1781.
I am indebted to you, my dear Hamilton, for two letters; the first
from Albany, as masterly a piece of cynicism as ever was penned; the
other from Philadelphia, dated the second March: in both, you mention
a design of retiring, which makes me exceedingly unhappy. I would not
wish to have you, for a moment, withdrawn from the public service: at
the same time, my friendship for you, and knowledge of your value to
the United States, make me most ardently desire, that you should fill
only the first offices of the Republic. I was flattered with an account
of your being elected a delegate from New-York, and am much mortified
not to hear it confirmed by yourself. I must confess to you, that, at
the present stage of the war, I should prefer your going into Congress,
and from thence becoming a minister plenipotentiary for peace, to your
remaining in the army, where the dull system of seniority, and the
_tableau_, would prevent you from having the important commands to
which you are entitled: but at any rate I will not have you renounce
your rank in the army, unless you entered the career above mentioned.
Your private affairs cannot require such immediate and close attention.
You speak like a _paterfamilias_ surrounded with a numerous progeny.
I had, in fact, resumed the black project, as you were informed,
and urged the matter very strenuously, both to our privy council
and legislative body; but I was out-voted, having only reason on my
side, and being opposed by a triple-headed monster, that shed the
baneful influence of avarice, prejudice, and pusillanimity, in all
our assemblies. It was some consolation to me, however, to find that
philosophy and truth had made some little progress since my last
effort, as I obtained twice as many suffrages as before.