ur favor of December the 15th, and with it the copies
of your map and travels, for which be pleased to accept my thanks. The
book I have read with extreme satisfaction and information. As to the
western States, particularly, it has greatly edified me; for of the
actual condition of that interesting portion of our country, I had not
an adequate idea. I feel myself now as familiar with it as with the
condition of the maritime States. I had no conception that manufactures
had made such progress there, and particularly of the number of carding
and spinning machines dispersed through the whole country. We are
but beginning here to have them in our private families. Small
spinning-jennies of from half a dozen to twenty spindles, will soon,
however, make their way into the humblest cottages, as well as the
richest houses; and nothing is more certain, than that the coarse and
middling clothing for our families, will for ever hereafter continue to
be made within ourselves. I have hitherto myself depended entirely on
foreign manufactures: but I have now thirty-five spindles a going, a
hand carding-machine, and looms with the flying shuttle, for the supply
of my own farms, which will never be relinquished in my time. The
continuance of the war will fix the habit generally, and out of the
evils of impressment and of the orders of council, a great blessing
for us will grow. I have not formerly been an advocate for great
manufactories. I doubted whether our labor, employed in agriculture,
and aided by the spontaneous energies of the earth, would not procure
us more than we could make ourselves of other necessaries. But other
considerations entering into the question, have settled my doubts.

The candor with which you have viewed the manners and condition of our
citizens, is so unlike the narrow prejudices of the French and English
travellers preceding you, who, considering each the manners and habits
of their own people as the only orthodox, have viewed every thing
differing from that test as boorish and barbarous, that your work will
be read here extensively, and operate great good.

Amidst this mass of approbation which is given to every other part of
the work, there is a single sentiment which I cannot help wishing to
bring to what I think the correct one; and, on a point so interesting,
I value your opinion too highly not to ambition its concurrence with
my own. Stating in volume first, page sixty-third, the principle of
differe