第51章

amnotforlinkingourselvesbynewtreatieswiththequarrelsofEurope；enteringthatfieldofslaughtertopreservetheirbalance，orjoiningintheconfederacyofkingstowaragainsttheprinciplesofliberty。Iamforfreedomofreligion，&againstallmaneuvrestobringaboutalegalascendancyofonesectoveranother：forfreedomofthepress，&againstallviolationsoftheconstitutiontosilencebyforce¬byreasonthecomplaintsorcriticisms，justorunjust，ofourcitizensagainsttheconductoftheiragents。AndI

amforencouragingtheprogressofscienceinallit’sbranches；andnotforraisingahueandcryagainstthesacrednameofphilosophy；

forawingthehumanmindbystoriesofraw-head&bloodybonestoadistrustofitsownvision，&toreposeimplicitlyonthatofothers；

togobackwardsinsteadofforwardstolookforimprovement；tobelievethatgovernment，religion，morality，&everyothersciencewereinthehighestperfectioninagesofthedarkestignorance，andthatnothingcaneverbedevisedmoreperfectthanwhatwasestablishedbyourforefathers。TotheseIwilladd，thatIwasasincerewell-wishertothesuccessoftheFrenchrevolution，andstillwishitmayendintheestablishmentofafree&well-orderedrepublic；butIhavenotbeeninsensibleundertheatrociousdepredationstheyhavecommittedonourcommerce。Thefirstobjectofmyheartismyowncountry。Inthatisembarkedmyfamily，myfortune，&myownexistence。Ihavenotonefarthingofinterest，noronefibreofattachmentoutofit，norasinglemotiveofpreferenceofanyonenationtoanother，butinproportionastheyaremoreorlessfriendlytous。ButthoughdeeplyfeelingtheinjuriesofFrance，Ididnotthinkwarthesurestmeansofredressingthem。Ididbelieve，thatamissionsincerelydisposedtopreservepeace，wouldobtainforusapeaceable&honorablesettlement&retribution；andIappealtoyoutosay，whetherthismightnothavebeenobtained，ifeitherofyourcolleagueshadbeenofthesamesentimentwithyourself。

These，myfriend，aremyprinciples；theyareunquestionablytheprinciplesofthegreatbodyofourfellowcitizens，andIknowthereisnotoneofthemwhichisnotyoursalso。Intruth，weneverdifferedbutononeground，thefundingsystem；andas，fromthemomentofit’sbeingadoptedbytheconstitutedauthorities，Ibecamereligiouslyprincipledinthesacreddischargeofittotheuttermostfarthing，weareunitednowevenonthatsinglegroundofdifference。

Iturnnowtoyourinquiries。Theenclosedpaperwillansweroneofthem。Butyoualsoaskforsuchpoliticalinformationasmaybepossessedbyme，&interestingtoyourselfinregardtoyourembassy。Asaproofofmyentireconfidenceinyou，Ishallgiveitfully&candidly。WhenPinckney，Marshall，andDana，werenominatedtosettleourdifferenceswithFrance，itwassuspectedbymany，fromwhatwasunderstoodoftheirdispositions，thattheirmissionwouldnotresultinasettlementofdifferences，butwouldproducecircumstancestendingtowidenthebreach，andtoprovokeourcitizenstoconsenttoawarwiththatnation，&unionwithEngland。

Dana’sresignation&yourappointmentgavethefirstgleamofhopeofapeaceableissuetothemission。Foritwasbelievedthatyouweresincerelydisposedtoaccommodation；&itwasnotlongafteryourarrivalthere，beforesymptomswereobservedofthatdifferenceofviewswhichhadbeensuspectedtoexist。Inthemeantime，however，theaspectofourgovernmenttowardstheFrenchrepublichadbecomesoardent，thatthepeopleofAmericagenerallytookthealarm。Tothesouthward，theirapprehensionswereearlyexcited。IntheEasternStatesalso，theyatlengthbegantobreakout。Meetingswereheldinmanyofyourtowns，&addressestothegovernmentagreedoninoppositiontowar。Theexamplewasspreadinglikeawildfire。

Othermeetingswerecalledinotherplaces，&ageneralconcurrenceofsentimentagainsttheapparentinclinationsofthegovernmentwasimminent；when，mostcriticallyforthegovernment，thedespatchesofOctr22，preparedbyyourcolleagueMarshall，withaviewtotheirbeingmadepublic，droppedintotheirlaps。ItwastrulyaGod-sendtothem，&theymadethemostofit。Manythousandsofcopieswereprinted&dispersedgratis，atthepublicexpence；&thezealotsforwarco-operatedsoheartily，thattherewereinstancesofsingleindividualswhoprinted&dispersed10。or12，000copiesattheirownexpence。Theodiousnessofthecorrupt