I have received the letter you did me the honor to write me on the 15 of May. and take this opportunity to return you my thanks for your polite congratulations. It is now five months within a few days since I entered on the execution of my office: and although I had many apprehensions from the novelty of it, and from my own long habits 154 formed to different scenes of life, in the course of a ten years residence abroad in Paris, London and the Hague; yet I have not found much injury to my health or depresion of spirits. The greatest pleasure I enjoy is in the reflection that I am now employed in doing everything in my power to form a system of policy and Finance that may enable us to pay those debts both at home and abroad which I had so great a hand in contractting. You will always oblige me sir by transmitting me any information concerning the public affairs of France in whose happiness and prosperity I am not a little interested.

In what will be the fermentations in France and the rest of Europe end? Will the spirit and the system of constitutional liberty prevail or will confusion preceed despotism?

If you can send me a cask of claret such as you sent me at the Hotel De Valois, Rue de Richelieu, and another of Vin De Grave to be delivered to me at my house at New York, at your Risque and can contrive to receive your pay at the time and place of delivery, I should be much obliged to you.1

I am sir Yours & &

Your friendly letter of the 23 of April, has laid me under obligations to you which it shall be my endeavour to discharge.1

It will ever be a pleasure to me to hear of your health and happiness: and perhaps you may have a curiosity to hear of mine.— I have been here about five months, and without missing a single day, (excepting one when my own salary was under consideration, and delicacy induced me to absent myself) have constantly attended the Senate. Such constancy in attending to the deliberations of such an assembly, on such a variety of buisiness, and the continual exercise of speaking, are laborious service, and will endanger my health. Hitherto, however, by good air at home, and regular daily exercise at vacant hours, I have preserved a good share of health and spirits.— We are very anxious about the state of Europe, and that of France in particular. Will the states general claim authority to controul the crown, or will they be contented to advise it? Mixed in one assembly 155 with the commons, will not the nobles be lost? Out numbered and out voted on all occasions? If in earnest a constitution is to be established you must separate the Nobles by themselves and the Commons must be placed in another assembly; and the Clergy divided between the two. In short your legislature must have three branches, and your Executive and Legislative must be ballanced against each other, or you will have confusions: Let my acquaintance the Marquis of Condorcet say what he will. But my friend, you may take the word of one who speaks from experience, dear bought experience! when a man suffers himself to be drawn in by the current which leads to a revolution, he knows not where he is going. He will soon find himself in a torrent which he can neither resist nor guide. Winds, tides and waterspouts which no wisdom could foresee will occur. Ignorace, if not knavery will intervene, and by means of passions, imagination, superstition or enthusiasm carry away the confidence of the people from truth virtue and the public good— Humiliations and mortifications innumerable if not total ruin will be his lot.— If however humanity on the whole is a gainer, a Philosopher will find some consolation. You will oblige me always by your letters as well as by presenting my most affectionate respect to M Le Duc and Me La Duchess de lu Vauguion and by accepting the compliments of my family as well as the repeated assurances of the sincere friendship of