Philadelphia March 19. 1796
My Dearest Friend
We have a Turn of Weather as cold as any We have had through the whole Winter. The Violence of the North West Wind which has thrown down Chimneys and blown off Roofs in this City, We suppose has prevented the Eastern Mail from crossing the North River and deprived me of my Thursdays Letter as yet. I hope it will come to day.
A Thousand and one Speeches have been made in the H. of Reps. upon the Motion for petitioning the P. for Papers. Twenty complete Demonstrations have been made of the Constitutionality of it, and twenty more of its Unconstitutionality. Ten of its Expectancy and as many of its Inexpectancy, five of its Utility and the same number of its Inutility. After all they will ask and receive, and then lash and maul a while and then do the need ful. I dined on the 17th. with the friendly sons of St. Patrick and to day I dine with Rush. Judge Cushing departs this Morning and Mrs. Cushing will call upon you. Elsworth embarks in a day or two for S. C. and Georgia. We have a Party Business from Kentucky: a Strange Complaint as Mr. Marshall, which oblige is Us to sit to day a Saturday.
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I regret this, because it is too exhausting to me to sit so constantly. My
[?] is pretty severe, especially in cold Weather.
This Wind will delay Intelligence from Europe for ten days or a fortnight.
Liancourt is doing with Elsworth and Tellerand talks of embarking for Hambourgh.
Having no Horse and reading more and walking less than Usual I am solicitous about my health.
The Birds in Numbers and Vanity began to sing and the grass to grow green before this last Gripe of Queen Mab. The poor Birds have hard times now.
The two Miss Daltons have been here all Winter. I delivered Your Message to Mrs. Green and General Wayne.
I cannot see a ray of Hope, before June. If the House should be frenzical We must sit till next March and leave it to the People to decide by choosing a new President, Senate and House, who will harmoniously go all lengths, call George a Tyrant to his face. The English Nation Pyrates break the Treaty, enter into an alliance offensive with France and go to War, with spirit, Consistency and Dignity.
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But I believe the House will adopt the Language which says that the Just keep their Promises though they have made them to his hurt and that they must make the best of a bad bargain and come off thus as well as they can by abusing Jay, President and Senate and Treaty without pretending to annul it.
Hi! Ho! Oh Dear! I am most tenderly
J.A.
Mrs A
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[Endorsement -- see page image]
