[draft] New York 30 May 1787. Madam Having but just returned from Philadelphia it was only yesterday I had the honor to receive your favor of the 2d instant I have conversed with [struck: Mr] my brother, on the subject you wrote to me [struck: concerning Mr Winslow Warren] Whatever may be his dispositions on the occasions his powers are utterly inadequate to give a discharge on the part of Mr Hawkins for less than the real sum. Were he to do [struck: this] [inserted: it] he would render himself liable for the deficiency - But he will cheerfully accept the sum proposed by Mr Winslow Warren on account, and will write to Mr Hawkins a fair statement of the [struck: affair] [inserted: transaction] In the mean time Mr W. Warren, may be assured that my brother will in no degree attempt [strikeout] [inserted: to] interrupt [struck: or hindrance] to his plans - and he informs him that he has written to Mr Breck to this purpose - [2] I feel myself [inserted: madam] much indebted to you [struck: madam] for the favor of your letter, and the confidence you reposed in my friendship on the primary subject of it - I have only to lament the want of power on the part of my brother, or I am persuaded that I should have been able to have influenced to acquiesce [struck: with] [inserted: completely] with [struck: the requ] your request. Respecting politics, as you have given me the opportunity I shall take the liberty of indulging [inserted: confidentially] a few reflections, [struck: confidentially] [inserted and struck: confidentially] relying on your candour for an excuse [inserted: struck line] if any ideas escape, which from my view of things may have the appearance of being inconsistent with our former creeds. When I survey man, [struck: analyze] [inserted: analyze] his passions & investigate his views - [inserted: Take] Retrospect [inserted: of] his progressions through the various stages of society [struck: exhibited by history and the various] [inserted: and blind impulses to pursue the present enjoyment to the exclusion of future good, I tremble at the [inserted: present] awful crises - I arrange in my imagination two or three hundred millions of [our] posterity with their [inserted: eyes] fixed on our conduct, ready to [struck: burst] [3] [struck: into loud [accumulations] of applause of] [inserted: applaud] our wisdom or to execrate our folly - I long for that [inserted: degree of] intuition which belongs [struck: not] to a higher race of [inserted: beings than] man, in order to exhibit [inserted: strongly] to the view of my countrymen the importance of the present moment [struck: to show them clearly] the [struck: f] effects which will flow from the [causes] established at the [present] moment, [whether arising from accident or design] - That our system operates badly indeed, no person, who knows the discontents which pervade the united states will deny - not only our commerce is ruined but such [struck: a total] [destruction] of moral principle as must alarm every upright and intelligent lover of his country - [struck line] Anarchy with [struck: his his] [inserted: its] [struck: wide] [inserted: horrid] [strikeout] [inserted: train of] misery seems ready to overwhelm [struck: this happy] this region marked by nature for happiness [4] Were we to examine [inserted: without prejudice] our [inserted: political] systems [struck: will] perhaps we shall there find the [inserted: source of all the] evils of which we complain and [inserted: all] those what we apprehend - Our [struck: friend] respectable and [enlightened] friend Mr Adams [struck: has another] book will be the surest basis of his reputation - It is true he has been unfortunate in his title [inserted and struck: It should have been] [inserted: it should have been "The Soul of a free governmt"] - But still his book will be the means of great good. It is [word] spoken in season - He there points out [struck: the root of] [inserted: one of the causes of] our misery and prost[text loss] character - There in, the caprice, [struck: of] the [struck: uncontrollable effects] [inserted: headlong conduct] of a government with[out] [strikeout] [inserted: strong] checks by [struck: branches] different branches, or a division of power by a balance - Smart democracy sweeps away every [struck: feature] [inserted and struck: trait moral] [inserted: & divine trait] from the human character [struck: either moral or dive divine] However [struck: you see] [inserted: it is that] reason law and [strikeout] [inserted and struck: moral] [inserted: [illegible [struck: principle overwhelmed in every] [inserted: is banished almost every] legislature [strikeout] in the [that] [text loss] [5] [presents] Convenience, - paper money - and ex post facto Laws are the main springs of the American governments - [struck: virtue is sick vice is riding & about to ride triumphant those are the cases for] In addition to the these evils [inserted: [strikeout, The [inserted: [local national