1067. CALLENDER (J. T.), Threats of.—
Callender is arrived here [Washington].
He did not call on me; but understanding he
was in distress I sent Captain Lewis to him with
fifty dollars, to inform him we were making
some enquiries as to his fine which would take
a little time, and lest he should suffer in the
meantime, I had sent him, &c. His language
to Captain Lewis was very high-toned. He
intimated that he was in possession of things
which he could and would make use of in a
certain case; that he received the fifty dollars,
not as a charity but a due, in fact as hush
money; that I knew what he expected, viz. a
certain office, and more to this effect. Such a
misconstruction of my charities puts an end to
them forever. You will, therefore, be so good
as to make no use of the order [67]
I enclosed you.
He knows nothing of me which I am not willing
to declare to the world myself. I knew him
first as the author of the Political Progress of
Britain, a work I had read with great satisfaction,
and as a fugitive from persecution for this
very work. I gave to him from time to time
such aids as I could afford, merely as a man
of genius suffering under persecution, and not
as a writer in our politics. It is long since I
wished he would cease writing on them, as doing
more harm than good.—
To James Monroe.
Ford ed., viii, 61.
(W.
May. 1801)
