Ihaveusedlooseandroundnumberstheexactunitbeingyetundeterminedmerelytogiveageneralideaofthemeasuresandweightsproposed，whencomparedwiththosewenowuse。AndinthenamesofthesubdivisionsIhavefollowedthemetrologyoftheordinanceofCongressof1786，whichfortheirseriesbelowunitadoptedtheRomannumerals。ForthataboveunittheGrecianisconvenient，andhasbeenadoptedinthenewFrenchsystem。
　　Wecomenowtoourlastquestion，inwhatformshallweofferthismetricalsystemtotheworld?Insomeonewhichshallbealtogetherunassuming；whichshallnothavetheappearanceoftakingtheleadamongoursisterinstitutionsinmakingageneralproposition。Sojealousisthespiritofequalityintherepublicofletters，thatthesmallestexcitementofthatwouldmarourviews，howeversalutaryforall。Weareinhabitsofcorrespondencewithsomeoftheseinstitutions，andidentityofcharacterandofobject，authorizeourenteringintocorrespondencewithall。Letusthenmatureoursystemasfarascanbedoneatpresent，byascertainingthelengthofthesecondpendulumof45degreesbyformingtwotables，oneofwhichshallgivetheequivalentofeverydifferentdenominationofmeasures，weightsandcoinsintheseStates，intheunitofthatpendulum，itsdecimalsandmultiples；andtheotherstatingtheequivalentofallthedecimalpartsandmultiplesofthatpendulum，intheseveraldenominationsofmeasures，weightsandcoinsofourexistingsystem。Thisdone，wemightcommunicatetooneormoreoftheseinstitutionsineverycivilizedcountryacopyofthosetables，statingasourmotive，thedifficultywehadexperienced，andoftentheimpossibilityofascertainingthevalueofthemeasures，weightsandcoinsofothercountries，expressedinanystandardwhichwepossess；thatdesirousofbeingrelievedfromthis，andofobtaininginformationwhichcouldbereliedonforthepurposesofscience，aswellasofbusiness，wehadconcludedtoaskitfromthelearnedsocietiesofothernations，whoareespeciallyqualifiedtogiveitwiththerequisiteaccuracy；thatinmakingthisrequestwehadthoughtitourdutyfirsttodoourselves，andtooffertoothers，whatwemeanttoaskfromthem，bystatingthevalueofourownmeasures，weightsandcoins，insomeunitofmeasurealreadypossessed，oreasilyobtainable，byallnations；thatthependulumvibratingsecondsofmeantime，presentsitselfassuchanunit；itslengthbeingdeterminedbythelawsofnature，andeasilyascertainableatalltimesandplaces；thatwehavethoughtthatof45degreeswouldbethemostunexceptionable，asbeingameanofallotherparallels，andopentoactualtrialinbothhemispheres。Inthis，therefore，asanunit，andinitspartsandmultiplesinthedecimalratio，wehaveexpressed，inthetablescommunicated，thevalueofallthemeasures，weightsandcoinsusedintheUnitedStates，andweaskinreturnfromtheirbodyatableoftheweights，measuresandcoinsinusewithintheircountry，expressedinthepartsandmultiplesofthesameunit。Havingrequestedthesamefavorfromthelearnedsocietiesofothernations，ourobjectis，withtheirassistance，toplacewithinthereachofourfellowcitizensatlargeaperfectknowledgeofthemeasures，weightsandcoinsofthecountrieswithwhichtheyhavecommercialorfriendlyintercourse；andshouldthesocietiesofothercountriesinterchangetheirrespectivetables，thelearnedwillbeinpossessionofanuniformlanguageinmeasures，weightsandcoins，whichmaywithtimebecomeusefultootherdescriptionsoftheircitizens，andeventotheirgovernments。This，however，willrestwiththeirpleasure，notpresuming，inthepresentproposition，toextendourviewsbeyondthelimitsofourownnation。IofferthissketchmerelyastheoutlineofthekindofcommunicationwhichIshouldhopewouldexcitenojealousyorrepugnance。
　　Peculiarcircumstances，however，wouldrequirelettersofamorespecialcharactertotheInstituteofFrance，andtheRoyalSocietyofEngland。ThemagnificentworkwhichFrancehasexecutedintheadmeasurementofsolargeaportionofthemeridian，hasaclaimtogreatrespectinourreferencetoit。Weshouldonlyaskacommunicationoftheirmetricalsystem，expressedinequivalentvaluesofthesecondpendulumof45degreesasascertainedbyMessrs。
　　Borda，CoulombandCassini，adding，perhaps，therequestofanactualrodofthelengthofthatpendulum。
　　WithEngland，ourexplanationswillbemuchmoredelicate。
