In  1785  he  was  President  of  New  Hampshire,
and  in  1787  was  one  of  the  franiers  of  the  na-
tional Constitution.  He  was  governor  of  his
state  in  1788,  and  again  from  1805  to  1811.  He
was  United  States  Senator  from  1789  to  1801.
Mr.  Langdon  declined  the  office  of  Secretary  of
the  Navy  (1811).  and  of  Vice-President  of  the
United  States  (1812).
Langhome  Letter,  The.  A  renegade  Scotch-
man named  Callender  had  appeared  in  Philadel-
phia'as  a  writer  in  opposition  to  Washington's
administration.  Just  after  Monroe's  return  from
France,  he  published  a  volume  called  A  History
of  the  United  States  for  1796,  in  which  he  grossly
libelled  Hamilton  and  abused  Washington  and
his  administration.  For  the  apparent  purpose
of  obtaining,  a  knowledge  of  the  effects  of  this
abuse  upon  Washington's  mind,  and  of  drawing


LANMAif


765


LA  SALLE


from  him  sometMiig  of  wbich  advantage  might
be  takeu,  a  letter  was  addressed  to  him  (Sept.
23, 1796),  dated  Warren,  Albemarle  Co.,  Va.,  and
signed  "John  Langhome,"  condoling  with  him
on  the  aspersions  on  his  character,  but  suggest-
ing that  he  ought  not  to  allow  them  to  disturb
his  peace.  The  narae  of  the  writer  was  ficti-
tious. Without  suspecting  this,  Washington,
with  his  usual  courtesy,  replied  to  the  letter,
saying  that  he  deplored  the  attacks  on  the  gov-
ernment, but  that  as  to  himself^  personally,  he
had  a  consolation  within  which  protected  him
against  the  venom,  and,  in  spite  of  the  malig-
nity of  his  enemies,  his  mind  remained  tranquil.
