382 APPENDIX. 



To you, and to your brother, Colonel John Trumbull, I feel 

 much indebted for the full, frank, and interesting communication 

 of the political sentiments contained in both your letters. 



The project of the latter is vast, and under any circumstances 

 would require very mature consideration ; but in its extent, and 

 an eye being had to the disorganizing party in the United States, 

 I am sure it would be impracticable in the present order of things. 



JSot being able to convey my ideas to you, on this subject, in 

 more concise terms than I have already done to your brother, in 

 answer to the letter he informs you he had written to me, I shall 

 take the liberty of giving you an extract thereof, as follows: 



" For the political information contained in it, (that is, his letter,) 

 " I feel grateful, as I always shall for the free unreserved commu- 

 " nication of your sentiments upon subjects so important in their 

 " nature and tendency. No well-informed and unprejudiced man, 

 " who has viewed with attention the conduct of the French gov- 

 " eminent since the revolution in that country, can mistake its 

 "objects, or the tendency of the ambitious projects it is pursu- 

 " ing. Yet, strange as it may seem, a party, and a powerful one 

 " too, among us, affect to believe that the measures of it are dic- 

 " tated by a principle of self-preservation ; that the outrages of 

 " which the Directory are guilty, proceed from dire necessity ; that 

 " it wishes to be upon the most friendly and amicable terms with 

 " the United States ; that it will be the fault of the latter if this is 

 " not the case ; that the defensive measures which this country has 

 " adopted, are not only unnecessary and expensive, but have a 

 ** tendency to produce the evil which, to deprecate, is mere pre- 

 " tence in the government ; because war with France, they say, is 

 " its wish ; that on the militia we should rest our security ; and 

 " that it is time enough to call upon these when the danger is 

 " imminent and apparent. 



" With these and such like ideas attempted to be inculcated upon 

 "the public mind (aided by prejudices not yet eradicated), and 

 " with art and sophistry, which regard neither truth nor decency ; 

 " attacking every character, without respect to persons, public or 

 " private, who happen to differ from themselves in politics, I leave 

 " you to decide on the probability of carrying such an extensive 

 " plan of defence as you have suggested in your last letter, into 

 " operation, and in the short period which you suppose may be 

 " allowed to accomplish it in." 