　　Theyaretheoldercountry，themothercountry，moreadvancedintheartsandsciences，possessingmorewealthandleisurefortheirimprovement，andanimatedbyapridemorethanlaudable*。Itistheirmeasures，too，whichweundertaketoascertainandcommunicatetothemselves。Thesubjectshouldthereforebeopenedtothemwithinfinitetendernessandrespect，andinsomewaywhichmightgivethemdueplaceinitsagency。Theparallelof45degreesbeingwithinourlatitudeandnotwithintheirs，theactualexperimentsunderthatwouldbeofcourseassignabletous。Butasacorrective，IwouldproposethattheyshouldascertainthelengthofthependulumvibratingsecondsinthecityofLondon，orattheobservatoryofGreenwich，whileweshoulddothesameinanequi-distantparalleltothesouthof45degrees，supposein38degrees29’。Wemightaskofthem，too，astheyareinpossessionofthestandardsofGuildhall，ofwhichwecanhavebutanunauthenticaccount，tomaketheactualapplicationofthosestandardstothependulumwhenascertained。Theoperationweshouldundertakeunderthe45thparallel，aboutPassama-quoddy，wouldgiveusahappyoccasion，too，ofengagingoursistersocietyofBostoninourviews，byreferringtothemtheexecutionofthatpartofthework。Forthatof38degrees29’weshouldbeataloss。ItcrossesthetidewatersofthePotomac，aboutDumfries，andIdonotknowwhatourresourcestherewouldbeunlessweborrowthemfromWashington，wheretherearecompetentpersons。
　　*Wearealloccupiedinindustriouspursuits。Theyaboundwithpersonslivingontheindustryoftheirfathers，orontheearningsoftheirfellowcitizens，givenawaybytheirrulersinsinecuresandpensions。Someofthese，desirousoflaudabledistinction，devotetheirtimeandmeanstothepursuitsofscience，andbecomeprofitablemembersofsocietybyanindustryofahigherorder。
　　AlthoughIhavenotmentionedPhiladelphiaintheseoperations，Ibynomeansproposetorelinquishthebenefitofobservationstobemadethere。Herscienceandperfectionintheartswouldbeavaluablecorrectivetothelessperfectstateofthemintheotherplacesofobservation。Indeed，itistobewishedthatPhiladelphiacouldbemadethepointofobservationsouthof45degrees，andthattheRoyalSocietywouldundertakethecounterpointonthenorth，whichwouldbesomewherebetweentheLizardandFalmouth。Theactualpendulumsfrombothofourpointsofobservation，andnotmerelythemeasuresofthem，shouldbedeliveredtothePhilosophicalSociety，tobemeasuredundertheireyeanddirection。
　　AsthisisreallyaworkofcommonandequalinteresttoEnglandandtheUnitedStates，perhapsitwouldbestillmorerespectfultomakeourpropositiontoherRoyalSocietyintheoutset，andtoagreewiththemonapartitionofthework。Inthiscase，anycommencementofactualexperimentsonourpartshouldbeprovisionalonly，andpreparatorytotheultimateresults。Wemight，inthemeantime，provisionallyalso，formatableadaptedtothelengthofthependulumof45degrees，accordingtothemostapprovedestimates，includingthoseoftheFrenchcommissioners。Thiswouldservetointroducethesubjecttotheforeignsocieties，inthewaybeforeproposed，reservingtoourselvesthechargeofcommunicatingtothemamoreperfectone，whenthatshallhavebeencompleted。
　　Wemayevengoastepfurther，andmakeageneraltableofthemeasures，weightsandcoinsofallnations，takingtheirvaluehypotheticallyforthepresent，fromthetablesinthecommercialdictionaryoftheencyclopediamethodique，whichareveryextensive，andhavetheappearanceofbeingmadewithgreatlaborandexactness。
　　TotheseIexpectwemustintheendrecur，asasupplementforthemeasureswhichwemayfailtoobtainfromothercountriesdirectly。
　　TheirreferenceistothefootorinchofParis，asastandard，whichwemayconvertintopartsofthesecondpendulumof45degrees。
　　Ihavethus，mydearsir，committedtowritingmygeneralideasonthissubject，themorefreelyastheyareintendedmerelyassuggestionsforconsideration。Itisnotprobabletheyofferanythingwhichwouldnothaveoccurredtothecommitteeitself。Myapologyonofferingthemmustbefoundinyourrequest。Myconfidenceinthecommittee，ofwhichItakeforgrantedyouareone，istooentiretohaveintrudedasingleideabutonthatground。
　　Beassuredofmyaffectionateandhighesteemandrespect。
　　RECONCILIATION
　　_ToJohnAdams_
　　_Monticello，Jan。21，1812_
