To Thomas Jefferson from William Wingate, 15 February 1804
From William Wingate
Haverhill Mass: Feb: 15. 1804.
Dear Sir.
As the Intrest and welfare of my Country is always Uppermost on my Mind, I now Sincerely Congratulate You And our Republican Brethren and Country, for the invaluable Acquisition of Louisiana to the United States, (an immense rich fertile and extensive Teritory) without the expence of a Single drop of blood, for which I wish You in behalf of myself and Country the best of Heavens blessings both here and hereafter is all I can give You in return, except rendering You and our Common Country my future best Services, provided I Should be So happy As to Merit Your Confidence and Approbation—Sir I can with propriety Affirm that I have Uniformly thus far devoted my Life to Serve the Intrest of My Country and Republican Brethren to the extent of my Abilities & influence, permit me Sir to Say, the President of the United States has nor can do no more—Sir, I Cannot Concent to Undervalue myself or wound my feelings so much As to Solicit my Republican friends here or at Washington for to Solicit an Office for me Under the General Goverment, especially on the principle of obtaining me a Comfortable living, it is true that They generally know that I am both needy and deserving, also lost my property by a Combination of my Federal enemies in Hancoks day and Since, with no other view but to destroy my Republican influence, Such Sir has Sacredly been my Misfortune—My friends have often proposed for to Solicit an Office for me, my Wish has always been and now is for to obtain one by my own merit, I expected that my friend Carr would have obtained the Collectors Office at Newbury port, if He had Succeeded I Should have found business with him, As he has failed, it is now my Wish and desire to obtain the Office Mr. Hodge now holds in Newbury port, the President no doubt has often been informed that Mr. Hodge is an open Enemy to Mr. Jefferson, His Administration and our present Republican form of Goverment, if this be true, the Sooner he is removed the better, I ask is it not owing to Such Clogs in the great Wheel that makes it go round So heavily in this Common Wealth—Shall here observe, that our friend Carr is a very Usefull Spoke in our State Legislature, besides Mr. Carrs Son in Law is now a Collector, for those two important reasons I do not think it So proper and Usefull for to Appoint Mr. Carr into Mr. Hodges Office as to Appoint Some other person, delicacy forbids my Saying any more on the Subject, being Sensiable that it belongs Solely to the Presidents Province to Judge of the necessity of removing and Appointing all Such Officers—
I beg leave only to add that in Case I Should be Appointed into any Office that it would be the height of my Ambition to do the business Correct, and to give the President, my friends and all Concerned General Sattisfaction, and always Cheerfully to Acknowledge the favor with feeling Gratitude—As I am desirous to know my prospect, if the President Should Judge it proper and can make it Convenient to return me an Answer, I now pledge my Sacred Honor with regard to Secrecy—
Sir, I duly received Your Letter Containing my papers by the hand of Mr. Varnums Son in Law, I was happy to find that my information met Your Approbation, And now return You my Sincere thanks for the friendly expressions mentioned in Your Letter—
Sir, Believe me to be Sentiments of the most Sincere Esteem and Respect Your Most Obedient Humble Servant—
William Wingate
NB. Newbury port (or Portland) would be my Wish to reside, if the President Should appoint any other place or Office I Shall Cheerfully Submit—
P.S.
Sir, I Concluded at the instant I was Sealing this letter, for to inclose Duplicates of two letters I refered to in my former letter, and were not inclosed, as their Contents respects the President also will shew my Political Ideas, have taken the liberty to inclose them, but in full Confidence with regard to Secrecy, and as they are of no use to me, you need not return them—I hope sir, your Candor will excuse the expressions used in them, also pardon me for taking the liberty of inclosing them—
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); at foot of text: “The President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received 25 Feb. and “for office in Mass.” and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) Wingate to Joseph B. Varnum, dated Haverhill, 6 Dec. 1802, suggesting that TJ “may Immortalize His Name and Fame throughout the Civilized parts of the Globe” by completely revising the nation’s import laws; Wingate believes national wealth is derived from agriculture, domestic manufacturing, and exports, and that laborers and mechanics will always emigrate to countries that offer them the best employment and the most freedom; Wingate suggests that Congress remove the duties on salt, Bohea tea, and brown sugar and add them to the duties on other teas and luxury items; he also adds a long list of manufactured goods upon which “A duty of 100 per Cent at least” should be placed in order to provide employment for American mechanics and laborers; conversely, raw materials not raised in America should be imported with very low duties or no duty at all; Wingate also recommends a bounty on the production of domestic hemp; if Varnum finds his remarks “worth notice,” Wingate asks that they be communicated to the president (Tr in same; in Wingate’s hand). (2) Wingate to Varnum, dated Haverhill, 19 Jan. 1803, urging that the president and heads of departments remove the “Internal Enemies cloathed with power” from federal office; the so-called Federalists have “Sworn on every occasion” to supplant liberty with monarchy and oppression, and for “any Republican ruler to prefer or promote an open Enemy in preference to an open Friend” strikes Wingate as “ingratitude of the blackest die”; John Hancock won no new friends by promoting his enemies and neglecting his supporters, and instead laid the foundation for the Essex Junto and the Federalist party in Massachusetts; Wingate claims to have been an early and consistent promoter of the Republican cause in Massachusetts and has recently urged the formation of “County Meetings,” which he believes will help Republicans in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire; Wingate is also “feelingly alarmed” by the present crisis in national affairs, especially respecting Louisiana, and urges Varnum and his fellow Republicans to resist the temptation to lead the nation into an unjust war; Varnum should take no action until he knows “the minds of the People” on the subject and thereby avoid a repetition of the disgraceful Jay Treaty, which was “Secretly effected and falsly imposed on the People”; Federalists in Congress are attempting to increase expenditures and “lessen our only Revenue” in order to force the president to levy internal taxes and thereby, in Wingate’s opinion, prevent his reelection; Federalists cannot be thwarted nor the Republicans supported unless the president and his cabinet “actually remove every Secret and open Enemy out of office” (Tr in same; in Wingate’s hand).
For previous recommendations to appoint Francis carr surveyor at Newburyport in place of Michael hodge, see Vol. 39:153n and Vol. 40:586, 588-9n.
your letter containing my papers: TJ to Wingate, 25 Feb. 1803.