To Thomas Jefferson from Josiah Wyatt, 14 May 1805
From Josiah Wyatt
Newbury Port May 14th. 1805
Dear Sir
Whith Respect; As i Am; i think; in duty bound; to write to you Sir; As you Sir; Are Made Choice Of; by the Majority Of the People; Of the United States; Of America; therefore Seek Peace & Persue it; for that Man; that knoweth his Masters Will; & doth it Not; Shall be beatton; Whith Many Stripes; therefor Seek first the kingdom Of God & his Righteousness; & All things Shall be Aded Unto You: As it is Unto me A Servant Of the lord; for: the Promise is; that No good thing Will he Whith hold; from them that Walk uprightly; therfore; dear Sir; Please to buy the truth; & Sell it Not; for in it; Are the Words Of eternal life; Perhaps; you Sir; May buy it; At A Cheaper Rate; than i did: for i have been in irons; for the truths Sake; four years; Whith Out bed Or frire: & All that Men & devills; Was Permitted; to inflict upon me; Never the less: i held to Mine in tegrity; that is; to Conquer Or die in battle; for that Man; Or Woman; that looketh back; After Puting their hand unto the Plough; is Not fit; for the king dom Of heaven; therefore; if you Sir; Are A friend; unto Religon; Please to be Still Pressing forward; for by the Jentlemen Select Men; Of the towns Of Newbury Port; Portsmouth; &; exeter; the Metroplus; Of the State; Of New Hamshire; in My Absence; Judge Smith Gave Orders; to the Select men; to Open My house: unlawfully: Contrary; to the law Of God: Or man; A White Rope; Seems to be to Good for them: for Judges; Or; Our Rulers; to Up hold burgaloary; & high way Robery; What Can be expected Of the Ruled: but; to follow their example; As the Answer; is very Plain; What will be the fatal Consequenceses; it appears to Me; that both Rullers: & Ruled: Are Pulling down; the Judgements Of God: On Our Own heads; As it Were Whith A Cart Rope: thereforore; i See that we as A People; Muist Repent; Or Perish Saith the lord Of hosts: if wee be willing & Obiedent; we Shall eat the good Of the land; but; if we Refuse; & Rebel: We Shall be devour’d Whith the Sword; for the mouth Of the lord; hath Spoken it:
Your Most Obiedent very humble Servant: a friend to Rulers & Ruled:
Josiah Wyatt
of Newbur Port Shipwright
All th’o i had Concluded As your honor will See by My Closing the fore Mentioned lines: As A Wise Man Alters his Mind: So i Continue in writing A few lines in Addition there fore As Justice Must & will take Place in the united States Of America: for the earth is the lords & the fullness thereof; he has A Sovrign Right to do Whith it As Seemeth him Just & Right & None Can Stay his hand Or Say Whith Any Propriety: What dost thou Or Why dost thou So for God has All Power: Nevertheless we are the Means in his hand Of Providence: Of doing good Or evil & Shall Receive Accordingly: therefore let us Rulers & Ruled give God; All the Glory for it is his Just due therefore i Request Restitution: According to the holy law Of Our God; Of the three mentioned towns: this is my Requet that i have Justice done me Whither for Or against Me; yours
Josiah Wyatt of Newbury Port
in the Name & in the Strength of the lord Of hosts do i Write
PS—if it Should be Agreeable Please to Write me A line Or two
RC (MoSHi: Jefferson Papers); postscript written in margin of first page; addressed: “to thomas Jefferson first Majestrate Of the United States Of America”; postmarked 18 May; endorsed by TJ as received 24 May and “insane” and so recorded in SJL.
Josiah Wyatt (ca. 1777-1823), an alumnus of Phillips Exeter Academy, had been publicly declared non compos mentis in 1801 and placed under a guardianship (General Catalogue of the Officers and Students of The Phillips Exeter Academy, 1783-1903 [Exeter, N.H., 1903], 4; Portsmouth New Hampshire Gazette, 22 Dec. 1801; Newburyport Herald, 3 June 1823).
Seek Peace & Persue it: Psalms 34:14.
Man; that knoweth his Masters Will: Luke 12:47.
Seek first the kingdom Of God & his Righteousness: Matthew 6:33.
No good thing Will he Whith hold: Psalms 84:11.
buy the truth; & Sell it Not: Proverbs 23:23.
looketh back; After Puting their hand unto the Plough: Luke 9:62.
Judge Smith: possibly Jeremiah Smith, chief justice of New Hampshire and a former probate judge for Rockingham County ().
As it Were Whith A Cart Rope: Isaiah 5:18.
if wee be willing & Obiedent: Isaiah 1:19-20.
the earth is the lords & the fullness thereof: Psalms 24:1 and 1 Corinthians 10:26.
None Can Stay his hand: Daniel 4:35.