1

Raleigh Mar. 4^th 1804

Sir

When in my late communications
I suggested to your Excellency my
desire to return home on acc^t of the
state of my private affairs, and that
it might be convenient to take the
Legislature in my way, it was
not wished to induce your Excellency
to call the Legislature sooner than
the public good required Ithink it
was agreed during the discussion of of our
affairs with the Legislature here that the
assent of Congress should be necessary
to the compact, it was conceived that
under the then existing circumstances
of the Union relative to amend^t
of the Constitution, no difficulty would
arrive in procuring this assent, and
it was under this impression my former