Your favor of Dec. 26. was duly recieved, as also the correspondence therein referred to. mr Coles delivered me to-day your request of a copy of the Parl. Manual for yourself & another for the Speaker. I therefore send one to each of you in separate packages by this post. you will have seen an account in all the papers, (with so many details, as to make one forget for a moment that they never utter a truth) of our affairs being entirely made up with Spain. there is not one word of truth in it, if we may judge from mr Pinckney’s silence in a letter dated the day before he left Madrid: I may say further, it is impossible it should be true. Congress are not unanimous in the Spanish business. they act in it however by a strong majority. when our affairs with England come on there will be much greater & more irreconcileable differences of opinion. the classification of the militia has been reported against by a committee. but if any judgment can be formed from individual conversations it will be established. if it is, we need never raise a regular in expectation of war. a militia of young men will hold on until regulars can be raised, & will be the nursery which will furnish them. I had rather have that classification established, than any number of regulars which could be voted at this time. we are told you are to come to Congress. in the mean time your birth here stands in statu quo. I shall always be glad to hear from you and to give you every assurance of my constant affection. accept with it that of my respect & esteem.