If　there　ever　had　been　an　instance　in　this　or　the　preceding
  administrations；　of　federal　judges　so　applying　principles　of　law　as
  to　condemn　a　federal　or　acquit　a　republican　offender；　I　should　have
  judged　them　in　the　present　case　with　more　charity。　　All　this；
  however；　will　work　well。　　The　nation　will　judge　both　the　offender　&
  judges　for　themselves。　　If　a　member　of　the　Executive　or　Legislature
  does　wrong；　the　day　is　never　far　distant　when　the　people　will　remove
  him。　　They　will　see　then　&　amend　the　error　in　our　Constitution；　which
  makes　any　branch　independent　of　the　nation。　　They　will　see　that　one
  of　the　great　co…ordinate　branches　of　the　government；　setting　itself
  in　opposition　to　the　other　two；　and　to　the　common　sense　of　the
  nation；　proclaims　impunity　to　that　class　of　offenders　which　endeavors
  to　overturn　the　Constitution；　and　are　themselves　protected　in　it　by
  the　Constitution　itself；　for　impeachment　is　a　farce　which　will　not　be
  tried　again。　　If　their　protection　of　Burr　produces　this　amendment；　it
  will　do　more　good　than　his　condemnation　would　have　done。　　Against
  Burr；　personally；　I　never　had　one　hostile　sentiment。　　I　never　indeed
  thought　him　an　honest；　frank…dealing　man；　but　considered　him　as　a
  crooked　gun；　or　other　perverted　machine；　whose　aim　or　stroke　you
  could　never　be　sure　of。　　Still；　while　he　possessed　the　confidence　of
  the　nation；　I　thought　it　my　duty　to　respect　in　him　their　confidence；
  &　to　treat　him　as　if　he　deserved　it；　and　if　this　punishment　can　be
  commuted　now　for　any　useful　amendment　of　the　Constitution；　I　shall
  rejoice　in　it。　　My　sheet　being　full；　I　perceive　it　is　high　time　to
  offer　you　my　friendly　salutations；　and　assure　you　of　my　constant　and
  affectionate　esteem　and　respect。
  HISTORY；　HUME；　AND　THE　PRESS
  _To　John　Norvell_
  _Washington；　June　14；　1807_
  SIR；　　Your　letter　of　May　9　has　been　duly　received。　　The
  subject　it　proposes　would　require　time　&　space　for　even　moderate
  development。　　My　occupations　limit　me　to　a　very　short　notice　of　them。
  I　think　there　does　not　exist　a　good　elementary　work　on　the
  organization　of　society　into　civil　government：　I　mean　a　work　which
  presents　in　one　full　&　comprehensive　view　the　system　of　principles　on
  which　such　an　organization　should　be　founded；　according　to　the　rights
  of　nature。　　For　want　of　a　single　work　of　that　character；　I　should
  recommend　Locke　on　Government；　Sidney；　Priestley's　Essay　on　the　first
  Principles　of　Government；　Chipman's　Principles　of　Government；　&　the
  Federalist。　　Adding；　perhaps；　Beccaria　on　crimes　&　punishments；
  because　of　the　demonstrative　manner　in　which　he　has　treated　that
  branch　of　the　subject。　　If　your　views　of　political　inquiry　go
  further；　to　the　subjects　of　money　&　commerce；　Smith's　Wealth　of
  Nations　is　the　best　book　to　be　read；　unless　Say's　Political　Economy
  can　be　had；　which　treats　the　same　subject　on　the　same　principles；　but
  in　a　shorter　compass　&　more　lucid　manner。　　But　I　believe　this　work
  has　not　been　translated　into　our　language。
  History；　in　general；　only　informs　us　what　bad　government　is。
  But　as　we　have　employed　some　of　the　best　materials　of　the　British
  constitution　in　the　construction　of　our　own　government；　a　knolege　of
  British　history　becomes　useful　to　the　American　politician。　　There　is；
  however；　no　general　history　of　that　country　which　can　be　recommended。
  The　elegant　one　of　Hume　seems　intended　to　disguise　&　discredit　the
  good　principles　of　the　government；　and　is　so　plausible　&　pleasing　in
  it's　style　&　manner；　as　to　instil　it's　errors　&　heresies　insensibly
  into　the　minds　of　unwary　readers。　　Baxter　has　performed　a　good
  operation　on　it。　　He　has　taken　the　text　of　Hume　as　his　ground　work；
  abridging　it　by　the　omission　of　some　details　of　little　interest；　and
  wherever　he　has　found　him　endeavoring　to　mislead；　by　either　the
  suppression　of　a　truth　or　by　giving　it　a　false　coloring；　he　has
  changed　the　text　to　what　it　should　be；　so　that　we　may　properly　call
  it　Hume's　history　republicanised。　　He　has　moreover　continued　the
  history　（but　indifferently）　from　where　Hume　left　it；　to　the　year
  1800。　　The　work　is　not　popular　in　England；　because　it　is　republican；
  and　but　a　few　copies　have　ever　reached　America。　　It　is　a　single　4to。
  volume。　　Adding　to　this　Ludlow's　Memoirs；　Mrs。　M'Cauley's　&　Belknap's
  histories；　a　sufficient　view　will　be　presented　of　the　free　principles
  of　the　English　constitution。
  To　your　request　of　my　opinion　of　the　manner　in　which　a
