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Holland；　&c。　into　it；　which　would　be　the　case　on　your　construction。

When　an　instrument　admits　two　constructions；　the　one　safe；　the　other

dangerous；　the　one　precise；　the　other　indefinite；　I　prefer　that　which

is　safe　&　precise。　　I　had　rather　ask　an　enlargement　of　power　from　the

nation；　where　it　is　found　necessary；　than　to　assume　it　by　a

construction　which　would　make　our　powers　boundless。　　Our　peculiar

security　is　in　possession　of　a　written　Constitution。　　Let　us　not　make

it　a　blank　paper　by　construction。　　I　say　the　same　as　to　the　opinion

of　those　who　consider　the　grant　of　the　treaty　making　power　as

boundless。　　If　it　is；　then　we　have　no　Constitution。　　If　it　has

bounds；　they　can　be　no　others　than　the　definitions　of　the　powers

which　that　instrument　gives。　　It　specifies　&　delineates　the

operations　permitted　to　the　federal　government；　and　gives　all　the

powers　necessary　to　carry　these　into　execution。　　Whatever　of　these

enumerated　objects　is　proper　for　a　law；　Congress　may　make　the　law；

whatever　is　proper　to　be　executed　by　way　of　a　treaty；　the　President　&

Senate　may　enter　into　the　treaty；　whatever　is　to　be　done　by　a

judicial　sentence；　the　judges　may　pass　the　sentence。　　Nothing　is　more

likely　than　that　their　enumeration　of　powers　is　defective。　　This　is

the　ordinary　case　of　all　human　works。　　Let　us　go　on　then　perfecting

it；　by　adding；　by　way　of　amendment　to　the　Constitution；　those　powers

which　time　&　trial　show　are　still　wanting。　　But　it　has　been　taken　too

much　for　granted；　that　by　this　rigorous　construction　the　treaty　power

would　be　reduced　to　nothing。　　I　had　occasion　once　to　examine　its

effect　on　the　French　treaty；　made　by　the　old　Congress；　&　found　that

out　of　thirty　odd　articles　which　that　contained；　there　were　one；　two；

or　three　only　which　could　not　now　be　stipulated　under　our　present

Constitution。　　I　confess；　then；　I　think　it　important；　in　the　present

case；　to　set　an　example　against　broad　construction；　by　appealing　for

new　power　to　the　people。　　If；　however；　our　friends　shall　think

differently；　certainly　I　shall　acquiesce　with　satisfaction；

confiding；　that　the　good　sense　of　our　country　will　correct　the　evil

of　construction　when　it　shall　produce　ill　effects。




　　　　　　　　No　apologies　for　writing　or　speaking　to　me　freely　are

necessary。　　On　the　contrary；　nothing　my　friends　can　do　is　so　dear　to

me；　&　proves　to　me　their　friendship　so　clearly；　as　the　information

they　give　me　of　their　sentiments　&　those　of　others　on　interesting

points　where　I　am　to　act；　and　where　information　&　warning　is　so

essential　to　excite　in　me　that　due　reflection　which　ought　to　precede

action。　　I　leave　this　about　the　21st；　and　shall　hope　the　District

Court　will　give　me　an　opportunity　of　seeing　you。




　　　　　　　　Accept　my　affectionate　salutations；　&　assurances　of　cordial

esteem　&　respect。







　　　　　　　　JESUS；　LOUISIANA；　AND　MALTHUS




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Joseph　Priestley_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Jan。　29；　1804_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　December　12　came　duly　to　hand；　as

