I received only three days ago your N: 22. dated the 6th: of December, and containing the melancholy tidings of the death of our unhappy brother at New-York. I had been informed of it two days 560 earlier by a letter from my excellent friend Mr: Murray at the Hague, who had seen an account of it in a New-York Gazette.—1 Of the situation in which he has left his wife and children you say nothing, but I can too readily imagine what it is— My father—I am persuaded will not abandon them, and I myself wish to contribute as far as my ability will admit to their necessities. Let me know something further of their condition.

The day before your letter reached me, I had seen by English newspapers the decisive turn of the presidential election by the unexpected vote of South-Carolina—2 That the issue was not unexpected to me you will have found by more than one of my preceding letters.—3 The reports from America had indeed at a later period betokened the anticipation of a different result but I had seen no fact which would induce an alteration of the conclusion my mind had previously drawn and I was not at all disappointed at the actual event

A much more distressing paragraph in the English prints of the same date announced that your father, by the latest accounts from Washington was ill of a fever.4

All these accounts coming within the space of twenty-four hours, did indeed summon me to the use of all the fortitude and resignation I could command.— There is no evil destitute of all consolation but an accusing conscience— I am therefore calm and composed, though not without a deep anxiety concerning my father’s health, and a fervent sympathy with the keen affliction of my family in America, and most especially of my ever loved and honoured mother— I have perhaps been culpable in suffering many months to pass without writing to her— But indeed my letters to you have been nearly as much intended for her as for yourself, and with my public correspondence which of late has been unusually active, have engross’d all the time and all the materials of writing that I could employ— For excepting your letters, I have received only one from our country since last July—6 Not a single line even from my dear mother; which I am sure must have been owing to the failure of her letters on their passage, and not to her having omitted to write.

I am glad to find that you had received so many of my letters from Silesia, as well as some which preceded them— I have already written you that I have no objection to your furnishing from them contributions for Mr: Dennie’s proposed literary undertaking—7 I most cordially hope for the honour of our Country that this Gentleman’s 561 plan will succeed, and from the opinion I entertain of his genius and talents, I cannot doubt but that it will.— The annunciation of the translation of Gentz’s parallel made me smile—8 His characterizing the translator as a Gentleman of rank and learning is a good joke enough.— I can be ambitious but of one designation more, and if he will but mention me the next time as a Gentleman of fashion, I shall consider myself fully established in the world’s opinion as an homme comme il faut.

I have finally concluded to withdraw all the funds I had in Holland, and remit them to America— In consequence of which I have remitted to Mr: King in London fourteen hundred pounds sterling, for which I have informed him I should authorize you to draw.—9 You will therefore do so accordingly, with attention as usual to take the best rate of exchange that you can obtain— Charge me the usual commission, and place the funds to the best advantage; but not in any institution connected with the continuance of the Union.— I have already so great a proportion of my all placed there, that unless I secure something elsewhere, I shall stand upon melting ice— I should indeed wish you to put all my property upon a basis firmer than that of the federal government. In Massachusetts if possible, and on a foundation more firm than banks or public loans— My whole future dependence for a subsistence will now be in your hands— I trust I need not recommend it to your assiduous and affectionate attention— Your bills upon Mr: King for the monies I empowered you to draw last summer, have been received and paid.

Most affectionately your’s

I have your letters of 30th: ulto & 3d currt: for which I thank you—1 The letter, which has so copiously extracted your indignation, not without good cause, did not provoke me, however, in the same degree. I do not see for my part, what other notions of Government, Mr: Jefferson could be expected to entertain— It was because he was known to think in the style of this letter, that the people have rewarded him, as far as they could, with the Chief Magistracy— I know not how far Mr: J——n is sincere in these opinions, but he has been so long in the habit of avowing them, that I suspect he believes himself so— Now, I dont think at all worse, of the writer of this letter, than I did before I saw it. I believe, that it necessarily arises out of our Constitution of Government, that men must lose their honesty, or despair of promotion, to the exclusion of the present incumbent. An elective democratic republic, is of all forms of Government, that which admits the greatest latitude of corruption, and in my opinion, necessarily leads to it. We shall swim in blood before this evil will be corrected—

I believe rather more than you do, in Mr: Jeffersons observation, as to “the great question, which divides our Citizens,” because I can trace the same consequences from this source of division, as you attribute to a different one— When our Citizens shall try the experiment, as I think they will ere long, of giving a preponderance of power to the Republican branch of our government—then I shall look for all the horrors of Anarchy and uproar— This is my notion of, “the tempestuous sea of liberty—”

It is reported, on what authority, I know not, that Judge Addison, Mr: Kittera & Joseph Hopkinson are applicants for the Office of 563 federal judge, should the judiciary Bill pass—2 Either of these men, in my opinion, would be improper— Hopkinson alone would only not disgrace it. The other two, though strong friends of James Ross, are men of less character than ought to appertain to a judge— The President will do right, in all thin[gs,] I am persuaded, where his information will enable him—

I am, dear William / Your friend