satisfaction, at the time: the others are from memory, but so well
recollected, that he is satisfied there is no material fact misstated.
Should any person undertake to contradict any particular, on evidence
which may at all merit the public respect, the writer will take the
trouble (though not at all in the best situation for it) to produce the
proofs in support of it. He finds, indeed, that, of the persons whom he
recollects to have been present on these occasions, few have survived
the intermediate lapse of four and twenty years. Yet he trusts that
some, as well as himself, are yet among the living; and he is positively
certain, that no man can falsify any material fact here stated. He well
remembers, indeed, that there were then, as there are at all times,
some who blamed every thing done contrary to their own opinion, although
their opinions were formed on a very partial knowledge of facts. The
censures, which have been hazarded by such men as Mr. Turner, are
nothing but revivals of these half-informed opinions. Mr. George
Nicholas, then a very young man, but always a very honest one, was
prompted by these persons to bring specific charges against Mr.
Jefferson. The heads of these, in writing, were communicated through a
mutual friend to Mr. Jefferson, who committed to writing also the
heads of justification on each of them. I well remember this paper, and
believe the original of it still exists; and though framed when every
real fact was fresh in the knowledge of every one, this fabricated
flight from Richmond was not among the charges stated in this paper, nor
any charge against Mr. Jefferson for not fighting, singly, the troop of
horse. Mr. Nicholas candidly relinquished further proceeding. The House
of Representatives of Virginia pronounced an honorable sentence of
entire approbation of Mr. Jefferson's conduct, and so much the more
honorable, as themselves had been witnesses to it. And Mr. George
Nicholas took a conspicuous occasion afterwards, of his own free will,
and when the matter was entirely at rest, to retract publicly the