I received Yesterday your kind and Friendly Letter for which accept my thanks.1 the interest you have taken from the best of motives in what you conceive to be the happiness and prosperity of the Country is deserving well of it. when plans were so deeply lade so deliberately carried into Execution, names so well known & so dear to very many of the inhabitants of your state & city, Men whom 245 they consider to have grown grey in the service of their Country, were sit up in competition with young Men, and according to the account received not distinguished by their Education talents & Services— the Wonder to me is that the Majority in their favour was not much greater—Particuliarly as So many contending Parties, all Zealous were each opperating in its own way— the President is by some accused of leaning towards the British. whereas you may be assured my dear sir that there is not any party in the united states no not the Jacobins themselves, who are so jealous of him, or So bitter against him— they are jealous of our adjusting our quarrel with France. they are angry that we have dared to be at Peace with them without their permission they are jealous of our growing navy, of our increasing Wealth & population and of our form of Goverment— I will relate to you an anecdote, when the News of the Death of Genll Washington reachd England it was a subject much talkd of— Mr King put himself in full mourning & went to court neither his Majesty or either of his Ministers took the least notice of the event, whist the other the foreign Ministers of every other court were comeing up & condoling with mr King upon the occasion— He attended the Drawing Room of the Queen. the same silence was observed, which proves that it was a concerted plan, for however trivial these things may appear to the world those who know not the etiquet of courts.— with those who do they are considerd with much meaning and have great weight in the affairs of nations2 for the same reason you will not mention the source from whence you derive this intelligence. with regard to the Changes in the cabinet particularly in the office of state, if any Gentleman had a controversy to settle with his Neighbour, would he chuse to refer the decision it to a person known and avouedly hostile to the Parties; particuliraly if there was a degree of accrimony in their disposition, and a prejudice that prevented their Seeing objects in their true light? let people put this question to themselves— yet their may be no deficiency as it respects integrity or honour in this same person. no Mans feeling were more seriously put to the test upon the occasion of the late removal than the Presidents if Poppularity had been his object, he would not have sought it by a measure that he knew must create two Enemies to one friend— but surely when a Gentleman is placed in a responsible situation, he has a right to engage such talents in his counsels and such men as will coopperate with him— If the people judge that a change in the chief Majestracy of the Nation is for its Peace Safety and happiness, they 246 will no doubt make it. the station is an arduous and a painfull one— and May he who shall be calld to fill it have the confidence of the people and seek only the their best interests— the rash imprudence of the federilist injures their own cause, more than their opponents— I cannot think a Harange against an antagonist the best mode of promoting the interest of his opponent— I had rather See Mr Jefferson President, than any other Man upon that Side the Question, and believe he would be as little disposed to do an injury to his Country— but intrigue is Substituted for Wisdom judgment justice Truth and gratitude—

I expect the pleasure of seeing You in N York in the course of the week. My kind Regards to your Mother & compliments to your sisters I am your Friend

It was highly gratifying to Mr. Vaughan and myself to find by General Dearborn that we still retained a place in the memory of yourself & the President; tho’ we live retired we wish not to be forgotten by those we love & esteem.

I do not wonder that you & the President should be surprized at our being able to fill up our time without Politics or dissipation, but when you recollect that we have six Children to educate & to settle in the world your Surprize will abate;1 we have hitherto had but little assistance in our labours, but we hope that Masters of certain branches of education may be tempted to reside here & finish what we have endeavoured to begin: the leisure occupations of our boys being in the agricultural & gardening line, are incapable of being exhibited to our distant friends, but to convince you that we do not mean to become quite rustics & to neglect the elegant arts while we cultivate the useful ones, I shall take the liberty of sending for your acceptance a pair of little screens the work of our eldest daughter which may sometimes remind you of us. You will be pleased to signify where they shall be left in Boston, perhaps Mr. Hallowell’s may be a convenient place.2

Mr. Vaughan occupies himself solely with husbandry, gardening, medicine & philosophical pursuits; he never reads politics unless once in six months perhaps a slight pamphlet; & he never speaks on the subject with his neighbours, or takes an active part on either side. His change in this respect is such as surprizes even myself. He now & then indeed attends to divinity, but never to its controversies. By this means we live peaceably with all parties; as they seem less violent here than in the middle states, the attempt is more easy.

I shall be happy to enjoy a few of your moments of leisure & to hear of your health & family; Mrs. Smith has not I hope forgotten us, please to present our Compts. to her & Col. Smith. Mr. Vaughan unites with me in kind respects to yourself & Mr. Adams.

Mr. Vaughan does not find it easy in a new-settled place to renew those kinds of sensations which he formerly experienced in the society of your family, since this was difficult in the extensive cities of Europe. He sensibly regrets therefore his separation from you & his other antient American friends; & this with his separation from his friends in Europe, is almost the only regret he feels here.

He desires me to add, that he has lately & as from himself recommended to a certain friend to bid an eternal adieu to political controversies. He had before made attempts to this effect, particularly by reciting his own example. The late unpleasant step taken by the party himself might have made farther measures seem too late, had not the message through General Dearborn encouraged him to a new & vigorous effort. By various arguments, not forgetting some drawn from religion & the sentiments of certain of his friends, he has now again urged him to a final abandonment of party proceedings. He conceives that it would not assist his attempt to have any communication between himself & the President on this subject suspected. Mr. V— is yet without an answer; but he received a late promise from the party that he himself shall never again be named in his disputes.

I am my dear Madam, / with respect & esteem / Your Obedt. hum. Servt.