Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

My Dear friend

Mount Holly augst 23d—10

If any thing that William Brown cou’d do was to surprise me, your information wou’d have had that effect his conduct seems altogether Mysterious after the part he has acted to expose himself to a publick audience some of whom if he even had a thought he must have believe’d wou’d recognise him for no one that ever saw him cou’d be mistaken in his person and his situation was such as to be known to every person that came to N Orleans from every part part of the world must have seen, and so singular an object, for I never saw any body that resembled him coud not be forgotten, and to have so little prudence as to go to the very place that he was most likely to be taken does not all his late transactions betray a want of reason, poor Charles what can become of him I am more anxious than I have ever been on his acct if we do not hear soon I shall give him up as lost. It does not appear to me that he was under any fear of detection or I shou’d embrace the same Idea that you have done think and that his letter was intended to answer some such purpose but then why wou’d he endeavour to create a jealousy towards his family by a promise of future support I am satisfied in my own mind that he has repented his conduct most sincerely tho he had not the resolution to restore what he had taken, the loss of reputation cou’d never be restored to him but many wou’d have felt disposed to pardon him if he had given voluntarily what he has been obliged to Mr Pinckney. I derive satisfaction from the certainty that Mary will not be a loser for if the Government are indemnified they must restore what they have taken, or rather their agent I had brought my mind to think that if they did not do her justice that she ought to accept what ever William choose to remit to her at least to the amount of what she was a loser. I will allow it is not being exactly correct—but there is somthing to be said in favor of self preservation

I am sorry to hear that poor Benjamin has been so unwell and that Emma continues indisposed Mrs Thompson has had a severe attack of her old complaint but is on the recovery and Sally Maria is confined to her bed with a bilious attack and my sister complains of a bad head ache which she is subject to as to my own health I have no cause of complaint I eat an abundance of fruit and it has not disagreed with me which is wonderf[ull] they tell me that a great deal of fruit will create [bilious?] fevers if so I am in a fair way, I believe the weather will produce sickness for it is very damp, and very changeable this morning we had a large fire and found it comfortable and now I am sitting with all the windows open, altho. I have a great desire to see Governor Claiborne the indisposition of the family will not admit of my leaving them I wish the Doctor wou’d wait on him and introduce him to you tho I dont know that we cou’d obtain any information from him that we have not already had, you know that he has not paid much attention to Mary and is a great friend to Grimes perhaps it is best that I shou’d not see him as I shou’d be too apt to speak my mind. If this report of Williams is really true the President must be made acquainted with it Officially I have some thought of writing to him to know, do you think there wou’d be any impropriety in so doing? with affectionate love to the children I am My Dear friend ever yours

Does the Doctor make any stay at the Lazaretto