[Docket: 20 Jany 1801. W. Hindman.] Baltimore 20 Jany. 1801. my dear Hindman. [undecipherable] of the 17^th [strikethrough: which till,] I have received [strikethrough: this] [undecipherable] that you have been sick, [at] which I am sorry, and that our friends at washington still [fix?] their eyes upon M^r Burr, at [least] I can [be] [rejoiced?]. I have had the worst of my dislocated, [for] which it is not necessary that you should grieve, since it has [neither] prevented me from [writing?] to you, nor from from engaging the company of my friends in my own room. I have said, it is true but little respecting M^r Jefferson, because I consider his character to be pretty generally known and ascertained M^r Jefferson is a [better?] [inform'd?] statesman than M^r Burr, his intellectual [powers] are at least equal, [his?] [undecipherable] and [his?] opinions [undecipherable] much greater. As a literary character he excels him, and as a morally virtuous man is [inferiorly?] more respectable and respected. What are his principal defects in a political point of view? 1st. A [leaning?] to Democracy which has been [exercised?] [if not] produced by his believing a strong [propensity] towards monarchy to have existed among the [heads?] of the federal [party?]. 2. An inclination to [prefer] the interest of France to the interest of [England?]. 3 3[d.] Whenever they came into competition, [excit?] perhaps by our contest with the [Cathn?] kingdoms and kept alive and augmented by [principles] of political and party calculations. [3?] [Certain?] systems relative to our navigation & [commerce] [which?] cannot [they?] be [redressed?] without war [or?] [by?] [undecipherable] [would] undoubtedly be of infinite advantage [to] [our?] Country. If this [sketch?] of the man and his political opinions be correct or nearly so, can a doubt remain which of the two [sides?] to be preferred. [In?] the [the?] crisis [urgently?] we now stand the federal party should act for the Country, not for themselves. They ought to disregard news paper publications, which on both sides are generally too high wrought and consider only which of the two men is the least dangerous and [the?] least [exceptionable?] under all circumstances. I do not wish to see a [civil?] war nor a separation of the U.S. I [can?] not [view?] the subject [undecipherable], upon the presumption that neither is [contemplated] by the federalists. M^r Jefferson I have [observed?] incline [certainly] to Democracy. This is an evil, but there is a greater. M^r Burr is a cool calculating, daring decided Jacobin. Admit the [Catiline?] to [possess?] [the?] military talents, so much the worse, combined as I [fear?] they are, [continuing?] with views & principles similar to those which [actuated?] Caius Gracchus [undecipherable: perhaps "Babeuf"], and more [those?] [Jacobins?] who [undecipherable] them tore their country with factions, deluged it with blood and finally destroyed the [Roman?] Republic. Ask yourself seriously this question; resolve it after due deliberation, and then tell me whether a character whom we have [cogent?] [undecipherable] reasons to [suspect?] capable of [any thing?] [ought?] to be vested [undecipherable] with the Presidency. Since we [may?] know [him to be?] a [person?] whose moderation & [whose?] timidity we [may?] [humbly?] and whose principles we may [constantly?] and [undecipherable] may [improve?] and [whose?] aberrations, [unless we?] destroy [ourselves?], it will be at all times in our power to restrain or correct. I thought I had got into a state of philosophical [apathy?], but you see this [question?] has [r]oused these [latent?] sensibilities. Be more particular in your next letter relative to the [treaty?]. yours affily [undecipherable: perhaps "JMcHenry"] [Honble?] W[m] Hindm[an?]