Your Favors of Jany 23 and the second Instant I have received.1

I have requested Mr Joseph Cooledge to take charge of this Letter who with his Friend Mr Saml: Parkman will be in Philadelphia who are probably both known to you being both Gentlemen of extensive Business here and with whom I have the Pleasure of an Acquaintance of long standing.2

In your Letter of 23d Ulto you appeared uncertain whether it was 50[ts] of Grass Seed I intended for Dr Dexter3 and myself or 50[ts] for each; I meant only 50[ts] for both which if you be pleased to order at a proper time I shall thank you.

You will have heared before this reaches you that Dr Jarvis after having caused a Motion to be made in the House of Representatives to take up the Virginia Resolves which he supported with all his Faculties, was seized at his own House after Dinner with an apoplectic Fit. I have not seen him but I am told that he appeared for several Days after much deranged in his Mind but he has recovered so far 451 as to begin to talk politics again and says that the Question which was determined by a large Majority against Mr Fisk would not have gone as it did had he been in the House however he will not be able to attend again this Session.

I am glad Dr: Eustis voted as he did but he has still a strange kink in his Head about the Contradiction between the two Articles in the Constitution. The one committing to Congress Power to regulate Trade and that to The President and Senate to make Treaties and altho he would not make the Motion I believe if it was made he would encourage an Article Alteration in the Constitution in this particular making it necessary to lay all Treaties before the House of Representatives of the United States for Ratification. I have endeavoured to convince him of his Error but I think without Effect.

You will see by our Papers that Mr Sumner is proposed as a Candidate for Governor he is a Man well respected in the Commonwealth how this will suit the various Expectants I know not.4

I am Sir with great Respect your Humble Sr

I have just recd your favour of the 15, by Mr Coolidge and Mr Parkman.

There has been no Vessell up for a Boston a long time. When there is I will endeavour to send your fifty Pounds of Clover seed, with my own, if I can get any. It is said it will be very dear.

It is to be lamented that a Man of such popular Talents and such an ardent Spirit as Dr Jarvis, should be always disposed to seize every Opening and Opportunity to Attack, embarrass and enfeeble the national Government. but the People are so well fixed in opposite Principles that he will meet with nothing but Disappointment and 452 Vexation till he probably falls a sacrifice to his imprudent Zeal and intemperate Exertions. His Constitution is not made for Such a Career.

The People will never concur with Dr Eustis in his Project of Submitting Treaties to an House of Representatives. They would sooner take away from the Senate the Power of Advising & consenting. Nothing but the precarious footing of an Elective Executive, induced the Admission of the senate into this Business, which all the World knows ought to be confined to a very cool Cabinet. The senate are an outwork in our Constitution to defend the Executive from popular Clamours, which are always apt to be excited by Treaties. But the House of Representatives would not only be overawed by such Clamours but contribute to excite & foment them.

There is an Instability in human Understanding that is enough to alarm every Man who wishes for a Government upon which the People can depend for the Protection of their Rights. There are so few who will ever take the trouble to get an Insight into the subject, and so few of these who can remember their own Principles & Opinions for Six Months together, that it seems as if one must despair of ever seeing Wisdom prevail. The People of America however have hitherto given good hopes: but it will cost so much trouble to overcome Sudden heats and popular Errors which will be constantly excited and propagated, that the best Men will be discouraged and give Way to Hyppocrites Bothers and Villains.

The Man who expects by destroying this Constitution to get one more popular is a fool. so sure as this is undermined it will be succeeded by a stronger. There is nothing about which Men of sense sometimes make wilder Judgments, than they do about the sense of the People. Adams and Jarvis believed the British Treaty to be unpopular—Both most grossly deceived.

I suppose the Expectants would rather wish to continue the old Cardinal, than to have a young Pope to seclude their hopes for many Years: It is deeply to be lamented however that a Governor of Massachusetts and especially Sam Adams should shew himself so bad a Citizen of U.S. New york is an Example which shews the Importance of having good Governors. I write you freely in Confidence and haste and am &c