[Confidential] Philadelphia 15 May 1800 Dear Sir [strikethrough: undecipherable lines] I received your letter of the [undecipherable] inst. This morning [strikethrough: undecipherable]. By the latest information from N. York, it is reduced nearly to a certainty that the [undecipherable] ticket has prevailed by a [undecipherable] majority, you must add to this the influence which certain characters among more [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] must enjoy in a popular [undecipherable] when uninformed abilities and men without the opportunity to be rightly informed, or understanding to know, when they do so. It is also a problem, what or whether any compromise will take place between the two parties in the Pennsylvania Legislature, on the subject of a district election law; and yet [strikethrough: undecipherable] does how the federal Pennsylvanians will act on the occasion. The Eastern representatives to [undecipherable], will return generally speaking to their respective States more indisposed to [undecipherable] desirous of the election Mr. Adams [undecipherable] his South Carolinian friends, especially if not [undecipherable] to his [undecipherable] and with the most [undecipherable] for General Pinckney. Such is the present aspect of things, A reasonable conclusion is that M^r Jefferson will be elected — it was not however [strikethrough: any] [my?] expectation which induced my reservation. I have had for some time as the Aurora [undecipherable] it, a disjointed cabinet. In other words M^r Wolcott M^r Pickering & myself thought that the mission to France might have been dispensed with [undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] the [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] keep us out of the war and do us [undecipherable] [undecipherable] was [undecipherable] enough to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] a great deal of [undecipherable]; in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] thought [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] thought [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] with no body who did not [undecipherable] upon second thoughts [undecipherable] of submission. [undecipherable] as he did [undecipherable] [undecipherable] him and [undecipherable] commands [undecipherable] [undecipherable] From this moment I began to see a dissolution, if we may so call it, of the ministry, and set to [undecipherable] to produce it. As [my?] friend, you know is firmly desirous of [undecipherable]. I was not at least I [undecipherable] so [undecipherable] myself! however marked out by him, but became nec[essarily?] involved in the execution. [Of the plan?] The President more particularly of late felt [strikethrough: every day] more and more alarmed for his election, and every day more and more distrustful of his Heads of Departments who were not constantly [undecipherable] him with some news respecting it. In the state of his [mind?] and pending the election in New York, where every one said, was to be decisive of his election, the federal members of Congress held a caucus, as it is called, in which with very few exc[e]tions, it was solemnly determined that they would use, on their return home, [strikethrough: each his?] best endeavors, to have seen and voted for without preference between Adams and General Pinckney, and leave it to chance to determine [undecipherable] should be the President. This necessarily [undecipherable] his apprehensions, and rendered him one evening to use [undecipherable] indecent and nearly outrageous. General Pinckney was his competitor. I was at the head of the department of war. I had been in the confidence of Gen^l Washington. I might also be the friend of General Hamilton. There was no bounds to his [strikethrough: apprehensions] jealousy. [The?] conversation [undecipherable] My short [undecipherable] on the occasion ended in my (Nor was emphatic) resignation, & take place at my request the 1^st of June. M^r Pickering [undecipherable] out a few days after. M^r Wolcott [strikethrough: only] remains because he cannot do without him. I will give you more particulars when I see you. Till then, [undecipherable], but do not commit yourself for any state measures. There is something so like a coalition with a certain man in Baltimore man we know, that it may call for all your energies and influence. That man I suspect has [engaged?] to do every thing in his power to [strikethrough: undecipherable] get as [strikethrough: electoral] many votes for M^r Adams as for M^r Jefferson. [strikethrough: undecipherable]. yours affy: [Address:] [undecipherable]. Samuel Chase [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]