Donald Fraser to Thomas Jefferson, 4 February 1820
From Donald Fraser
New York Feby 4th 1820.
Venerable Sir,
You will herewith receive a Biographical Sketch1 of Yourself, Subject to correction & additions:—Likewise, a copy of a Prospectus of a work of mine nearly ready for Press,—& a Small Pamphlite which I lately published; the Perusal of the latter, may amuse Your Daughters.
Donald Fraser Senr
P.S.—
Motto [for my “Biographical Compendium”]2
By candour led, our various page, displays,
Some traits of those who lived, to merit praise:
To virtuous men we give the honour due,
True to themselves, & to their Country true.
To living worth, give what merit claims,
Here tell their deeds, & here record their names;
Let those who wish, or aim, to act so well,
Their lives review, & then, like them excell.
RC (MHi); dateline at foot of text; addressed: “Thos Jefferson Esqr Late President of The United States. Virginia”; endorsed by TJ as received 13 Feb. 1820 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) biographical sketch of TJ, not found, but presumably similar to that enclosed by Fraser in his letter to TJ of 10 Oct. 1819. (2) Fraser, Proposals, For Publishing, By Subscription, An Original Work, entitled “The Biographical Compendium, and Patriot’s Mirror” (undated pamphlet in MWA), indicating that the proposed work will contain more than three hundred duodecimo pages; including as a sample the preface, fifteen of the short biographies, among them those of James Monroe, Alexander Hamilton, Sir Isaac Newton, Napoleon, and Thomas Paine, and anecdotes of Monroe, Samuel Johnson, and George Washington; stating that “Biographic Sketches of the former Presidents, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison” have also been prepared but are too long for the prospectus (p. 15); and closing with testimonials and the beginning of a subscription list. Other enclosure not found.
1. Manuscript: “Stetch.”
2. Opening bracket in original, with omitted closing bracket editorially supplied.
Index Entries
- Adams, John; D. Fraser’s biographical sketch of search
- books; biographical search
- Fraser, Donald; and biographical sketch of TJ search
- Fraser, Donald; letters from search
- Fraser, Donald; poetry of search
- Fraser, Donald; Proposals, For Publishing, By Subscription, An Original Work, entitled “The Biographical Compendium, and Patriot’s Mirror” search
- Hamilton, Alexander (1757–1804); in D. Fraser’s proposed book search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Descriptions of; biographies of search
- Johnson, Samuel; in D. Fraser’s proposed book search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); in D. Fraser’s proposed book search
- Monroe, James; in D. Fraser’s proposed book search
- Napoleon I, emperor of France; in D. Fraser’s proposed book search
- Newton, Sir Isaac; in D. Fraser’s proposed book search
- Paine, Thomas; in D. Fraser’s proposed book search
- poetry; sent to TJ search
- Proposals, For Publishing, By Subscription, An Original Work, entitled “The Biographical Compendium, and Patriot’s Mirror” (D. Fraser) search
- subscriptions, for publications; biographies search
- Washington, George; in D. Fraser’s proposed book search