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generated；but　ceases　to　be　infectious。　　I　cannot　decidefrom　the

drawing　you　sent　me；　whether　you　havelaid　off　streets　round　the

squares　thus：　（Illustration　omitted）　or　only　the　diagonal　streets

therein　marked。　　The　former　was　my　idea；　and　is；　I　imagine；　most

convenient。




　　　　　　　　You　will　receive　herewith　an　answer　to　your　letter　as　President

of　the　Convention；　and　from　the　Secretary　of　War　you　receive　from

time　to　time　information　and　instructions　as　to　our　Indian　affairs。

These　communications　being　for　the　public　records；　are　restrained

always　to　particular　objects　and　occasions；　but　this　letter　being

unofficial　and　private；　I　may　with　safety　give　you　a　more　extensive

view　of　our　policy　respecting　the　Indians；　that　you　may　the　better

comprehend　the　parts　dealt　out　to　you　in　detail　through　the　official

channel；　and　observing　the　system　of　which　they　make　a　part；　conduct

yourself　in　unison　with　it　in　cases　where　you　are　obliged　to　act

without　instruction。　　Our　system　is　to　live　in　perpetual　peace　with

the　Indians；　to　cultivate　an　affectionate　attachment　from　them；　by

everything　just　and　liberal　which　we　can　do　for　them　within　the

bounds　of　reason；　and　by　giving　them　effectual　protection　against

wrongs　from　our　own　people。　　The　decrease　of　game　rendering　their

subsistence　by　hunting　insufficient；　we　wish　to　draw　them　to

agriculture；　to　spinning　and　weaving。　　The　latter　branches　they　take

up　with　great　readiness；　because　they　fall　to　the　women；　who　gain　by

quitting　the　labors　of　the　field　for　those　which　are　exercised　within

doors。　　When　they　withdraw　themselves　to　the　culture　of　a　small　piece

of　land；　they　will　perceive　how　useless　to　them　are　their　extensive

forests；　and　will　be　willing　to　pare　them　off　from　time　to　time　in

exchange　for　necessaries　for　their　farms　and　families。　　To　promote

this　disposition　to　ex…change　lands；　which　they　have　to　spare　and　we

want；　for　necessaries；　which　we　have　to　spare　and　they　want；　we

shallpush　our　trading　uses；　and　be　glad　to　see　the　good　and

influential　individuals　among　them　run　in　debt；　because　we　ob…serve

that　when　these　debts　get　beyond　what　the　individuals　can　pay；　they

become　willing　to　lop　them　off　by　a　cession　of　lands。　　At　our　trading

houses；　too；　we　mean　to　sell　so　low　as　merely　to　repay　us　cost　and

charges；　so　as　neither　to　lessen　or　enlarge　our　capital。　　This　is

what　private　traders　cannot　do；　for　they　must　gain；　they　will

consequently　retire　from　the　competition；　and　we　shall　thus　get　clear

of　this　pest　without　giving　offence　or　umbrage　to　the　Indians。　　In

this　way　our　settlements　will　gradually　circumscribe　and　approach　the

Indians；　and　they　will　in　time　either　incorporate　with　us　as　citizens

of　the　United　States；　or　remove　beyond　the　Mississippi。　　The　former

is　certainly　the　termination　of　their　history　most　happy　for

themselves；　but；　in　the　whole　course　of　this；　it　is　essential　to

cultivate　their　love。　　As　to　their　fear；　we　presume　that　our　strength

and　their　weakness　is　now　so　visible　that　they　must　see　we　have　only

to　shut　our　hand　to　crush　them；　and　that　all　our　liberalities　to　them

proceed　from　motives　of　pure　humanity　only。　　Should　any　tribe　be

fool…hardy　enough　to　take　up　the　hatchet　at　any　time；　the　seizing　the

whole　country　of　that　tribe；　and　driving　them　across　the　Mississippi；

as　the　only　condition　of　peace；　would　be　an　example　to　others；　and　a

furtherance　of　our　final　consolidation。




　　　　　　　　Combined　with　these　views；　and　to　be　prepared　against　the

occupation　of　Louisiana　by　a　powerful　and　enterprising　people；　it　is

important　that；　setting　less　value　on　interior　extension　of　purchases

from　the　Indians；　we　bend　our　whole　views　to　the　purchase　and

settlement　of　the　country　on　the　Mississippi；　from　its　mouth　to　its

northern　regions；　that　we　may　be　able　to　present　as　strong　a　front　on

our　western　as　on　our　eastern　border；　and　plant　on　the　Mississippi

itself　the　means　of　its　own　defence。　　We　now　own　from　31　to　the

Yazoo；　and　hope　this　summer　to　purchase　what　belongs　to　the　Choctaws

from　the　Yazoo　up　to　their　boundary；　supposed　to　be　about　opposite

the　mouth　of　Acanza。　　We　wish　at　the　same　time　to　begin　in　your

quarter；　for　which　there　is　at　present　a　favorable　opening。　　The

Cahokias　extinct；　we　are　entitled　to　their　country　by　our　paramount

sovereignty。　　The　Piorias；　we　understand；　have　all　been　driven　off

from　their　country；　and　we　might　claim　it　in　the　same　way；　but　as　we

understand　there　is　one　chief　remaining；　who　would；　as　the　survivor

