I wrote you last on the 10th of May; since which your favor of May the 11th has come to hand.  The political world enjoys great quiet here.  The King of Prussia is still living, but like the snuff of a candle, which sometimes seems out, and then blazes up again.  Some think that his death will not produce any immediate effect in Europe.  His kingdom like a machine, will go on for some time with the winding up he has given it.  The King’s visit to Cherbourg has made a great sensation in England and here.  It proves to the world, that it is a serious object to this country, and that the King commits himself for the accomplishment of it.  Indeed, so many cones have been sunk, that no doubt remains of the practicability of it.  It will contain, as is said, eighty ships of the line, be one of the best harbors in the world, and by means of two entrances, on different sides, will admit vessels to come in and go out with every wind.  The effect of this, in another war with England, defies calculation.  Having no news to communicate, I will recur to the subjects of your letter of May the 11th.

With respect to the new States, were the question to stand simply in this form, How may the ultramontane territory be disposed of, so as to produce the greatest and most immediate benefit to the inhabitants of the maritime States of the Union? the plan would be more plausible, of laying it off into two or three States only.  Even on this view, however, there would still be something to be said against it, which might render it at least doubtful.  But that is a question, which good faith forbids us to receive into discussion.  This requires us to state the question in its just form, How may the territories of the Union be disposed of, so as to produce the greatest degree of happiness to their inhabitants?  With respect to the maritime States, little or nothing remains to be done.  With respect, then, to the ultramontane States, will their inhabitants be happiest, divided into States of thirty thousand square miles, not quite as large as Pennsylvania, or into States of one hundred and sixty thousand square miles each, that is to say, three times as large as Virginia within the Allegany?  They will not only be happier in States of moderate size, but it is the only way in which they can exist as a regular society.  Considering the American character in general, that of those people particularly, and the energetic nature of our governments, a State of such extent as one hundred and sixty thousand square miles, would soon crumble into little ones.  These are the circumstances, which reduce the Indians to such small societies.  They would produce an effect on our people, similar to this.  They would not be broken into such small pieces, because they are more habituated to subordination, and value more a government of regular law.  But you would surely reverse the nature of things, in making small States on the ocean, and large ones beyond the mountains.  If we could, in our consciences, say, that great States