I have recd. your Letter of the 17th. Inst1— The Details in it are interesting, and I am glad you communicated them to me so early, and so particularly— The Sentiments you express relative to them, correspond with my own— The Resolution is not sufficiently cum ^cun^ning to conceal its object and Design— I have no Hesitation in concluding and saying that if we must have either Mr. Madison or Mr. Clinton, I then prefer the latter, and for Reasons which have less Relation to his personal Qualifications, than to the existing State of things— If he fails, we shall lose in some obvious Respects, and yet it is not clear that the Democratic Party, as a Party will gain; especially if the War should continue, and continue disastrous.

Since William’s Letter from Hyde Park2 I have not had a Line from him. Circumstanced as he is at present, we must excuse him— Nancy is sometimes better, sometimes worse— and sometimes not quite prudent— Sally seems to be in Statu quo— I say seems to be, because it is difficult to learn the exact state of her Complaints from her Conversation— For this week past I have had no Effusions of Bile, and consequently am better than I was—

I enclose a Letter for Mr. Morris,3 because if you if you give it to his Nephew D. B. Ogden,4 he will probably recieve it sooner than by the Mail.

We have had uncommon Cold weather for the Season, and it is feared that the Corn and Buckwheat will suffer— it was predicted that as we had a very cool Summer, we should have a warm Autumn— modern Prophets are often mistaken— I am Dr Peter, your affte. Father