- Condict Lewis
- Thomas.
- Elliott. Jonathan
Dr
Condict, a member of the House of Representatives from
New-Jersey introduced a friend of his from that State by the name of
Thomas. Jonathan Elliott is publishing a collection of Debates in
the State Conventions upon the Constitution of the United States; and he
now proposes to publish a supplementary Volume containing a view or
history of practical constructions of the Constitution by Congress. He
came to-day, ostensibly to enquire of me where he could find Reports of
the Debates in Congress from 1790 to 1795. I referred him to the Gazette
of the United States; Andrew Brown’s Federal Gazette, and the Aurora
Newspapers, and mentioned to him the principal topics of discussion
which were agitated during that period— I also mentioned to him the
fifth Volume of Marshall’s Life
of Washington, and to
Pitkin’s History of the
United States for more particular information on those points, and lent
him the fifth Volume of Marshall, that he might look over it more at
leisure. He proposes to include in his collection the republication of
the Journal of the Federal Convention of 1787.— The minutes of Judge Yates of New-York, who seceded
from the Convention; and the pamphlet of Luther Martin— And I recommended to him also to look up
the newspaper lucubrations of Mr Edmund Randolph on both
sides of the Question—he having changed sides at least four times in the
course of the formation and adoption of the Constitution. Elliott said
he had written to Mr Madison, requesting his book for publication;
but he had answered that he had particular reasons for declining the
publication at present— Mr Elliott appeared
to be satisfied with the information that I have him on the subject of
his enquiries, and made some remarks indicating though not avowing a
disposition to commence the publication of another Newspaper at this
place. 422He said the members of the present
Administration were all personally unpopular here; but that there was no
spirited newspaper to express the sentiments of the People— The
Intelligencer and the Journal were both altogether inefficient, and a
paper of very different character would be required. I gave no
countenance to those overtures if they were intended as such; and no
encouragement to continue the conversation in that channel— He told me
that Meehan had been the nominal
purchaser of the Washington City Gazette in 1825. but that John H. Eaton had written a Letter to him
making himself responsible and that John P.
Van Ness endorsed the Notes— But that the paper had been
purchased by a subscription to which several persons had contributed,
and he had been obliged to sue the Notes. I heard him without pressing
any enquiries upon him; and doubt whether he would incline to tell the
whole truth relating to this Transaction— I received from Joseph Blunt a Letter, and three
half-sheets of Letter-press, being the last of my chapters upon Russia,
Turkey and Greece for the American Annual Register— I revised them and
answered Blunt’s Letter— There are three ridiculous errors of the Press
on the last page, which I asked to have corrected—