ButIhopeitwillbesuchanoneasmaybeaccepted。ThearrivaloftheHornetinFranceissorecentlyknown，thatitwillyetbesometimebeforewelearnourprospectsthere。Notwithstandingtheeffortsmadehere，andmadeprofessedlytoassassinatethatnegotiationinembryo，ifthegoodsenseofBuonaparteshouldprevailoverhistemper，thepresentstateofthingsinEuropemayinducehimtorequireofSpainthatsheshoulddousjusticeatleast。ThatheshouldrequirehertosellusEastFlorida，wehavenorighttoinsist：yettherearenotwantingconsiderationswhichmayinducehimtowishapermanentfoundationforpeacelaidbetweenus。Inthistreaty，whateveritshallbe，ouroldenemiesthefederalists，andtheirnewfriends，willfindenoughtocarpat。Thisisathingofcourse，andIshouldsuspecterrorwheretheyfoundnofault。Thebuzzardfeedsoncarriononly。Theirrallyingpointis`warwithFranceandSpain，andalliancewithGreatBritain：’andeverythingiswrongwiththemwhichcheckstheirnewardortobefightingforthelibertiesofmankind；ontheseaalwaysexcepted。Thereonenationistomonopoliseallthelibertiesoftheothers。
Iread，withextremeregret，theexpressionsofaninclinationonyourparttoretirefromCongress。Iwillnotsaythatthistime，morethanallothers，callsfortheserviceofeveryman；butIwillsay，thereneverwasatimewhentheservicesofthosewhopossesstalents，integrity，firmnessandsoundjudgment，weremorewantedinCongress。SomeoneofthatdescriptionisparticularlywantedtotaketheleadintheHouseofRepresentatives，toconsiderthebusinessofthenationashisownbusiness，totakeitupasifheweresinglychargedwithit，andcarryitthrough。Idonotmeanthatanygentleman，relinquishinghisownjudgment，shouldimplicitlysupportallthemeasuresoftheadministration；butthat，wherehedoesnotdisapproveofthem，heshouldnotsufferthemtogooffinsleep，butbringthemtotheattentionoftheHouse，andgivethemafairchance。Wherehedisapproves，hewillofcourseleavethemtobebroughtforwardbythosewhoconcurinthesentiment。ShallI
explainmyideabyanexample?TheclassificationofthemilitiawascommunicatedtoGeneralVarnumandyourselfmerelyasaproposition，which，ifyouapproved，itwastrustedyouwouldsupport。Iknew，indeed，thatGeneralVarnumwasopposedtoanythingwhichmightbreakupthepresentorganizationofthemilitia：butwhensomodifiedastoavoidthis，Ithoughthemight，perhaps，bereconciledtoit。AssoonasIfounditdidnotcoincidewithyoursentiments，Icouldnotwishyoutosupportit；butusingthesamefreedomofopinion，Iprocuredittobebroughtforwardelsewhere。Itfailedtherealso，andforatimeperhaps，maynotprevail：butamilitiacanneverbeusedfordistantserviceonanyotherplan；andBuonapartewillconquertheworld，iftheydonotlearnhissecretofcomposingarmiesofyoungmenonly，whoseenthusiasmandhealthenablethemtosurmountallobstacles。Whenagentleman，throughzealforthepublicservice，undertakestodothepublicbusiness，weknowthatweshallhearthecantofbackstairscounsellors。Butweneverheardthiswhilethedeclaimerwashimselfabackstairsman，ashecallsit，butintheconfidenceandviewsoftheadministration，asmaymoreproperlyandrespectfullybesaid。Butifthemembersaretoknownothingbutwhatisimportantenoughtobeputintoapublicmessage，andindifferentenoughtobemadeknowntoalltheworld；iftheexecutiveistokeepallotherinformationtohimself，andtheHousetoplungeoninthedark，itbecomesagovernmentofchanceandnotofdesign。Theimputationwasoneofthoseartificesusedtodespoilanadversaryofhismosteffectualarms；andmenofmindwillplacethemselvesaboveagabbleofthisorder。ThelastsessionofCongresswasindeedanuneasyoneforatime：butassoonasthememberspenetratedintotheviewsofthosewhoweretakinganewcourse，theyralliedinassolidaphalanxasIhaveeverseenacttogether。IndeedIhaveneverseenaHouseofbetterdispositions。Theywantonlyamanofbusiness&inwhomtheycanconfidetoconductthingsinthehouse；andtheyareasmuchdisposedtosupporthimascanbewished。Itisonlyspeakingatruthtosaythatalleyeslooktoyou。Itwasnotperhapsexpectedfromanewmember，athisfirstsession，&beforetheforms&styleofdoingbusinesswerefamiliar。Butitwouldbeasubjectofdeepregretwereyoutorefuseyourselftotheconspicuouspartinthebusinessofthehousewhichallassignyou。PerhapsIamnotentitledtospeakwithsomuchfrankness；butitproceedsfromnomotivewhichhasnotarighttoyourforgiveness。Opportunitiesofcandidexplanationaresoseldomaffordedme，thatImustnotlosethemwhentheyoccur。
