.

My situation, far in the interior of the country, was not favorable to
the object of getting this work translated and printed. Philadelphia is
the least distant of the great towns of our States, where there exists
any enterprise in this way; and it was not till the spring following
the receipt of your letter, that I obtained an arrangement for its
execution. The translation is just now completed. The sheets came to me
by post, from time to time, for revisal; but not being accompanied by
the original, I could not judge of verbal accuracies. I think, however,
it is substantially correct, without being an adequate representation
of the excellences of the original; as indeed no translation can be. I
found it impossible to give it the appearance of an original composition
in our language. I therefore think it best to divert inquiries after the
author towards a quarter where he will not be found; and with this view,
propose to prefix the prefatory epistle now enclosed. As soon as a copy
of the work can be had, I will send it to you by duplicate. The secret
of the author will be faithfully preserved during his and my joint
lives; and those into whose hands my papers will fall at my death will
be equally worthy of confidence. When the death of the author, or his
living consent shall permit the world to know their benefactor, both
his and my papers will furnish the evidence. In the mean time, the many
important truths the works so solidly establishes, will, I hope, make it
the political rudiment of the young, and manual of our older citizens.

One of its doctrines, indeed, the preference of a plural over a singular
executive, will probably not be assented to here. When our present
government was first established, we had many doubts on this question,
and many leanings towards a supreme executive council. It happened that
at that time the experiment of such an one was commenced in France,
while the single executive was under trial here. We watched the motions
and effects of these two rival plans, with an interest and anxiety
proportioned to the importance of a. choice between them. The experiment
in France failed after a short course, and not from any circumstance
peculiar to the times or nation, but from those internal jealousies and
dissensions in the Directory, which will ever arise among men equal in
power, without a principal to decide and control their differences. We
had tried a similar experiment in 1784, by establishi