I thank you sir for your favour of the 13th Decmber.1 I take up my pen to acknowledge it, & to Congratulate you on your Domestic Felicity in the Last Eight months. but shall not direct to you at the pleasant Villa of Auteuil: but to the Court of London, as it is probable before this you & your Family have left the Residence of the distinguished literati of France; perhaps for the Grotto of Pope,2 or 63some more Elegant spot immortalized as the abode of British Genius—for whom the Americans have, & would long Continue a prediliction. did not both the ministry & the people practice Every method of allienation. Yet possibly more Consiliating measures may be adopted, before the Negotiations ar far advanced. The Marcatile Class are very angry, while the Repulican Resents with Dignity the Late Restrictions on Commerce, They would be happy to see Every Nation in Europe take the same steps. provided we were therby obliged to live within ourselves (which we can very well do) & had wisdom and Virtue to retain our own principles & manners independantly supporting a National Character Respected for the Simplicity Magnanimity & Vigour. But Alas! the Weakness of Human Nature.— I fear we are already too far advanced in Every species of luxury, to Receede, though much more than our political salvation depended on the Reform. an avidity for pleasure has increassed with our Freedom, & a thirst of acquitition for Its support pushes to the most dangerous Experiments. And though sensible it is owing to the perversion of Reason, a Corruption of Taste & the Cravings of Artificial Neccessity which causes the Restless pursuit of objects seldom attainable. Yet Neither the Reasonings of the Philosopher nor the maxims of Religion, will bring back to that Mediocrity which ought to bound the wishes of Man. Either the people or the individual who has tasted the more Refined & Elegant accomodations of Life—

But to whom am I writing. I this moment Cast my Eye on a paragraph of yours. “I feel myself disposed to whine like Cicero in Exile.”3 & is it possible that you sir after 5 or 6 years spent in the most splendid Courts in Europe can look back & sigh for the Retirement & simplicity of Pens Hill. if you Really do, I pronounce you a Philosopher of the first Magnitude, & if Ever you Vollntarily return to that style. I think you will have a right to stand foremost on the list of Genuine Republians. you will at least have an Equal Claim to some Honourary Badge Emphatically Expressive of anciant Patriotism, as any of the Noble order of the Cincinnati— I dare not say more than Equal least I speak Treason—

A late Resignation you have doubtless heard off. And had you been with us when the period of annual Election Revolved it is probable your Country would have manifested some tokens of Gratitude by Giving you Their suffrages for the first office of state. Yet their is no dependence on the popular Voice. Their would have been 64a manuvering against it least you should have held it too long for the Convenience of another who means to come in again the next year.

There is such a blind attachment to this man of straw that I have little doubt he will have the opportunity of Establishing himself for life, perhaps the power of Entailing an Hereditary succession. if that should be the Case many would Cry “Come over into Macedonia & help us.[”]4 for I cannot suppose you think we are yet quite ripe for Monarchic Goverment—

I am very sorry you Complain so much of your Eyes. Yet I dare say your optical Faculties are still strong Enough to discern. & I hope to Remove many Political Errors on Each side the Atlantic.5

But why do I spend a Moment on these subjects. I have not one to loose when duty dos not Direct to some point of utility—or the social affections interest from the part those have to act with whom we are tenderly Connected.

But before I conclude, you sir will Give me leave to observe, that I have lived long Enough to be Convinced that we must pass through the world ourselves in order to know it thoroughly.

Neither the page of History nor the Experienced lessons of those who have Gone before us, Can investigate the Character of Man, or Develope the Human Mind, till we see the Blunders of public, & feel the ingratitude & Baseness of private Men.

The one I doubt not you will allways be quick sighted Enough to discern. the other I wish you may never be thoroughly taught. for with all your thirst for science you will be Happier to die without the aquirment of this knowledge.

