ThedeathofM。deBuffonyouhaveheardlongago。Idonotknowwhetherweshallhaveanythingposthumousofhis。Astopoliticalnews，thiscountryismakingitswaytoagoodconstitution。Theonlydangeris，theymaypresssofastastoproduceanappealtoarms，whichmighthaveanunfavorableissueforthem。Asyet，theappealisnotmade。Perhapsthewarwhichseemstobespreadingfromnationtonation，mayreachthem：thiswouldinsurethecallingoftheStatesGeneral，andthis，asissupposed，theestablishmentofaconstitution。
　　Ihavethehonortobe，withsentimentsofsincereesteemandrespect，DearSir，yourfriendandservant，”AMONOPOLYOFDESPOTISM”
　　_ToSt。JohndeCrevecoeur_
　　_Paris，August9，1788_
　　DEARSIR，——Whileoursecondrevolutionisjustbroughttoahappyendwithyou，yourshere，isbutcleverlyunderway。Forsomedays，Iwasreallymelancholywiththeapprehension，thatarmswouldbeappealedto，andtheoppositioncrushedinitsfirstefforts。Butthingsseemnowtowearabetteraspect。Whiletheoppositionkeepsatitshighestwholesomepoint，government，unwillingtodrawthesword，isnotforcedtodoit。ThecontesthereisexactlywhatitwasinHolland：acontestbetweenthemonarchicalandaristocraticalpartsofthegovernment，foramonopolyofdespotismoverthepeople。
　　ThearistocracyinHolland，seeingthattheircommonpreywaslikelytoescapeoutoftheirclutches，choserathertoretainitsformerportion，andthereforecoalescedwiththesinglehead。Thepeopleremainedvictims。Here，Ithink，itwilltakeahappierturn。Theparliamentarypartofthearistocracyisalonefirmlyunited。TheNoblesseandClergy，butespeciallytheformer，aredividedpartlybetweentheparliamentaryandthedespoticparty，andpartlyunitedwiththerealpatriots，whoareendeavoringtogainforthenationwhattheycan，bothfromtheparliamentaryandthesingledespotism。
　　IthinkIamnotmistakeninbelieving，thattheKingandsomeofhisministersarewellaffectedtothisband；andsurely，thattheywillmakegreatcessionstothepeople，ratherthansmallonestotheparliament。Theyare，accordingly，yieldingdailytothenationalreclamations，andwillprobablyend，inaccordingawelltemperedconstitution。TheypromisetheStatesGeneralforthenextyear，andIhavegoodinformationthatan_Arret_willappearthedayaftertomorrow，announcingthemforMay，1789。Howtheywillbecomposed，andwhattheywilldo，cannotbeforeseen。Theirconvocation，however，willtranquillisethepublicmind，inagreatdegree，tilltheirmeeting。Thereare，however，twointerveningdifficulties。1。
　　Justicecannottillthencontinuecompletelysuspended，asitnowis。
　　Theparliamentwillnotresumetheirfunctions，butintheirentirebody。Thebaillagesareafraidtoacceptofthem。Whatwillbedone?2。TherearewellfoundedfearsofabankruptcybeforethemonthofMay。Inthemeantime，thewarisspreadingfromnationtonation。SwedenhascommencedhostilitiesagainstRussia；DenmarkisshewingitsteethagainstSweden；PrussiaagainstDenmark；andEnglandtoodeeplyengagedinplayingthebackgame，toavoidcomingforward，anddraggingthiscountryandSpaininwithher。ButevenwarwillnotpreventtheassemblyoftheStatesGeneral，becauseitcannotbecarriedonwithoutthem。War，however，isnotthemostfavorablemomentfordivestingthemonarchyofpower。Onthecontrary，itisthemomentwhentheenergyofasinglehand，shewsitselfinthemostseducingform。
　　YourfriendtheCountessd’HoudetothashadalongillnessatSanois。ShewaswellenoughtheotherdaytocometoParis&wassogoodastocallonme，asIdidalsoonher，withoutfindingeachother。TheDutchessDanvilleisinthecountryaltogether。Yoursonsarewell。Theirmasterspeaksveryhighlyofthegenius&
　　applicationofAly，andmorefavorablyofthegeniusthanapplicationoftheyounger。Theyarebothfinelads，andwillmakeyouveryhappy。IamnotcertainwhethermoreexercisethantherulesoftheschooladmitwouldnotbegoodforAly。IconferredtheotherdayonthissubjectwithM。leMoine，whoseemstobeofthatopinion，&
　　disposedtogivehimeverypossibleindulgence。
