[Private] 22 Oct^r 1797 To Secy. of State [Ar] Near Bloomingdam 22 Octo. 1797. Dear Sir I recd yesterday your letter of the 19^th, and have also to acknowledge several others and the nice papers relative to [undecipherable] to Pres. for Baltimore proceedings at Debtroit. If I have not [undecipherable] acknowledged them sooner it is [undecipherable] because I knew you would find an excuse for it in your friendship for me, and [knowing?] [undecipherable] [strikethrough: My [undecipherable] is] I have been [undecipherable] My [undecipherable] is [undecipherable] I have been too much occupied with [undecipherable] & the [south?] that [for?] a [undecipherable] of the public [burdens?] I am a [undecipherable] idle because I cannot [undecipherable] which leaves me no [undecipherable] time to enjoy it. I incline to think that your conjecture is right respecting the way in which your letter to the Don found its passage to the news-papers. [Frenau?] sent me [pamphlets?] [I had said?] to [long?] that may come to be to my office, and [terms?] I [proceeded?] sent [undecipherable] them to the different [parts?] without [undecipherable] instructions upon receiving me [by?] immediately [undecipherable] destruction and [undecipherable] to the [host?] [undecipherable] was sent and without [undecipherable] instructions. I sent one to [M^r?] Hoff of [Pittsburgh?] [undecipherable]. He despatched [it?] [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] of my [undecipherable] to whom [undecipherable] I forbid him as I did all [others?] not to [undecipherable] but I required him as I did [all?] going not to [undecipherable] into a [prime?] then [endless?] to [cut into a?] [I could say?] Hoff of news-paper [undecipherable] Pittsburgh. The publication I believe has done much good in that quarter [undecipherable] Be pleased to send the [undecipherable] packet to the President and [write?] as also [a?] copy of [him?] [as?] postage. [and?] I thought [the contents?] [was?] not sent to [me?] once [than?] you [undecipherable] that I have not been [idle?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] it [inspects?] some [happenings?] to make some certain [undecipherable] [causes?] [bend?] [certain?] one [subject?] who have [their?] [most peculiarly?] [undecipherable] [their?] [challenges?] of [undecipherable] encountering and their [compass?] [conception?] upon [others?] and who can't [relate?] a yours Tim Pickering Jr.