第65章

Take，forinstance，thechequerboardforaplan。Lettheblacksquaresonlybebuildingsquares，andthewhiteonesbeleftopen，inturfandtrees。Everysquareofhouseswillbesurroundedbyfouropensquares，andeveryhousewillfrontanopensquare。Theatmosphereofsuchatownwouldbelikethatofthecountry，insusceptibleofthemiasmatawhichproduceyellowfever。IhaveaccordinglyproposedthattheenlargementsofthecityofNewOrleans，whichmustimmediatelytakeplace，shallbeonthisplan。

Butitisonlyincaseofenlargementstobemade，orofcitiestobebuilt，thatthismeansofpreventioncanbeemployed。

The_genusirritabilevatum_couldnotlettheauthoroftheRuinspublishanewwork，withoutseekinginitthemeansofdiscreditingthatpuzzlingcomposition。Someoneofthoseholycalumniatorshasselectedfromyournewworkeveryscrapofasentence，which，detachedfromitscontext，coulddispleaseanAmericanreader。Acentohasbeenmadeofthese，whichhasrunthroughaparticulardescriptionofnewspapers，andexcitedadisapprobationeveninfriendlyminds，whichnothingbutthereadingofthebookwillcure。Buttimeandtruthwillatlengthcorrecterror。

Ourcountrymenaresomuchoccupiedinthebusyscenesoflife，thattheyhavelittletimetowriteorinvent。Agoodinventionhere，therefore，issuchararityasitislawfultooffertotheacceptanceofafriend。AMr。HawkinsofFrankford，nearPhiladelphia，hasinventedamachinewhichhecallsapolygraph，andwhichcarriestwo，three，orfourpens。Thatoftwopens，withwhichIamnowwriting，isbest；andissoperfectthatIhavelaidasidethecopying-press，foratwelvemonthpast，andwritealwayswiththepolygraph。Ihavedirectedonetobemade，ofwhichIaskyouracceptance。BywhatconveyanceIshallsenditwhileHavreisblockaded，Idonotyetknow。Ithinkyouwillbepleasedwithit，andwilluseithabituallyasIdo；becauseitrequiresonlythatdegreeofmechanicalattentionwhichIknowyoutopossess。IamgladtohearthatM。Cabanisisengagedinwritingonthereformationofmedicine。Itneedsthehandofareformer，andcannotbeinbetterhandsthanhis。WillyoupermitmyrekspectstohimandtheAbbedelaRochetofindaplacehere。

Awordnowonourpoliticalstate。Thetwopartieswhichprevailedwithsomuchviolencewhenyouwerehere，arealmostwhollymeltedintoone。AtthelatePresidentialelectionIhavereceivedonehundredandsixty-twovotesagainstfourteenonly。Connecticutisstillfederalbyasmallmajority；andDelawareonapoise，asshehasbeensince1775，andwillbetillAnglomanywithheryieldstoAmericanism。Connecticutwillbewithusinashorttime。Thoughthepeopleinmasshavejoinedus，theirleadershadcommittedthemselvestoofartoretract。Pridekeepsthemhostile；theybroodovertheirangrypassions，andgivethemventinthenewspaperswhichtheymaintain。Theystillmakeasmuchnoiseasiftheywerethewholenation。Unfortunately，thesebeingthemercantilepapers，publishedchieflyintheseaports，aretheonlyoneswhichfindtheirwaytoEurope，andmakeveryfalseimpressionsthere。Iamhappytohearthatthelatederangementofyourhealthisgoingoff，andthatyouarere-established。Isincerelyprayforthecontinuanceofthatblessing，andwithmyaffectionatesalutations，tenderyouassurancesofgreatrespectandattachment。

P。S。Thesheetswhichyoureceivearethoseofthecopyingpenofthepolygraph，notoftheonewithwhichIhavewritten。

NEWSOFCAPTAINLEWIS

_ToC。F。deC。Volney_

_Washington，Feb。11，1806_

DEARSIR，——SincemineofFeb。18ofthelastyear，IhavereceivedyoursofJuly2。IhavebeenconstantlylookingoutforanopportunityofsendingyourPolygraph；buttheblockadeofHavrehascutoffthatresource，andIhavefearedtosendittoaportfromwhichtherewouldbeonlylandcarriage。AsafeconveyancenowofferingtoNantes，&undertheparticularcareofMr。Skipwith，whoisreturningtoFrance，hewilltakecareofitfromNantesbylandifaneasycarriageisfound，orifnot，thenbythecanalofBriare。

Anotheryear’sconstantuseofasimilaroneattachesmemoreandmoretoitasamostvaluableconvenience。IsendyoualsoapamphletpublishedhereagainsttheEnglishdoctrinewhichdeniestoneutralsatradeinwarnotopentotheminpeaceinwhichyouwillfinditpulverizedbyalogicnottobecontroverted。

OurlastnewsofCaptnLewiswasthathehadreachedtheupperpartoftheMissouri，&hadtakenhorsestocrosstheHighlandstotheColumbiariver。HepassedthelastwinteramongtheManians1610

milesabovethemouthoftheriver。Sofarhehaddelineateditwithasgreataccuracyaswillprobablybeeverappliedtoit，ashiscourses&distancesbymensurationwerecorrectedbyalmostdailyobservation