I have indeed seen Mrs Macauley. she has been treated in Boston & Its Environs with Every mark of Respect. she is a Lady of most Exsteordinary talents, A Commanding Genius & Brilliance of Thought. this in my opinion often out runs her Capacity of Expression which is often a little too prolix both in Conversation & Compotition, or Rather the Period, are a little too lenghthy to please at once— I dare say this will be Corrected in future as one of her american Friends had the Courage to tell her of it. she Replied she beleived the observation just, as she had always aimed more at the investigation of truth than the ornaments of style. but I think in this age of Refinement the Graces of the Latter, ought to soften the harshness of the Former, & prevent the mind from Fatigue while listening, to the Humiliating story of Human Conduct—

We have a subscription out for an American Edition of her History65 down to 1744. It fills very fast, & I dare say will succeed to her Wishes.

It was kind in you to wish the World would spread a Vail of Candour over a Circumstance you mentioned. doubtless that Ladys Independency of spirit led her to suppose she might associate, for the remainder of life with an inoffensive obliging youth, with the same impunity a Gentleman of three score & ten might marry a Damsel of fifteen—6

Mr Warren perhaps will not write by this ship. we had short Notice. He is Going a Journey And the season requires his Care & attention.— in his private Walks But in whatever Departments or wherever he resides be assured You have Their a Friend. You know his attachments are strong & when he likes or dislikes, Either men or measures, The shaking of a leaf will not alter his opinion.

We wish for some of Your Excellent long letters.— some in that style directed to him at Philadelphia, Depend upon it were not useless, Either to you, or to your Country, Though from a Concurrence of Circumstances he was not Their.

I will not tell you his opinions with regard to our present situation. He will do it Himself Ere long.7 He has wrote You very perticularly several times since Mrs Adams left us. I beleive the intercourse will be more secure while you Reside in England

A Pleasing Circumstance to your Friends—perticularly / to yours / Respectfully—

Your Letter of the 24 of February was this morning put into my Hand. That which you refer to as informing me, that Mr Livingston was in nomination with Mr Rutledge and me, I have not yet received.1

Of all the Letters I ever received in my Life, excepting one from Mr Osgood, this is perhaps the most friendly and faithfull and lays me under the greatest Obligations. I rejoice in the Explanation that took Place, and it is my duty to Say Something upon Some of the Particulars.2

1. It is very true that I have little Admiration of the Philosophical Philanthropy or Equity of the Slave Trade. This Defect however has never prevented, nor will ever prevent me from doing all in my Power to obtain Restitution of the Negroes taken from the Southern States and detained from them in violation of the Treaty. I am not conscious that any Philosophical Speculations Upon this Subject, have ever influenced my Conduct in this Respect, nor do I See that they ought to enter into this Business

2 In negotiating the Treaty, I was not Sensible, nor do I now remember that any of my Colleagues were more anxious than myself respecting the American Debts. There was no difference of Sentiment among Us, upon this head that I can recollect. We were all Sensible of the hardship upon many Individuals, but it was so much a Point with the British, and a point that would have appeared in the Eyes of the World So much to our disadvantage, to have stood out upon, that We all thought alike upon the Subject. We have long Since done what depended upon Us, and all, for any Thing that I know with equal Assiduity, but We can get no Answer because, as I Suppose the British Ministry are determined not to treat here. if you Send a Minister to St. James’s, he must have an Answer. what it will be, I know not, although I am apprehensive it will be difficult to 67obtain the Interposition of Government in the matter of the Debts, it is clear to me, that the delay desired and proposed, will be at least as Advantageous to the British Creditors as to the American Debtors, and if Government cannot be prevailed with to Stipulate, I hope they may be convinced of the Necessity of the Measures taken by the States, and not treat them or consider them as Breaches of the Treaty, and that the Creditors may be quieted. in the Case of the Negroes it is clear, that they ought to restore every one of them or pay his full Value.

