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Richmond；　which　you　remember；　in　the　revolutionary　war；　in　the

circumstance　only；　that　we　had；　in　that　case；　but　forty…eight　hours'

notice　that　an　enemy　had　arrived　within　our　capes；　whereas；　at

Washington；　there　was　abundant　previous　notice。　　The　force　designated

by　the　President　was　double　of　what　was　necessary；　but　failed；　as　is

the　general　opinion；　through　the　insubordination　of　Armstrong；　who

would　never　believe　the　attack　intended　until　it　was　actually　made；

and　the　sluggishness　of　Winder　before　the　occasion；　and　his

indecision　during　it。　　Still；　in　the　end；　the　transaction　has　helped

rather　than　hurt　us；　by　arousing　the　general　indignation　of　our

country；　and　by　marking　to　the　world　of　Europe　the　Vandalism　and

brutal　character　of　the　English　government。　　It　has　merely　served　to

immortalize　their　infamy。　　And　add　further；　that　through　the　whole

period　of　the　war；　we　have　beaten　them　single…handed　at　sea；　and　so

thoroughly　established　our　superiority　over　them　with　equal　force；

that　they　retire　from　that　kind　of　contest；　and　never　suffer　their

frigates　to　cruize　singly。　　The　Endymion　would　never　have　engaged　the

frigate　President；　but　knowing　herself　backed　by　three　frigates　and　a

razee；　who；　though　somewhat　slower　sailers；　would　get　up　before　she

could　be　taken。　　The　disclosure　to　the　world　of　the　fatal　secret　that

they　can　be　beaten　at　sea　with　an　equal　force；　the　evidence　furnished

by　the　military　operations　of　the　last　year　that　experience　is

rearing　us　officers　who；　when　our　means　shall　be　fully　under　way；

will　plant　our　standard　on　the　walls　of　Quebec　and　Halifax；　their

recent　and　signal　disaster　at　New　Orleans；　and　the　evaporation　of

their　hopes　from　the　Hartford　convention；　will　probably　raise　a

clamor　in　the　British　nation；　which　will　force　their　ministry　into

peace。　　I　say　_force_　them；　because；　willingly；　they　would　never　be

at　peace。　　The　British　ministers　find　in　a　state　of　war　rather　than

of　peace；　by　riding　the　various　contractors；　and　receiving　_douceurs_

on　the　vast　expenditures　of　the　war　supplies；　that　they　recruit　their

broken　fortunes；　or　make　new　ones；　and　therefore　will　not　make　peace

as　long　as　by　any　delusions　they　can　keep　the　temper　of　the　nation　up

to　the　war　point。　　They　found　some　hopes　on　the　state　of　our

finances。　　It　is　true　that　the　excess　of　our　banking　institutions；

and　their　present　discredit；　have　shut　us　out　from　the　best　source　of

credit　we　could　ever　command　with　certainty。　　But　the　foundations　of

credit　still　remain　to　us；　and　need　but　skill　which　experience　will

soon　produce；　to　marshal　them　into　an　order　which　may　carry　us

through　any　length　of　war。　　But　they　have　hoped　more　in　their

Hartford　convention。　　Their　fears　of　republican　France　being　now　done

away；　they　are　directed　to　republican　America；　and　they　are　playing

the　same　game　for　disorganization　here；　which　they　played　in　your

country。　　The　Marats；　the　Dantons　and　Robespierres　of　Massachusetts

are　in　the　same　pay；　under　the　same　orders；　and　making　the　same

efforts　to　anarchise　us；　that　their　prototypes　in　France　did　there。




　　　　　　　　I　do　not　say　that　all　who　met　at　Hartford　were　under　the　same

motives　of　money；　nor　were　those　of　France。　　Some　of　them　are　Outs；

and　wish　to　be　Inns；　some　the　mere　dupes　of　the　agitators；　or　of

their　own　party　passions；　while　the　Maratists　alone　are　in　the　real

secret；　but　they　have　very　different　materials　to　work　on。　　The

yeomanry　of　the　United　States　are　not　the　_canaille_　of　Paris。　　We

might　safely　give　them　leave　to　go　through　the　United　States

recruiting　their　ranks；　and　I　am　satisfied　they　could　not　raise　one

single　regiment　（gambling　merchants　and　silk…stocking　clerks

excepted）　who　would　support　them　in　any　effort　to　separate　from　the

Union。　　The　cement　of　this　Union　is　in　the　heart…blood　of　every

American。　　I　do　not　believe　there　is　on　earth　a　government

established　on　so　immovable　a　basis。　　Let　them；　in　any　State；　even　in

Massachusetts　itself；　raise　the　standard　of　separation；　and　its

citizens　will　rise　in　mass；　and　do　justice　themselves　on　their　own

incendiaries。　　If　they　could　have　induced　the　government　to　some

effort　of　suppression；　or　even　to　enter　into　discussion　with　them；　it

would　have　given　them　some　importance；　have　brought　them　into　some

notice。　　But　they　have　not　been　able　to　make　themselves　even　a

subject　of　conversation；　either　of　public　or　private　societies。　　A

silent　contempt　has　been　the　sole　notice　they　excite；　consoled；

