I am honoured with your letter of this date, and am highly flattered by your expressions of approbation on my book called the history of the district of maine.1 I should have not imposed the task of that work on myself, with my other avocations, if I could have procured any other person to undertake it.

I have attended to your remark on the sentiment in page 299: and should be exceedingly greived if any thing had escaped my pen which 390 should hurt your feelings, or give you the least uneasiness: for in addition to the respect I have for your character, I intended to write that book, and thought I had written it in such a manner, as not to deserve a place in any political side, and in such a manner as would not hurt the feelings of any man in united America. I must however confess, that when I wrote the sentiment which you particuliarly notice, I had in my mind the description of the fate of Marcellus and others, as contained in your defence of the constitutions of the United States. I am not possessed of health to mention any more instances if it was necessary. Perhaps the expression “A multitude of instances” is too strong. The words “without intention to prove &c” were only intended as an assertion that the learned writer did not write with a purpose to prove the fact, evidence of which incidentally opened from the facts he mentioned in order to complete his work. My own sentiments were as freely given on the subject, that patriotism and Valour have been rewarded with calumny and disgrace in nearly all the governments of the past ages: but we have reason to hope from the degree of light and information possessed by the people of this country, and the many singular advantages which our people possess that it will not be so here.

I am Sir with great respect / and friendship Your Most / obedient and Most humble / Servant

In hopes of obtaining Information more Satisfactory both to you and to myself, I have delayed an Answer to your Several favours to this time.

I communicated your Papers, immediately after the Receipt of them to The President, The Secretary of State and Mr Jefferson, and to Several others, and the History was published as you desired

I have not been able to obtain from any Person, the smallest 391 Encouragement of assistance from the United States or from any individual state to an Emigration of The Accademy of Geneva. All Acknowledge the Honour it would do Us, and the Advantages which would result to Us: but the Thing is by all thought to be wholly impracticable. To enter into Details would be useless.

The History is by all allowed to be incomparably well written, and has done a great deal of Good in this Country.

inclosed is a Letter to you from Mr Jefferson upon the same subject.1

I go mourning, my dear Sir, all the Day long over Suffering Humanity, and the judicial Blindness and Infatuation of Men. The more they suffer from their Ignorance Folly and Vice, the more ignorant, foolish and vicious they grow.

The deplorable Martyrdom of Rochefaucaut and Condorcet to Turgots and Franklins Absurdity, and the thousands of other Victims to it, only seems to have attached The French more and more to it: and in all probability it will ultimately defeat all the Efforts for Liberty.

I pray God to permit Mankind to be once convinced that their Passions must have some Controul in a free Government. With great and / Sincere Esteem I have the Honour to / be, Sir your most obedient and / obliged