Philadelphia 5^th Jany 1798 Dear Sir, I have rec'd. your letter of the 2^d of Dec ult: and feel myself much obliged to you for the information it contains. You have acted this part of a good citizen, as you have always done, in [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] concerning [undecipherable]. [strikethrough: whether also be a very good [undecipherable]] And I shall always be thankfull to you for any kind of information about which you may conceive may interest the U.S. to [undecipherable]. The situation of our country is somewhat delicate. Within it we have persons who from prejudice or other causes view the government and those who have been called to administer its executive with dislike and [who] and this [seem?] to pursue a course of opposition calculated to invite foreign invasion and to [excite?] [undecipherable] discord, actions, [undecipherable] have differences to settle with a very powerful [?] and ambitious nation — but it would [both?] such results who [seem?] determined to [undermine?] — [undecipherable] all their proceedings. I trust however that the good disposition of the majority of your citizens who wish to [undecipherable] and the government [to?] [prevent?] such [undecipherable] things [may?] not, and that our [undecipherable] may [undecipherable] and put our [undecipherable] in different [undecipherable] of that independence which we have so gloriously [undecipherable] upon a former occasion acquird. Cap^t. Denny has been lately in Town and I expect to see him here I expect Cap^t. Denny shortly in Town. I have understood that he had a fall from his horse lately, but the occasioned by the ice, which hurt him a little but that he is has got over it. [undecipherable] you will [undecipherable] yours very sincerely [signature] [endorsement: 5. Jany 1798 / M^r. Rob[ert] Craig.] M^r. Robert Craig