To Thomas Jefferson from “Timothy Scrape”, 2 September 1804
From “Timothy Scrape”
New Haven, 2nd: September 1804
Most high, and mighty Sir
Convinced that you have the Interests of the Republican Party always near your Heart; and that you to the utmost of your abillities strive to promote their power, I have taken the Liberty of sending to you a copy of the Constitution, which the Delegates of ninety seven towns in Connecticut (all true, genuine Republicans) have formed, for this State. Our Intentions are, to revolutionise this State, in order that our party may have more influence, for I am Sorry to say, that at present they have little, or none of any Consiquence. you cannot help knowing, that the People in general in this State are much opposed to our proceedings, this Constitution will entirely do away all this, and if it does not, the People will have to submit, whether they wish to, or n[ot.] beleive me Sir that we will at last overturn this State that She is fast falling into our hands; and that very soon we will have her at our own disposal.
May that Being whome you adore, give you a reward worthy your merrits, I am Most mighty Sir your humble, & most obedient adorer,
Timothy Scrape
be so good as to excuse my bad writing, being only a justice of the Peace, to which office, I was raised from the humble occupation of a Chimney Sweeper, for saying in a dram shop that you never in your life told a lie.
RC (DLC); torn; endorsed by TJ as an anonymous letter received on 6 Sep. and “Stuff” and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure not found, but see below.
No state constitution was produced at the 29 Aug. meeting of Republican delegates (Gideon Granger to TJ, 2 Sep).
much opposed: the Republican gathering, and its printed attack on state government, caused a backlash of criticism among Federalists. The town of Southington declared that it had not sent a delegate to the convention and called the proceedings “hostile to the rights and privileges of the people of this state.” The Connecticut Gazette claimed that the convention address had been written beforehand by Pierpont Edwards, who then ordered Republicans around the state to call on him at New Haven, agree without question that the address “was very charming,” and depart “joyfully home, to tell the wonders they had seen and heard, and to spread Mr. Edwards’ address among their neighbors.” The governor sent a message to the legislature admonishing the address, in particular its repudiation of the current state constitution, and asked that justices of the peace William Judd, Jabez H. Tomlinson, Agur Judson, Hezekiah Goodrich, and Nathaniel Manning be removed from office for their involvement. The legislature tried the justices on 30 Oct. and revoked their commissions (Hartford Connecticut Courant, 3 Oct.; New London Connecticut Gazette, 12 Sep. and 31 Oct; Windham Herald, 8 Nov.).
The author’s pseudonym and his humble occupation most likely stemmed from comments made by Abraham Bishop during his 11 May oration berating Connecticut’s Federalist government. In his speech, Bishop spoke of the biased opinions of state judges whose livelihoods were dependent on the influence of certain key Federalists. The fear of job loss was appreciable for superior judges and those “humble beings” in the county and probate courts, Bishop argued, but worse for the “dependant dust and ashes, which in the form of justices are exercising a seven dollar jurisdiction throughout the state” (Abraham Bishop, Oration, in Honor of the Election of President Jefferson [New Haven, 1804; , No. 5881], 11). See also the New-England Palladium, 21 Sep., for a fictional “New Constitution for Connecticut,” which mocked both Bishop’s speech and the 29 Aug. address.