The New Hampshire Gazette

Mr. Jefferson's Retreat.

The following remarks contain a complete exposure of the indecency, untruth and shameful misrepresentations of the calumniators of Mr. Jefferson. We hope Mr. Hulbert, will peruse them before he publishes a new edition of his celebrated speech. Great is truth and it will prevail.

From the Bee.

FEDERAL CANDOR!

Carter's Mountain. Those who pay a little attention to the tale and hackneyed slanders against Mr. Jefferson with a desire to obtain correct information on the subject, require no pains to convince them of the foul & unwarrantable conduct of Mr. Hulbert, in the Legislature of Massachusetts. In that situation, taking an unmanly advantage of his seat in the house, he had the unaccountable and ostensible hardihood to repeat the often exposed falsehood of Mr. Jefferson's deserting his post in Virginia in a time of danger, a falsehood of all others the most easily, the most publicly and authentically refuted. He asserted that when Virginia was invaded, Mr. Jefferson, then governor of the state, fled from danger and resigned his office, and left the state in confusion, &c. and adduced Mr. Nicholas as authority to the reports, which, with sneers and comments, he took for granted were true.

Now the facts are, and a man so zealous in diffusing and maintaining truth as Mr. H. ought to have known them, the reverse of what he has stated. Arnold invaded Virginia in January, and Cornwallis in April, and retreated in May, 1781; Mr. Jefferson was at his post in the active discharge of his duty till June, having secured the public stores and members of the legislature from the descent and pursuit of Tarleton's light horse, who hoped to have seized the whole: and after the exigency was past he declined a re-election to his office (as he could not be impeached while he held it) after his term of service was expired, for the purpose of courting an investigation into certain rumours which had been suggested.

The consequence, was Mr. Jefferson was appointed a member of Congress in November it was certified he was present in council every day from April 19 to June 2; A COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATURE reported that they could find no grounds for charges against him, but, certain rumours which were groundless; and it was thereupon expressly "Resolved that the sincere thanks of the general assembly be given to our former governor, Thomas Jefferson, Esq. for his impartial, upright and attentive administration of the powers of the executive while in office: popular rumours gaining some degree of credence, by mere pointed accusations, rendered it necessary to make an enquiry into his conduct, and delayed that retribution of public gratitude so eminently merited; but that conduct having become the object of open scrutiny, tenfold value is added to an approbation founded on a cool and deliberate discussion. The assembly wish therefore in the strongest manner to declare the high opinion which they entertain of Mr. Jefferson's ability, rectitude and integrity as chief magistrate of this commonwealth, and mean by thus publicly avowing their opinion to obviate all future, and to remove all former unmerited censure."

And the said resolution being read a second time, was on the question put, thereupon agreed to by the house unanimously."

As for the authority of Mr. Nicholas in support of the calumny, hear what he says; "I am happy in having an opportunity of declaring, when it can be attributed to no improper motive, that I have long since changed the unfavourable opinion which I once formed of that gentleman's political conduct; and that I consider him as one of the most virtuous as well as one of the ablest of the American patriots."

Yet with these facts and public documents staring him in the face, this enlightened legislator has pretended to believe his assertions. Strictly speaking, Mr. Jefferson never resigned the office at all, as he served out the full time for which he was elected.

What must be thought of the candor or common honesty of Mr. H. and his echoes? The other topics of this federal abuse, though equally malicious and unfounded, have not been so publicly exposed as this story of the mountain; and therefore the folly and criminality of propagating them are not so great. But the spirit which promulgates them is the same, and the contempt of decency dictates the whole. For what reliance can be placed in the honor or veracity of those who contradict official records, and persist in assertions refuted by the best and strongest possible evidence?

It is not to be expected that President Jefferson will stoop to the task of defending himself against the assertions of the most base and unprincipled scribblers and editors that ever disgraced the arts of writing and printing when his predecessors waited till their retirement from office to repel the charges made against them. He has been tried at the great bar of the public, and found worthy of the highest honors. Posterity and history will do justice to his merits. But that the citizens should rightly apprehend the views and attempts of his calumniators, is a desirable object. Pretended candor and affected patriotism should be stripped from their possessors, and bitter hypocrisy and selfish malevolence held up in their native colors. Messrs. Hulbert and Co. ought to be known in their true characteristics, as abandoned, false and malicious defamers.