By a Letter from one of the most lovely of Women in your Quarter of the Continent, I find you are engaged about a governmental Constitution for Massachusetts Bay.1 And by another Letter from a Friend of a different Sex I find that, after a free and full Discussion of Principles you have determined to constitute a free Republick. 2 From the unanimous Result of your past Deliberations I am led to hope that the Report of the Committee of 313 will happily meet with an unanimous Acceptation.

I take you now out to the Practice of the Humility which you profess in one of your Letters written in France.4 I want you to read think and judge in Support, if you can honestly, of that very Congress which has been so “——what shall I call it? in regard to you.”5 I think the Remarks or Observations in the last Pages of the Pamphlet, now sent for the Exercise of your Genius and Humility, are very good.6 Brother Dana has now and then appeared to me to dissent from my Ideas of the necessary Powers to be with the Arbiter of Peace and War in Admiralty Concerns. You will oblige me by conversing with him after you have read what I now send.

I can not repeat to you what I have scrawled to S A respecting the State of the Business which concerns the Honor of A Lee for whom you performed a capital Act of Justice on the 11th. of February.7 I 167have taken up my Pen at a Table, while Congress in Committee of the whole is inventing Ways to get money, after having resolved to stop the Press.

The Tragedy will soon be over if the States will not instantly supply us with Monies for greater Expences than ever were before known for supporting an Army.

Having been very ill I find myself hurt by the Addition of private friendly Correspondence to what lays upon me alone of a public Kind just at this Moment of the sailing of Mr. Gerard.8 By Moment I mean no more or less than 24 uncertain hours. He may go this Afternoon or not till Tomorrow. Don't you inform the Enemy. It is a Secret that has only been known to every body in this City 8 or 9 Days.

I had yesterday the Pleasure of your kind Letter of the 2d1 of this Month. I should not have sat down in so much Haste as I am in at present, even to acknowledge the Receipt of it, if it was not for the Extraordinary Intelligence it contains, of some Merchandizes shipped to me from Amsterdam, in the sloop Porpus. There must be some Mistake in this, as I knew nothing of it. I never heard nor dreamed of a sloop Porpus, nor of any Goods of any Kind shipped or to be shipped to me from Amsterdam. If there is not Some other Person of the same 168Name, for whom they were intended, Somebody must have made Use of mine by Mistake or by Malice.

I thank, you, sir, for your friendly Advice. I have had and Still have an Opinion of my own, but I have been joined to no Faction, nor attached to any Party, farther than that Party was supported by Justice and by Truth, which are the only foundations, according to my Creed of sound Policy. I am, sir, with much Respect & Esteem, sir your most obedient servant