First page of two-page letter from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson" class="extiw" title="w:Thomas Jefferson">Thomas Jefferson</a> letter to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holmes_(U.S._politician)" class="extiw" title="w:John Holmes (U.S. politician)">John Holmes</a> of April 22, 1820, supporting his position on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Compromise" class="extiw" title="w:Missouri Compromise">Missouri Compromise</a>. Notably, the first attestation of the phrase <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/to_have_the_wolf_by_the_ear" class="extiw" title="wikt:to have the wolf by the ear">to have the wolf by the ear</a>.
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson" class="extiw" title="w:Thomas Jefferson">Thomas Jefferson</a>; uploaded <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Neutrality" class="extiw" title="en:User:Neutrality">Neutrality</a>.
Letter of April 22, 1820.
From <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/exhibits/mellon/lrg_html/tjrutle1.html">http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/exhibits/mellon/lrg_html/tjrutle1.html</a>