Your obliging Favor of the 24th Novr1 is the only one that has reached me since your Departure from Martenico— I the more regret it, as the Value I set upon your Friendship, makes me anxious oftentimes to receive the same flattering Marks of it—

The object of my Wishes, concerning which I requested you to sound a particular Gentleman was, soon after I mentioned it to you, unsolicited for, in my offer— But more agreable Prospects opened upon my View, which prevented my accepting the Place—2 The Progress of an Attachment which I had then formed, took full Possession of my Mind, & extinguished every other Pursuit— I have since become one of the “felices ter & amplius, quos irrupta tenet Copula”—3

When I wrote you last (which by the bye you do not acknowledge the Receipt of) I expected the Revival of public Spirit, would have brought about the most happy Events for the Country— But I was mistaken—it has since experienced all the deplorable Effects which result from a negligent & abandoned Administration of Affairs—however, as is observed by an elegant Historian, “there is an ultimate Point of Depression, from which human Affairs naturally return in a contrary Progress, & beyond which they seldom pass on their Decline”—4

We seem to have arrived at this last state of defective Policy in the Government of our Affairs, & a Reformation was so necessary, that without it our political Existence would not have been supported— A reforming Spirit seems to have gone forth, & the first object it will be exercised on is our Finances—a Superintendant of them is created, & the Choice has fallen upon a Gentleman whose Knowledge & Integrity, are unquestionable—5 If he is but properly supported by Congress, he cannot but meet with infallible Success, in bringing order & Arrangement into the Affairs of this Department—

The Repeal of all the Tender Laws is recommended by Congress, & will be attended to by the States—6 A national Bank on a very extensive Plan will be formed, on the Credit of large Deposits in Specie, to be obtained by private Subscription— I need not describe more minutely the Organization of this Bank, as I imagine it will enter into the Views of the Financier to write you very particularly on the Subject, as I suppose a Loan for the Support of it, will thro your Mediation be solicited from Spain—7

The abolishing the Tender Law will have the most happy Effects, by restoring a mutual Confidence in public as well as private Dealing, & by lessening the Number of disaffected who were daily Suffering by the iniquitous Tendency of that Law—

If the intended Reformations are carried thro every Department, the Country will soon feel the beneficial Influence—

The Enemy is very Active in taking Advantage of the weak & unprotected Situation of the Southern States—the Extremes of War, which some of the Manifestoes of the Commissioners threatened us with, are now felt in that devoted Country— Their Progress thro Virginia has been like an irruption of Barbarians, laying waste the Country, burning the Houses of the Inhabitants, & destroying or carrying off all the Tobacco & other Produce within their Reach— The Virginians, goaded to Desperation, by this oppressive Conduct, are willing to take the Field against these cruel Invaders, but unfortunately there are not Arms sufficient for the Purpose— We have been very improvident indeed, when after a war of six years there is not to be found in the United States a single Magazine of spare Arms—there are about 3000 Continental Troops in Virginia under the Mquis de la Fayette, but these are very incompetent to the Purpose of opposing the Enemy, whose Army consists of 6000 Regular Troops— General Green with the remainder of the southern Army, is carrying on his operations in So Carolina—

We have accounts this Day of the Arrival of 22 Ships of the Line under the Count de Grasse at Mque, with a Reinforcement of Troops—an Expedition was immediately formed against St Lucie, which I may venture to pronounce is at this Time, in the Hands of our Allies—

Please to make my respectfull Complements to Mrs Jay— Mrs Bingham joins in the same— I am with sincere Regard Dear sir your obedt & hble servt