to put the question at rest,' gave a list that was 'furnished by a gentleman who received it from Mr. Madison,' which he says will be found ' indisputably correct.' This was improved by another editor into the assertion 'that the list was furnished by Mr. Madison himself.' But whoever furnished it, or whencesoever it was derived, I scruple not to say, it is not entitled to credit; and I caution Mr. Gideon, the publisher, against adopting it in his work, under the penalty of having his edition denounced: and I now proceed to give the proofs upon which I speak with such confidence.
"In the National Intelligencer appeared the first attempt to rob the dead, in order to decorate the brows of the living; and the following paragraph appeared in that paper of March 16th, as from a correspondent.
"'I take it upon me to state from indubitable authority, that Mr. Madison wrote Nos. 10, 14, 18, 19, 20, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 62, 63 and 64. Mr. Jay wrote Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5, and Mr. Hamilton the residue.'
"The writer of this paragraph, in order to give it the most imposing air, added, that if the list was disputed, he appealed to Gen. Hamilton's papers that he left behind him, and they would shew it to be correct. He was taken at his word; the papers were appealed to, and the following was given to the public as an exact transcript of the one left by Gen. Hamilton with a friend a few days before his untimely death, and doubtless, in express apprehension of that awful event.
"'Numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 54,[1] Mr. Jay.
"'——— 10, 14, 37 to 48 inclusive, Mr. Madison.
"'——— 18, 19, 20, Mr. Madison and Mr. Hamilton jointly.
- ↑ "A mistake for 64."—Evening Post.
