Marietta July 12th 1803
Dear Leverett,
Your letter, which merited, should
certainly have ere this received an answer
had not untoward circumstances prevented.
I have but lately returned from a tour
to
Chilicothe and the middle Counties
where I have been with my brother in law
he a judging, and I a lawyering. Apropos
Leverett, I will tell you of my
advancement.
Your friend is now truly and bona fide L-
C- Attorney and Counsellor at law. I
was admitted as an Attorney last December
and as a Counsellor last week. I beleive in
your State the law requires that a person
should study 3 or 6 years. Our law which required
five years study previous to the admittance as a
Counsellor and three as an Attorney has been
repealed, and I have attained admittance
after little more than two years study.
You say that you heretofore entertained an idea
of removing to this Country, but that the present
aspect of affairs has changed that resolution.
Beleive me, my friend, the situation of the
Western world has been greatly misrepresented.
[This text appears in the margin:] I will put you a law case. The
fruit of J. S. was stolen by some unknown
person, he placed a large wolf trap at the foot of the tree and in
climbing
for the fruit J. N. was wounded by it & the wound
eventually killed him within
a year. Is the killing murder, manslaughter, or excusable homicide?
Much as I reprobate the measures of the present
administration, and greatly as I despise their
want of firmness and consistancy, for I profess
myself a disciple of the old school, yet consid-
erations of this kind will never induce me to
magnify the danger to which a portion of our
common country may be exposed. We proceed
in the same manner we did before the news of
the OCCLUSION of the port of
New
Orleans had reached us, as many boats descend
the river, and as much business appears to be
carrying on. In fact in one point of view the
measure is to us advantageous. It is clearly
for the interest of this Country to promote
ship building, and to become the carriers
of their own productions. Before our merchants
had undertaken the building of vessels, boats which
descended the river were necessitated to depend
on the market price at
N. Orleans or on
the
uncertainty of chartering vessels. Since that
period, if the market be good on the lower
parts of the river the merchant may dispose
of both vessel and cargo, if not the ocean is open
to him. But notwithstanding this many
of our Citizens think the disgraceful and
tardy measures of the administration will be
attended with the most ruinous consequen-
ces. By many you may well conjecture I mean
the federalists. A thorough [peiced?] Democrat
will advocate the measures of government
however dangerous in principle or destructive
in practice, so long as they do not interfere
with his own interest. When that happens
farewell to the amor patriae, farewell to
the infallibility of Jefferson, and now
farewell
to politicks.
You ask me, my
friend, if a person admitted to the bar in
another State can be admitted here with-
out any previous residence. Our law now
requires no qualifications, either as to residence
or study. Any person, who can pass an examina-
tion, will be admitted.
I should not wish to
raise expectations, which may never be realized,
but I sincerely think this is the best country
in the world for a young man. If, Leverett, your
inclination should lead you to visit this
country either as a matter of curiosity or as
the contemplated seat place of abode -- I most
anxiously invite you to come, you shall find a
friend, who will mark as a gladsome day the period of
your arrival, & who will undertake to accompany you
back
if the country prove disagreable, the
connections of your
[This text appears in the margin:] friend will receive you with open
arms, and the house of his father
and his, when he owns
one, shall furnish you a peaceful asylum. I will
not repeat assurances of regard, but while life remains I shall remain your
[Endorsement]
[Address]