THE CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, May 18, 1803  Page 2 has an interesting report concerning Thomas Paine & his letters, noting: "...is composed principally of encomiums upon himself and upon his projects for reforming the world, and abuse of General Washington's administration. The only thing worthy of notice ...is a copy of the whole of Mr. Jefferson's affectionate letter of invitation to Paine..." with much more.
This is responded to by Jefferson, signed in type: Thomas Jefferson.
Page 2 also has an article from New Orleans on a: "Negro Plot".
Four pages, good condition.

Background: The May 18, 1803 issue of The Connecticut Courant represents a highly significant and exceedingly rare artifact of early American political warfare, capturing the peak of the partisan vitriol during Thomas Jefferson’s first presidential term. This specific publication is historically vital because it documents the Federalist weaponization of Thomas Jefferson’s private, "affectionate letter of invitation" to the radical freethinker Thomas Paine, using it to orchestrate a massive public relations assault against the administration. By framing Paine's recent writings as self-aggrandizing abuse of the late, revered George Washington, the staunchly Federalist Courant sought to destroy Jefferson's moral authority by binding him directly to Paine's controversial anti-administration and anti-Christian sentiments. The rarity of this newspaper lies in its nature as an ephemeral daily chronicle; few copies survived the centuries, making this physical issue a scarce, frontline witness to how the early American press operated as the primary battleground for national identity, free speech, and personal slander. The printing of Jefferson's name "signed in type" beneath the leaked correspondence underscores a pivotal moment in the evolution of American media, where private executive communications were aggressively exposed to shape public opinion and weaponize the legacy of the Founding Fathers.