[20 Jany 1801. W-- [Hen]dman.] Baltimore 20 Jany. 1801. My dear Handman I have received this forenoon your letter of the 17^th [undecipherable]. I think [undecipherable] at you have been sick, for which I am sorry, and [that] our friends at Washington still [pay] [undecipherable] to turn eyes upon M'Hen, at all [times] I can be rejoice. I have had the worst of my dislocated, for at which it is not [the] company that you showed [undecipherable], since it has nothing prevented me from [undecipherable] to you, nor 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[ed] statesman than M^r Burr, his [undecipherable] [undecipherable: intellectual] are at least equal, [strikethrough: undecipherable] [strikethrough: approx] opinions much greater. As a literary character he excels him, and as a morally virtuous man is infinitely more [respectable] and respected. What are his principal defects [from] a political point of view? 1^st A leaning to Democracy, which has been encouraged if not produced by his believing a strong propensity towards monarchy to have existed among the [friends] of the [federals] [undecipherable]. 2. An inclination to [put] the interest of France to the interest of [England]. 3 [undecipherable] they came into competition, occa[sionally] perhaps by our contest with the [undecipherable] kings and kept alive and augmented by principles [of] political and party calculations. I [undecipherable] systems relative to our navigation & commerce [which] [strikethrough: undecipherable] [undecipherable] may be realized without war [undecipherable] would undoubtedly be of infinite advantage [to] our Country. By [his] [undecipherable] of the man and his political opinions be correct or nearly so, can a doubt remain which of the two [men] is to be preferred. In [the] the case, in which we now stand the federal party, are showed art for the Country, not for themselves. They ought to disregard men's 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 [undecipherable] view[s] the subject therefore, upon the presumption that neither is [contemplated] [undecipherable] by the federalists. M^r Jefferson I have [undecipherable: become] incline[d] [entirely] to Democracy. This is an evil, but there is a greater. M^r Burr is a cool calculating daring decided Jacobin. [Admit] the [Catlin] [undecipherable] [strikethrough: that] aggravated talents, so much the worse, combined [undecipherable] with views & principles somewhat [undecipherable]. More [undecipherable] [strikethrough: undecipherable] called [Cyraebus] [undecipherable] [Roman] and more [their] Jacobins who [deluded] [undecipherable] 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 [strikethrough: cogent] [known] [undecipherable] [capable] of any thing ought to be vested by the [undecipherable] with the Presidency. [Sh]ould we [be] [known] a man [be] a person whose moderation & [strikethrough: whose] [undecipherable: tenacity] we may be tempted by [undecipherable] and whose principles we [undecipherable] and [other] [undecipherable: aberrations], [many] improve and [other] [undecipherable] unless we destroy [ourselves], it will be at all times in our power to restrain or correct. I mean for I had got into a [state] of philosophical [apathy], but you see this question [has] roused [those] latent [susceptibilities]. Be more particular in your next letter relative to the treaty. Yours [affily] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] W^m [Hend...] [3 32]