第49章

publicfunds，andtherebyplacingourpublicfinancesundertheircontrol；thattheyhaveintheiralliancethemostinfluentialcharactersin&outofoffice；whentheyhaveshewnthatbyallthesebearingsonthedifferentbranchesofthegovernment，theycanforceittoproceedinwhateverdirectiontheydictate，andbendtheinterestsofthiscountryentirelytothewillofanother；whenallthis，Isay，isattendedto，itisimpossibleforustosaywestandonindependentground，impossibleforafreemindnottosee&togroanunderthebondageinwhichitisbound。Ifanythingafterthiscouldexcitesurprise，itwouldbethattheyhavebeenablesofartothrowdustintheeyesofourowncitizens，astofixonthosewhowishmerelytorecoverself-governmentthechargeofsubservingoneforeigninfluence，becausetheyresistsubmissiontoanother。Buttheypossessourprintingpresses，apowerfulengineintheirgovernmentofus。Atthisverymoment，theywouldhavedrawnusintoawaronthesideofEngland，haditnotbeenforthefailureofherbank。Suchwastheiropen&loudcry，&thatoftheirgazettestillthisevent。AfterplungingusinallthebroilsoftheEuropeannations，therewouldremainbutoneacttocloseourtragedy，thatis，tobreakupourUnion；andeventhistheyhaveventuredseriously&solemnlytopropose&maintainbyargumentsinaConnecticutpaper。

Ihavebeenhappy，however，inbelieving，fromthestiflingofthiseffort，thatthatdosewasfoundtoostrong，&excitedasmuchrepugnancethereasitdidhorrorinotherpartsofourcountry，&

thatwhateverfollieswemaybeledintoastoforeignnations，weshallnevergiveupourUnion，thelastanchorofourhope，&thatalonewhichistopreventthisheavenlycountryfrombecominganarenaofgladiators。MuchasIabhorwar，andviewitasthegreatestscourgeofmankind，andanxiouslyasIwishtokeepoutofthebroilsofEurope，Iwouldyetgowithmybrethrenintothese，ratherthanseparatefromthem。ButIhopewemaystillkeepclearofthem，notwithstandingourpresentthraldom，&thattimemaybegivenustoreflectontheawfulcrisiswehavepassedthrough，andtofindsomemeansofshieldingourselvesinfuturefromforeigninfluence，political，commercial，orinwhateverotherformitmaybeattempted。IcanscarcelywithholdmyselffromjoininginthewishofSilasDeane，thattherewereanoceanoffirebetweenus&theoldworld。

Aperfectconfidencethatyouareasmuchattachedtopeace&

unionasmyself，thatyouequallyprizeindependenceofallnations，andtheblessingsofself-government，hasinducedmefreelytounbosommyselftoyou，andletyouseethelightinwhichIhaveviewedwhathasbeenpassingamongusfromthebeginningofthewar。

AndIshallbehappy，atalltimes，inanintercommunicationofsentimentswithyou，believingthatthedispositionsofthedifferentpartsofourcountryhavebeenconsiderablymisrepresented&

misunderstoodineachpart，astotheother，andthatnothingbutgoodcanresultfromanexchangeofinformation&opinionsbetweenthosewhosecircumstances&moralsadmitnodoubtoftheintegrityoftheirviews。

Iremain，withconstantandsincereesteem，DearSir，youraffectionatefriendandservant。

PEACEANDCOMMERCE

_ToThomasPinckney_

_Philadelphia，May29，1797_

DEARSIR，——Ireceivedfromyou，beforeyouleftEngland，aletterenclosingonefromthePrinceofParma。AsIlearntsoonafterthatyouwereshortlytoreturntoAmerica，Iconcludedtojoinmyacknolegmentsofittomycongratulationsonyourarrival；&bothhavebeendelayedbyablameablespiritofprocrastination，foreversuggestingtoourindolencethatweneednotdoto-daywhatmaybedoneto-morrow。Acceptthesenowinallthesincerityofmyheart。

ItisbutlatelyIhaveansweredthePrince’sletter。Itrequiredsometimetoestablisharrangementswhichmighteffecthispurpose，&

Iwishedalsotoforwardaparticulararticleortwoofcuriosity。

Youhavefoundonyourreturnahigherstyleofpoliticaldifferencethanyouhadlefthere。Ifearthisisinseparablefromthedifferentconstitutionsofthehumanmind，&thatdegreeoffreedomwhichpermitsunrestrainedexpression。Politicaldissensionisdoubtlessalessevilthanthelethargyofdespotism，butstillitisagreatevil，anditwouldbeasworthytheeffortsofthepatriotasofthephilosopher，toexcludeit’sinfluence，ifpossible，fromsociallife。Thegoodarerareenoughatbest。Thereisnoreasontosubdividethembyartificiallines。Butwhetherweshalleverbeablesofartoperfecttheprinciplesofsociety，asthatpoliticalopinionsshall，init’sintercourse，beasinoffensiveasthoseofphilosophy，mechanics，oranyother，maywellbedoubted。Foreigninfluenceisthepresent&justobjectofpublichueandcry，&——，asoftenhappens，themostguiltyareforemost&loudestinthecry。

Ifthosewhoaretrulyindependent，cansotrimourvesselsastobeatthroughthewavesnow