3. I know pretty well the old Characters in Massachusetts, and am not apprehensive of committing any very material Mistake by misplacing Confidence, there.— if I conjecture, who you mean I have written to them only, in answer to Letters from them containing usefull Information, and professing Friendship I cannot well avoid answering Letters, but I have not, made any confidential Communications, that I know of, improperly. I have before received hints of Caution from others, and am obliged to you for yours.3

But my Friend, there is a deeper and broader difficulty. There has been a System of Politicks in America, as well as in Europe different from yours, Mr Jays, Mr Jeffersons and mine. there have been times when, I, with all my Faults, was considered as the only dangerous Obstacle in the Way of that System, altho they are now convinced there were others as inflexible and more able. There is now too a military Spirit of Ambition and of Chivalry which I dare Say I am suspected to dislike as much as the Slave Trade. instead of wondering that I am attacked, I only wonder that more Serious at least more plausible Objections have not been found against me. I dont perceive that any Instances have been quoted, in which any artfull Negotiator has flattered me, out of any Object important or unimportant. I am glad the Explanation took place and am obliged to the Gentlemen for their Candour in expressing their Objections and Apprehensions: but I must Say, if I really had the weak Passion, I know how to gratify it instead of putting it in their power by my Negligence of little Things, to mortify it.4 I know perfectly well the Way and have learn’d it from the greatest Masters and Models of obtaining the Influence of Ministers of State and even of Princes to gratify it. nay I have known the Way to have obtained Medals and Statues, Ribbons and Votes of Gratitude, and these I think are the Objects of the weak Passion, instead of Reproaches, Censures and Abuses.

The Gentlemen who were placed in Competition with me are 68Characters of great Worth, and I should neither have felt an Envy or Resentment, if either had been appointed altho any Man who knows the History of my former Appointments, must be Sensible, that it would have been improper even for the public Service, that I should have remained in Europe, if I had not been appointed either to London or Versailles. a former Congress had been deceived into the Injustice of marking my Coat with a Stain for Conduct which merited a Statue, and I have been from that moment determined, it Should be wiped out, or that I would throw off their Livery forever.5 accordingly altho I dont know that I have claimed the Appointment to London, I have demanded to go home, if this Appointment or another Superiour to it was not given to me, nor Shall I blush in this Age or the next, in this World or the other for this determination. in truth I have not cared a Farthing, since the Peace whether I went home or remained in Europe. I have for some time intended to come home at the Expiration of our present Commissions as it is, I Shall probably come home next Spring in a manner more agreable to my feelings. if I do not see a Probability of doing Something worth staing for no Man can wish me to stay, and if I should be so happy as to arrange Affairs to tolerable Satisfaction no Man I hope would wish to refuse me leave to come home, either for a full do, or upon Congé, for no Swiss was ever more homesick than I.6 an Arrangement with England to mutual Satisfaction So as to prevent War, and consequently prevent the military Gentlemen from erecting an European System among Us, is all that remains in Europe near my heart. and I am perswaded that a Settlement with Spain, harmony with France, and Agreement with all the other Courts & Nations of Europe would follow it, of Course. This done, the sooner I get home the better: for altho I am perswaded You must have Ministers, for many Years with Several Courts I assure you I dont desire nor intend to be long one of them.

our Friend the Marquis, whom I love, altho I fear he has, been instrumental of introducing bad Fashions among Us, informs me that Mr Smith is appointed Secretary of Legation to London. This Gentleman is to me a total Stranger. an Aid de Camp and a Knight of Cincinnatus, a Correspondent of the Marquis and his brother Humphreys, I see the Necessity of his being a prudent Man, and of my being so too. But he shall be treated by me with all the Kindness and Attention, that becomes the Relation between Us. Humphreys has all the qualifications for his Office which can be expected from 69an Aid du Camp & a Knight of Cincinnatus. His Genius Taste, and Knowledge are distinguished and his heart is excellent.

I am my dear sir with every senti / ment of Esteem your Fried & humble / sert