Your friendly Letter of the third and twentieth of February, I did not receive till Saturday last. To your Friend, who has now been returned from N. York these five Weeks, I have delivered your inclosed Letter as desired.—1 She will acknowledge the Receipt of it, and transmit you the Compliments of her fellow Travellers.— our Correspondence has had a short Interruption, it is true, as all others in which I have had any concern have been. I have indeed enjoyed a delightful Rest, tho my Mind has been constantly employed with my private and domestic affairs, which by a negligence of fifteen years were in such disorder, as would require Several years to rectify.— The Period from the 17. June 1788 to this 2d of March 1789 has been the Sweetest Morsel of my Life, and I despair of ever tasting Such another. This delightful Retreat, humble as it is, I shall quit with great regret. There never was and never will be found for me, an office in public Life, that will furnish the Entertainment and Refreshment of the Mountain the Meadow and the Stream.

According to private Accounts from the southward there is a Majority of Votes for me to be Vice President. But the People of our united America find it much easier to institute Authority than to yeild Obedience. They have Smarted Severely under a total oblivion of the two first Principles of Liberty and of Commerce, that Laws 392 are the fountain of Freedom and Punctuality the Source of Credit. Yet there is Still room to fear, that there is not enough of the Spirit of Union to insure Obedience to the Laws nor enough of Shame and Scorn of Evasion, to secure that Revenue on which Punctuality will depend. The Resources of this Country are abundantly Superiour to every Exigency and if they are not applied, it must be owing to a Want of Knowledge or a Want of Integrity.

Be pleased to present my Affectionate Respects to General Warren, whom I should be very happy to see.

With great Truth and regard I am / dear Madam your Friend and humble / servant

The accounts received of the votes given for Vice President of the federal Senate render your Election to that high Office undoubted— will you permit me to congratulate you on the occasion, tho’ premature? not only because I wish to express my earliest Joy, which is sincere—but that I may, in season, propose accompanying you to New York—if your arrangements should make it convenient to you—

A cruel, indeterminate, disorder has confined me more than eleven weeks— my Physician this day declares, as his opinion, that my health will permit me to proceed on my Journey in 2 weeks more—

Mrs Dalton will go with me— if Mrs Adams should favor you with her good Company one Coach would accomodate us, and render the fatigues of the Ride less disagreeable to them—1

Mrs D & I can be in Boston, ready to proceed, by the 21st of this month—if necessary, the Wednesday preceding—or with more conveniency a few days after the 21st. when the roads will be better— My determination is to be in Congress as soon as the President of the Senate— my acceptance of a Seat therein was more readily made by the flattering expectations of your being in the Chair—for, 393 presuming on former connections and favors, I promised myself the benefit of your advice and counsel in many affairs of importance that will be before that Body—and, if you will allow me the liberty, I will rely on them—

Mrs D requests that her respectful regards may be presented to Mrs Adams & your Self—I beg mine may be rendered agreeable

When convenient, please to favor me with your answer—

With perfect esteem, & unfeignd affection, / I am— / Dear Sir— / Your most hble Servant