character is totally lost, by the [monster of money] [strikeout] [inserted: the state governments] [granted] says candor but the remedy? - pardon me the convention is sitting - and [strikeout] [inserted: shall] one [end] of the [strikeout] Cincinnati [struck: to have the] presume to give his opinion! - I confess [inserted: however] my only hope [inserted: of [illegible] assistance] is found [struck: under the auspice of heaven] on the Convention. Should they possess the hardihood to be unpopular, and propose an efficient national government free from the entanglements of the present defective state systems, we may [struck: yet be happy] yet be a happy and great nation - But I have no expectations [6] expectations if there propositions are [truly] [struck: good] [inserted: wise] that they will be immediately accepted - I should rather suppose that they will be ridiculed, in the same manner [struck: that] as was the ark while building by Noah - But if human nature be influenced by invariable principles we are on the eve of political storms - If [struck: the propositions sh] the convention should propose [struck: the erection of a fine] [inserted: to erect a] temple [struck: of] [inserted: to] Liberty [struck: supported by] [inserted: founded on equal Laws virtue, and Justice all [struck: the] people of principle will in the first instance embrace the proposals - Demegogues and vicious characters [struck: may] [inserted: will] oppose for a while - but reason will at [struck: last be] [inserted: length] triumph. But should the convention seek to please, should they possess local [7] local and not general views - should they propose to patch up the wretched & defective thing called the confederation - look out ye patriots - supplicate heaven [strikeout] Seperate anarchies will take place [strikeout] hostile conflicts will happen and in [proportion] to their [struck: length and] [services], [inserted: & duration] will be the [strikeout] strength of the tyrannies which shall be established on the issue - The party triumphant will never submit its actions to the decisions of a free legislature no - The [inserted: tyrants] will [direct] - If they call an assembly of the people it will be to devise ways & [8] means for raising more money like the notables in France - But say you all this may appear true to a man of warm imagination, but still you have not given a [distant] glimpse of your government of Laws - your [paradise] of [strikeout] humanity - true madam - I should like to hear your [struck: ideas] opinions [illegible] upon the subject - do you [remember] what you once [whispered] to me at M. Russells? - [struck: I wished that it [strikeout] [was] not so far gone ] [inserted: I should [illegible] so hereafter But [illegible - I wish to try the experiment of a strong national republic - [struck: I] The state governments should be deprived of the power of injuring themselves or the nation - The people have parted with power enough to form an excellent constitution - But [struck: the power] [inserted: it], is intercepted and diffused among hordes which cannot use it to good purpose - It must be concertered [sic] in a national government [9] The power of that government should be divided between a strong executive, senate and assembly - The powers that each should have, [struck: and the length of time and by whom they should be chosen] [inserted: finished] would be a subject of nice discussion and much detail - [struck: with respect to the length of] [inserted: The] time [inserted: however] it should be for [such] a term as would give stability to the system - The assembly might be annual biannul [sic] & triannial but not longer - a judicial formed on the highest principles of independency - This government should possess every power necessary for national purposes - [inserted: which would leave the state governments but very little] [struck: the] But every thing should be defined, marked, and checked according to the highest human wisdom - an attempt to overleap the bounds of the Constitution should be punished on the absolute certainty & great severity - Thus Madam I have [10] I have confided to your liberality my [crude] sentiments on our present situation & [struck: the] stated the mildest remedy that the case will admit - To attempt less I am apprehensive will be to precipitate us in to the gulph of separate anarchies on the [issue] of which we may see established seperate [sic] tyrannies - [strikeout] [inserted: The tyrants] will find ways and means by reciprocal alliances between the forces to render the fetters of the people as [durable] as brass or iron I have said nothing on the subject of foreign intrigues which will agitate us in the course of our [conversations] - [struck: This obj] This circumstance is too [struck: ostensible] [inserted: obvious] to need any [struck: comment] [inserted: illustration] and much evil it will produce - [docket] To Mrs General Warren Milton Hill near Boston 30 May 1787