　　Averyconsiderableportionofthiscountry，hasbeendesolatedbyahail。Iconsideredthenewspaperaccounts，ofhailstonesoftenpoundsweight，asexaggerations。ButinaconversationwiththeDukedelaRochefoucaut，theotherday，heassuredme，thatthoughhecouldnotsayhehadseensuchhimself，yetheconsideredthefactasperfectlyestablished。Greatcontributions，publicandprivate，aremakingforthesufferers。ButtheywillbelikethedropofwaterfromthefingerofLazarus。Thereisnoremedyforthepresentevil，norwaytopreventfutureones，buttobringthepeopletosuchastateofease，asnottoberuinedbythelossofasinglecrop。
　　Thishailmaybeconsideredasthe_coupdegrace_toanexpiringvictim。Inthearts，thereisnothingnewdiscoveredsinceyouleftus，whichisworthcommunicating。Mr。Payne’sironbridgewasexhibitedhere，withgreatapprobation。Anideahasbeenencouraged，ofexecutingitinthreearches，attheKing’sgarden。Butitwillprobablynotbedone。
　　Iam，withsentimentsofperfectesteemandattachment，DearSir，yourmostobedientandmosthumbleservant，COMMERCE，WAR，ANDREVOLUTION
　　_ToGeorgeWashington_
　　_Paris，Dec。4，1788_
　　SIR，——YourfavorofAug。31。cametohandyesterday；andaconfidentialconveianceoffering，bythewayofLondon，Iavailmyselfofittoacknolegethereceipt。
　　Ihaveseen，withinfinitepleasure，ournewconstitutionacceptedby11。states，notrejectedbythe12th。andthatthe13th。
　　happenstobeastateoftheleastimportance。Itistrue，thattheminoritiesinmostoftheacceptingstateshavebeenveryrespectable，somuchsoastorenderitprudent，wereitnototherwisereasonable，tomakesomesacrificetothem。Iaminhopesthattheannexationofthebillofrightstotheconstitutionwillalonedrawoversogreataproportionoftheminorities，astoleavelittledangerintheoppositionoftheresidue；andthatthisannexationmaybemadebyCongressandtheassemblies，withoutcallingaconventionwhichmightendangerthemostvaluablepartsofthesystem。Calculationhasconvincedmethatcircumstancesmayarise，andprobablywillarise，whereinalltheresourcesoftaxationwillbenecessaryforthesafetyofthestate。Fortho’IamdecidedlyofopinionweshouldtakenopartinEuropeanquarrels，butcultivatepeaceandcommercewithall，yetwhocanavoidseeingthesourceofwar，inthetyrannyofthosenationswhodepriveusofthenaturalrightoftradingwithourneighbors?TheproductsoftheU。S。willsoonexceedtheEuropeandemand：whatistobedonewiththesurplus，whenthereshallbeone?Itwillbeemployed，withoutquestion，toopenbyforceamarketforitselfwiththoseplacedonthesamecontinentwithus，andwhowishnothingbetter。Othercausestooareobvious，whichmayinvolveusinwar；andwarrequireseveryresourceoftaxation&credit。Thepowerofmakingwaroftenpreventsit，andinourcasewouldgiveefficacytoourdesireofpeace。IfthenewgovernmentwearsthefrontwhichIhopeitwill，I
　　seenoimpossibilityintheavailingourselvesofthewarsofotherstoopentheotherpartsofAmericatoourcommerce，asthepriceofourneutrality。
　　ThecampaignbetweentheTurks&twoempireshasbeenclearlyinfavoroftheformer。Theemperorissecretlytryingtobringaboutapeace。ThealliancebetweenEngland，PrussiaandHolland，andsomesuspectSwedenalsorenderstheirmediationdecisivewheneveritisproposed。TheyseemedtointerposeitsomagisteriallybetweenDenmark&Sweden，thattheformersubmittedtoit’sdictates，andtherewasallreasontobelievethatthewarintheNorth-WesternpartsofEuropewouldbequieted。AllofasuddenanewflameburstsoutinPoland。ThekingandhispartyaredevotedtoRussia。TheoppositionrelyontheprotectionofPrussia。Theyhavelatelybecomethemajorityintheconfederateddiet，andhavepassedavoteforsubjectingtheirarmytoacommissionindependentoftheking，andproposeaperpetualdietinwhichcasehewillbeaperpetualcypher。Russiadeclaresagainstsuchachangeintheirconstitution，andPrussiahasputanarmyintoreadinessformarchingatamoment’swarningonthefrontiersofPoland。Theseeventsaretoorecenttoseeasyetwhatturntheywilltake，orwhateffecttheywillhaveonthepeaceofEurope。SoisthatalsoofthelunacyofthekingofEngland，whichisadecidedfact，notwithstandingallthestufftheEnglishpaperspublishabouthisfevers，hisdeliriums&c。