TheinformationIreceivefromyourquarteragreeswiththatfromthesouth；thatthelateschismhasmadenotthesmallestimpressiononthepublic，andthatthesecedersareobligedtogivetoitothergroundsthanthosewhichweknowtobethetrueones。
Allwehavetowishis，thatattheensuingsession，everyonemaytakethepartopenlywhichhesecretlybefriends。Irecollectnothingnewandtrue，worthycommunicatingtoyou。Asforwhatisnottrue，youwillalwaysfindabundanceinthenewspapers。Amongotherthings，arethoseperpetualalarmsastotheIndians，fornooneofwhichhasthereeverbeentheslightestground。Theyarethesuggestionsofhostiletraders，alwayswishingtoembroiluswiththeIndians，toperpetuatetheirownextortionatecommerce。Isaluteyouwithesteemandrespect。
GARDENSFORMONTICELLO
_ToWilliamHamilton_
_Washington，July，1806_
Yourfavorofthe7’thcamedulytohandandtheplantyouaresogoodastoproposetosendmewillbethankfullyrec’d。ThelittleMimosaJulibrisinyouweresokindastosendmethelastyearisflourishing。Iobtainedfromagardenerinthisnbh’d[neighborhood]2plantsofthepapermulberry；buttheparentplantbeingmale，wearetoexpectnofruitfromthem，unlessyour[trees]
shouldchancetobeofthesexwanted。atafutureday，saytwoyearshenceIshallaskfromyousomeseedsoftheMimosaFarnesianaorNilotica，ofwhichyouwerekindenoughbeforetofurnishmesome。
buttheplantshavebeenlostduringmyabsencefromhome。I
rememberseeinginyourgreenhouseaplantofacoupleoffeetheightinapotthefragranceofwhichfromit’sgummybudifIrecollectrightlywaspeculiarlyagreeabletomeandyouweresokindastoremarkthatitrequiredonlyagreenhouse，andthatyouwouldfurnishmeonewhenIshouldbeinasituationtopreserveit。butit’snamehasentirelyescapedme&Icannotsupposeyoucanrecollectorconjectureinyourvastcollectionwhatparticularplantthismightbe。Imustacquiesethereforeinaprivationwhichmyowndefectofmemoryhasproduced，unlessindeedIcouldsomeofthesedaysmakeanimpromptuvisittoPhila。&recogniseitmyselfattheWoodlands。
Havingdecisivelymadeupmymindforretirementattheendofmypresentterm，myviewsandattentionsareallturnedhomewards。I
havehithertobeenengagedinmybuildingswhichwillbefinishedinthecourseofthepresentyear。Theimprovementofmygroundshasbeenreservedformyoccupationonmyreturnhome。ForthisreasonitisthatIhaveputofftothefalloftheyearafternextthecollectionofsuchcurioustreesaswillbearourwintersintheopenair。
ThegroundswhichIdestinetoimproveinthestyleoftheEnglishgardensareinaformverydifficulttobemanaged。Theycomposethenorthernquadrantofamountainforabout2/3ofitsheight&thenspreadfortheupperthirdoveritswholecrown。Theycontainaboutthreehundredacres，washedatthefootforaboutamile，byariverofthesizeoftheSchuylkill。Thehillisgenerallytoosteepfordirectascent，butwemakelevelwalkssuccessivelyalongit’sside，whichinit’supperpartencirclethehill&intersecttheseagainbyothersofeasyascentinvariousparts。Theyarechieflystillintheirnativewoods，whicharemajestic，andverygenerallyacloseundergrowth，whichIhavenotsufferedtobetouched，knowinghowmucheasieritistocutawaythantofillup。Theupperthirdischieflyopen，buttotheSouthiscoveredwithadensethicketofScotchbroomSpartiumscopariumLin。whichbeingfavorablyspreadbeforethesunwilladmitofadvantageousarrangementforwinterenjoyment。Youaresensiblethatthisdispositionofthegroundtakesfrommethefirstbeautyingardening，thevarietyofhill&dale，&leavesmeasanawkwardsubstituteafewhanginghollows&ridges，thissubjectissouniqueandatthesametimerefractory，thattomakeadispositionanalogoustoitscharacterwouldrequiremuchmoreofthegeniusofthelandscapepainter&gardenerthanIpretendto。IhadoncehopedtogetParkinstogoandgivemesomeoutlines，butIwasdisappointed。
