[To Hancock Jany '90] [28] [153] [733-734] My dear Sir In my private capacity I take the liberty of enclosing you my essay on the subject of a republican national militia — & The result of my reflections on the subject of republics are [strikethrough: undecipherable] that [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] of government are the more glorious [and] the productive of happiness and [undecipherable: enlargement?] of the human mind than other forms, [strikethrough: undecipherable] it cannot be [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] guarded against the machinations of the ambitious [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] more unless the people will sacrifice some portion of ease, and [undecipherable] strong [undecipherable] when compared [undecipherable] deeply impressed the truth [strikethrough: undecipherable] that we are now [undecipherable: fixing?] a permanent [strikethrough: undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable: approbation?] that a [undecipherable] just [undecipherable] a nature as to [undecipherable] the liberty that [undecipherable: emanation?] of [undecipherable] — the [undecipherable] of the United States [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] on [undecipherable] [undecipherable] on the [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I may experience [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] on what is [undecipherable] enough [undecipherable], and [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] own [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] — I know not what [undecipherable] is [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — but I believe that [undecipherable] your [undecipherable: approbation?], and [undecipherable] of the commonwealth of Massachusetts [undecipherable] take [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and the [undecipherable] would be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — For [undecipherable] is [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to so powerful [undecipherable] places in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] have [undecipherable] systems, that [undecipherable] [undecipherable] not [undecipherable] any easily [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] on [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] expense — [undecipherable] [undecipherable] M^r Knox has recently presented me with another [undecipherable] you [undecipherable] we are by the [undecipherable] of [undecipherable], [undecipherable] young [undecipherable] men — xx from some conversation [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] with [undecipherable] [undecipherable] he appeared to [undecipherable] — to be a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — but [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] would [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] you [undecipherable] my sincere [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] him — [undecipherable] dear Sir with [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] [His Excellency Gov^t Hancock —] [undecipherable: postal notation]