Jefferson, Hemmings, Hamilton and Callender

In 1796, an essay appeared in the Gazette of the United States in which a anonymous writer, named “Phocion,” attacked presidential candidate Thomas Jefferson. Phocion turned out to be former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. The essay typified the nasty, personal nature of political attacks in late 18th-century America. When the article appeared, Jefferson was running against presidential incumbent John Adams, in an acrimonious campaign. The highly influential Hamilton, also a Federalist, supported Adams over Jefferson, one of Hamilton’s political rivals since the two men served together in George Washington’s first cabinet. According to Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow, Hamilton wrote 25 essays under the name Phocion for the Gazette between October 15 and November 24, lambasting Jefferson and Jeffersonian republicanism. On October 19, Hamilton went further, accusing Jefferson of carrying on an affair with one of his slaves.

There was some serious bad blood between Hamilton and Jefferson.

In 1792, publisher James Callendar—then a supporter of Jefferson’s whose paper was secretly funded by Jefferson and his Republican allies–published a report of Alexander Hamilton’s adulterous affair with a colleague’s wife, to which Hamilton later confessed. (The woman was Maria Reynolds and the story is quite remarkable. http://steeleydock.blogspot.com/2013/08/cab-thoughts-82413.html )

However, in 1802, when then-President Jefferson snubbed Callendar’s request for a political appointment, Callendar retaliated with an expose on Jefferson’s “concubine.” He is believed to have been referring to Sally Hemings, who was part black and, creepily, the half-sister of Jefferson’s deceased wife, Martha. Further, the article alleged that Sally’s son, John, bore a “striking…resemblance to those of the President himself.” Jefferson chose not to respond to the allegations.

Callender was born in Scotland eventually publishing satirical attacks on writer Samuel Johnson and pointed commentary on King George III’s policies. He wrote a pamphlet called Political Progress of Britain (1792), which led to his indictment for sedition in 1793.  He fled to America and published vicious attacks on George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and other leading political figures.

Sally Hemings' mother had been impregnated by her master, John Wayles, the father of Martha Jefferson. Sally Hemings herself bore five mulatto children out of wedlock. Callender insisted that Jefferson fathered the children. Jefferson's defenders denied this. In all the voluminous correspondence he left behind, Jefferson left not one statement, not even in his private journals, that directly confirmed his relationship with Sally Hemings—an omission that has enabled his defenders to claim the love affair never happened.
Dumas Malone, Jefferson's famous biographer, gave little credence to the charges.