The Sight of yr friendly Letter of the 25 of July last,1 an of & of those it recommends, gave me much Pleasure. Marks of Remembrance from old Acquaintances, & the Society of [deserving?] fellow fellow Citizens in a foreign country, excite agreable Sensations. I have as yet met with neither men nor things on this Side ^of the water^ which abate my Prediliction or if you please my Prejudices in favour of those on the other. I have ^but^ few Attachments in Europe ^much^ stronger than those which ^we^ sometimes feel for an accidental fellow Traveller or for a good Inn & a civil Landlord—we leave our approbation & good Wishes but not our Hearts ^& a certain degree of Regard^ with them, but by Way of paying that part of the Reckoning & travelling Expenses which Money cannot ^always^ defray. My affections are ^deeply^ rooted in America and are of too old ^long^ standing to admit of transplantation— In short my Friend, I can never become so far a Citizen of the World as to view every Part of it with an equal eye ^equal Regard^, and perhaps Nature has ^is^ wiser in tying our Hearts to our Native Soil, than we are ^they are^ who think every Estate of they divest themselves of Foibles in proportion as they wear away those Bonds— It is not difficult to regard Men of every Nation as Members of the same Family, but when placed in that p^oint of View, my^ Fellow-Citizens appear to me as my Brothe Brethren, and the others as related to me ^only in the^ more distant and adventitious Degrees—

I am glad my Letter by Mr. Grigby indicated gave you Reason to infer an alteration for the better in the State of your ^my^ Health because I flatter myself it gave you ^afforded^ pleasure ^to my Friends^—2 The Fact is that my Disorder has been gradually declining ever since I left the City—but altho the pain in my Breast has diminished it still continues, and daily tells me memento mori— As to the Fever which the Influenza left me, it has thank God at last bid me Adi taken its Leave—during all my Sickness I have been happy in preserving a constant Flow of Spirits; & Chearfulness, that agreable Companion, has never forsaken me. I hope a Trip to bath will so patch up my “House of Clay” as to render it tenantable a good while longer—a thorough Repair I do not promise myself—

Your Account of my Son pleases me—3 I expect ^& wish^ to see him next Summer, and for it is Time to lay the Foundation of those Habits & Principles ^by^ which his ^I am desirous that his^ Conduct through Life may best shd be influenced. Nature has not given to Children any instinctive affections for their Parents, & unless created in Youth and while together ^Youth that fair Season of Virtue and Ingenuousness^ presents the only opportunity of ^for our perfectly^ gaining their Hearts, & fixing this ^conspires with a great^ Variety of other Considerations to call me Home: and I should not be satisfied with myself if I prolonged my Absence ^Excursion^ from private Life beyond the Term which for public reasons I at first prescribed it—when a man’s Conduct ceases to be uniform and consistent it ceases to be proper— My little Girls are well, & their mother is not much otherwise, so much for domestic matters—now for a few Lines on politics—

While there are Knaves and Fools in the World, there will be Wars in it and therefore War ought not to occasion Surprize that Nations should make war agt. Nations is less surprizing than that they shd their liv[in]g in uninterrupted Peace & Harmony. You have heard that the Ottoman & Russian Courts are Empires are on the point of unsheathing their Swords— The Objects of the Contest are more easy to discern than the Issue, but if Russia shd extend their her navigation to Constantinople, we may be the better for it—that Consideration [combines?] with others in turning our attention to ^Circumstance is ^an^ additional Motive to our forming^ a Treaty of Commerce with her—but your commercial & geographical Knowledge render it unnecessary for me to enlarge on this Subject—

But whatever we may have to do abroad, it is of little Importance when compared to what we have to do at Home—

I am perfectly convinced that no Time is to be lost in raising & maintaining a national Spirit in America— Power to govern the Confederacy, as to all general purposes, should be granted and executed ^exercised^— The Governmts. of the different States shd. be wound up and become vigorous. America is beheld with Jealousy, and Jealousy is seldom idle— Settle your Boundaries without Delay—it is better that some improper Limits shd. be fixed, than any left in Dispute. In a Word, every thing conducive to Union, & constitutional Energy of Governmt. shd. [be] cultivated cherished, & protected and all Men ^Counsels^ & measures of a contrary Complection shd. at least be suspectd of impolitic views & objects—^[in margin] The rapid Progress of Luxury at Philadelphia is a frequent Topic of Conversation here and what is a little remarkable, I have not heard a single person speak of it in Terms of approbation—^

Assure Mr. & Mrs. Morris4 of our constant Regard and believe me to be Dr Morris ^your^ Friend & Servt.