rein the suspension of the _habeas corpus_ has done real
good, that operation is now become habitual, and the minds of the nation
almost prepared to live under its constant suspension. A declaration,
that the federal government will never restrain the presses from
printing any thing they please, will not take away the liability of the
printers for false facts printed. The declaration, that religious faith
shall be unpunished, does not give impunity to criminal acts, dictated
by religious error. The saying--there shall be no monopolies, lessens
the incitements to ingenuity, which is spurred on by the hope of a
monopoly for a limited time, as of fourteen years; but the benefit of
even limited monopolies is too doubtful, to be opposed to that of their
general suppression. If no check can be found to keep the number of
standing troops within safe bounds, while they are tolerated as far as
necessary, abandon them altogether, discipline well the militia,
and guard the magazines with them. More than magazine guards will be
useless, if few, and dangerous, if many. No European nation can ever
send against us such a regular army as we need fear, and it is hard, if
our militia are not equal to those of Canada or Florida. My idea then,
is, that though proper exceptions to these general rules are desirable,
and probably practicable, yet if the exceptions cannot be agreed on,
the establishment of the rules, in all cases, will do ill in very few.
I hope, therefore, a bill of rights will be formed, to guard the people
against the federal government, as they are already guarded against
their State governments, in most instances. The abandoning the principle
of necessary rotation in the Senate, has, I see, been disapproved by
many: in the case of the President, by none. I readily, therefore,
suppose my opinion wrong, when opposed by the majority, as in the former
instance, and the totality, as in the latter. In this, however, I should
have done it with more complete satisfaction, had we all judged from the
same position.

Solicitations, which cannot be directly refused, oblige me to trouble
you often with letters, recommending and introducing to you persons who
go from hence to America. I will beg the favor of you to distinguish
the letters wherein I appeal to recommendations from other persons, from
those which I write on my own knowledge. In the former, it is never my
intention to compromit myself or you. In both instances, I must beg y