My Dear Sir I have just read your letter by the [illegible] but must beg leave to Differ [inserted: from] you in the main argument of it for I confess [inserted: then] both as a Soldier and a Politician that I think the only time for the redress of grievances, is the time of War, and I believe that no instance can be provided from history, of those who have been foolish enough to wait for the time of peace ever obtaining any redress at all… -but I will go a little farther, [illegible] you will think too far, I attest that America had almost better be conquerd, at least in the degree [illegible] now only be in danger of being conquered, than endure any longer such an odious tyranny as the capricious arbitrary government of an unlimited uncontrolable Assembly- . . .[3] Our free System has abounded in so short a period as four years self-government, abuses not to be paralleled by all the enormities of the worst governments in Europe in twenty times that legnth of period -- and I repeat the before that no consideration on earth should deter us from putting some immediate restraints on the Power of a body of Men who stand convicted of such complicated iniquity.