I recd this morning your kind Letter of the 7th. and wonder you had not recd a Letter. I wrote from Stratford & Newyork and twice a Week since I have been here.

your Anxiety for your Country is amiable and becomes your Character. Elevated Expectations of Grandeur and Glory as well as Prosperity have accompanied me through Life and been a great source of my Enjoyment. They are not diminished by the present Prospect.

It seems to be now certain, that Unless Mr Jefferson has Votes in N. Hampshire, Vermont or Rhode Island he cannot be President. But it is not improbable that Mr Pinckney may be.— unless N. C. should be of opinion with Virginia that J. A. had better be P. than Pinckney.

The Northern Members have kept their Promise better than the Southern. They have got a great Number for Pinckney, but the Southern have got none for A.

The English Party have outgeneraled the French and American both. That is the Construction I put upon it though others would make me beleive if they could that it is an insidious Maneuvre of Hamiltons individual Ambition. I care not whose Maneuvre it is; nor who is the Dupe, nor whether it is foreign Influence or private Ambitions, so long as I am not guilty of any sin of Omission or Commission in the Business. The whole system is utterly repugnant to my Judgment and Wishes. I wish Patrick Henry had 138 Votes and would Accept them. Pinckney has no Pretensions to any of them more than Dr Jarvis. If Chance and Tricks are to decide, it had better be decided by french Influence for aught I know or even by English, for either Jefferson or Hamilton had better Pretensions and would have made better Presidents than Pinckney.

I shall not suffer so much in retiring as the P. whose tender feelings are excited both by Kindness & Unkindness. I shall retire without much of either to harrow up my soul. It is rather a dull Prospect to see nothing but ones Ploughshare between one and the Grave but I am confident I can bear it as well as the P.— My Misery will all be over by the Ninth of Feb. if I am released— But that is too long.

yours most affectionately

I went Yesterday at 12 O Clock to the Presbyterian Meeting House in Market Street to hear Dr Rush pronounce an elegant and pathetic Elogium on Mr Rittenhouse the late President of the 447 Philosophical society. He made him out to be a good Man and a great Astronomer & Philosopher. This I agree and if he had not betrayed Jacobinical Weaknesses I should have liked him very well.1

Dr Euwing is Sick & melancholly. has lost his Wifes fortune by trusting Speculators and has had recourse to imprudent means to raise his Spirits as they Say. He has done preaching for the present at least.2

It is now Said, but I have not made the Calculations, to be made certain that neither Mr Pinckney nor Mr Jefferson can be President: consequently my Troubles are not far off. Strong in the Confidence of my own Honesty, and favoured by the Appearance of tolerable health and the feeling of Some Strength, I perceive no Consternation at the Prospect.

There have not been wanting Insinuations to make me believe that Hamilton and Jay have insidiously intrigued to give Pinckney a Sly slide over my head, and the southern Men Swear, if they had suspected this I should have had all their Votes. I do believe that both of them had rather Pinckney should come in P. than Jefferson be either P. or V. P.— one of them might believe he should have more Influence with Pinckney than with me— Both of them might think, that if I was out of the Way, one or other of them might have a better Chance to come in at next Election into one or the other Office. Both of them may have designs or desires of closer Connections with England than I should approve. But whatever cause for these Surmises may exist, they shall make no Impression on my Friendship for those Characters. I believe their Motives were what they recd for publick Good. Jay at least had probably no active share in the Business. H. certainly had.

But I think it is now evident that the Southern States have had all these Contingencies in Contemplation and that they preferred me, in either office to Pinckney or Burr, and I am more indebted to the southern states for this Election than to Massachusetts, thirteen of whose Votes were determined I presume by Hamiltons Letters to Higginson, if not to Cabot, and who certainly were willing to sacrifice me, rather than that Jefferson should come in V. P.3

The common Saying here is that it is an Interposition of Providence that has saved me, defeated Pinckney, and disappointed the English Party as well as the French. The French however are deceived,—I am more their Friend than they are aware of.—

I am much mistaken if I do not remove many Prejudices both at home & abroad before the fourth of March. There are manly Ways 448 of correcting Errors, that all Men dont perceive. These are confidential Communications from your ever affectionate