I have just now received your kind Letter of the 3d of this month.

I read every Thing which falls in my Way, which relates to the French Revolution: but I Suffer inexpressible Pains, from the bloody feats of War and Still more from those of Party Passions. Disgrace to the Cause of Liberty, and a general Depravation of hearts and manners among the rising Generation, is much to be dreaded from the atrocious Conduct of Parties in France. The 18th. Century, which has been the Pride and Boast of Mankind for its Humanity is to end in horrors more horrible than the Proscriptions of Sylla or the Massacres of Charles the ninth. These People are Nerone Neroniores.

I have read Several Things of Mr De Calonne, and have observed that his Writings are full of Ideas and Reflections borrowed or at least Suggested by the Defence &c But the French Republicans have had better opportunities of considering these Things, by a Translation of my Work which was made at Paris, two years ago and printed by Mr De la Croix, with Notes and Observations. This Translation was printed in two very thick octavo volumes. My first and third volumes Mr De la Croix translated at large—The second he only abridged. But the Translation is Said to be well done—I once saw it for a few Hours only.1

But sir neither Reason nor Experience, have any Influence on Men inflamed with Party Passions. I fear that all Parties will soon be so fatigued as to give up all Plans of a free Government and in that Case my poor Books will become more unpopular in France than they ever were.

The Duke De La Rochefaucault and Mr Condorcet the two Men who took the most pains, by their Writings to counteract the Effect of my Books in France, and to persuade their Countrymen to have a Government in a single assembly have both fallen Sacrifices to their Ignorance, the first having been hewn in Pieces and the other obliged to fly for his Life.2 I felt for those more than for many others, because I had a personal Acquaintance with them and thought well of their dispositions.

Have you ever read the Discourses on Davila? one would think that the March and Course of the Passions was sufficiently pointed out in those Pieces to show any Man, what Such unballanced Parties 262 must end in.— But Reason has no Effect on Earthquakes or Tornadoes.

I should have first Acknowledged the Receipt of your favour of the first of February.3

our People are imprudent in expressing their Zeal: but upon the whole I believe they will be Steady to their Neutrality and avoid all share in the War, for the present.

As to a Mediation on the Ground of the Constitution of 1789 I have so little Esteem of that Constitution, that I would trust nothing to it: and indeed I should dread a Contagion even from a Mediation. We must, if possible keep wholly out of the Vortex. Enthusiasm is as Contagious as Mesmerism alias Animal Magnetism.

I am, Sir, with Sincere Esteem / your most obedient Servant

I have received a late order of the Senate on the subject of a Petition of Arthur Hughes.1 Diligent search has been made for such a Petition, and it has not been found. Neither have I now a distinct recollection of ever having seen it. Whether therefore it may not have originally failed in the transmission to me, or may have become mislaid by a temporary displacement of the papers of my immediate office, occasioned by a fire which consumed a part of the building in the use of the Treasury, or by some of those accidents which in an extensive scene of business will some times attend papers, especially those of inferior importance, is equally open to conjecture. There is no record in the Office of its having been received—nor does any of my Clerks remember to have seen it.

A search in the Auditors office has brought up the enclosed paper not now to be found, which it is presumed relates to the object of the Petition; but this paper, it will appear from the memorandum accompanying it, was placed in that Office prior to the reference of the Petition.

The Auditor of the Treasury2 is of opinion, though his recollection is not positive, that the claim had relation to the services of John Hughes as forage Master. Two objections opposed its admission 1 the not being presented in time, 2 the name of John Hughes in the capacity in which he claimed, not appearing upon any return in the Treasury.

If these be the circumstances, I should be of opinion that it would not be adviseable by a special legislative interposition to except the case out of the operation of the Acts of Limitation.

The second order of the Senate on the subject of this Petition leads to the following reflections . . .3

Does this hitherto unusual proceeding (in a case of no public and no peculiar private importance) imply a supposition that there has been undue delay or negligence on the part of the Secretary of the Treasury?

If it does, the supposition is unmerited; not merely from the circumstances of the paper, which have been stated, but from the known situation of the Officer. The occupations necessarily and permanently incident to the office are at least sufficient fully to occupy the time and faculties of one man. The Burthen is seriously increased by the numerous private cases, remnants of the late war, which every session are objects of particular reference by the two houses of Congress. These accumulated occupations, again, have been interrupted in their due course, by unexpected desultory and distressing calls for lengthy and complicated statements, sometimes with a view to general information, sometimes for the explanation of points, which certain leading facts, witnessed by the provisions of the laws, and by information previously communicated, might have explained without those statements, or which were of a nature, that did not seem to have demanded a laborious critical and suspicious investigation, unless the officer was understood to have forfeited his title to a reasonable and common degree of confidence. Added to these things, it is known, that the affairs of the country in its external relations, have for some time past been so circumstanced as unavoidably to have thrown additional avocations on all the branches of the Executive Department—and that a late peculiar calamity in the City of Philadelphia has had consequences, that cannot have failed to derange more or less the course of public business.4

In such a situation, was it not the duty of the officer to postpone matters of mere individual concern to objects of public and general 264 concern; to the preservation of the essential order of the Department committed to his care? Or is it extraordinary, that in relation to cases of the first description there should have been a considerable degree of procrastination? Might not an officer, who is conscious, that public observation and opinion, whatever deficiencies they may impute to him, will not rank among them want of attention or industry—have hoped to escape censure express or implied on that score?

I will only add, that the consciousness of devoting myself to the public service, to the utmost extent of my faculties, and to the injury of my health, is a tranquillizing consolation, of which I cannot be deprived by any supposition to the contrary.

With perfect respect / I have the honor to be / Sir / Your most obedient Servant