In faith whereof, we, Ministers Plenipotentiary, have signed the present convention, and have thereto set the seal of our arms.

Done at Versailles, the 14th of November, one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight.

L. C. De MONTMORIN.  L. S.

Signed.

Th:  Jefferson.  L. S.

LETTER CLXVIII.—­TO JAMES MADISON, November 18, 1788

TO JAMES MADISON.

Paris, November 18, 1788.

Dear Sir,

My last to you was of the 31st of July; since which, I have received yours of July the 24th, August the 10th, and 23rd.  The first part of this long silence in me was occasioned by a knowledge that you were absent from New York; the latter part, by a want of opportunity, which has been longer than usual.  Mr. Shippen being just arrived here, and to set out to-morrow for London, I avail myself of that channel of conveyance.  Mr. Carrington was so kind as to send me the second volume of the American Philosophical Transactions, the Federalist, and some other interesting pamphlets; and I am to thank you for another copy of the Federalist, and the report of the instructions to the ministers for negotiating peace.  The latter unluckily omitted exactly the passage I wanted, which was what related to the navigation of the Mississippi.  With respect to the Federalist, the three authors had been named to me.  I read it with care, pleasure, and improvement, and was satisfied there was nothing in it by one of those hands, and not a great deal by a second.  It does the highest honor to the third, as being, in my opinion, the best commentary on the principles of government, which ever was written.  In some parts, it is discoverable that the author means only to say what may be best said in defence of opinions, in which he did not concur.  But in general, it establishes firmly the plan of government.  I confess, it has rectified me on several points.  As to the bill of rights, however, I still think it should be added; and I am glad to see, that three States have at length considered the perpetual re-eligibility of the President, as an article which should be amended.  I should deprecate with you, indeed, the meeting of a new convention.  I hope they will adopt the mode of amendment by Congress and the Assemblies, in which case, I should not fear any dangerous innovation in the plan.  But the minorities are too respectable, not to be entitled to some sacrifice of opinion in the majority; especially, when a great proportion of them would be contented with a bill of rights.  Here, things internally, are going on well.  The Notables now in session, have, indeed, passed one vote, which augurs ill to the rights of the people; but if they do not obtain now so much as they have a right to, they will in the long run.  The misfortune is, that they are not yet ripe for receiving the blessings to which they are entitled.  I doubt, for instance,