He rarely praised or censured. At the time I was in the Cabinet,
he had abundant cause for dislike to Mr. Jefferson, who, in his Mazei
letter, had represented him as laboring to break up the Government,
that upon its ruins a monarchy might arise for his own benefit. He
spoke of this letter more severely than I had ever heard him speak of
anything, and said no man better knew the charge false, than Mr.
Jefferson. Some correspondence, I believe, took place between them on
the subject. I believe they never met after this. Upon one occasion I
heard him say that it was unfortunate that Jefferson had been sent to
France at the time that he was, when morals and government alike were
little less than chaos, for he had been tainted in his ideas of both."
"You knew Mr. Jefferson?" I asked.
"Come into the house, and I will show you something," said the
venerable man, then tottering to the grave. I went, and he showed me
some letters addressed to him by persons in Virginia, presenting, in no
very enviable light, the character of Jefferson. When I had read them,
he remarked: "You must not suppose I am anxious to prejudice your
youthful mind against the great favorite of your people.
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