of　the　tribe；　sell　the　right；　it　is　better　to　give　him　such　terms　as

will　make　him　easy　for　life；　and　take　a　conveyance　from　him。　　The

Kaskaskias　being　reduced　to　a　few　families；　I　presume　we　may　purchase

their　whole　country　for　what　would　place　every　individual　of　them　at

his　ease；　and　be　a　small　price　to　us；　　say　by　laying　off　for　each

family；　whenever　they　would　choose　it；　as　much　rich　land　as　they

could　cultivate；　adjacent　to　each　other；　enclosing　the　whole　in　a

single　fence；　and　giving　them　such　an　annuity　in　money　or　goods

forever　as　would　place　them　in　happiness；　and　we　might　take　them　also

under　the　protection　of　the　United　States。　　Thus　possessed　of　the

rights　of　these　tribes；　we　should　proceed　to　the　settling　their

boundaries　with　the　Poutewatamies　and　Kickapoos；　claiming　all

doubtful　territory；　but　paying　them　a　price　for　the　relinquishment　of

their　concurrent　claim；　and　even　prevailing　on　them；　if　possible；　to

_cede_；　for　a　price；　such　of　their　own　unquestioned　territory　as

would　give　us　a　convenient　northern　boundary。　　Before　broaching　this；

and　while　we　are　bargaining　with　the　Kaskaskies；　the　minds　of　the

Poutewatamies　and　Kickapoos　should　be　soothed　and　conciliated　by

liberalities　and　sincere　assurances　of　friendship。　　Perhaps　by

sending　a　well…qualified　character　to　stay　some　time　in　Decoigne's

village；　as　if　on　other　business；　and　to　sound　him　and　introduce　the

subject　by　degrees　to　his　mind　and　that　of　the　other　heads　of

families；　inculcating　in　the　way　of　conversation；　all　those

considerations　which　prove　the　advantages　they　would　receive　by　a

cession　on　these　terms；　the　object　might　be　more　easily　and

effectually　obtained　than　by　abruptly　proposing　it　to　them　at　a

formal　treaty。　　Of　the　means；　however；　of　obtaining　what　we　wish；　you

will　be　the　best　judge；　and　I　have　given　you　this　view　of　the　system

which　we　suppose　will　best　promote　the　interests　of　the　Indians　and

ourselves；　and　finally　consolidate　our　whole　country　to　one　nation

only；　that　you　may　be　enabled　the　better　to　adapt　your　means　to　the

object；　for　this　purpose　we　have　given　you　a　general　commission　for

treating。　　The　crisis　is　pressing：　whatever　can　now　be　obtained　must

be　obtained　quickly。　　The　occupation　of　New　Orleans；　hourly　expected；

by　the　French；　is　already　felt　like　a　light　breeze　by　the　Indians。

You　know　the　sentiments　they　entertain　of　that　nation；　under　the　hope

of　their　protection　they　will　immediately　stiffen　against　cessions　of

lands　to　us。　　We　had　better；　therefore；　do　at　once　what　can　now　be

done。




　　　　　　　　I　must　repeat　that　this　letter　is　to　be　considered　as　private

and　friendly；　and　is　not　to　control　any　particular　instructions　which

you　may　receive　through　official　channel。　　You　will　also　perceive　how

sacredly　it　must　be　kept　within　your　own　breast；　and　especially　how

improper　to　be　understood　by　the　Indians。　　For　their　interests　and

their　tranquillity　it　is　best　they　should　see　only　the　present　age　of

their　history。　　I　pray　you　to　accept　assurances　of　my　esteem　and　high

consideration。







　　　　　　　　JESUS；　SOCRATES；　AND　OTHERS




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Joseph　Priestley_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Apr。　9；　1803_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　While　on　a　short　visit　lately　to　Monticello；　I

received　from　you　a　copy　of　your　comparative　view　of　Socrates　&

Jesus；　and　I　avail　myself　of　the　first　moment　of　leisure　after　my

return　to　acknolege　the　pleasure　I　had　in　the　perusal　of　it；　and　the

desire　it　excited　to　see　you　take　up　the　subject　on　a　more　extensive

scale。　　In　consequence　of　some　conversation　with　Dr。　Rush；　in　the

year　1798…99；　I　had　promised　some　day　to　write　him　a　letter　giving

him　my　view　of　the　Christian　system。　　I　have　reflected　often　on　it

since；　&　even　sketched　the　outlines　in　my　own　mind。　　I　should　first

take　a　general　view　of　the　moral　doctrines　of　the　most　remarkable　of

the　antient　philosophers；　of　whose　ethics　we　have　sufficient

information　to　make　an　estimate；　say　of　Pythagoras；　Epicurus；

Epictetus；　Socrates；　Cicero；　Seneca；　Antoninus。　　I　should　do　justice

to　the　branches　of　morality　they　have　treated　well；　but　point　out　the

importance　of　those　in　which　they　are　deficient。　　I　should　then　take

a　view　of　the　deism　and　ethics　of　the　Jews；　and　show　in　what　a

degraded　state　they　were；　and　the　necessity　they　presented　of　a

reformation。　　I　should　proceed　to　a　view　of　the　life；　character；　&

doctrines　of　Jesus；　who　sensible　of　incor