indeed；　some　of　them；　by　the　_palpable_　favors　of　Philip。　　Have　then

no　fears　for　us；　my　friend。　　The　grounds　of　these　exist　only　in

English　newspapers；　endited　or　endowed　by　the　Castlereaghs　or　the

Cannings；　or　some　other　such　models　of　pure　and　uncorrupted　virtue。

Their　military　heroes；　by　land　and　sea；　may　sink　our　oyster　boats；

rob　our　hen　roosts；　burn　our　negro　huts；　and　run　off。　　But　a　campaign

or　two　more　will　relieve　them　from　further　trouble　or　expense　in

defending　their　American　possessions。




　　　　　　　　You　once　gave　me　a　copy　of　the　journal　of　your　campaign　in

Virginia；　in　1781；　which　I　must　have　lent　to　some　one　of　the

undertakers　to　write　the　history　of　the　revolutionary　war；　and　forgot

to　reclaim。　　I　conclude　this；　because　it　is　no　longer　among　my

papers；　which　I　have　very　diligently　searched　for　it；　but　in　vain。

An　author　of　real　ability　is　now　writing　that　part　of　the　history　of

Virginia。　　He　does　it　in　my　neighborhood；　and　I　lay　open　to　him　all

my　papers。　　But　I　possess　none；　nor　has　he　any；　which　can　enable　him

to　do　justice　to　your　faithful　and　able　services　in　that　campaign。

If　you　could　be　so　good　as　to　send　me　another　copy；　by　the　very　first

vessel　bound　to　any　port　in　the　United　States；　it　might　be　here　in

time；　for　although　he　expects　to　begin　to　print　within　a　month　or

two；　yet　you　know　the　delays　of　these　undertakings。　　At　any　rate　it

might　be　got　in　as　a　supplement。　　The　old　Count　Rochambeau　gave　me

also　his　_memoire_　of　the　operations　at　York；　which　is　gone　in　the

same　way；　and　I　have　no　means　of　applying　to　his　family　for　it。

Perhaps　you　could　render　them　as　well　as　us；　the　service　of　procuring

another　copy。




　　　　　　　　I　learn；　with　real　sorrow；　the　deaths　of　Monsieur　and　Madame　de

Tesse。　　They　made　an　interesting　part　in　the　idle　reveries　in　which　I

have　sometimes　indulged　myself；　of　seeing　all　my　friends　of　Paris

once　more；　for　a　month　or　two；　a　thing　impossible；　which；　however；　I

never　permitted　myself　to　despair　of。　　The　regrets；　however；　of

seventy…three　at　the　loss　of　friends；　may　be　the　less；　as　the　time　is

shorter　within　which　we　are　to　meet　again；　according　to　the　creed　of

our　education。




　

　　　　　　　　This　letter　will　be　handed　you　by　Mr。　Ticknor；　a　young

gentleman　of　Boston；　of　great　erudition；　indefatigable　industry；　and

preparation　for　a　life　of　distinction　in　his　own　country。　　He　passed

a　few　days　with　me　here；　brought　high　recommendations　from　Mr。　Adams

and　others；　and　appeared　in　every　respect　to　merit　them。　　He　is　well

worthy　of　those　attentions　which　you　so　kindly　bestow　on　our

countrymen；　and　for　those　he　may　receive　I　shall　join　him　in

acknowledging　personal　obligations。




　　　　　　　　I　salute　you　with　assurances　of　my　constant　and　affectionate

friendship　and　respect。




　　　　　　　　P。　S。　February　26th。　My　letter　had　not　yet　been　sealed；　when　I

received　news　of　our　peace。　　I　am　glad　of　it；　and　especially　that　we

closed　our　war　with　the　eclat　of　the　action　at　New　Orleans。　　But　I

consider　it　as　an　armistice　only；　because　no　security　is　provided

against　the　impressment　of　our　seamen。　　While　this　is　unsettled　we

are　in　hostility　of　mind　with　England；　although　actual　deeds　of　arms

may　be　suspended　by　a　truce。　　If　she　thinks　the　exercise　of　this

outrage　is　worth　eternal　war；　eternal　war　it　must　be；　or

extermination　of　the　one　or　the　other　party。　　The　first　act　of

impressment　she　commits　on　an　American；　will　be　answered　by　reprisal；

or　by　a　declaration　of　war　here；　and　the　interval　must　be　merely　a

state　of　preparation　for　it。　　In　this　we　have　much　to　do；　in　further

fortifying　our　seaport　towns；　providing　military　stores；　classing　and

disciplining　our　militia；　arranging　our　financial　system；　and　above

all；　pushing　our　domestic　manufactures；　which　have　taken　such　root　as

never　again　can　be　shaken。　　Once　more；　God　bless　you。







　　　　　　　　LIBRARY　CLASSIFICATION




　　　　　　　　_To　George　Watterston_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　May　7；　1815_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　I　have　duly　received　your　favor　of　April　26th；　in　which

you　are　pleased　to　ask　my　opinion　on　the　subject　of　the　arrangement

of　libraries。　　I　shall　communicate　with　pleasure　what　occurs　to　me　on

it。　　Two　methods　offer　themselves；　the　one　alphabetical；　the　other

according　to　the　subject　of　the　book。　　The　former　is　very

unsatisfactory；　because　of　the　medley　it　presents　to　the　mind；　the

difficulty　sometimes　of　recalling　an　author's　name；　and　the　greater

di