ple at large. Besides these, the enterprizes of individuals show at once what are the happy effects of personal exertions in a country where equal laws and equal rights prevail.

For myself, you see me again entering upon the arduous duties of an important office,* to which the unanimous voice of my country has once more called me. To you, who know my love of retirement and domestic life, it is unnecessary to say, that in accepting this re-appointment, I relinquish those personal enjoyments to which I am peculiarly attached. The motives which induced my acceptance are the same which have ever ruled my decision when the public desire, or, as my countrymen are pleased to denominate it, good, was placed in the scale against my personal enjoyment or interest; the latter I have ever considered as subservient to the former; and, perhaps in no instance of my life have I ever been more sensible of the sacrifice than in the present; for, at my age, the love of retirement grows every day more and more powerful; and the death of my nephew, the poor Major, will, I apprehend, cause my private concerns to suffer very much. This melancholy event took place on the 5th of last month, at Colonel Bassett's, where he had gone, hoping to benefit from a change of air and situation. Although it had been long expected, and, indeed, to me, of late, appeared inevitable, yet I have felt it very keenly.

You will receive from Mr. Jefferson every official communication necessary for your conduct, together with the laws, public papers, &c. He will also inform you, that the steps which you took, in consequence of Mr. Barclay's death, met my entire approbation.

I set out with intimating that my letter would be very short; but, upon looking back, I find it can hardly be said to have that fault; but least it should partake of another at least as bad, I shall close it, with assuring you, that you have the best wishes for your health and happiness of your sincere friend and affectionate servant,

GEO. WASHINGTON.

* Elected President of the United States a second time.

LETTER IV.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, President of the United States of America, to DAVID HUMPHREYS, Minister of the United States of America at Lisbon.

MY DEAR HUMPHREYS,

Philadelphia, 12th June, 1796.

I COULD not suffer Captain O'Brien to return without carrying

along with him a testimony of my continued friendship and regard for you, in a few lines; in the diction of which I must be concise; for a long and interesting session of Congress, which only closed on the first instant, and many laws which require immediate attention and execution, added to a preparation for a journey to Mount-Vernon (to-morrow), for a little relaxation from the unpleasant scenes which have been, and are continually presenting themselves to my view, will not, however well disposed I might otherwise be, permit me to be profuse in my declaration.

From the Office of State you will receive every thing that relates to public concerns; and the gazettes, which I presume will accompany the dispatches, will give you a pretty good idea of the state of politics and parties in this country; and will show you, at the same time, (if Bache's Aurora is among them) in what manner I am attacked for persevering steadily in measures which to me appear necessary to preserve us (during the conflicts of the belligerent powers) in a state of tranquillity. But these attacks, unjust and as unpleasant as they are, will occasion no change in my conduct; nor will they produce any other effect in my mind than to increase the solicitude which long since has taken fast hold of my breast, to enjoy, in the shades of retirement, the consolation of believing that I have rendered my country every service to which my abilities were competent-not from pecuniary or ambitious motives, nor for a desire to provide for any one farther than their intrinsic merit entitled them to; and surely not with a view to bring any of my own relations into office.

Malignity, therefore, may dart its shafts; but no earthly power can deprive me of the consolation of knowing, that I have not, in the whole course of my administration, however numerous they may have been, committed an intentional error.

Whenever you shall think, with the poet or philosopher, " that the post of honour is a private station," and may be disposed to enjoy yourself in my shades-I do not mean the shades below, where, if you put it off long, I may be reclining, I can only re

peat, that you will meet with the same cordial reception at MountVernon that you have always found at that place; and that I am, and always shall be,

Your sincere friend,

And affectionate servant,

GEO. WASHINGTON.

P. S. Mrs. Washington, who keeps her health as well as usual, presents her best wishes to you. Betsy Custis is married to Mr. Law (who was, I believe, in this country when you were here last), an English gentleman, but last from the East-Indies, of considerable fortune, and lives in the federal city. Patty you know was married ere you left us, to Mr. Peters. Nelly has spent the last winter with her mother. Washington grows fast; and we have just heard that all Dr. Stuart's family are well.

LETTER V.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, President of the United States of America, to DAVID HUMPHREYs, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America in Spain.

MY DEAR HUMPHREYS,

Mount-Vernon, 26th Juné, 1797.

