YourcommunicationstotheCountdeMoustier，whatevertheymayhavebeen，cannothavedoneinjurytomyendeavorsheretoopentheW。Indiestous。Onthisheadtheministersareinvinciblymute，tho’Ihaveoftentriedtodrawthemintothesubject。Ihavethereforefounditnecessarytoletitlietillwarorothercircumstancemayforceiton。WhenevertheyareinwarwithEngland，theymustopentheislandstous，andperhapsduringthatwartheymayseesomepricewhichmightmakethemagreetokeepthemalwaysopen。InthemeantimeIhavelaidmyshouldertotheopeningthemarketsofthiscountrytoourproduce，andrenderingit’stransportationanurseryforourseamen。AmaritimeforceistheonlyonebywhichwecanactonEurope。OurnavigationlawifitbewisetohaveanyshouldbethereverseofthatofEngland。Insteadofconfining_importations_tohome-bottomsorthoseofthe_producing_nations，Ithinkweshouldconfine_exportations_tohomebottomsortothoseofnations_havingtreatieswithus_。Ourexportationsareheavy，andwouldnourishagreatforceofourown，orbeatemptingpricetothenationtowhomweshouldofferaparticipationofitinexchangeforfreeaccesstoalltheirpossessions。Thisisanobjecttowhichourgovernmentaloneisadequateinthegross，butIhaveventuredtopursueit，here，sofarastheconsumptionofproductionsbythiscountryextends。Thusinourarrangementsrelativetotobacco，nonecanbereceivedherebutinFrenchorAmericanbottoms。Thisisemploimentfornearly2000
seamen，andputsnearlythatnumberofBritishoutofemploy。Bythe_Arret_ofDec，1787，itwasprovidedthatourwhaleoilsshouldnotbereceivedherebutinFrenchorAmericanbottoms，andbylaterregulationsalloilsbutthoseofFranceandAmericaareexcluded。
Thiswillput100Englishwhalevesselsimmediatelyoutofemploy，and150。erelong；andcallsomanyofFrench&Americanintoservice。Wehavehad6000seamenformerlyinthisbusiness，thewholeofwhomwehavebeenlikelytolose。Theconsumptionofriceisgrowingfastinthiscountry，andthatofCarolinagaininggroundoneveryotherkind。IamofopinionthewholeoftheCarolinaricecanbeconsumedhere。It’stransportationemploys2500sailors，almostallofthemEnglishatpresent；thericebeingdepositedatCowes&broughtfromthencehere。ItwouldbedangeroustoconfinethistransportationtoFrench&Americanbottomstheensuingyear，becausetheywillbemuchengrossedbythetransportationofwheat&
flourhither，andthecropofricemightlieonhandforwantofvessels；butIseenoobjectionstotheextensionsofourprincipletothisarticlealso，beginningwiththeyear1790。However，beforethereisanecessityofdecidingonthisIhopetobeabletoconsultournewgovernmentinperson，asIhaveaskedofCongressaleaveofabsencefor6。months，thatistosayfromApriltoNovembernext。
Itisnecessaryformetopayashortvisittomynativecountry，firsttoreconductmyfamilythither，andplacetheminthehandsoftheirfriends，&secondlytoplacemyprivateaffairsundercertainarrangements。WhenIleftmyownhouse，Iexpectedtobeabsentbut5months，&Ihavebeenledbyeventstoanabsenceof5years。I
shallhopethereforeforthepleasureofpersonalconferenceswithyourExcellencyonthesubjectofthisletterandothersinterestingtoourcountry，ofgettingmyownideassettorightsbyacommunicationofyours，andoftakingagainthetoneofsentimentofmyowncountrywhichweloseinsomedegreeafteracertainabsence。
YouknowdoubtlessofthedeathoftheMarquisedeChastellux。TheMarquisdeLaFayetteisoutoffavorwiththecourt，buthighinfavorwiththenation。Ioncefearedforhispersonalliberty，butI
hopeheisonsafegroundatpresent。OnthesubjectofthewhalefisheryIincloseyousomeobservationsIdrewupfortheministryhere，inordertoobtainacorrectionoftheir_Arret_ofSeprlast，wherebytheyhadinvolvedouroilswiththeEnglishinageneralexclusionfromtheirports。Theywillaccordinglycorrectthis，sothatouroilswillparticipatewiththeirsinthemonopolyoftheirmarkets。Thereareseveralthingsincidentallyintroducedwhichdonotseempertinenttothegeneralquestion。Theywererenderednecessarybyparticularcircumstancestheexplanationofwhichwouldaddtoaletteralreadytoolong。IwilltrespassnofurtherthenthantoassureyouofthesentimentsofsincereattachmentandrespectwithwhichIhavethehonortobeyourExcellency’smostobedt。humbleservant。
