After a long delay, occasioned by adverse events, I Send thee, by this day’s mail, another No. of the American Magazine. The Essay, partially read by thee, concerning the establishing a New School at Washington, & new modeling the Patent system of the United States, is in type, & will be published in a few days. I am in hopes this Paper will engage the attention of the Administration.

In 3 or 4 weeks, I shall publish an Essay on the errors of philosophical Science, embracing Some novel opinions of my own. This Paper, I have ventured to Dedicate to thyself, Dr Mitchill, & Count Volney, with whom I have the pleasure of a Correspondence.

I have frequently been solicited to publish Some extracts from thy Letter to me, of March 17, 1814: & to gratify many of my friends, I now very respectfully Solicit permission to do So. The Letter is the one acknowledging the receipt of my Gazetteer, & I wish to extract that part relating to the pernicious influence of our professional crafts, including the Lawyers, the Clergy, & the Merchants.

Some Gentlemen in Virginia, have recently applied to me to know on what terms I would undertake to write a Gazetteer of that State, & I hesitate about my answer. I am poor—&, if I execute such a Work, must do it for others, who have capital to employ in this way. I know, perfectly, the liberal character of Virginia & Virginians, & I Should be particularly well pleased with Such an undertaking, if I could make it Subservient to my own interest. Were I to write a Gazetteer of Virginia, I must spend as much as one year, travelling through that State: and it would take nearly another year to arrange my materials, & prepare the Copy for the press. Pray, my venerated Friend, would Such a Work be likely to be well patronised? My Gazetteer of New York, is nearly out of print, though I published an edition of 6250 copies. It has sold well; & had I not lost So much by Booksellers, I should1 have been well paid for my labor. Thy opinion, in this matter, would be of Such value to me, that I venture to use the freedom of asking it.

If I could prevail on the President, to give me Some office, at Washington, I could the better Succeed in this object.The Patent Office, regulated as I have proposed, in the Essay, mentioned above, would be, of all others the most agreeable; but I would accept of any that I might be thought to merit Thy goodness will pardon this liberty, wrung from me by events & fears & hopes. If thou couldest aid me in buoying up my hopes, ’twould Serve a noble purpose: for, truly, I am almost disheartened.Very respectfully, thy friend,

H. G. Spafford.