aries I can of the American Indians, as of those
of Asia, persuaded, that if they ever had a common parentage, it will
appear in their languages.

I was pleased to see the vote of Congress, of September the 16th, on the
subject of the Mississippi, as I had before seen, with great uneasiness,
the pursuit of other principles, which I could never reconcile to my
own ideas of probity or wisdom, and from which, and my knowledge of the
character of our western settlers, I saw that the loss of that country
was a necessary consequence. I wish this return to true policy may be in
time to prevent evil. There has been a little foundation for the reports
and fears relative to the Marquis de la Fayette. He has, from the
beginning, taken openly part with those who demand a constitution; and
there was a moment that we apprehended the Bastile: but they ventured on
nothing more, than to take from him a temporary service, on which he
had been ordered; and this, more to save appearances for their own
authority, than any thing else; for at the very time they pretended
that they had put him into disgrace, they were constantly conferring and
communicating with him. Since this, he has stood on safe ground, and is
viewed as among the foremost of the patriots. Every body here is trying
their hand at forming declarations of rights. As something of that kind
is going on with you also, I send you two specimens from hence. The
one is by our friend of whom I have just spoken. You will see that it
contains the essential principles of ours, accommodated as much as
could be, to the actual state of things here. The other is from a very
sensible man, a pure theorist, of the sect called the _Economists_, of
which Turgot was considered as the head. The former is adapted to the
existing abuses, the latter goes to those possible, as well as to those
existing.

With respect to Doctor Spence, supposed to have been taken by the
Algerines, I think the report extremely improbable. O'Bryan, one of our
captives there, has constantly written to me, and given me information
on every subject he thought interesting. He could not have failed to
know if such a capture had been made, though before his time, nor to
inform me of it. I am under perpetual anxiety for our captives there.
The money, indeed, is not yet ready at Amsterdam; but when it shall
be, there are no orders from the board of treasury to the bankers, to
furnish what may be necessary for the redemption of t