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Lot Essay
Jefferson's final letter to Thomas Paine before the serial revolutionary's death in New York in 1809.
Following the American Revolution, Paine returned to Europe where he continued his revolutionary activities and his writing, most notably during the French Revolution. His writing grew increasingly radical, most notably his broadside against organized religion, The Age of Reason, published in 1794. When Paine returned to the United States in 1802 (at Jefferson's invitation), the Second Great Awakening was in full swing, and his dismissal of organized religion became a liability. Meanwhile, he was also attacked by the Federalists for his ideas on government expressed in Common Sense, not to mention his support for the French Revolution and his friendship with Jefferson.
Finding little prospect for employment, Paine petitioned Congress for financial relief in January 1808, but had heard nothing by July when he informed Jefferson of his efforts. According to Paine's letter to Jefferson of 8 July 1808, his memorial to Congress was presented by George Clinton, Jr. who advised Paine that the Chairman of the Committee of Claims would only issue a report once they had received information from the President and Vice President.1 To this, Jefferson replied that "Mr. Holmes did apply to me in the course of the late session for information respecting some application of yours, the particulars of which I do not now recollect. but I well remember it was on some matter which took place while I was not a member of Congress and therefore knew nothing of but what was on the records. I was absent from Congress from 1777 to 1803. being during that interval closely employed by my own state. I advised him to examine the files of the department of state & have no doubt he obtained all the information they furnish."
Paine's 8 July letter then moved to a more agreeable subject to him, namely "public affairs," and offered a lengthy analysis of the effectiveness of Jefferson's complete embargo on French and British imports. To this, Jefferson replied simply, "Your ideas expressed in the latter part of your letter are undoubtedly correct. they were taken up the moment the law passed giving a power of suspending the embargo in whole or in part on the repeal of the decrees or orders of council. as yet we have reaped no fruits from our endeavors." Jefferson closed, clearly hurried, advising Paine that he would soon need to "absent myself from this place during the sickly season now approaching, and much occupied with preparations, I must here place my salutations and assurances of great esteem & respect."
If Paine replied to Jefferson's somewhat dismissive and hurried letter, it does not survive. His health already failing, Paine had left his farm in New Rochelle for lodgings on Tarleton Street (now Fulton Street) in lower Manhattan. He later moved to a house at 59 Grove Street in Greenwich Village where he died on 8 June 1809. His obituary notice read in part: "He had lived long, did some good, and much harm." Only six mourners attended his funeral.
We would like to thank James P. McClure, editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, for his assistance in tracing this letter's provenance.
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1https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-8283
Following the American Revolution, Paine returned to Europe where he continued his revolutionary activities and his writing, most notably during the French Revolution. His writing grew increasingly radical, most notably his broadside against organized religion, The Age of Reason, published in 1794. When Paine returned to the United States in 1802 (at Jefferson's invitation), the Second Great Awakening was in full swing, and his dismissal of organized religion became a liability. Meanwhile, he was also attacked by the Federalists for his ideas on government expressed in Common Sense, not to mention his support for the French Revolution and his friendship with Jefferson.
Finding little prospect for employment, Paine petitioned Congress for financial relief in January 1808, but had heard nothing by July when he informed Jefferson of his efforts. According to Paine's letter to Jefferson of 8 July 1808, his memorial to Congress was presented by George Clinton, Jr. who advised Paine that the Chairman of the Committee of Claims would only issue a report once they had received information from the President and Vice President.1 To this, Jefferson replied that "Mr. Holmes did apply to me in the course of the late session for information respecting some application of yours, the particulars of which I do not now recollect. but I well remember it was on some matter which took place while I was not a member of Congress and therefore knew nothing of but what was on the records. I was absent from Congress from 1777 to 1803. being during that interval closely employed by my own state. I advised him to examine the files of the department of state & have no doubt he obtained all the information they furnish."
Paine's 8 July letter then moved to a more agreeable subject to him, namely "public affairs," and offered a lengthy analysis of the effectiveness of Jefferson's complete embargo on French and British imports. To this, Jefferson replied simply, "Your ideas expressed in the latter part of your letter are undoubtedly correct. they were taken up the moment the law passed giving a power of suspending the embargo in whole or in part on the repeal of the decrees or orders of council. as yet we have reaped no fruits from our endeavors." Jefferson closed, clearly hurried, advising Paine that he would soon need to "absent myself from this place during the sickly season now approaching, and much occupied with preparations, I must here place my salutations and assurances of great esteem & respect."
If Paine replied to Jefferson's somewhat dismissive and hurried letter, it does not survive. His health already failing, Paine had left his farm in New Rochelle for lodgings on Tarleton Street (now Fulton Street) in lower Manhattan. He later moved to a house at 59 Grove Street in Greenwich Village where he died on 8 June 1809. His obituary notice read in part: "He had lived long, did some good, and much harm." Only six mourners attended his funeral.
We would like to thank James P. McClure, editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, for his assistance in tracing this letter's provenance.
____________
1https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-8283