaddock’s candidacy. In a letter of 4 Sep. to Levi Lincoln, Chaddock offered further evidence of Pope’s misconduct and informed Lincoln that he had received an offer to reenter the ministry but was waiting for word on his potential appointment to the collectorship (same; endorsed by TJ as a letter of 24 Sep. received from Calvin “Shaddock” on 7 Oct. and “to be Collector N. Bedford. v. Pope. fed.”). That letter likely enclosed a letter of 4 Sep. from Caleb Briggs, Eli Haskell, and Nathan Willis to Gallatin in which Pope was charged with neglect, fraud, and opposition to the administration. They requested that Gallatin make a decision as to Chaddock’s status as soon as possible (same; with added note by Gallatin: “I have no doubt of the Truth of the facts above stated”). In a letter of 2 Jan. 1805 to Dearborn, Chaddock again solicited the collectorship and enclosed a letter of recommendation “signed by the principle republican characters in my neighborhood” (same; endorsed by TJ: “Chaddock Calvin. to be Collectr. New Bedford v. Pope”).
Hodijah Baylies, who had served as a military aide to George Washington during the Revolution, was appointed Collector at Dighton in 1789 and remained in the post until he resigned in 1809 (Boston Gazette, 10 Aug. 1789, 2 Feb. 1809; , Confed. Ser., 1:528n; Gallatin to TJ, 2 Feb. 1809). In a letter of 25 Dec. to Phanuel Bishop, Holder Slocum recommended Nathaniel Williams as a replacement for Baylies (DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Dighton. Nathanl. Williams to be Collector”). Almost a year later, Nathaniel Morton, Jr., and Josiah Dean advised Gallatin that although Baylies was a person of “adequate talents” and “unchargeable with any immoral or official misconduct,” he was a “decided and we believe a sentimental federalist” and was using his influence against the administration. They recommended Josiah Wardwell as a replacement (Morton and Dean to Gallatin, 6 Nov. 1805, in same; endorsed by TJ: “Wardwell Josiah to be Collector Dighton v. Bailies lre to mr Gallatin”).