majority of all political parties are desirous of remaining at rest. They have become fatigued with party dissensions, and expect no benefit from their continuance. But our people are so easily excited, that a little matter will answer the purpose. I fully agree with you that the President's smiling dispensation of promiscuous complacency must soon cease to have any effect. He may probably soon find himself involved in unexpected turmoil. Among other difficulties which are pressing on him, I do not see how he is to dispose of the subject of internal improvements which he flattered himself he had got rid of, with great adroitness, by requesting Congress not to quarrel with him about it. With his professed opinion, how can he assent to the appropriation of money for this object. Under the management of corporations created by the States, as seems to be intended by Congress, this indirect mode of pursuing the object does not, as I think, free the measure in any degree from the supposed constitutional difficulty, but subjects it to other weighty objections.

Both from the manner and matter of Mr. Adams' answer to poor Don Onis, I infer that the administration has no fear of a war with Spain. There are many obvious reasons why Spain ought to avoid a conflict with us. But if her councils are as weak and mad as is generally represented, there can be no safe reliance on her prudence or forbearance.

I have been somewhat amused with Mr. Pinkney's statement of the result of his mission to Naples. I wish our merchants had their rights; yet recollecting the degrading manner in which his renomination was pressed on the Senate, I cannot much regret to see the exact fulfillment of your prophecy. The bill prohibiting British vessels from their colonies from an entry in our ports, which passed the Senate so unanimously, excites considerable attention in this quarter where that trade is deemed of importance. The expectation is that the British will succumb, as they did in the case of the (201)

26

Plaster Act of the last session.

Should this expectation be disappointed and the trade be destroyed, it will cause much clamor among

1An act approved March 3, 1817, forbidding the importation of plaster in foreign vessels from countries whence vessels of the United States were not allowed to bring it.

our traders. I think, however, it will be better for the country in the end that the trade should be destroyed than to be carried on as it now is by the exclusion of our vessels.

I am sincerely and faithfully yours,

J. MASON.

JEREMIAH MASON TO MISS MARY E. MASON.

PORTSMOUTH, April 19, 1818.

MY DEAR MARY, I advised you when at home, so fully, on what I thought required your strict attention, that it may seem unnecessary to enlarge on those topics. But my affection for you and anxiety for your welfare induce me to restate a few ideas.

To arrive at great excellence in any of your pursuits, you must entirely conquer all that indolence and listlessness, to which, either from natural disposition or habit, I fear you are a good deal subject. You must acquire more energy and force of mental exertion. This is to be attained by a vigorous and continued exercise of the powers of the mind. By such exercise, those powers will be greatly increased and sharpened. None of your studies are better calculated for this purpose than composition. I wish you therefore to pay special attention to it. Write long pieces. After reading and thinking on the subject on which you are to write, express your ideas, in the first instance, rapidly and boldly, as they occur. The great object is to secure the ideas; this must be done without much attention to their dress. You may afterwards, at leisure, dress them in the most appropriate language you can, and if necessary, new-model the sentences. This however is a matter of minor importance. If you have good strong ideas, you will soon learn to express them well enough. In attempting composition you must not suffer yourself to be restrained by diffidence, or false delicacy, but exert boldly (202) all the powers you have. Never encourage with yourself a low and mean opinion of your own talents. This is often the effect of mere indolence. In most pursuits, a firm resolution to excel, and persevering diligence, will secure success. Without them nothing very estimable ever was, or will be attained.

This same zealous and ardent exertion, with resolute perseverance, is necessary for your success, whatever be the object of your pursuit. Even in manners and external accomplishments, nothing

can be done without it. I strongly urge your attention to this, because I fear you are somewhat deficient in this particular. I hope the plain manner I use will not hurt your feelings. No other would be likely to do any good.

I suppose Alfred has given you all the family and town news.
Your affectionate father,
J. M.

RUFUS KING TO JEREMIAH MASON.

CRAWFORD'S, April 21, 1818.

DEAR SIR,-I yesterday received your obliging letter of April 13, in which you acknowledge the receipt of one from me without date. Congress adjourned last evening. Except laws that will require the payment of a good deal of money out of the treasury, we have done nothing that is mischievous, as a great many private money bills did not pass by reason of the delay in getting them sufficiently forward. The evil is not as great as a longer session would have made it. The pension to Revolutionary officers and soldiers will, as I expect, turn out much greater than was anticipated. The comprehension of all who served for the term of nine months and more, was imprudent.

I was inclined to have confined the provisions to the officers, but could meet with no support. The soldiers were paid high bounties, and clothed and fed. Not so the officers. I would have gone as far as to include all the soldiers who were in the Continental army when it was discharged, but this was discrimination, and (203) it was with difficulty that the militia was shut out. The sailors go in, notwithstanding their prize money.

For manufacturers, we have raised the import duty on iron in bars, from nine to fifteen dollars per ton, with a correspondent increase of the import on nails, spikes, and iron castings. The twentyfive per cent. on cotton and woolen goods, which was limited to 1819, has been extended to 1826, by which time, with this encouragement, our own manufactures will or ought to be so established, that coarse cottons and fine woolens may perhaps be prohibited from abroad.

We have moreover passed a navigation law that, after September, closes our ports against British vessels coming from British ports closed against American vessels. This is a strong measure, but