CertainlyIcouldneverwishyourhealthtobesuchastorendertravellingnecessary；butshouldajourneyatanytimepromiseimprovementtoit，thereisnooneonwhichyouwouldbereceivedwithmorepleasurethanatMonticello。ShouldIbethereyouwillhaveanopportunityofindulgingonanewfieldsomeofthetastewhichhasmadetheWoodlandstheonlyrivalwhichIhaveknowninAmericatowhatmaybeseeninEngland。
Thitherwithoutdoubtwearetogoformodelsinthisart。
Theirsunlessclimatehaspermittedthemtoadoptwhatiscertainlyabeautyoftheveryfirstorderinlandscape。Theircanvasisofopenground，variegatedwithclumpsoftreesdistributedwithtaste。Theyneednomoreofwoodthanwillservetoembracealawnoraglade。
Butunderthebeaming，constantandalmostverticalsunofVirginia，shadeisourElysium。Intheabsenceofthisnobeautyoftheeyecanbeenjoyed。Thisorganmustyieldit’sgratificationtothatoftheothersenses；withoutthehopeofanyequivalenttothebeautyrelinquished。TheonlysubstituteIhavebeenabletoimagineisthis。Letyourgroundbecoveredwithtreesoftheloftieststature。
Trimuptheirbodiesashighastheconstitution&formofthetreewillbear，butsoasthattheirtopsshallstillunite&yeilddenseshade。Awood，soopenbelow，willhavenearlytheappearanceofopengrounds。Then，whenintheopengroundyouwouldplantaclumpoftrees，placeathicketofshrubspresentingahemispherethecrownofwhichshalldistinctlyshowitselfunderthebranchesofthetrees。Thismaybeeffectedbyadueselection&arrangementoftheshrubs，&willIthinkofferagroupnotmuchinferiortothatoftrees。Thethicketsmaybevariedtoobymakingsomeofthemofevergreensaltogether，ourredcedarmadetogrowinabush，evergreenprivet，pyrocanthus，Kalmia，Scotchbroom。Hollywouldbeelegantbutitdoesnotgrowinmypartofthecountry。
OfprospectIhavearichprofusionandofferingitselfateverypointofthecompass。Mountainsdistant&near，smooth&
shaggy，single&inridges，alittleriverhidingitselfamongthehillssoastoshewinlagoonsonly，cultivatedgroundsundertheeyeandtwosmallvillages。Topreventasatietyofthisistheprincipaldifficulty。Itmaybesuccessivelyoffered，&indifferentportionsthroughvistas，orwhichwillbebetter，betweenthicketssodisposedastoserveasvistas，withtheadvantageofshiftingthescenesasyouadvanceonyourway。
YouwillbesensiblebythistimeofthetruthofmyinformationthatmyviewsareturnedsosteadfastlyhomewardthatthesubjectrunsawaywithmewheneverIgetonit。Isatdowntothankyouforkindnessesreceived，&tobespeakpermissiontoaskfurthercontributionsfromyourcollection&Ihavewrittenyouatreatiseongardeninggenerally，inwhichartlessonswouldcomewithmorejusticefromyoutome。
DISCONTENTSINTHEWEST
_ToJohnDickinson_
_Washington，Jan。13，1807_
MYDEARANDANCIENTFRIEND，——Ihavedulyreceivedyourfavorofthe1stinst。，andameverthankfulforcommunicationswhichmayguidemeinthedutieswhichIwishtoperformaswellasIamable。
ItisbuttootruethatgreatdiscontentsexistintheterritoryofOrleans。ThoseoftheFrenchinhabitantshavefortheirsources，1，theprohibitionofimportingslaves。ThismaybepartlyremovedbyCongresspermittingthemtoreceiveslavesfromtheotherStates，which，bydividingthatevil，wouldlessenitsdanger；2，theadministrationofjusticeinourforms，principles，&language，withallofwhichtheyareunacquainted，&arethemoreabhorrent，becauseoftheenormousexpense，greatlyexaggeratedbythecorruptionofbankrupt&greedylawyers，whohavegonetherefromtheUdS。&
engrossedthepractice；3，thecallonthembythelandcommissionerstoproducethetitlesoftheirlands。Theobjectofthisisreallytorecord&securetheirrights。Butasmanyofthemholdonrightssoancientthatthetitlepapersarelost，theyexpectthelandistobetakenfromthemwherevertheycannotproducearegulardeductionoftitleinwriting。Inthistheywillbeundeceivedbythefinalresult，whichwillevincetothemaliberaldispositionofthegovernmenttowardsthem。AmongtheAmericaninhabitantsitistheolddivisionoffederalists&republicans。Theformerareashostilethereastheyareeverywhere，&arethemostnumerous&wealthy。