Though I know your extreme Delicacy as to any Interference in the executive Affairs of the U.Ss. yet to you I must apply; for, Heaven & Secretary Jackson know I may be chagrined in an Attempt to address the President.

I am in Dread least an Action should take Place which will renew the Vigour of the Opponents & damp the Spirit of the Friends of Government: And, it will be out of Time to await the Motions of a deliberate Legislature

The enclosed Copy of a Letter will explain my Dread.1 If it appears well-founded and of sufficient Importance to call for a speedy Remedy, a very mild but efficacious one may be suggested. The President may see the circular Instruction of Octr 31st. and advise that it be immediately followed by another stating the Point “to appear, upon Review, to be of such a Kind as to need, perhaps, Legislative Attention”; and therefore proposing to the Collectors to stay all Proceedings therein “till they hear again from the Treasury.[”]

I am totally rong in my Conceptions of the Business, or else it may be expected that one single Suit commenced in each of the States would produce a Multitude of News paper Suggestions of a very unpleasant Sort both respecting the General Government and its new Law Courts.

Am I consummately impudent in this Application? Whatever may be your Judgement of it, you may be assured I will attribute so much of that Charge to myself as to keep my Doings herein a profound Secret.—

I am endeavouring to break the Neck of some Enemies to the french Consulate here. You must know I admire that Institution, because by the Kings Ordonnances it’s Chancery has all the Spirit & Essence of our Jury of Equals.

The Herald inclosed proclaims my first Onset, as the Printer of it 191 did not feel my sly Knock at his Licentiousness so sensibly as to refuse me the Use of his Types.2

Here, I am aground: For, as your Lady has all my Regards, what have I left for You? The Jus Mariti3 must relieve me. Demand your Quantum from the Bone of your Bone or as RTP Esquire would quaintly gallicize it—from that Bonne of You Bon.

Yours of the 17th. of Sepr. I have been honored with.— I truly esteem myself so by every Mark of Your Attention— Your unexpected Visit to Boston prevented an Answer sooner— My Concern as a Friend to my Country is awakened at the Account You give of some disagreable Symptoms attending Your Breast upon close attention, 192 and in publick speaking. How we can spare You from the first I scarce can tell.— But you must somewhat abate in the Severity of it— As to the latter, Reading &c, I would advise that You let one of the Clerks do all the publick Reading, even every Motion made— I know many Explanations and Observations, Opinions &c &c must be expected from the Chair; but you have a peculiar Faculty of speaking multum in parvo—

I was very glad to find upon my Return that my Family had found out your Son:— He had taken up Lodgings and could not be tempted to release them. His very agreable Manners and Improvements rendered Him too entertaining to cause any Regret, but that of His too suddenly leaving the Town— We hope Mr. Adams and His, will never pass Us without Notice—1

You must be right, and I stand corrected as to the Time of the Prediction &c I heretofore alluded to— It must have been,—I well remember it was at Philadelphia— The Matter, and the Effect of it, as it struck my Mind, and to all Appearance every Member present I never can forget.— I have mentioned it a hundred Times, tho’ not the Author, save to a very few—

You may remember when I had the Honor of seeing you at New-York last Sept.— I informed You, Our Assembly had been called specially, after I left Newport.— That it boded no good;—and I was confident the Govr. had been induced to it, by His Friends who were alarmed at what might take Place in the New House at Octr. sessions,— And therefore were determined by some Means or other, if possible to raise some Difficulty in Their Way:— It turned out so:— The special Assembly, (at which I arrived in Time to be mortified with Their Conduct)—directed Town-Meetings to be called to give their new Members Instructions— Those New members had been appointed in Consequence of the Alteration which had greatly taken Place in the Minds of the People as to the Paper Mony System: But the People still not so much relenting in Their Opposition to the New Constitution did indeed instruct Their Members agt. a Convention— Upon Consultation out of the House, we found most of the new members would have risked giving a Vote for a Convention, if the Disposition of the People had been any way flattering, of Success in a Convention— This not being the Case, it was thought prudent, the members should conduct agreably to Their Instructions, thereby to continue Their Credit with Their Constituents, till They might be induced to more favourable Sentiments of the New Constitution— With this Opinion the old Fœderal Members politically 193 coincided Our Assembly again sits the second Monday of January— The Ground is considerably changed since the Instructions given last October. The Amendments have been sent forth by Congress, And North Carolina by a very large Majority have acceeded to the Union, And for which I sincerely give You Joy.

What effect those Circumstances may have we cannot possitively conclude. We have been often deceived in Our Hopes, and I do not wish to be sanguine— As to interested Motives, I know of none of much Importance, that we can advance to Our Country Members that have not been already urged, that will operate till the next Fall upon Them—While Our merchantile Interest on the fifteenth of January will be in a most deplorable State— It has been an unhappy Circumstance hitherto, that nothing could be done by which the merchantile and Country Interest should be affected at the same Time,—And unless the merchantile Interest is indulged till next Fall, They must suffer and severely too, at least nine Months before the Country Interest can be much affected— This however upon the Supposition that there should not be a voluntary giving up of former Sentiments, or the Measures of Congress should not prove sufficient Inducements to lead Our People to a Spirit of Condescention—

I was at New Haven the begining of Novr. where I placed my Son under President Stiles, in the second Year.—2 I arrived there two Hours after His Excellency The President, had left the Town on His Return to New-York—3

I hope You have refreshed Your Body and Spirits by Your Journey; and that you found Mrs. Adams & Family well— Be pleased to present my Respects & Compliments—

I am most truly / Your old and / sincere Friend