The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-04-20
HlislellGnepuS.
Letter from Thomas jefferson while
President
WASHINGTON, July y, 1901.

WASHINGTON, July IL, 1901.
To Elias Shipman, Esq, and otherS,
members ofa Committee ofthe Merchants
of NeW Ha0ea:
GENTLEMEN: | have received the re-
mons'rance you were pleased to address
to me, on the appointment of Samuel
Bishop to the Office Of collector of New
Haven, lately vacated by the death of
David Austin. The right of our fellow
citizens to represent to the public func-
tionaries their opinion on proceedings in
terestng to them, is unqueslionably
constitutional right, often useful. some
times necessary. and will always be re-
speclfully acknowledged by me.
OF the various executive duties, no one
excites more anxious concern than that
of placing the interests of our fellow citl-
Zens n the hands ofhonest men, with un'
derstandings sufficient for their stations.
No duly, al the same time, is more diff
culltofuIfl. The knowledge of characters
possessed by single individual is ofne-
cessity, limited. To seek out the best
through the whole Union, we must resort
to other information, which, from the
best of men, acting disinterestedly, and
with the purest motives, is sometimes in
correct. In the case of Samuel Bishop
however the subject ofyourremonstrance,
time was taken, information was sought,
and such obtained as could leave no room
for doubt of his fitness. From private
sources it was learned that his under.
standing was soInd, his integrity pure,
his character unstaned, and the Offices
coufided to him within his own State are
public evidences of the estimation in
which he Is held by the State in general,
and the city and township particularly i'll
which he lives. He is said 10 be the
Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace
Mayor of the City of New Haven, an Of
flee held at the will Of the Legislature
Chief Judge of the Court Of Common
Pleas for New Haven County, Court OF
high criminal and civil jurisdiction
wherein most cases are decided withou,
the right of appeal or review, and sole
Judge of the Court of Probates, wherein
he singly decides all questions of wills
settlement of estates, ,testate and iutestate
appoints guardians, settles their accounts
and in fact, has under his jurisdiction and
care, all the property, real and personal /
of persons dying The two last Offices
in the annual gift of the Legislature, were
given to him in May last Is it possible
that the man to whom the Legislature o
Connecticut has so recently committed
trusts of such difficulty and magnitude il
"unfit to be collector of the District o
Now Haven" though acknowledged il
the same writing to have obtained all thi
confidence "bya long course of useful
ness" 1t is objected, indeed, in the re
monstrance, that he is seventy sever
years of age; but at much more advan
Ced age, our Franklin was the ornamen
of human nature. He may not be abl'
to perform III person all the details of hi
Office, but ifhe gives US the benefit of hi
understanding, his integrity, his watch
fulness, and takes care that all the detail
are we'll performed by himself or his ne
cessary assistants, all public purposes wi
be answered. The remonstrance, in
deed, does not allege thlt the Office hd
been lily conducted, but only apprehend
that it a0iH be so.-Should this happen i
event, be assured / will do in it whs
shall be just and necessary for the publ