1823.] 
come to my hands until the 18th of the 
present month. 
Having by me the rough draught of 
the Jettér I had the honour of addres- 
sing to your lordship in May, I do, 
agreeably to your request, transmit a 
copy thereof. It is difficult for me, how- 
ever, to account for the miscarriage or 
delay of the original, as it was commit- 
ted to the care of Mr. Robertson at his 
own request, to be forwarded along with 
the portrait of me, which (for the rea- 
sons therein assigned) a preference had 
been given of him to take for your lord- 
ship, both of which I expected you had 
received long since. 
The works of Dr. Anderson do him 
much credit; and, when they are more 
extensively known, will, I am_per- 
suaded, meet a very ready sale in this 
country. I have taken an occasion to 
mention his wish to a respectable mem- 
ber of the Philosophical Society of this 
city, who has promised to bring his 
name forward at the next meeting, en- 
tertaining no doubt of his being readily 
admitted, as his pretensions are known 
to stand upon solid ground. 
The favourable wishes which your 
lordship bas expressed for the prospe- 
rity of this young and rising country, 
cannot but be gratefully received by all 
its citizens, and every lover of it. One 
mean to the contribution of which, and 
its happiness, is very judiciously pour- 
trayed in the following words of your 
letter—‘“ to be little heard of in the 
great world of politics.” ‘These words, 
I can assure your lordsbip, are expres- 
sive of my sentiments on this head ; and, 
I believe, it is the sincere wish of United 
America to have nothing to do with the 
political intrigues, or the squabbles, of 
European nations ; but, on the contrary, 
to exchange commodities and live in 
peace and amity with all the inhabi- 
tants of the earth; and this I am per- 
suaded they will do, if rightfully it can 
be‘done. ‘To administer justice to, and 
receive it from, every power with whom 
they are connected, will, I hope, be 
always found the most prominent fea- 
tures in the administration of this coun- 
iry; and, I flatter myself, that nothing 
short of imperious necessity ‘can occa- 
sion a breach with any of them, Under 
such a system, if we are allowed to pur- 
sue it, the agricultare and mechanical 
arts, the wealth and population, of these 
states, will increase with that degree of 
rapidity as to baffle all calculation, and 
must surpass any idea your lordship 
can, hitherto, have entertained on the 
Stephensiana, No. XX, 
139 
occasion. To evince that our views 
(whether realised or not) are expanded, 
I take the liberty of sending you the 
plan of a new city, situated about the 
centre of the union of thesé states, 
which is designed for the permanent 
seat of the government. And we are at 
this moment deeply ,engaged, and far 
advanced, in extending the inland navi- 
gation of the river (Potomac) on which 
it stands, and the branches thereof, 
through a tract of as rich country for 
hundreds of miles as any in the world. 
Nor is thisa solitary instance of attempts 
of the kind, although it is the only one 
which is near completion, and in partial 
use. Several other very important ones 
are commenced; and little doubt is en- 
tertained that, in ten years, if left undis- 
turbed, we shall open a communication 
by water with all the lakes northward 
and westward of us, with which we 
have territorial connections; and an ih- 
land navigation, in a few years more, 
from Rhode Island to Georgia inclu- 
sively, partly by cuts between the 
great bays and sounds, and partly be-+ 
tween the islands and sand-banks, and 
the main from Albermarle Sound to the 
river St. Mary’s. To these may also be 
added, the erection of bridges over con- 
siderable rivers, and the commencement 
of turnpike roads, as further indications 
of the improvements in hand. 
The family of Fairfax’s, in Virginia, 
of whom you speak, are also related to 
me by several intermarriages before it 
came into this country, (as I am in- 
formed,) and since; and what remains 
of the old stock are near neighbours to 
my estate of Mount Vernon. The late 
lord, (Thomas,) with whom I was per- 
fectly acquainted, lived at the distance 
of sixty miles from me after he had re- 
moved from Belvoir, (the seat of his 
kinsman,) which adjoins my estate just 
mentioned ; and is going to be inhabited 
by a young member of the family, as 
soon as the house, which some years ago 
was burnt, can be rebuilt. 
With great esteem and respect, I have 
the honour to be your lordship’s most 
obedient humble servant, . 
Earl Buchan. G. WASHINGTON. 
German Town, seven miles from 
Philadelphia, Nov. 8, 1793. 
My Lord,—Mr. Lear, the gentleman 
who will have the honour of putting this 
letter into your hands, I can venture, 
and therefore do take the liberty, to in- 
troduce as worthy of your lordship’s 
civilities, 
He has lived seven or eight years in 
my 