P。S。Theobservationsinclosed，tho’printed，havebeenputintoconfidentialhandsonly。
CONVENINGTHEESTATESGENERAL
_ToRichardPrice_
_Paris，January8，1789_
DEARSIR，——IwasfavoredwithyourletterofOctober26th，andfarfromfindinganyofitssubjectsuninterestingasyouapprehend，theyweretome，aseverythingwhichcomesfromyou，pleasingandinstructive。Iconcurwithyoustrictlyinyouropinionofthecomparativemeritsofatheismanddemonism，andreallyseenothingbutthelatterinthebeingworshippedbymanywhothinkthemselvesChristians。Youropinionsandwritingswillhaveeffectinbringingotherstoreasononthissubject。OurnewConstitution，ofwhichyouspeakalso，hassucceededbeyondwhatIapprehendeditwouldhavedone。IdidnotatfirstbelievethatelevenStatesoutofthirteenwouldhaveconsentedtoaplanconsolidatingthemasmuchintoone。Achangeintheirdispositions，whichhadtakenplacesinceIleftthem，hadrenderedthisconsolidationnecessary，thatistosay，hadcalledforafederalgovernmentwhichcouldwalkuponitsownlegs，withoutleaningforsupportontheStatelegislatures。A
senseofnecessity，andasubmissiontoit，istomeanewandconsolatoryproofthat，wheneverthepeoplearewell-informed，theycanbetrustedwiththeirowngovernment；that，wheneverthingsgetsofarwrongastoattracttheirnotice，theymaybereliedontosetthemtorights。Yousayyouarenotsufficientlyinformedaboutthenatureandcircumstancesofthepresentstrugglehere。Havingbeenonthespotfromitsfirstorigin，andwatcheditsmovementsasanuninterestedspectator，withnootherbiasthanaloveofmankind，I
willgiveyoumyideasofit。Thoughcelebratedwritersofthisandothercountrieshadalreadysketchedgoodprinciplesonthesubjectofgovernment，yettheAmericanwarseemsfirsttohaveawakenedthethinkingpartofthisnationingeneralfromthesleepofdespotisminwhichtheyweresunk。TheofficerstoowhohadbeentoAmerica，weremostlyyoungmen，lessshackledbyhabitandprejudice，andmorereadytoassenttothedictatesofcommonsenseandcommonright。
Theycamebackimpressedwiththese。Thepress，notwithstandingitsshackles，begantodisseminatethem；conversation，too，assumednewfreedom；politicsbecamethethemeofallsocieties，maleandfemale，andaveryextensiveandzealouspartywasformed，whichmaybecalledthePatrioticparty，who，sensibleoftheabusivegovernmentunderwhichtheylived，longedforoccasionsofreformingit。Thispartycomprehendedallthehonestyofthekingdom，sufficientlyatitsleisuretothink；themenofletters，theeasybourgeois，theyoungnobility，partlyfromreflection，partlyfrommode；forthosesentimentsbecameamatterofmode，andassuchunitedmostoftheyoungwomentotheparty。Happilyforthenation，ithappenedthat，atthesamemoment，thedissipationsofthecourthadexhaustedthemoneyandcreditoftheState，andM。deCalonnesfoundhimselfobligedtoappealtothenation，andtodeveloptoittheruinoftheirfinances。Hehadnoideaofsupplyingthedeficitbyeconomies，hesawnomeansbutnewtaxes。Totemptthenationtoconsenttothesesomedouceurswerenecessary。TheNotableswerecalledin1787。Theleadingvicesoftheconstitutionandadministrationwereablysketchedout，goodremediesproposed，andunderthesplendorofthepropositions，ademandformoremoneywascouched。TheNotablesconcurredwiththeministerinthenecessityofreformation，adroitlyavoidedthedemandofmoney，gothimdisplaced，andoneoftheirleadingmenplacedinhisroom。ThearchbishopofThoulouse，bytheaidofthehopesformedofhim，wasabletoborrowsomemoney，andhereformedconsiderablytheexpensesofthecourt。Notwithstandingtheprejudicessinceformedagainsthim，heappearedtometopursuethereformationofthelawsandconstitutionassteadilyasamancoulddowhohadtodragthecourtafterhim，andeventoconcealfromthemtheconsequencesofthemeasureshewasleadingtheminto。Inhistimethecriminallawswerereformed，provincialassembliesandStatesestablishedinmostoftheprovinces，theStatesGeneralpromised，andasolemnacknowledgmentmadebytheKingthathecouldnotimposeanewtaxwithouttheconsentofthenation。