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"high crimes and misdemeanors," can get the better of his chagrin, or meet some of his credulous and deluded constituents, without shame and confusion, I am at a loss to account. Nothing, surely, can carry him through, but that consummate vanity and ambition, which first tempted him to make so unprovoked and so unwarrantable an attack. He has been completely mortified, at a public meeting, in his own district, since his return. Instead of entertaining all companies, as heretofore, with declamations on the abuses in the Treasury Department, not a single syllable was uttered about Hamilton or his conduct-he was แ as mute as a fish." No notice was taken of any of the toasts which he gave; while those given by Carrington were huzzaed and applauded. The report will be published in our papers; when the people at large will find that they have been shamefully imposed uponfor, when rightly informed, they will determine right. They will immediately discover that it was impossible for that man's hands even to be soiled with public money, whom they had been taught to believe had appropriated thousands to the use of himself and his friends. They will find that an able and faithful servant hath been vilely slandered, and most cruelly calumniated. Seeing these things, they will naturally draw their own conclusions. The result, very probably, may not turn out much to the advantage of the leader of the forlorn hope.

I am sorry, my dear sir, as a citizen of the United States, and a friend to our government, to understand that you are preparing to retire. Your loss will be felt. But, as a private friend, I cannot but be pleased at your endeavoring to find that contentment and happiness in private pursuits, which no public employment can possibly afford. And your constitution must have received a shock, which will require time, much tranquillity of mind, and cheerful company to restore.

MY DEAR SIR:

CARRINGTON TO HAMILTON.

RICHMOND, July 9th, 1794.

I do not write this letter as congratulatory upon the final issue of the Inquiry into the Treasury Department, as I never conceived you exposed to receive injury therefrom. I write to express my most sincere wishes that you will not suffer the illiberality with which you have been treated, to deprive the public of your services, at least until the storm which hangs over us, and is to be dreaded, not less from our own follies and vices than the malignance and intrigues of foreigners, blows over. It is true you have been abused, but this has been, and still is, the fate of him who was supposed out of the reach of all slander. It is indeed the lot, in some degree, of every man amongst us who has the sense or fortitude to speak and act rationally, and such men must continue so to speak and act, if we are saved from anarchy.

If there have been a number of copies of the Report of the Committee printed, I wish you to send me as many as you can, that they may be dispersed in this State. I can assure you that your enemies are much less loquacious on the subject than they once were; and there having been pretty confident assurances made, that the issue of the inquiry would consign the Secretary of the Treasury to infamy, expectations have been so fixed on that object, that the disappointment is by no means unnoticed. The manner in which the renewal of the business came forward, and the very long and deliberate course which it was suffered to take, in the hands of the accusers themselves, give the issue its best effect. Should John Jay be successful in his mission, our good democrats, I fear, will lose too much of their influence to be useful guardians against the strides of aristocracy. His appointment is now the theme for declamation. These watchmen may perhaps experience the same neglect from the great body of the people, as is instanced in the fable of the Shepherd's Boy and the Wolves. Indeed, I am fully persuaded, that the appa

rent attention they now receive, is by no means a real one; they speak loud in many places, and no one speaks against them; hence they claim a general concurrence of the people with them. But I have never yet seen an experiment tried of a counteraction, but it has produced good effects.

Let me have some copies of the Report if you can, and believe me to be, with great sincerity and truth,

Your friend and servant,

DEAR SIR:

EDWARD CARRINGTON.

HIGGINSON TO HAMILTON.

BOSTON, July 10th, 1794.

I received your letter of June 24th, and have noted your observations relative to copper and iron for the frigates. I believe the decision to resort to England for the copper, is right. It is very doubtful, with me, whether you will find copper in Sweden properly fitted for sheathing, and not certain that they can there prepare it equal to the English. Sheet copper was imported from Gottenburg, last .war, for our privateers; but it was so thick and badly drawn that it was not used; and it was then said, that in Sweden they had no works capable of doing it nearly equal to the British. But iron may certainly be got from Sweden and Russia, of the best quality, and on the lowest

terms.

We have here had much experience, by trial, of the qualities of the duck manufactured, in this town; so, also, must they have had in Philadelphia, for large parcels have been there sold and used. Our experience certainly does not support the sug gestions you mention; it is esteemed here less subject to mildew and shrinking than any other. I have, indeed, never heard of

its having mildewed in one instance. The varnish or sizing here used, being animal instead of vegetable, made from cowheels, may guard it against both those defects. It is a novel improvement, originating with this manufactory, and intended. to prevent both mildew and shrinking. The former, it cer tainly has well effected, and the latter, as far as practicable, perhaps.

How does it appear, that duck made of flax is more liable to mildew and shrink than that made of hemp? The Russia duck is said to be made wholly of hemp, and that we know will both shrink and mildew. The duck made in England is made wholly of flax; so, also, is the Irish and Dutch, I believe; and all these will both shrink and mildew. Hemp, when tarred and made into cordage, will shrink so much, that vessels' shrouds, in long rains or fogs, will break by mere force of contraction, when sufficiently slack before to be safe. The superintendent of this manufactory is an Englishman, bred up under his father, who had the care of one of the king's factories in England; he seems to be a complete master of the executive part of the business, and to have a thorough knowledge of the flax and other materials, as to quality and preparing them; but he is full of prejudice, as those people generally are. He says, that the fibre of hemp is too hard and wire-like to make good warp for duck; it will cut the filling, and the cloth will crack away. This may be true, when not properly prepared and softened; but that quality may be done away by curing and dressing; and this is exemplified in a new factory, where hemp only is used. But it may be true that the hemp-fibre, with every art, cannot be reduced so fine or made so even as that of flax; and this difference may be in favor of using flax for duck, rather than hemp. All other things being equal, the fine fibre will make the cloth more firm and even, and of course will wear better.

I have clothed a number of vessels with our duck, and it has certainly worn better than either Russia or English of common qualities. The experience of others who have used it, has here established its reputation fully; and our sailmakers all say that

it wears longer than those others, and never has proved liable to mildew like them. Having often made sails of this, and of Russia or English at the same time, for the same vessels, where they have had equal wear, the opinion of the sailmakers, after viewing them when they were returned to them for repair or examination, ought to have much weight; it is perhaps the best evidence we can have in the case.

Upon the whole, I believe that better duck can be got from this factory than any that can be found in our market imported from Europe; perhaps as good as we could obtain by a special order, and a particular desire to have the best imported. If an order be given in time for them to select the best flax-to have it spun and wove purposely for the frigates—I have no doubt they will be well clothed; and I am persuaded they will take due pains, because the superintendent and proprietors are desirous to supply the duck. I ought perhaps to say that I have no interest in the factory, was this opinion to be given to the public.

The rupture between Portugal and Algiers is renewed,—an event very favorable to our commerce, and tending to quiet turbulent spirits. Would it not be grateful to Portugal, and useful to our country, to form a convention with her relative to those robbers? If we say, that having a common interest with her in confining them within the straits, we will keep three or four ships to assist in doing it, as soon as they can be built and fitted, she may agree to make no truce with them without our consent, on giving a year's or six months' notice.

I wish Mr. Jay, with our ministers at Paris and London, were authorized to offer themselves as mediators, should the appearances in Europe clearly evidence a disposition to make peace, in the powers at war. The existing state of things may, and probably will, be such, as that all parties may earnestly wish for peace; but the causes, objects, and circumstances of this war are novel and extraordinary, and may prevent any overtures for want of mediation.

What power in Europe so likely to be used for this as

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