PARIS, Aug. 6, 1787.
DEAR SIR,--I am honored with your letter by your son, and shall be
happy to render him every assistance in my power of whatever nature.
The objects of his stay in this country, and of his visit to London,
are perfectly well judged. So of that to Amsterdam. Perhaps it is
questionable, whether the time you propose he should spend at some of
the German courts might not be better employed at Madrid or Lisbon, and
in Italy. At the former there could be no object for him but politics,
the system of which there is intricate, and can never be connected with
us; nor will our commercial connections be considerable. With Madrid
and Lisbon our connections, both political and commercial, are great
and will be increasing daily. Italy is a field where the inhabitants of
the Southern States may see much to copy in agriculture, and a country
with which we shall carry on considerable trade. Pardon my submitting
these thoughts to you. We shall pursue your own plan unless you notify
a change in it.
The present question in Europe is war or not war? I think there will be
none between the Emperor and his Brabantine subjects. But as to
Holland, it is more doubtful, for we do not as yet consider the little
partisan affairs which are taking place every day. France and England,
conscious that their exhausted means would poorly feed a war, have been
strenuously exerting themselves to procure an accommodation. But the
King of Prussia, in a moment of passion, has taken a measure which may
defeat their wishes. On receiving from the Princess of Orange, a letter
informing him of her having been stopped on the road, without
consulting the court of London, without saying a word to his own
ministers, he issued orders himself to his Generals to march twenty
thousand men to be at her orders. England, unwilling to bring on a war,
may yet fear to separate from him who is to be her main ally. Still,
she is endeavoring, in concurrence with this court, to stop the effects
of this hasty movement, and to bring about a suspension of hostilities
and settlement of difficulties, always meaning if they fail in this, to
take the field in opposition to one another. Blessed effect of a kingly
government, where a pretended insult to the sister of a king, is to
produce the wanton sacrifice of a hundred or two thousand of the people
who have entrusted themselves to his government, and as many of his
enemies! and we think ours a bad government. The only condition on
earth to be compared with ours, in my opinion, is that of the Indian,
where they have still less law than we. The European, are governments
of kites over pigeons. The best schools for republicanism are London,
Versailles, Madrid, Vienna, Berlin, &c. Adieu, my dear Sir, and be
assured of the sincere esteem of your most obedient humble servant.