[JA to Rev: William Walter? (transcript)] [24 Oct. 1797] G. B. Walter. (Oct. Last Chester 20 miles from New York Dear Sir, I received your letter of the 15^th with two Volumes of Essays from the [undecipherable] genius of [undecipherable]. I am here laboured through the three Volumes of my Defence of the Constitutions, you have done them an honor this year, by other means of letters taken the trouble to restore or [think?] — [I have] now written with a view of not only confirming the sentiments for democracy which produced — they 3 collections, but with a hope of leaving before the young history, and all [the] — Some considerations which had not been much attended to by parties [undecipherable] — I have found our foreign world advocates more powers to have been more [benefited?] the truth. The above however has been lost — [What?] or has [its?] [followers?] — Sir Thomas More in his Utopia — Harrington in his Oceana — If I had not some little [undecipherable] of mentioning [them?] made some effect in producing [these?] considerable [undecipherable] I should almost expect — of [hurrying?] against me time in [undecipherable] it — He is an attempt to place government upon the only [principles?] which are now [supportable?] — [a great?] construction of human [voice?] not upon any other manner of the [probabilities?]. [Last?] [Tumult?] of the human heart which produces all — all men [virtuous?] and [natural?] and [conquered?] [signatures?] and difficulties — is applied as a remedy to its own excesses; the emulation of the Legislative and Executive Authorities are made to check each other, and the emulation between the poor and the rich, in their respective representative Assemblies, are employed in the same way, and by no other means, are even human passions restrained, and compelled, to respect the laws. By a short history of nations, is brought to support the theory; but all the eyes of the world have not afforded [undecipherable] enough of its applicability. Even the last few years of the history of France, Holland, Italy, &c. [That?] [possessed?] the [young?] — [many?] of letters I might have made the 3 volumes still more the eloquence of a [hand?] — not however [this?] — to my lot; I never could have endowed numbers to read the [difference?] to have convinced nations, and saved their blood. Such is the condition of humanity. The same congress says of Miss [undecipherable] [Mears?] [is?] a [correct?] [undecipherable] to me, though I still [still?] hope for her recovery. I am made free that the next post will bring me their tidings.