Your favor of the 6th: currt. is at hand. It is true, that I mistook the statement in your preceding, respecting the exchange, but now comprehend it better.1 I agree with you also in opinion as to the propriety of drawing now rather than at a future day. Money in Holland will probably find less opportunity of improvement than hitherto. As it respects myself however, security is all I want for my property.

By all the accounts which reach us from home; there seems to prevail a wonderful spirit of independence, & a resolution to assert it, by all the means within the reach of the people. The dispatches from our Envoys really seemed to operate a sort of divine revelation; but I had no conception that the mist before the eyes of our Countrymen had been previously so thick. To me I confess it is astonishing, that for two years past there should have been two opinions respecting the french Government & their manner of conducting towards us. The spirit that is roused, I well knew to exist among us, but so little of it had appeared, when, in my mind, there had been so much to provoke it, that I began to despair of any powerful display of it in the present crisis. It will do infinite good if properly & judiciously directed.

We have just got through with the ceremonies & rejoicings upon the occasion of the homage, which took place on friday last. The spectacle was novel to me, but excited no great degree of interest, because there seemed to be none of that enthusiastic ardor, which, like the electric spark communicates & spreads from man to man, upon occasions to which I have been a witness in my own Country.2 Such as prevails, I hope, at this day, among us, and which will not suddenly be allayed or extinguished. There was here a wonderful decorum observed by the people, actors & spectators, and the faintness of the shouts which burst forth on the occasion was doubtless owing to the rigid regard to decency, which so abundantly prevails here on all public solemnities. The Sieyes was a spectator of the scene.

On Saturday evening there was a brilliant & splendid ball at the palace, which I found more to my taste than the first ceremony; & yesterday there was a grand Concert of sacred music, intended for a Te deum. This I found tedious beyond measure, as indeed to me are all Concerts. Here, I believe, the shew is over—3

With esteem I am, dear sir / your friend & servt

It was with much anxiety and concern that I learnt from mrs Johnson the outrageous attack which was made upon you by mr duncanson, and the dissagreable circumstance of your being Badly wounded. I hope however from What I yesterday heard that the concequences of the wound will not prove so bad as was apprehended. mr Greenleaf call’d yesterday to inquire what intelligence I had received. he spoke like a friend and felt like a Brother I related to him the circumstances as detaild by the pen of mrs Johnson who was exceeding iritated & hurt at the event. I wisht however to See some person from whom I could lean the state of Parties and Character of the persons— I applied to mr Stodard who conversed very fully with me and satisfied me, that to steer between them requires great skill and management. No person would wish an other to Speak in higher terms of approbation and praise of the Honour integrity impartiality & concilitary disposition of an other than mr stodard did of my Nephew and mr stodard if I justly estimate him possesses all those qualities him Self. it was very ungentlemanly and 186 Rascally to attack a Man merely for his being Professionally engaged in the service of his attagonist the Law must decide upon the Equity of the dispute between the Parties—

I cannot say but that I felt hurt that Mr Dalton should tender himself as Bondsman— a respectable one he is and is therefore I trust the more honorable security for the good behaviour of Duncanson of whose Party to whom I hear he has attachd himself I know you too well to suppose you can harbour any lasting Enimity and I trust you will as you have done stear as clear as possible of all Paty animosity and bitteness, in all cases consistant with what You owe to yourself, strive to heal animosities and soften Passions, to do good even to those who despightly use you and Percecute you. I do not mean by this that the Law ought not to have its full course and that as a Man unjuctly injured, you ought to have justice done you.

I hope this will be Mrs Cranch—study also. where a city is divided against itself, it must come to mine and it is to be regreeted that at the commencment of Private interest should So embroil Friends and Neighbours. I lament that mrs Johnson should be fixt down in the very focuse & Hot bed of dissention. I believe no part of America is so circumstanced, having lived in a Country where one neighbour does not trouble an other, nor even know them, it must be the more unpleasent to her— I would advise all my friends to hear see & as far as possible to be silent

Whilst I am writing a Letter is brought me from mrs Johnson, with the pleasing intelligence of your recovery so far as to think of sitting out upon a jouney—1 I hope you will not be too soon; Some accounts have reachd this city of the affair. all of them criminate duncanson— tho some say that he is really injured by mr L—— & R——

I received a Letter from your mother this morning the family were well. I dared not in my last Letters hint the affair to her—2 I shall now give her an account of it—

My Love to mrs Cranch tell her I hope Louissa will meet with as kind a friend in Berlin as a reward for the interest her amiable mother takes in Mrs Cranchs and your situation— I presume mrs Cranch will find a Mother & sisters in your absence. I hope the Washington Family will be gratified with the cordiality which subsists & has never known an interruption between the Late & Present President. I assure you that the invitation will be cordially accepted, and a great relief it will be to the President What can be the occasion of Thorntons animosity to the President. he never injured 187 or offended him— he is the only one of the three who are not personally known—3