Editing Cato's Letters (section)

== Other pseudonymous "Cato letters" ==

Unrelated to the Trenchard and Gordon letters, two different letter-writers in eighteenth-century America also used Cato as a pseudonym in writing political letters for publication.

One "Cato" wrote a series of essays arguing against American independence in the [[Pennsylvania Gazette]], which were published in April 1776. According to [[Thomas Paine]] biographer [[Moncure D. Conway]], this "Cato" was [[Dr. William Smith|Reverend Dr. William Smith]], an influential [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] minister in [[Philadelphia]]. His views were opposed in letters signed by "The Forester," apparently Paine.<ref>[https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/343#lf0548-01_label_083 ''The Writings of Thomas Paine'', Collected and Edited by Moncure Daniel Conway (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1894). Vol. 1 (XVII.: THE FORESTER’S LETTERS). Available at ''Online Library of Liberty''] "'Cato' was the Rev. Dr. William Smith, a Scotch clergyman of the English Church, Provost of the College of Philadelphia, and the most influential preacher in that city until his fall with the royalist cause which he had espoused. The letters of these disputants were widely copied in the country, and the controversy was the most exciting and important immediately preceding the Declaration of Independence. The proposal of such a Declaration was really the issue. It was vehemently opposed by the wealth and aristocracy of Philadelphia, headed by Dr Smith, and the discussion was almost a battle. This may explain its acrimony, on which neither writer, probably, reflected with satisfaction in after years. The 'Cato' letters are not included in the collected Works of Dr. Smith (Philadelphia, 1803), nor have the letters of 'The Forester' appeared hitherto in any edition of Paine’s Writings." (editor's note)</ref>

Cato was later used as a pseudonym in a series of letters to the ''New York Journal'' in 1787 and 1788 opposing [[James Madison]]'s views and urging against ratification of the [[United States Constitution]] (the view known as [[Anti-Federalism]]). Many historians attribute these letters to [[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]], though their authorship has not been definitively proven.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-anti-federalists-and-their-important-role-during-the-ratification-fight|title=The Anti-Federalists and their important role during the Ratification fight - National Constitution Center|website=National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org|language=en|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref> [[Alexander Hamilton]] published responses to these letters under the pseudonym "Caesar."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Sculpture_22_00004.htm|title=U.S. Senate: George Clinton|website=www.senate.gov|access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref>