DOCUMENT,-CONCERNING WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNEAuthor(s): William FlemingSource: Tennessee Historical Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 3 (OCTOBER, 1920), pp. 206-207Published by: Tennessee Historical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/42637455 .

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206 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE

DOCUMENT, - CONCERNING WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE1

To President George Washington. (No Date).2 Dear Sir: This will be handed you by my friend Mr. William

Claiborne/* Junr. who is at present a Judge of the Superior Court of the State of Tennessee, and who aspires to the office of District Judge in that State, where I spent several days in a latei tour through the Western country. Mr. Claiborne has much the respect and confi- dence of his fellow citizens in that quarter, among whom he has been a very successful practitioner of the law for several years; indeed his superior talents, great sobriety and intense application to bus- iness, distinguish him from the generality of young gentlemen of his age; and I am persuaded, should he be so fortunate as to succeed in his application you will never have cause to regret the appoint- ment.

I hope Sir, you will pardon the trouble I have given you on this occasion; and whilst the pen is yet in my hand, and you are about to retire to the enjoyment of domestick tranquility, permit me to ex- press my entire approbation, and admiration of the wisdom, ability and firmness with which you have discharged the ardous duties of the most important office in the United States, at a time when party prejudice, interested views, and (perhaps) resentment for supposed injuries combined are ever active in misrepresentations to the peo- ple, and in unremitting endeavors to thwart a wise and just ad- ministration of one of the best governments in the universe.

With the highest veneration for your public and private virtues, and most fervent prayers for your present and future happiness, I have the honor to be &c :

William Fleming.4

1This letter is reprinted from the Virginia Historical Magasine, Vol. XXIV, No. 3. P. 332, July 1916. It is there stated that it first apeared in print in the South- er» Literary Messenger for, 1837. pp. 304-306. 2WhiIe there is no date given, as will after appear, the letter must have been written in 1797. 3William Charles Cole Claiborne, one of a number of brothers of very dis-

tinguished history in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. He was born in Vir- ginia in 1775, first went to Philadelphia, where it is said he was influenced by Gen. John Sevier to settle permanently in Tennessee. Practiced law in Sullivan County, which he represented in the Convention of 1796 to form the Costitution of the new State of Tennessee, served as one of the committee to draft same. The Legis- lature of the new State convened a short time after the Convention, Messrs. Mc- Nairy, Blount and Roane were elected members of the Superior Court, the first two, later declined to serve and their places were filled by the selection of Howell Tatum and (Sept. 28, 1796) William Č. C. Claiborne. As early as 1795 (Oct.) he was one of the chartered trustees appointed for the organization of Washington College at Salem in Washington County. On January 31st 1797 an act was passed by Congress giving effect to the laws of the United States within the bounds of the new State of Tennessee. By the second section of this act the State was made to embrace one district to be denominated Tennessee District. A District Court was established, four sessions of which should be holden alternately at Knoxville and Nashville. It was no doubt at this period that the above letter was written to President Washington in Mr. Claiborne's behalf.

At the August election 1797, Claiborne was elected to represent the State of Tennessee in Congress, serving in the 5th. and 6th. Congresses Dec. 1797-May 1800. His successor in the Superior Court of the State was David Campbell. In 1801 Mr. Claiborne was appointed Governor of Mississippi Territory, and in 1804 of the newly acquired Territory of Louisiana. Was Govenor of Louisiana; 1812-1816, and

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DOCUMENTS - CONCERNING WM. C. C. CLAIBORNE 207

was elected to the Senate of the United States from Louisiana and served fr©m March 4th. 1817 until his death' before the assembly ing of Congress, at new Or- leans, Nov. 23rd. 1817.

See, Tennessee Historical Magazine , Vol. V. p. 65, 175; Ramsey's Annals, p. 662, 678 •, Tennessee Gazateer , p. XXXIX; Congressional Directory, (19 13) p. 545. ♦William Fleming, b. in Va. July 6, 1736, Educated at William and Mary Col- lege, while there was a college mate of Jefferson with whom he remained in in- timate terms all his life. Studied law and entered political life served in the Rev- olutionary War, represented Virginia in Congress and in 1780 was made Judge of the General Court, still later, Judge of the Court of Appeals. Died, February 15, 1824. Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. XXIV. p. 327.

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