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THOMAS COOPER. 779

interfered, as President of the United States, to influence the deci-
sions of a court of justice—a streteh of authority ‘which the mon-
arch of Great Britain would have shrunk from—an interference
without precedent, against Iaw and against merey. This melan-
choly ease of Jonathan Robbins (See 7 Am. St. Tr. 811), a native
citizen of America, foreibly impressed by the British, and delivered
up, with the adviee of Mr. Adams, to the mock trial of a British
court-martial, had not yet astonished the republican citizens of this
free country; a case too little known, but of which the people ought
to be fully apprised, before the election, and they shall be."

+ These passages were taken from the following publiestion:

To the Printer.

Sir,—I shonld not condescend to answer anonymous slander, but
the information on which the falsehoods contained in the following
paragraph are grounded, must have been originally derived from
the President himself. I eannot believe him capable of such mis-
representation, for I still think well of his intentions, however I
may disapprove of his conduct: but the following narrative will
show that some of his underlings are capable of anything.

10 THE PUBLIC,

From the Reading Weekly Advertiser of October 26, 1799,
Communication.

“Thomas Cooper's address to the readers of the Sunbury and
Northumberland Gazette of which be was editor, having been re-
published in this State, with an introduction approbatory of the
Piece, a correspondent wishes to know if it be the same Thomas
Cooper, an Englishman, of whom the following anecdote is related?
If it is, every paper devoted to truth, honor and decency, ought to
give it a thorough eireulation.

Not many months ago, it is said, a Mr. Cooper, an Englishman,
plied to the President of the United States, to be appointed
‘agent for settling the respective claims of the citizens and sub-
Jeeta of this country and Great Britain” Jn his letter, he informa
the President, that although he (Thomas Cooper) had been called a
Democrat, yet his real political sentiments are such as would be
agreeable to the President and Government of the United States or
expressions to that effect. This letter was accompanied with another
from Dr, Joseph Priestley, who did not fail to assure the President
of the pliability of his friend Cooper's democratic principles. The
President, it is eaid, rejected Cooper's application with disdain, and
Priestley’s with still stronger marks of surprise, saying, it is said,
as he threw the letter on the table, does be think that I would
appoint any Englishman to that important office in preference to
an American? What was the consequence? When Thomas Cooper
found his application for a Inerative office under our President re-
jected, he writes in revenge the address which appesred in print,

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