1

Knoxville 11 June 1798

Dear Sir

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 25th Ult, which came to hand
on the 9th instant, with the two papers inclosed.

I fear this will not find you in philadelphia
therefore shall be much shorter then I should
other ways have been I believe with you, that a
war with France is inevitable, and also hope
with you should it be the case, that the good
American people will have good sense enough,
to avoid division- Be assured sir, it shall
be my earnest [stoody? (study)] to have a perfect unanimity
among the people in this Quarter, and do not
entertain a doubt but it will be easily effected

I am sorry so much division stil [sic] appear to have
a place in the house of Representatives, Surely
if war is likely to take place, such violent opposi
tion ought to be at an end, and all unite in
a common defence of their country - I have
read the instructions to the envoys, and think
them fully ample and commensurate, to every
reasonable demand that could be made by the
French - Also I have with much pleasure
perused, the communications, and think the [our?] envoys address
of 18th January, masterly, and unanswerable,
and ^must be satisfactory to every impartial reader -