Spencer Roane to Thomas Jefferson, 22 August 1819
From Spencer Roane
Richmond, Augst 22d 1819.
Dear Sir.
The enclosed numbers, written by me, were published a few weeks ago, in the Enquirer. They relate to a subject as cardinal, in my judgment, as that which involved our Independence. Mr Ritchie had some extra Copies struck, and has furnished me with a few, to be distributed among my particular, and my distinguished friends. I presume to ask your acceptance of a Copy.
The friends of liberty in our Country continue to regard you with veneration and gratitude, for your great & Eminent services:—and your opinion on such a question as this, would be considered as a great authority.
Be pleased to accept the renewed assurances of my high consideration, respect, and Esteem.
Spencer Roane
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson Esq.”; endorsed by TJ as received 30 Aug. 1819 and so recorded in SJL.
The enclosed numbers were either duplicate issues of the Richmond Enquirer, 11, 15, 18, and 22 June 1819, or a separate reprinting, not found, of four essays therein written by Roane under the pseudonym “Hampden,” in which he criticized the 6 Mar. 1819 United States Supreme Court decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (, 8:254–80). Roane argued that the court’s ruling in favor of the Second Bank of the United States allowed the federal government to overreach its bounds to the detriment of the rights of states protected under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.
Index Entries
- Bank of the United States, Second; andMcCulloch v. Maryland search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books and Library; works sent to search
- McCulloch v. Maryland search
- Richmond Enquirer (newspaper); prints S. Roane’s essays search
- Ritchie, Thomas; as editor ofRichmond Enquirer search
- Roane, Spencer; essays onMcCulloch v. Maryland search
- Roane, Spencer; letters from search
- Supreme Court, U.S.; andMcCulloch v. Maryland search