　　DEARSIR——Ithankyoubeforehandfortheyarenotyetarrivedforthespecimensofhomespunyouhavebeensokindastoforwardmebypost。Idoubtnottheirexcellence，knowinghowfaryouareadvancedinthesethingsinyourquarter。Herewedolittleinthefineway，butincoarseandmidlinggoodsagreatdeal。Everyfamilyinthecountryisamanufactorywithinitself，andisverygenerallyabletomakewithinitselfallthestouterandmidlingstuffsforit’sowncloathingandhouseholduse。Weconsiderasheepforeverypersoninthefamilyassufficienttoclotheit，inadditiontothecottom，hempandflaxwhichweraiseourselves。ForfinestuffweshalldependonyourNorthernmanufactures。Ofthese，thatistosay，ofcompanyestablishments，wehavenone。Weuselittlemachinery。TheSpinningJennyandloomwiththeflyingshuttlecanbemanagedinafamily；butnothingmorecomplicated。
　　Theeconomyandthriftinessresultingfromourhouseholdmanufacturesaresuchthattheywillneveragainbelaidaside；andnothingmoresalutaryforushaseverhappenedthantheBritishobstructionstoourdemandsfortheirmanufactures。Restorefreeintercoursewhentheywill，theircommercewithuswillhavetotallychangedit’sform，andthearticlesweshallinfuturewantfromthemwillnotexceedtheirownconsumptionofourproduce。
　　Aletterfromyoucallsuprecollectionsverydeartomymind。
　　Itcarriesmebacktothetimeswhen，besetwithdifficultiesanddangers，wewerefellowlaborersinthesamecause，strugglingforwhatismostvaluabletoman，hisrightofself-government。Laboringalwaysatthesameoar，withsomewaveeveraheadthreateningtooverwhelmusandyetpassingharmlessunderourbark，weknewnothow，werodethroughthestormwithheartandhand，andmadeahappyport。Stillwedidnotexpecttobewithoutrubsanddifficulties；
　　andwehavehadthem。FirstthedetentionoftheWesternposts：thenthecoalitionofPilnitz，outlawingourcommercewithFrance，andtheBritishenforcementoftheoutlawry。InyourdayFrenchdepredations：inmineEnglish，andtheBerlinandMilandecrees：nowtheEnglishordersofcouncil，andthepiraciestheyauthorise：whentheseshallbeover，itwillbetheimpressmentofourseamen，orsomethingelse：andsowehavegoneon，andsoweshallgoon，puzzledandprosperingbeyondexampleinthehistoryofman。AndI
　　dobelieveweshallcontinuetogrowl，[i。e。，grow]tomultiplyandprosperuntilweexhibitanassociation，powerful，wiseandhappy，beyondwhathasyetbeenseenbymen。AsforFranceandEngland，withalltheirpre-eminenceinscience，theoneisadenofrobbers，andtheotherofpirates。Andifscienceproducesnobetterfruitsthantyranny，murder，rapineanddestitutionofnationalmorality，I
　　wouldratherwishourcountrytobeignorant，honestandestimableasourneighboringsavagesare。
　　Butwhitherissenilegarrulityleadingme?Intopolitics，ofwhichIhavetakenfinalleave。Ithinklittleofthem，andsayless。IhavegivenupnewspapersinexchangeforTacitusandThucydides，forNewtonandEuclid；andIfindmyselfmuchthehappier。SometimesindeedIlookbacktoformeroccurrences，inremembranceofouroldfriendsandfellowlaborers，whohavefallenbeforeus。OfthesignersoftheDeclarationofIndependanceIseenowlivingnotmorethanhalfadozenonyoursideofthePotomak，and，onthisside，myselfalone。YouandIhavebeenwonderfullyspared，andmyselfwithremarkablehealth，andaconsiderableactivityofbodyandmind。Iamonhorseback3。or4。hoursofeveryday；visit3。or4。timesayearapossessionIhave90milesdistance，performingthewinterjourneyonhorseback。Iwalklittlehowever；asinglemilebeingtoomuchforme；andIliveinthemidstofmygrandchildren，oneofwhomhaslatelypromotedmetobeagreatgrandfather。Ihaveheardwithpleasurethatyoualsoretaingoodhealth，andagreaterpowerofexerciseinwalkingthanIdo。ButI
　　wouldratherhaveheardthisfromyourself，andthat，writingaletter，likemine，fullofegotisms，andofdetailsofyourhealth，yourhabits，occupationsandenjoyments，Ishouldhavethepleasureofknowingthat，intheraceoflife，youdonotkeep，init’sphysicaldecline，thesamedistanceaheadofmewhichyouhavedoneinpoliticalhonorsandatchievements。NocircumstanceshavelessenedtheinterestIfeelintheseparticularsrespectingyourself；nonehavesuspendedforonemomentmysincereesteemforyou；andInowsaluteyouwithunchangedaffectionsandrespect。
　　CONCERNINGTHEINDIANS
　　_ToJohnAdams_
　　_Monticello，June11，1812_