The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-11-01
WAsniNcroM, April II, 1908.

An indsposition of periodical head-ach
has for some time disabled f.,o... b.:
ness, and prevented my sooner acknowledge
ing your letter OF March %, and returning
that of February 3, 1906, which il inclosed
The receipt of that OF March %, has given
me cincere pleasure. Conscious that ne
yer felt sentiment towards YOU that was so
ai1cctloaate, it is great relief to find that
the doubts you had entertained on that sub
lect are removed by an explanation Of the
circumstances which produced them. Some
matters however appearing from your letter,
not yet sufficiently understood, ! have cohceiv-
that more minute detail of the facts bear
ing on thcsn would completely disarm them
OF all miSconStructiCl.
Yen observe that the letters from hence
containing no expression of a desire that YOU
should come home or remain there, and the
facility afforded TO your departure bv the
commissions to Mr.. Pinkney seemed to autho-
rise an inference that YOU were considered as
in the way of the administration. The truth
however, was thus: Your letters from Ma
drid. In 1804-5, expressed your anxious
wish and intention to come home on vour re
turn to London. MY extreme wish was that
You should remain there, and | hoped by not
being in hurry to answer that manifestation
OF your desire, time might produce change
IN your mind But as soon as it was known
Curing the session of 1860 that Yourself
and MI. Madison, were both contemplated
as candidates for the succession to the pre-
sidercy, became apprehensive that By de-
Ginning longer to assent to ycur return I
might be suspected of a partial design 10 keep
| you out OF the way. This produced the ac
! quiescence in your desire to come home.
"hich then took place, and the commission
10 MI. Plnkney to succeed you whenever yo,,
| determine 70
tiVes Clearly show themselves in NV letter
| OF March 16.* which says, Il shall oin MIR
Fhhney, o. Maryland, as your associate for
setting cur differences with Great Britain.
| de VIII De authorised To take vonr nlace
"hcheycr You think Yourself obliged TO re-
urn. Ii IS desirable for youT 0zv,, as well :
he Iinbfc in crest that you shonld ioin in
ne settlement of this business, and am per
'ecty satisfied rhat Il this can be tiore, 50 as
be here 6eforr ne nc-rt 7neclng Of Cor
gresS, 1t VIII be great, for your benefit
| but do not mean by this to eUe1rule yol1.
o7on aeFernHHatton. q. c. e,,her to stay or
mere will plare i'll perfect freedom" Here
You will perceive how much | wished vour
ald III the joint commission, and that your
longer continuance there could not But. in
itscf' be desirable, but that / did not ask it
from an apprehension that your return be-
iofe the next Congress might be important
to your higher interests.
consider 1T now as great nisfort mn p
that my letter of March Is, did MOI ro on
20 you. 1t would, | trust, have Corrected
thc interenccs Of a change in my'affectiops
towards you, drawn from a continuation ne
circumstances, which circumstances were
produced from very different causes. and
some OF them from the strength Of those We
w affections OF which YOU thought that thev
noted diminution, desire to conform vour
movements in point of time, to what deem
ed your best interests. I have gone thus
iAihuteiy into these details from desire to
cradlcaie from your mind every fibre of
Coubt as to my sentiments towards Won; and
am persuaded they will satisfactorily solve
every circumstance which might at anv time
nave occasloned doubt l have done il too
1hs more cordially. Because perceive from
your letter that disposition to a correct view
OF the SUBJECT which knew to be inherent
~ ychr mind. What | have hitherto said
mas Oseh confined 70 my own part only of
these transactions. Yetit would be q GRIM
',al suppression OK truth were not to add
,i"t IN the whole Course of them, Mr.. Ma
sloDn mas appeared +" be governed by the
MOST CORDIAL friendship for you, has mani
tested on every occasion the rnngt of,enf;ve
concern Tor whatever might bcfricnd votir
fame or fortune, ana been as much alive r.
Whatever regarded you, as a brother could
have been.
salute you with great and UNCHANGED af
iections.-A Copy.
(o'Gned) TIL JEFFERSON.
r. R1cHmoND, April 13, -O3.