April 7

[In my April 7, 1800 letter to Philip Norborne Nicholas, a prominent Virginia republican and political ally, I strategize from Philadelphia about the upcoming presidential election and our party's path to gaining a federal majority. I outline a plan to eventually pass a declaratory act reaffirming constitutional principles against Federalist overreach, analyze the political leaning of different regions, and suggest a cautious, covert campaign to counter the influence of Federalist lawyers who are misinforming voters in North Carolina. My recommendation that political education for North Carolina must be a medicine very mild and secretly administered reveals my calculating, behind-the-scenes orchestration of the republican party machine, demonstrating how I quietly directed a grassroots media campaign to secure the presidency in the crucial election of 1800.]

It is too early to think of a declaratory act as yet, but the time is approaching and not distant. Two elections more will give us a solid majority in the House of Representatives, and a sufficient one in the Senate. As soon as it can be depended on, we must have "a Declaration of the principles of the Constitution" in nature of a Declaration of rights, in all the points in which it has been violated. The people in the middle States are almost rallied to Virginia already; and the eastern States are commencing the vibration which has been checked by X. Y. Z. North Carolina is at present in the most dangerous state. The lawyers all tories, the people substantially republican, but uninformed and deceived by the lawyers, who are elected of necessity because few other candidates. The medicine for that State must be very mild and secretly administered. But nothing should be spared to give them true information.