1Editorial Note: The Judicial Appointment of Joseph Anderson (Jefferson Papers)
Joseph Inslee Anderson’s first appointment to civil office initiated a long career on the bench, in the Senate, and in the federal administration. But it brought anxiety and embarrassment to the candidate, disturbed his political sponsors, and, for the first time, obliged the President to confront the question whether he should withhold a commission even after the Senate had confirmed his...
2I. Joseph Anderson to the President, 23 February 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
When I last did myself the Honor of waiting upon your Excellency, on the Subject of my application, now before you, Mr. Lear inform’d me, that something had been Suggested, to my disadvantage, respecting a transaction between Major Jaquet and myself, relative to some Certificates. In Order to set that business in a proper point of View, I have for your Excellency’s satisfaction Obtain’d from...
3II. Tobias Lear to the Secretary of State, 27 February 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
By the President’s command T. Lear has the honor respectfully to transmit to the Secretary of State a Resolution of the Senate upon the President’s Message of the 19th of January last. T. Lear has, moreover, the honor to inform the Secretary of State that on the 26th of this month the Senate did, in pursuance of the President’s nominations, advise and consent to the following appointments viz....
4III. John Vining to Joseph Anderson, 1 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Not being able to lay my hands upon the Letter you have requested, and fearing very much that I inadvertently, together with some other loose papers, threw it into the Fire in changing Papers from one coat Pockett to another, I have nothing now left in my Power but to state to you the principal Fact which it appeared to contain. As I mean however to be perfectly explicit with you, I think it...
5IV. Joseph Anderson to the President, 1 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty of inclosing to Your Excellency, a letter I receiv’d from Mr. Vining, in answer to One, I adress’d to him, on the Subject of a letter he a few days since Receivd from Mr. Jaquet. By which Your Excellency will see that Mr. Jaquet is Contradicted in what he has said in his letter to Mr. Vining, and that by a person who wrote the Certificate, and attested it. The Certificate...
6V. Joseph Anderson to the President, 2 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose your Excellency the Certificate of Colonel Barber, and beg your indulgence, for again, offering to trouble you by letter. But trust that your Excellencys benevolence, will suffer my very delicate and peculiar Situation, to plead my Appology. Your Excellency yesterday Observ’d to me, that Major Jackson inform’d you, that Mr. Jaquet, in his letter to Mr. Vining, Observ’d that he had...
7VI. Opinion of the Secretary of State, 4 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
On view and consideration of the testimonies in favour of Mr. Anderson’s character, they appear to me to place it on high ground. Against this there is no testimony but that of Mr. Jaquet, which being contradicted by his own former testimony and by the person who committed it to writing, and who seems to have been made acquainted by the subject of it, I should estimate it at nothing, and...
8VII. Tobias Lear to the Secretary of State, 4 March 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
By the President’s command T. Lear has the honor to inform the Secretary of State, that the opinion given by the Secretary in the case of Mr. Anderson agrees fully with that which the President has formed upon a complete view of the circumstances.—And it is the President’s wish that Mr. Anderson’s Commission should issue accordingly. RC ( DLC : Washington Papers). PrC ( DNA : RG 59, MLR );...