Upon my arrival at this place, about three weeks since, I received your kind letter of June 8th: which was the first line, I have had from you these many months, and it needed not that circumstance to render it highly valuable. You do not however mention in it the receipt of several letters, which I have written you, and which I hope have not miscarried in the conveyance. Among the rest, that of 29 December of the last year was of a nature to require some notice of its contents, as it related particularly to my affairs in your hands. It gave you an authority to draw on me for 2000 Dollars provided you could place such a sum to good advantage, in a proper and legal manner. I have never received any answer to it whatever, and know not whether you have drawn for the money or not.— I requested you to direct the payee of the bills, in case they should come after my departure from Holland, to make application to Messrs: W & J Willink at Amsterdam, who would discharge them on my account. I have accordingly left such directions with them, when I came away.— But if you should not yet have drawn, when you receive this letter, it will be best to draw the bills themselves on Messrs: Willink to be paid on my account, which they will duly honour.1 And I wish to suggest to you once more, the expediency of your mentioning business rather more frequently than you have hitherto done.

I should even at this time be glad to know how a small further sum might be disposed of beneficially, but cannot expressly authorise you to draw for any thing more, for want of proper, minute and precise information.

I had not heard of the death of our Grandmother and of our Cousin Mary Smith, until the receipt of your letter. The former had lived to such a great age, and had seen her Son raised by his merit to such an eminence, that she must have quitted this life, without reluctance. For Mary Smith, her friends might hope a longer date & a more fortunate lot.

The appointment to Berlin, which your letter speaks of, is not an agreeable one to me, nor should it ever have taken place with my 232 consent. I shall go however as it is required of me, and am only waiting for my orders.

The Jacobins you tell me, are not pleased with my official communications that have been published, and Mr: Livingston can compare them to nothing but the speech of the Director Barras to Mr: Monroe.

My old Schoolfellow Bache has become too thorough-bred a democrat to suffer any regard for antient friendship, or any sense of generosity for an absent enemy, to suspend his patriotic scurrility. These people have improved upon the doctrine of Mandeville. He only contended that private vices were public benefits, but their theories and still more their practice, makes public virtue essentially consist of the most detestable private vices.—2 As for Mr: Livingston’s comparison, from whom it would have given me severe mortification to have heard it made; but those men would not have made it, however they might have disapproved the tenor of my communications. Had they meant a violent attack upon a man, who never gave them, nor intended them any provocation, they would have waited until he could be present to defend himself. Sentiments of this description however, Mr: Livingston does not admit, perhaps does not understand, and therefore he cannot mortify me, by comparing my letters to any speeches whatsoever, unless it be to his own.— I never intended nor expected that those letters of mine would have been published. It is not my wish unnecessarily to give offence to any one, much less to offer an insult to persons for whom I have a real regard, but it was my duty to give the true state of facts to my Government, as well as to reply firmly to the inadmissible proposals of the Dutch Committee. Had I imagined the documents would have been brought before the public eye, perhaps I should have altered in some few passages the phraseology; but the substantial truth of facts, and the reasoning upon them would have been exactly the same, in defiance of all the teeth of Livingston and all the slaver of Bache.

I have at length followed the example, which I should regularly have given to you, and was married last Wednesday the 26th: ulto: to Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, I can pass no higher eulogium upon her, than to say, she is worthy of being the third Sister, where there were already two so deserving. Our Sister Smith knows her well, and I ardently hope for the time, when she will be equally well-known and beloved by my Sister Adams. She intends writing to 233 her, as I ought to have done long ago.3 I hope however you will convince her that the omission has not proceeded from churlishness.

I once more entreat you to write me as frequently as you can, and for the future you may direct your letters either under cover to Mr: King here or to Mr: S Williams the American Consul at Hamburg, or to Mr: Frederick Delius at Bremen.4 The two latter places will be those, to which the communications from America will be the most frequent.

I am with invariable affection your Brother.5

Mrs. Cranch informs me that a kind letter arrived from you at Washington since my arrival here, requesting me to reside at your house while I remained in Philada.—1 I need not repeat how much I am obliged by all your goodness & attention. The second day after my arrival here I met Mr. Briesler, who mentioned to me your kind request & the orders he had received; & inforced the invitation with such appearance of real sincerity, that I promised, I would reside at the house on my return from N. York. I return’d last Monday, & have since occupied your house—but it is solitary in the extreme. I do not recollect that I ever felt the want of society before. The weather indeed, has its share of operation.— My journey to N. York was to carry Miss Eliot, who expects there to meet her parents.2 I had the pleasure to dine with Mr. C. Adams on saturday.—

I find Messrs. M & N strongly fortified on the banks of the Schuylkill, with scarce the means of obtaining even their dayly bread.3 But I feel myself pretty secure, & have no fear of being 234 eventually a great loser by their misfortunes. But I feel most severely for the confinement of my poor friend Greenleaf.— Disappointed Speculation & exulting Envy have tried to blast his Character, but if ever a heart possess’d that Charity which ought to cover a multitude of faults, I believe it to be his.— His fault has been too sanguine a disposition, in himself and too much Confidence in that of others.—

I find Mr. Morris in such a situation that I can not urge a compliance with his promise to purchase me a library. I shall therefore accept my Uncle’s kind offer of the Loan of $200 for which I shall leave with Mr. Briesler my note of hand on demand with Interest. Colo. Deakins of Georgetown, voluntarily offer’d to accept my drafts for any sums of money I might want before my return, either for the purchase of books or any other call I might have— But at present I had rather be under obligations to my uncle. Colo Deakins is one of the best men in the world— It would make a convert of the greatest misanthropist to know that even one such man was to be found among ten thousand.— I am happy in believing him one of my best & most influential friends. This is not simply my own opinion of the man, but it is a character establish’d through the whole state.—4

I shall probably be obliged to remain here a few days longer, much against my inclination.—

Present my most grateful & affectionate Respects to the President, & believe me with every sentiment of respectful affection, your dutiful Nephew