From a divided & yet Unfortunate City (Ci devant a Jacobin One,) An Individual unknown to you, but who has from your First Speech from The Chair, Unequall’d, in Firmness, Decision, Precision, & Perspicuity, by any One ever deliverd There; & which in place of waiting the opinion of others, most nobly, yes at that period, I will say, daringly, & Boldly Gave Your own, wt: an Energy if known, Yet but little practis’d (of late Years) in our new Government. Where Gentlemen High in Office. Have been in the habitt of following Tacitly—& peacably, the Vox Populi, even when Leading to Anarchy, <at> Ruin—or Gallic Principles, which are now The Climax of Villainy; rather than Risque the losing of a Particle of That thing call’d Popularity, so meanly Courted, by most men in Office, ci devant, That it has in my Eyes Grown to allmost—a General, & Just Reproach on our Nationall Character, & likely to become a part of it, if not nobly stemm’d by more than Roman Fortitude & The Good Yeomanry of America, Conscious of not having Abilities to Judge properly on Great, & Important National Concerns, in place of having a line of Conduct mark’d out for Them. & which they Generally have too much modesty, & Diffidence to think they can draw for Themselves, have been left without a Pilot. to mark The Shoals, & Quick sands; & led for want of better Preceptors, to Follow—The accurs’d Factious Opinions of self created Societies, of imported French, Irish, & Jaundice Eyed American Jacobins; in Their Democratic Clubs on the seabord from New Hampshire To Georgia; & The Focus of Democracy, Fells Point Baltimore! Requesting Sir, that you will pardon This Intrusion on your Privacy, & Time, that no doubt can be much better Employ’d, I have only now by way of making my Apology, to Refferr you to The enclos’d Papers, which as The Chief Majistrate of a Great Country—you may not think unworthy of one Reading—More so when <between> Two Great Quarrells Going forward, One between my Friend Col. Howard & General Smith, & Our most Eminent Lawyer, Winchester Versus General Smith. The whole of our City is in a Ferment; & I much dread, it will not <be> End, or Settle without Bloodshed! Since I have inadvertently, & perhaps improperly Given, a Character of your Celebrity—an opinion unask’d—I may go on, & say Further That from my own knowledge of This City—its Environs, & Virginia, there is, Form’d, & are now Forming, Volunteer Companies, That I would Rather Go in to Battle against, than with—were The numbers Equal, (and French) & The Battle to hang in dubio! This is a Severe Remark, yet To Judge me Heaven, were it the last I had to make, & my Passport to Eternity depended on it—I could not alter, nor Recede from!!! On any new matter turning up of Public Import, if I thot: my observations or Inclosures, would not be intruding On you, or Disagreable, I might Hereafter if occasion offer’d make you more—Assuring you Sir, In the most Respectfull manner, that my Intention is Good—& Pure—& not actuated by either vanity or ambition—I Remain wt: Every Good wish towards You, & a Firm advocate of your measures. measures, that ought to have been adopted earlier Your unknown Friend