tty certain I
have received two in the course of the last twelve months, one of them
covering your excellent second letter. Nothing can be sounder than the
principles it inculcates, and I am not without hopes they will make
their way. You have understood that the revolutionary movements in
Europe had, by industry and artifice, been wrought into objects of
terror even to this country, and had really involved a great portion of
our well-meaning citizens in a panic which was perfectly unaccountable,
and during the prevalence of which they were led to support measures
the most insane. They are now pretty thoroughly recovered from it, and
sensible of the mischief which was done, and preparing to be done,
had their minds continued a little longer under that derangement. The
recovery bids fair to be complete, and to obliterate entirely the line
of party division which had been so strongly drawn. Not that their
late leaders have come over, or ever can come over. But they stand, at
present, almost without followers. The principal of them have retreated
into the judiciary, as a strong hold, the tenure of which renders it
difficult to dislodge them. For all the particulars I must refer you to
Mr. Dawson, a member of Congress, fully informed and worthy of entire
confidence. Give me leave to ask for him your attentions and civilities,
and a verbal communication of such things on your side the water as you
know I feel a great interest in, and as may not with safety be committed
to paper. I am entirely unable to conjecture the issue of things with
you.

Accept assurances of my constant esteem and high consideration.

Th: Jefferson

LETTER CCLXXVII.--TO THOMAS PAINE, March 18, 1801

TO THOMAS PAINE.

Washington, March 18, 1801,

Dear Sir,

Your letters of October the 1st, 4th, 6th, and 16th, came duly to hand,
and the papers which they covered were, according to your permission,
published in the newspapers and in a pamphlet, and under your own name.
These papers contain precisely our principles, and I hope they will be
generally recognised here. Determined as we are to avoid, if possible,
wasting the energies of our people in war and destruction, we shall
avoid implicating ourselves with the powers of Europe, even in support
of principles which we mean to pursue. They have so many other interests
different from ours, that we must avoid being entangled in them. We
believe we can enforce those principles, as to ourselves