Itistruehewascontinuallygoadedforwardbythepublicclamors，excitedbythewritingsandworkingsofthePatriots，whowereabletokeepupthepublicfermentationattheexactpointwhichbordersonresistance，withoutenteringonit。TheyhadtakenintotheiralliancetheParliamentsalso，whowereled，byverysingularcircumstances，toespouse，forthefirsttime，therightsofthenation。TheyhadfromoldcauseshadpersonalhostilityagainstM。deCalonnes。Theyrefusedtoregisterhislawsorhistaxes，andwentsofarastoacknowledgetheyhadnopowertodoit。Theypersistedinthiswithhissuccessor，whothereforeexiledthem。Seeingthatthenationdidnotinterestthemselvesmuchfortheirrecall，theybegantofearthatthenewjudicaturesproposedintheirplacewouldbeestablishedandthattheirownsuppressionwouldbeperpetual。Inshort，theyfoundtheirownstrengthinsufficienttoopposethatoftheKing。TheythereforeinsistedthattheStatesGeneralshouldbecalled。HeretheybecameunitedwithandsupportedbythePatriots，andtheirjointinfluencewassufficienttoproducethepromiseofthatassembly。Ialwayssuspectedthatthearchbishopshadnoobjectionstothisforceunderwhichtheylaidhim。ButthePatriotsandParliamentinsisteditwastheireffortswhichextortedthepromiseagainsthiswill。There-establishmentoftheParliamentwastheeffectofthesamecoalitionbetweenthePatriotsandParliament；
but，oncere-established，thelatterbegantoseedangerinthatverypower，theStatesGeneral，whichtheyhadcalledforinamomentofdespair，butwhichtheynowforesawmightverypossiblyabridgetheirpowers。Theybegantopreparegroundsforquestioningtheirlegality，asarodovertheheadoftheStates，andasarefugeiftheyshouldreallyextendtheirreformationstothem。Mr。NeckarcameinatthisperiodandverydexterouslydisembarrassedtheadministrationofthesedisputesbycallingthenotablestoadvisetheformofcallingandconstitutingtheStates。Thecourtwaswelldisposedtowardsthepeople，notfromprinciplesofjusticeorlovetothem；buttheywantmoney。Nomorecanbehadfromthepeople。
Theyaresqueezedtothelastdrop。Theclergyandnobles，bytheirprivilegesandinfluence，havekepttheirpropertyinagreatmeasureuntaxedhitherto。Theythenremaintobesqueezed，andnoagentispowerfulenoughforthisbutthepeople。Thecourtthereforemustallyitselfwiththepeople。ButtheNotables，consistingmostlyofprivilegedcharacters，hadproposedamethodofcomposingtheStates，whichwouldhaverenderedthevoiceofthepeople，orTiersEtats，intheStatesGeneral，inefficientforthepurposeofthecourt。ItconcurredthenwiththePatriotsinintriguingwiththeParliamenttogetthemtopassavoteinfavoroftherightsofthepeople。Thisvote，balancingthatoftheNotables，hasplacedthecourtatlibertytofollowitsownviews，andtheyhavedeterminedthattheTiersEtatshallhaveintheStatesGeneralasmanyvotesastheclergyandnoblesputtogether。Stillagreatquestionremainstobedecided，thatis，shalltheStatesGeneralvotebyorders，orbypersons?
precedentsarebothways。Theclergywillmoveheavenandearthtoobtainthesuffragebyorders，becausethatparriestheeffectofallhithertodoneforthepeople。Thepeoplewillprobablysendtheirdeputiesexpresslyinstructedtoconsenttonotax，tonoadoptionofthepublicdebts，unlesstheunprivilegedpartofthenationhasavoiceequaltothatoftheprivileged；thatistosay，unlessthevoiceoftheTiersEtatbeequalledtothatoftheclergyandnobles。
Theywillhavetheyoungnoblesseingeneralontheirside，andtheKingandcourt。Againstthemwillbetheancientnoblesandtheclergy。SothatIhope，uponthewhole，thatbythetimetheymeet，therewillbeamajorityofthenoblesthemselvesinfavoroftheTiersEtat。Sofarhistory。Wearenowtocometoprophecy；foryouwillask，towhatwillallthislead?Ianswer，iftheStatesGeneraldonotstumbleatthethresholdonthequestionbeforestated，andwhichmustbedecidedbeforetheycanproceedtobusiness，thentheywillintheirfirstsessioneasilyobtain，1。
TheirfutureperiodicalconvocationoftheStates。2。Theirexclusiverighttoraiseandappropriatemoneywhichincludesthatofestablishingacivillist。3。Aparticipationinlegislation；