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And props to Shawn Wilbur for finally providing some historical context for one of his obscure and somewhat baffling choices for an anarchist study project, although to my mind, either Robert Graham or Rudolf Rocker would be much better options. As for the equally obscure P.W. Grayson, first a quote from Wilbur's quote from Wikipedia:

Peter Wagener Grayson (1788–1838) was an attorney, diplomat, cabinet officer, and presidential candidate in the Republic of Texas. He was the son of Benjamin and Caroline (Taylor) Grayson, and was born in Bardstown, Virginia (later Kentucky), in 1788. He owned a plantation near Matagorda, Texas.

Grayson helped raise United States volunteers for the Texas Revolution, and he was appointed by President Sam Houston as Texas attorney general in February 1837 and as naval agent to the United States in December 1837.

In 1838, Grayson was the Houston party candidate for president of the Republic of Texas. On July 9 of that year he fatally shot himself.

Too bad about the last part, but the rest hardly recommends him as material for an anarchist study group. A few quotes from Grayson's essay should suffice to demonstrate the general tenor of the work:

If, however, there be a spot on the face of the globe where the light of liberal intelligence and just opinions is beginning to show itself, through the clouds of prejudice, custom, and superstition, it is the land we are all standing on here in these free states of America.

...I think one may safely assert, that there was never presented to the eyes of mankind a happier spectacle than the political institutions of the United States.

...It is now many years since the idea occurred to me, that if mankind were as wise, not as one could easily imagine them to be, but only as wise as an enlightened self love could make them, there were no need for either government or law.

Incidentally, I would be very interested to see Wilbur's response to the question about his opinion on contemporary anarchist projects in the USA.