To John Fellows July 9, 1805

To John Fellows July 9, 1805

NEW ROCHELLE,

CITIZEN :

I inclose you two pieces for Cheetham’s paper, which I wish you to give to him yourself. He may publish one No. in one daily paper, and the other number in the next daily paper, and then both in his country paper. There has been a great deal of anonymous abuse thrown out in the federal papers against Mr. Jefferson, but until some names could be got hold of it was fighting the air to take any notice of them. We have now got hold of two names, your townsman Hulbert, the hypocritical Infidel of Sheffield, and Thomas Turner of Virginia, his correspondent. I have already given Hulbert a blasting with my name to it, because he made use of my name in his speech in the Massachusetts] legislature. Turner has not given me the same cause in the letter he wrote (and evidently) to Hulbert, and which Hulbert (for it could be no other person), has published in the Repertory to vindicate himself. Turner has detailed his charges against Mr. Jefferson, and I have taken them up one by one, which is the first time the opportunity has offered for doing it; for before this it was promiscuous abuse. I have not signed it either with my name or signature (Common Sense) because I found myself obliged, in order to make such scoundrels feel a little smart, to go somewhat out of my usual manner of writing, but there are some sentiments and some expressions that will be supposed to be in my style, and I have no objection to that supposition, but I do not wish Mr. Jefferson to be obliged to know it is from me.

Since receiving your letter, which contained no direct information of anything I wrote to you about, I have written myself to Mr. Barrett accompanied with a piece for the editor of the Baltimore Evening Post, who is an acquaintance of his, but I have received no answer from Mr. B., neither has the piece been published in the Evening Post. I will be obliged to you to call on him and to inform me about it. You did not tell me if you called upon Foster; but at any rate do not delay the enclosed. I do not trouble you with any messages or compliments, for you never deliver any.

Yours in friendship.

THOMAS PAINE.