To the Honorable Congress of the United States April 21, 1779

From the original letter at the Library of Congress.

Philadelphia April 21st 1779

Honorable Sirs

Congress having resolved to publish their Journals weekly, beginning with the first of Janry 1779 and as the proceedings respecting me form a considerable part of the first business in the Journals, and as the publication thereof is intended to give information to your constituents, I have to request that the purport, at least, of my letters of Janry 6th 7th and 8th be inserted.

The substance of the letter of the 6th is sufficiently contained in the first paragraph.

The substance of that of the 7th, is, requesting as your servant and demanding as a Citizen of the United States an attested Copy of the Complaint against me, that I might answer it, and informing this Honble House that I had evidence that I presumed would justify me, and entreating them not to do an act which they could not justify by proceeding to judgment in the matter without hearing me.

The substance of that of the 8th is, my Resignation of the office of Secretary to the Committee for foreign affairs, because a motion for hearing me had been negatived; with my reasons for the part I had acted.

Unless the purport, at least, of those letters be inserted I conceive that the Journals cannot be understood, and will require an Explanation from me disagreeable to this Honble House.

But that which would prevent all future controversy, would be to insert the whole of the letters, and it is my request that they may be inserted, and the more so, because they have been represented by some gentlemen of this Honble House as forming a part of the complaint against me, and consequently those Gentlemen can have no objection to their appearance; and I request that no member of this Honble House, out of tenderness to me, will negative a motion for their being inserted at length; as without them, the proceedings of Congress, by having frequent reference thereto, must appear obscure and partial.

Congress will please to remember, they began their hard treatment of me while I was defending their injured and insulted honor, and which I cannot account for, on any other ground, than supposing, that a private unwarrantable connection was formed between Mr. Deane and certain members of this Honble House.

I am Honorable Sirs, your Honors Obt Hble Servant,

THOS PAINE.