nd limits to all
the successors of the Caesars, and holding even the balance in which the
fortunes of this new world are suspended. I own, that while I rejoice,
for the good of mankind, in the deliverance of Europe from the havoc
which would have never ceased while Bonaparte should have lived in
power, I see with anxiety the tyrant of the ocean remaining in vigor,
and even participating in the merit of crushing his brother tyrant.
While the world is thus turned upside down, on which side of it are
we? All the strong reasons, indeed, place us on the side of peace; the
interests of the continent, their friendly dispositions, and even the
interests of England. Her passions alone are opposed to it. Peace would
seem now to be an easy work, the causes of the war being removed. Her
orders of council will no doubt be taken care of by the allied powers,
and, war ceasing, her impressment of our seamen ceases of course. But I
fear there is foundation for the design intimated in the public
papers, of demanding a cession of our right in the fisheries. What will
Massachusetts say to this? I mean her majority, which must be considered
as speaking through the organs it has appointed itself, as the index of
its will. She chose to sacrifice the liberty of our sea-faring citizens,
in which we were all interested, and with them her obligations to the
co-States, rather than war with England. Will she now sacrifice the
fisheries to the same partialities? This question is interesting to her
alone; for to the middle, the southern, and western States, they are
of no direct concern; of no more than the culture of tobacco, rice, and
cotton to Massachusetts. I am really at a loss to conjecture what our
refractory sister will say on this occasion. I know what, as a citizen
of the Union, I would say to her. 'Take this question ad referendum. It
concerns you alone. If you would rather, give up the fisheries than war
with England, we give them up. If you had rather fight for them, we will
defend your interests to the last drop of our blood, choosing rather to
set a good example than follow a bad one.' And I hope she will determine
to fight for them. With this, however, you and I shall have nothing
to do; ours being truly the case wherein '_Non tali auxilio, nec
defensoribus istis, tempus eget_.' Quitting this subject, therefore, I
will turn over another leaf.

I am just returned from one of my long absences, having been at my
other home for five weeks