before the President, according to the request of
the Minister; and the President, never doubting your readiness on
all occasions to perform the functions of your office, yet thinks it
incumbent on him to recommend it specially on the present occasion, as
it concerns a public character peculiarly entitled to the protection of
the laws. On the other hand, as our citizens ought not to be vexed with
groundless prosecutions, duty to them requires it to be added, that if
you judge the prosecution in question to be of that nature, you consider
this recommendation as not extending to it; its only object being to
engage you to proceed in this case according to the duties of your
office, the laws of the land, and the privileges of the parties
concerned.

I have the honor to be, with great respect and esteem, Sir, your most
obedient and most humble servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CLXXVI.--TO E. RANDOLPH, February 3, 1794

TO E. RANDOLPH.

Monticello, February 3, 1794.

Dear Sir,

I have to thank you for the transmission of the letters from General
Gates, La Motte, and Hauterive. I perceive by the latter, that the
partisans of the one or the other principle (perhaps of both) have
thought my name a convenient cover for declarations of their own
sentiments. What those are to which Hauterive alludes, I know not,
having never seen a newspaper since I left Philadelphia (except those
of Richmond), and no circumstances authorize him to expect that I should
inquire into them, or answer him. I think it is Montaigne who has said,
that ignorance is the softest pillow on which a man can rest his head.
I am sure it is true as to every thing political, and shall endeavor to
estrange myself to every thing of that character. I indulge myself on
one political topic only, that is, in declaring to my countrymen the
shameless corruption of a portion of the Representatives in the first
and second Congresses, and their implicit devotion to the treasury. I
think I do good in this, because it may produce exertions to reform the
evil, on the success of which the form of the government is to depend.

I am sorry La Motte has put me to the expense of one hundred and forty
livres for a French translation of an English poem, as I make it a rule
never to read translations where I can read the original. However,
the question now is, how to get the book brought here, as well as the
communications with Mr. Hammond which you were so kind as to prom