Samuel Smith (of Maryland) to Thomas Jefferson, 24 May 1822
From Samuel Smith (of Maryland)
Baltimore 24 May 1822
Dr sir
The Federal Republican Continues to wage War against you, and takes advantage because you have not explained the nature of your private Account with m Grand, and with the Credit given by you in your Account, thus, “By Cash recieved from m Grand for Bill &c &c.”—Your explanation is full and Complete as to the United States having no right to retain the money, but I was just now Stopt in the Street by a firm friend of yours, who put the federal Repn of this morning into my hands, and expressed his opinion, that some Statement ought to have been made shewing either that you had remitted the money to m Grand, or that he had no Claim upon you—I answered—that the publick had nothing to do with your Account with your private Banker, that it was evident that m Grand had never recd the money, and that if you had been his Debtor, he knew where to find you, and no doubt would have Called on you for the Amount long since, and the subject would more early1 have been Elucidated—He appeared to be satisfied—
Mr Loughborough has declared to his Cousin Comptroller Anderson that he is not the Author—Mr Wagner resides in Baltimore, and from some facts2 Stated, he may be the Author—but he is a Pennsylvanian, and the Author asserts this morning that he is in truth a Native of Virginia—I send you the paper and am with the sincerest regard your Obed servt
S. Smith
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 30 May 1822 and so recorded in SJL. RC (MHi); address cover only; with FC of TJ to Bernard Peyton, 3 Sept. 1824, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Monticello Va”; franked; postmarked Baltimore, 24 May. Enclosure: Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph, 24 May 1822.
TJ gave his explanation in his letter to Ritchie & Gooch of 13 May 1822. Newspapers had recently and probably mistakenly attributed the articles published pseudonymously by “A Native of Virginia” to “a Mr. Rob’t loughborough [i.e., Robert H. Goldsborough], lately a federal representative in the Senate of the United States, from Maryland” (New Haven Connecticut Herald, 16 Apr. 1822, and elsewhere).
1. Word interlined in place of “easily.”
2. Smith here canceled “which he.”
Index Entries
- Anderson, Joseph; as comptroller of the treasury search
- Baltimore, Md.; Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph search
- Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph (newspaper) search
- Goldsborough, Robert H.; and identity of “A Native of Virginia” search
- Grand, Ferdinand; as banker search
- newspapers; Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph search
- Smith, Samuel (of Maryland); and “A Native of Virginia” search
- Smith, Samuel (of Maryland); letters from search
- Wagner, Jacob; possible author of “A Native of Virginia” articles search
- “A Native of Virginia” (pseudonym); accuses TJ of misuse of public funds search
- “A Native of Virginia” (pseudonym); identity of search
- “A Native of Virginia” (pseudonym); TJ’s replies to search