We have this Day quite and old fashiond Snow Storm, after an unusual pleasent Feb’ry. the Snow is much deeper and more Drifted than We have had, for Several Winters. the wind Very high at North-East, from our parlour Windows the Stone walls are not to be Seen. it began yesterday noon to snow, after Evening, the wind rose, and has continued through the night, and to this time without abatement. the Winter tho colder than the last, has been generally pleasent. very little rain. the ground pretty generally coverd with a Slight Snow. the Season healthy. thus much for the weather. the next Subject is Husbandary. Brisler came the other day to know if any directions had been left by you respecting the Farm. he conversed with me, and requested me to write to you. he thinks that Eight cows a pr of oxen and a Horse together with a dozen head of young Stock, will be as many as can profitably be kept upon the place. the oxen now upon the place he thinks too old to be continued upon it, tho 342 they may perform the Spring Work and then be turnd off, the Young ones he says are not Spirited cattle, & never will be good for Labour So that he could not advise you to purchase them. Your Father will not object to their remaining upon the place untill the Labour of the Spring is performd, by which time I hope you will be returnd here. he will then take them & fat them. 8 cows may be selected after the 20th of May, Such as will be worth your purchaseing. as to the quantity of ground to be planted &c I believe you may leave it to Brislers judgment. the winter has been so mild, that mr Whitney has made great progress with his House, and I suppose will remove in April or May at furthest. If you have any particular directions to give, you had better write to Brisler.1 he would like to have a lease drawn, power ought to be lodged with him, to prevent trespassers, and to punish Theaves. they have so long pillaged wood from your Father with impunity, that they consider it a kind of Right, and will, & do continue the Same havock.

My Health about which you so kindly express a concern is better, and I have been abroad several of our pleasent days I can never expect to get rid of the Rheumatism. it will always trouble me. Your Brother has had his Health very well Since his residence here, his Spirits will rise, in proportion to his success in buisness. he has not got under way yet. he cannot be admitted to the Bar untill March; his society has renderd our fire Side much pleasenter this winter. a fish club Saturday dinner has been instituded this winter consisting of Eight families which has contributed to the Sociability of the Neighbourhood. Your Father has joind them, and it has been very pleasing to them.2

You will see by the papers that the Election campaign is opend early by the Democrats. judge Sullivan & Genll Heath are agreed upon; and an address somewhat simmilar to Dallas’s is printed & circulated. I am informd Six thousand coppies are printed. you can judge of its nature, tendency & bearings when I tell you mr Biddle is the writer.3 I presume mr Shaw will Send you one. the federal party appear wholy unconcernd, paying very little attention to what is plotting and executing at the Seat of government, or even in this State— whether they feel conscious that they are receiving the reward & punishment which their division & base defection towards their best Friends and Benefactors, has drawn down upon them, or whether the Love of Mammon so throughly engroses them, that they are become so Luxurious as to regard little else but property, is 343 not for me to say. but certainly there is a want of exertion, a want of union, and a cold unconcern which seem to pervade every breast. So few persons are to be found of fixed and stable principles, that it is not to be wonderd at, that those Despair of preserving our constitution from total Ruin & Destruction.

a vessel arrived this week with a Letter for you from the House of Willinks—exchange has been in favour of America and Bills I have understood in great demand.4 have you ever learnt any thing from the House of Bird and Savage Since your absence? they have been declared Bankrupts I hear. I was happy to learn by your Letter to your Brother that You had got your accounts Setled.—5

My Love to mrs Adams & the Children I acknowledge the receipt of a Letter from her, to which I shall reply by the next post.6 We are still very anxious for Mrs Cranch, & are glad to hear from her as often as you can inform us. I expect you will return home very thin in flesh, but the consciousness of holding fast Your integrity, will solace you through Life. I am my Dear son / your affectionate Mother

I will write to you, if it be only for the Pleasure of giving you a Proof under my hand, that I am alive.— We have had no Topicks this Winter but Banks, Insurance offices, Toll Bridges and Turnpike Roads, till lately a Manifesto has appeared of the Republican Democrats against Governer Strong, made up partly from Dallas’s and partly from the Connecticutt one which Mr Tracy answered.1 Your quondam Brother Senator Mr Bidwell has the Reputation of the Composition, and if We may judge by the internal Evidence of dispassionate and deliberate Sophistry and Misrepresentation, not without reason. Mr Sullivan for Governor instead of Mr Strong. Mr Heath for Lt. Govr against Mr Robbins. As my Master Gridley used to Say, Non vult fac.2

I leave the national affairs to The Administration and to Congress. Shall We have Such a declaration from the Republicans in Congress, concerning the future Election of President And Vice President?

The Inquiry into Mr Chace’s Candor and Frankness proceeds but Slowly.3 So do the Louisiana Bills and the Seamans Bills. The latter is a more difficult matter to manage than the former. The Right of the English to impress British Seamen on board of our Ships in their own Ports Harbours and Rivers, is difficult to deny, unless We deny the Right of impressing their own Seamen in any Case, which We perhaps have no business with. But upon the high Seas, I never could comprehend their right to impress any Seamen, even Deserters from their own Navy. Upon what Law of Nations, upon what Treaty, upon what Law of Great Britain can Such a Claim be founded.? I had, when any thing depended upon me, great difficulties upon this Subject. None of the English Writers not even Judge Foster, has asserted a Right of impressing Seamen, from their own Merchant Ship in any of the Ports of their own Colonies, or any where upon the high Seas.4 Considering the Relations between the U.S. and the British Dominions, this is a Subject of great delicacy and Importance: and there is more danger from irritations of temper, than 345 from the Magnitude and Intricacy of the Subject. More is to be dreaded too, from the Same Source, in Mr Munroes negotiations of a new Treaty, than from any other cause.5

Our Countrymen will find Ettiquette a more important Subject than they ever thought it. No People under Heaven have quicker feelings of this kind than our Men and Women. They never knew themselves till now. If Briton Should Send their Dukes as Ambassadors as they ought to do, I Suppose, Ministers of State and Senators too would give Way. Perhaps the Vice President too.6 But the President ought not, tho the Prince of orange does, or did. To be Sure, there is Some difficulty in keeping up the Reverence in the Minds of our own People for their Secretary of State and his Lady, living upon 5000 dollars a year and a foreign Minister living on 4 or 5000 Sterling with a Service of Plate of 3000 Guineas. But this will be remedied in time. Our People have as much Pride as English or French, and when this pride takes a turn as it will whenever the ruling Party becomes strong enough to banish its fears, Provision will be made for Pomp enough to Satiate the Hauteur of a Virginian Democrat which is little less than that of a polish Palatine. My Love to Your Wife and Children to Mrs Johnson and hers, and Mr Helen and his.

Do the President and Mr Madison preserve their health under all their fatigues. Mr Gallatins pale face will never be made paler by any application to Business or Study. His Constitution is hardened to both by habit,

The entire Confidence I have in your Candor and Integrity, and the certain knowledge I have of your Talents and Information, place me at much ease on your Account. I do not disapprove of your Conduct in the Business of Louissiana. I think you have been right, though I know it will become a very unpopular Subject in the Northern States, especially when they See the accounts of Expences which must be occasioned by it.7

In the Supream Court I know you have Some Business and I hope you have more than I know of.8 My kindest regards to the Judges if you have a natural oppertunity.

Your Brother has been taken Notice of by the Government without any Solicitation of any kind, and he is the means of a more agreable soicety than We could have without him.9 He is close to his Studies and will do very well.

I am, my dear son, with my best Wishes and / Prayers for Blessings on you and yours, your / affectionate Father