“Written by John Nicholas, Esqr. formerly a member of Congress from
Virginia now resident in the State of New York. Boston 25 Sept 1818
W. S. Shaw Sec. Bost. Athen.”
Mr. Shaw probably derived his note given above, from John Adams,
whose copy this was.
The first edition (No. 100) is referred by Jefferson, apparently on
Nicholas’ own authority to Dr. Montgomery, so that we seemingly have
Jefferson giving the authorship to Montgomery, and Adams giving it
to Nicholas. They may both be right, however, for the above pamphlet
is merely the prospectus of a new edition, and therefore might be
written by an entirely different man than the author.
The prospectus was issued immediately after the appearance of Wirt’s
_Life of Patrick Henry_, with the avowed purpose of neutralizing that
rose-colored narrative. It was never however, carried further than
the prospectus.
_North Carolina Amendments._
State of North Carolina: / In Convention, August 1, 1788.