did　the　2'd。　letter　to　Doctor　Linn；　and　the　treatise　of　Phlogiston；

for　which　I　pray　you　to　accept　my　thanks。　　The　copy　for　Mr。

Livingston　has　been　delivered；　together　with　your　letter　to　him；　to

Mr。　Harvie；　my　secretary；　who　departs　in　a　day　or　two　for　Paris；　&

will　deliver　them　himself　to　Mr。　Livingston；　whose　attention　to　your

matter　cannot　be　doubted。　　I　have　also　to　add　my　thanks　to　Mr。

Priestley；　your　son；　for　the　copy　of　your　Harmony；　which　I　have　gone

through　with　great　satisfaction。　　It　is　the　first　I　have　been　able　to

meet　with；　which　is　clear　of　those　long　repetitions　of　the　same

transaction；　as　if　it　were　a　different　one　because　related　with　some

different　circumstances。




　　　　　　　　I　rejoice　that　you　have　undertaken　the　task　of　comparing　the

moral　doctrines　of　Jesus　with　those　of　the　ancient　Philosophers。　　You

are　so　much　in　possession　of　the　whole　subject；　that　you　will　do　it

easier　&　better　than　any　other　person　living。　　I　think　you　cannot

avoid　giving；　as　preliminary　to　the　comparison；　a　digest　of　his　moral

doctrines；　extracted　in　his　own　words　from　the　Evangelists；　and

leaving　out　everything　relative　to　his　personal　history　and

character。　　It　would　be　short　and　precious。　　With　a　view　to　do　this

for　my　own　satisfaction；　I　had　sent　to　Philadelphia　to　get　two

testaments　Greek　of　the　same　edition；　&　two　English；　with　a　design　to

cut　out　the　morsels　of　morality；　and　paste　them　on　the　leaves　of　a

book；　in　the　manner　you　describe　as　having　been　pursued　in　forming

your　Harmony。　　But　I　shall　now　get　the　thing　done　by　better　hands。




　　　　　　　　I　very　early　saw　that　Louisiana　was　indeed　a　speck　in　our

horizon　which　was　to　burst　in　a　tornado；　and　the　public　are

unapprized　how　near　this　catastrophe　was。　　Nothing　but　a　frank　&

friendly　development　of　causes　&　effects　on　our　part；　and　good　sense

enough　in　Bonaparte　to　see　that　the　train　was　unavoidable；　and　would

change　the　face　of　the　world；　saved　us　from　that　storm。　　I　did　not

expect　he　would　yield　till　a　war　took　place　between　France　and

England；　and　my　hope　was　to　palliate　and　endure；　if　Messrs。　Ross；

Morris；　&c。　did　not　force　a　premature　rupture；　until　that　event。　　I

believed　the　event　not　very　distant；　but　acknolege　it　came　on　sooner

than　I　had　expected。　　Whether；　however；　the　good　sense　of　Bonaparte

might　not　see　the　course　predicted　to　be　necessary　&　unavoidable；

even　before　a　war　should　be　imminent；　was　a　chance　which　we　thought

it　our　duty　to　try；　but　the　immediate　prospect　of　rupture　brought　the

case　to　immediate　decision。　　The　_denoument_　has　been　happy；　and　I

confess　I　look　to　this　duplication　of　area　for　the　extending　a

government　so　free　and　economical　as　ours；　as　a　great　achievement　to

the　mass　of　happiness　which　is　to　ensue。　　Whether　we　remain　in　one

confederacy；　or　form　into　Atlantic　and　Mississippi　confederacies；　I

believe　not　very　important　to　the　happiness　of　either　part。　　Those　of

the　western　confederacy　will　be　as　much　our　children　&　descendants　as

those　of　the　eastern；　and　I　feel　myself　as　much　identified　with　that

country；　in　future　time；　as　with　this；　and　did　I　now　foresee　a

separation　at　some　future　day；　yet　I　should　feel　the　duty　&　the

desire　to　promote　the　western　interests　as　zealously　as　the　eastern；

doing　all　the　good　for　both　portions　of　our　future　family　which

should　fall　within　my　power。




　　　　　　　　Have　you　seen　the　new　work　of　Malthus　on　population？　　It　is　one

of　the　ablest　I　have　ever　seen。　　Altho'　his　main　object　is　to

delineate　the　effects　of　redundancy　of　population；　and　to　test　the

poor　laws　of　England；　&　other　palliations　for　that　evil；　several

important　questions　in　political　economy；　allied　to　his　subject

incidentally；　are　treated　with　a　masterly　hand。　　It　is　a　single　4'to。

volume；　and　I　have　been　only　able　to　read　a　borrowed　copy；　the　only

one　I　have　yet　heard　of。　　Probably　our　friends　in　England　will　think

of　you；　&　give　you　an　opportunity　of　reading　it。　　Accept　my

affectionate　salutations；　and　assurances　of　great　esteem　&　respect。







　　　　　　　　MALTHUS　AND　THE　NEW　WORLD




　　　　　　　　_To　Jean　Baptiste　Say_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　February　1；　1804_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　I　have　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　obliging

letter；　and　with　it；　of　two　very　interesting　volumes　on　Political

Economy。　　These　found　me　engaged　in　giving　the　leisure　moments　I

rarely　find；　to　the　perusal　of　Malthus'　work　on　population；　a　work　of

sound　logic；　in　which　some　of　the　opinions　of　Adam　Smith；　as　well　as

of　the　economists；　are　ably　examined。　　I　was　pleased；　on　turning　to

some　chapters　where　you　treat　the　same　questions；　to　find　his

opinions　corroborated　by　yours。　　I　shall　proceed　to　the　reading　of

your　work　with　great　pleasure。　　In　the　meantime；　the　present

conveyance；　by　a　gentleman　of　my　family　going　to　Paris；　is　too　safe

to　hazard　a　delay　in　making　my　acknowledgments　for　this　mark　of

attention；　and　for　having　afforded　to　me　a　satisfaction；　which　the

ordinary　course　of　literary　communications　could　not　have　given　me

for　a　considerable　time。




　　　　　　　　The　differences　of　circumstance　between　this　and　the　old

countries　of　Europe；　furnish　differences　of　fact　whereon　to　reason；

in　questions　of　political　economy；　and　will　consequently　produce

sometimes　a　difference　of　result。　　There；　for　instance；　the　quantity

of　food　is　fixed；　or　increasing　in　a　slow　and　only　arithmetical

ratio；　and　the　proportion　is　limited　by　the　same　ratio。

Supernumerary　births　consequently　add　only　to　your　mortality。　　Here

the　immense　extent　of　uncultivated　and　fertile　lands　enables　every

one　who　will　labor　to　marry　young；　and　to　raise　a　family　of　any　size。

Our　food；　then；　may　increase　geometrically　with　our　laborers；　and　our

births；　however　multiplied；　become　effective。　　Again；　there　the　best

distribution　of　labor　is　supposed　to　be　that　which　places　the

manufacturing　hands　alongside　the　agricultural；　so　that　the　one　part

shall　fee