  newspaper　should　be　conducted；　so　as　to　be　most　useful；　I　should
  answer；　‘by　restraining　it　to　true　facts　&　sound　principles　only。'
  Yet　I　fear　such　a　paper　would　find　few　subscribers。　　It　is　a
  melancholy　truth；　that　a　suppression　of　the　press　could　not　more
  compleatly　deprive　the　nation　of　it's　benefits；　than　is　done　by　it's
  abandoned　prostitution　to　falsehood。　　Nothing　can　now　be　believed
  which　is　seen　in　a　newspaper。　　Truth　itself　becomes　suspicious　by
  being　put　into　that　polluted　vehicle。　　The　real　extent　of　this　state
  of　misinformation　is　known　only　to　those　who　are　in　situations　to
  confront　facts　within　their　knolege　with　the　lies　of　the　day。　　I
  really　look　with　commiseration　over　the　great　body　of　my　fellow
  citizens；　who；　reading　newspapers；　live　&　die　in　the　belief；　that
  they　have　known　something　of　what　has　been　passing　in　the　world　in
  their　time；　whereas　the　accounts　they　have　read　in　newspapers　are
  just　as　true　a　history　of　any　other　period　of　the　world　as　of　the
  present；　except　that　the　real　names　of　the　day　are　affixed　to　their
  fables。　　General　facts　may　indeed　be　collected　from　them；　such　as
  that　Europe　is　now　at　war；　that　Bonaparte　has　been　a　successful
  warrior；　that　he　has　subjected　a　great　portion　of　Europe　to　his　will；
  &c。；　&c。；　but　no　details　can　be　relied　on。　　I　will　add；　that　the　man
  who　never　looks　into　a　newspaper　is　better　informed　than　he　who　reads
  them；　inasmuch　as　he　who　knows　nothing　is　nearer　to　truth　than　he
  whose　mind　is　filled　with　falsehoods　&　errors。　　He　who　reads　nothing
  will　still　learn　the　great　facts；　and　the　details　are　all　false。
  Perhaps　an　editor　might　begin　a　reformation　in　some　such　way　as
  this。　　Divide　his　paper　into　4　chapters；　heading　the　1st；　Truths。
  2d；　Probabilities。　　3d；　Possibilities。　　4th；　Lies。　　The　first　chapter
  would　be　very　short；　as　it　would　contain　little　more　than　authentic
  papers；　and　information　from　such　sources；　as　the　editor　would　be
  willing　to　risk　his　own　reputation　for　their　truth。　　The　2d　would
  contain　what；　from　a　mature　consideration　of　all　circumstances；　his
  judgment　should　conclude　to　be　probably　true。　　This；　however；　should
  rather　contain　too　little　than　too　much。　　The　3d　&　4th　should　be
  professedly　for　those　readers　who　would　rather　have　lies　for　their
  money　than　the　blank　paper　they　would　occupy。
  Such　an　editor　too；　would　have　to　set　his　face　against　the
  demoralising　practice　of　feeding　the　public　mind　habitually　on
  slander；　&　the　depravity　of　taste　which　this　nauseous　aliment
  induces。　　Defamation　is　becoming　a　necessary　of　life；　insomuch；　that
  a　dish　of　tea　in　the　morning　or　evening　cannot　be　digested　without
  this　stimulant。　　Even　those　who　do　not　believe　these　abominations；
  still　read　them　with　complaisance　to　their　auditors；　and　instead　of
  the　abhorrence　&　indignation　which　should　fill　a　virtuous　mind；
  betray　a　secret　pleasure　in　the　possibility　that　some　may　believe
  them；　tho　they　do　not　themselves。　　It　seems　to　escape　them；　that　it
  is　not　he　who　prints；　but　he　who　pays　for　printing　a　slander；　who　is
  it's　real　author。
  These　thoughts　on　the　subjects　of　your　letter　are　hazarded　at
  your　request。　　Repeated　instances　of　the　publication　of　what　has　not
  been　intended　for　the　public　eye；　and　the　malignity　with　which
  political　enemies　torture　every　sentence　from　me　into　meanings
  imagined　by　their　own　wickedness　only；　justify　my　expressing　a
  solicitude；　that　this　hasty　communication　may　in　nowise　be　permitted
  to　find　it's　way　into　the　public　papers。　　Not　fearing　these　political
  bull…dogs；　I　yet　avoid　putting　myself　in　the　way　of　being　baited　by
  them；　and　do　not　wish　to　volunteer　away　that　portion　of　tranquillity；
  which　a　firm　execution　of　my　duties　will　permit　me　to　enjoy。
  I　tender　you　my　salutations；　and　best　wishes　for　your　success。
  A　SUBPOENA　FOR　THE　PRESIDENT
  _To　George　Hay_
  _Washington；　June　20；　1807_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Mr。　Latrobe　now　comes　on　as　a　witness　against
  Burr。　　His　presence　here　is　with　great　inconvenience　dispensed　with；
  as　150　workmen　require　his　constant　directions　on　various　public
  works　of　pressing　importance。　　I　hope　you　will　permit　him　to　come
  away　as　soon　as　possible。　　How　far　his　testimony　will　be　important　as
  to　the　prisoner；　I　know　not；　but　I　am　desirous　that　those　meetings　of
  Yrujo　with　Burr　and　his　principal　accomplices；　should　come　fully　out；