submission to England. You will see that one of them has already proposed the former. Assure my dear Anne of my constant love, and accept yourself my most friendly salutations.

3

TO ANNE CARY BANKHEAD.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 1808.

MY DEAR ANNE,-Your letter of Nov. 26 came safely to hand, and in it the delicious flower of the Acacia, or rather the Mimosa Nilotica, from Mr. Lomax. The mother tree of full growth which I had when I gave him the small one, perished from neglect the first winter I was from home. Does his produce seed? If it does I will thank him for some, and you to take care of them; although he will think it a vain thing at my time of life to be planting a tree of as slow a growth. In fact the Mimosa Nilotica and Orange are the only things I have ever proposed to have in my green house. I like much your choice of books for your winter's reading. Middleton's Life of Cicero is among the most valuable accounts we have of the period of which he writes; and Tacitus I consider as the first writer in the world without a single exception. His book is a compound of history and morality of which we have no other example. In your arithmetic, if you keep yourself familiar with the four elementary operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, or rather of addition and division, because this last includes subtrac

tion and multiplication, it is as much as you will need. The rule of three, of universal utility, is a thing of mere common-sense; for if one yard of cloth costs three dollars, common-sense will tell you that twenty yards will cost twenty multiplied by three. I inclose you a letter from Jefferson, which I presume will inform you he is well. Present my respects to Mr. Bankhead, and the good family you are with; also to my ancient and intimate friend Mr. Lomax when you have the opportunity. To yourself my affectionate

love.

TO THOMAS MANN RANDOLPH.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 1808. DEAR SIR,-Jefferson wrote to me a few days ago to know whether he had ever had the smallpox, and added that till he could learn that fact he kept himself from the anatomical dissections, by advice of Dr. Wistar. I wrote him that I thought I recollected that he and Anne were inoculated in Richmond under your eye, but that I was not quite certain. Will you be so good as to give the answer by return of post that he may not lose the benefit of the dissections longer than necessary. We received last night the votes of New York: 13 for Madison, as President, and Clinton, Vice-President; 6 for Clinton, President, 3 Madison, Vice-President, and 3 Monroe, Vice-President. I inclose you two extra papers with the news from Europe. The inferences drawn from this infor

=

mation are that Bonaparte has settled every thing amicably in the North, that peace between Russia and Sweden will be the consequence of their armistice, and probably the exclusion of England from the Baltic, and that Bonaparte will be left to execute his murderous purposes on Spain and Portugal at his leisure.

Here every thing is still uncertain. There is a sincere wish to take off the embargo before Congress rises, prevailing with everybody but the Federalists, who (notwithstanding their clamors) it is perfectly known would deprecate it as their greatest calamity. The difficulty is how to separate the belligerents so as to have trade with one while we have war with the other; because a war with both continues the embargo in effect, with war added to it. Perhaps time may be taken till early in summer to get a repeal of edicts by one party, and Congress meet in May or June to declare war against the other. But this is conjectural. My love to my dear Martha and the young ones, and affectionate attachment to yourself.

TO THOMAS MANN RANDOLPH.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 1809.

DEAR SIR,-The general mind of Congress seems now to be rallying to a certain course of proceeding. A bill will be brought in to-morrow for convening Congress about the middle of May. It will be of course that in the debate members will declare the

VOL. XVIII-17

intention to be then to take off the embargo and if the belligerent edicts be not repealed to issue letters of marque and reprisal. This will let Europe see that our purpose is war, while not expressing it authoritatively. It will not engage their pride to persevere; at the same time it would quiet our own people by letting them see the term when the embargo is to cease. It had been thought that this would suffice to keep every thing quiet, but the monarchists of the North (who have been for some time fostering the hope of separation) have been able to make so successful use of the embargo as to have federalized the South Eastern States and to endanger New York, and they mean now to organize their opposition by the regular powers of their State governments. The Massachusetts legislature which is to meet the middle of this month, it is believed, will call a convention to consider the question of a separation of the Union, and to propose it to the whole country east of the North River, and they are assured of the protection of Great Britain. Their Republican members think that, if we will fix by law a day when the embargo shall cease (as some day in June), that this will satisfy so great a portion of their people as to remove the danger of a convention. This will probably be consented to with an addition that letters of marque and reprisal shall issue the same day. But they are apprehensive this addition may defeat the effect hoped from the repeal of the embargo. We must save the Union; but we wish to sacrifice as little as possible of

But our difficulties do not

the honor of the nation. end here; for if war takes place with England, we have no security that she will not offer neutrality and commerce to New England, and that the latter will not accept it. In the mean time it is possible that England may be wrought upon, 1, by the documents published at the meeting of Congress which prove our fair conduct towards both countries, which she had affected not to believe; 2, by the determination of the Presidential election; 3, by the failure, so far, of expected insurrections in Massachusetts; 4, by the course of affairs in Spain, where there can be little doubt that Joseph is re-enthroned before this day. Parts of the country will hold out for a while, but the ultimate issue must very soon be visible. these things have the effect they ought to have on a rational government they will prevent a war with us. The non-intercourse law will be past. This is a summary view of our present political condition.

If

I received yesterday a letter from Martha, enclosing the one which I now return. The request of Mr. Stith is impossible. We left to the delegates of every State to name all the officers for their State, so that there is not a single vacancy. She also desired me to return Moultrie's letter, but that has been necessarily filed in the war office. Mr. Moultrie is placed on the list of cadets at West Point, but cannot be called into service till the spring, when he will receive a call. This answer you can give him. Nothing stands in the way of Mr. Hackley but the continuance of an old