Thetruthisthatthelunacydeclareditselfalmostatonce；andwithasfewconcomitantcomplaintsasusuallyattendthefirstdevelopmentofthatdisorder。Isupposearegencywillbeestablished，andifitconsistofapluralityofmembersitwillprobablybepeaceable。Inthiseventitwillmuchfavorthepresentwishesofthiscountry，whicharesodecidedlyforpeace，thattheyrefusedtoenterintothemediationbetweenSwedenandRussia，lestitshouldcommitthem。AssoonastheconvocationoftheStates-generalwasannounced，atranquillitytookplacethro’thewholekingdom。Happilynoopenrupturehadtakenplaceinanypartofit。Theparliamentswerere-instatedintheirfunctionsatthesametime。Thiswasalltheydesired，andtheyhadcalledfortheStatesgeneralonlythroughfearthatthecrowncouldnototherwisebeforcedtore-instatethem。Theirendobtained，theybegantoforeseedangertothemselvesintheStatesgeneral。Theybegantolaythefoundationsforcavillingatthelegalityofthatbody，ifit’smeasuresshouldbehostiletothem。Thecourt，toclearitselfofthedispute，convenedtheNotableswhohadactedwithgeneralapprobationontheformeroccasion，andreferredtothemtheformsofcallingandorganisingtheStates-general。TheseNotablesconsistprincipallyofnobility&clergy，thefewofthetiersetatamongthembeingeitherparliament-men，orotherprivilegedpersons。ThecourtwishedthatinthefutureStatesgeneralthemembersoftheTiersetatshouldequalthoseofboththeotherorders，andthattheyshouldformbutonehouse，alltogether，&votebypersons，notbyorders。ButtheNotables，inthetruespiritofpriestsandnobles，combiningtogetheragainstthepeople，havevotedby5bureauxoutof6。thatthepeopleortiersetatshallhavenogreaternumberofdeputiesthaneachoftheotherordersseparately，andthattheyshallvotebyorders：sothattwoordersconcurringinavote，thethirdwillbeoverruled，foritisnothereasinEnglandwhereeachofthethreebrancheshasanegativeontheothertwo。Ifthisprojectoftheirssucceeds，acombinationbetweenthetwohousesofclergy&nobles，willrendertherepresentationoftheTiersetatmerelynugatory。Thebureauxaretoassembletogethertoconsolidatetheirseparatevotes；butIseenoreasonablehopeoftheirchangingthis。Perhapstheking，knowingthathemaycountonthesupportofthenationandattachitmorecloselytohim，maytakeonhimselftodisregardtheopinionoftheNotablesinthisinstance，andmaycallanequalrepresentationofthepeople，inwhichprecedentswillsupporthim。Ineveryevent，Ithinkthepresentdisquietwillendwell。Thenationhasbeenawakedbyourrevolution，theyfeeltheirstrength，theyareenlightened，theirlightsarespreading，andtheywillnotretrograde。Thefirststatesgeneralmayestablish3。
　　importantpointswithoutoppositionfromthecourt。1。theirownperiodicalconvocation。2。theirexclusiverightoftaxationwhichhasbeenconfessedbytheking。3。therightofregisteringlawsandofpreviouslyproposingamendmentstothem，astheparliamentshavebyusurpationbeeninthehabitofdoing。Thecourtwillconsenttothisfromit’shatredtotheparliaments，andfromthedesireofhavingtodowithoneratherthanmanylegislatures。Ifthestatesareprudenttheywillnotaimatmorethanthisatfirst，lesttheyshouldshockthedispositionsofthecourt，andevenalarmthepublicmind，whichmustbelefttoopenitselfbydegreestosuccessiveimprovements。Thesewillfollowfromthenatureofthings。Howfartheycanproceed，intheend，towardsathoroughreformationofabuse，cannotbeforeseen。Inmyopinionakindofinfluence，whichnoneoftheirplansofreformtakeintoaccount，willeludethemall；
　　Imeantheinfluenceofwomeninthegovernment。Themannersofthenationallowthemtovisit，alone，allpersonsinoffice，tosollicittheaffairsofthehusband，family，orfriends，andtheirsollicitationsbiddefiancetolawsandregulations。Thisobstaclemayseemlesstothosewho，likeourcountrymen，areinthehabitofconsideringRight，asabarrieragainstallsollicitation。Norcansuchanone，withouttheevidenceofhisowneyes，believethedesperatestatetowhichthingsarereducedinthiscountryfromtheomnipotenceofaninfluencewhich，fortunatelyforthehappinessofthesexitself，doesnotendeavortoextenditselfinourcountrybeyondthedomesticline。