SINCE I did myself the pleasure of writing to you by Captain O'Brien, I have been favoured with your letters of the 1st of January and 18th of February. The last in date was the first received; but neither came to hand until long after I had left the *chair of government, and was seated in the shade of my own vine and fig-tree.

The testimony of your politeness and friendship to Mrs. Washington and myself, which accompanied the latter, are accepted with the same cordiality and cheerfulness with which I am sure they were presented. Presents, however, to me are of all things the most painful; but, when I am so well satisfied of the motives which dictated your's, my scruples are removed; and I receive the buckles (which are indeed very elegant) as a token of your regard and attachment, and will keep, and wear them occasionally, for your sake.

As the gazettes of this country are transmitted from the Department of State to all our diplomatic characters abroad, you will, of course, have perceived that the measure advised by you,

relative to the disavowal of the forged letters, attempted to be imposed on the public as written by me in 1776, had been previously adopted, without any of the accompanyments contained in your draughts, which was received long after the publication of it.

I am clearly in sentiment with you, that every man who is in the vigour of life, ought to serve his country in whatsoever line it requires, and he is fit for; it was not my intention, therefore, to persuade you to withdraw your services, whilst inclination and the calls of your country demanded your services; but the desire of a companion, in my latter days, in whom I could confide, might have induced me to express myself too strongly on the occasion. The change, however, which I presume has ere this taken place in your domestic concerns, would of itself have annihilated every hope of having you as an inmate, if the circumstance had been known at the time.

On this event, which I persuade myself will be fortunate and happy for you, I offer my congratulations with all the sincerity and warmth you can desire; and if ever you should bring Mrs. Humphreys to the United States, no roof will afford her and you a more welcome reception than this, while we are the inhabitants of it.

To the Department of State, and the gazettes which will be transmitted from thence, I shall refer you for the political state of our affairs; but in one word I might have added, that nothing short of a general peace in Europe will produce tranquillity in this country, for reasons which are obvious to every well-informed or observant man among us.

I have a confidence, however, in that Providence which has shielded the United States from the evils which have threatened them hitherto; and as I believe the major part of the people of this country are well affected to the constitution and government of it, I rest satisfied, that if ever a crisis should arise to call forth the sense of the community, it will be strong in support of the honour and dignity of the nation. Therefore, however much I regret the opposition which has for its object the embarrassment of the administration, I shall view things in the "calm light of mild philosophy," and endeavour to finish my course in retirement and ease.

An absence from home of eight years, except short occasional visits to it, which allowed no time to investigate or look into the real state of my private concerns, has very much deranged them, and occasioned such depredations upon buildings, and all things around them, as to make the expense of repairs almost as great, and the employment of attending to workmen almost as much, as if I had commenced an entire new establishment.

f

The public buildings in the Federal city go on well. One wing of the Capitol (with which Congress might make a very good shift) and the President's house will be covered in this autumn; or, to speak more correctly, perhaps the latter is now receiving its cover, and the former will be ready for it by that epoch. An elegant bridge is thrown over the Potowmack at the Little Falls, and the navigation of the river above it will be completed, nearly, this season; through which an immensity of produce must flow to the shipping ports thereon. Alexandria you would scarcely know, so much has it increased since you was there; two entire streets, where shallops then laded and unladed, are extended into the river, and some of the best buildings in the town erected on them. What were the commons are now all enclosed, and many good houses placed on them. As my circle is now small, my information will be, of course, contracted, as Alexandria and the Federal City will probably be the extent of my perambulations. If you have entered the matrimonial list, I pray you to present me in respectful terms to your lady, and at all times, and under all circumstances, that you would believe me to be, as I really am,

My dear Sir,

Your most obedient and affectionate servant,
GEO. WASHINGTON.

P. S. The seal of this letter being black, is occasioned by the death of my only sister, Mrs. Lewis, late of Fredericksburgh.

CONSULATE.

Order of the day for the Consular Guard and all the Troops of the Republic.

WASHINGTON is no more.

That great man fought against tyranny. He firmly established the liberty of his country. His memory will be ever dear to the French people, as it must be to every friend of freedom in the two worlds; and especially to the French soldiers, who, like him and the Americans, bravely fight for liberty.

The First Consul, in consequence, orders, that for ten days black crapes shall be suspended from all the standards and flags of the Republic.

Paris, 23d Pluviose.