in Chiefe of our Armies, and the Gratitude & warm Affection which his Countrymen do & ought to feel towards him will give Weight to any thing he patronizes, & Lustre to all who may be connected with him.  It is a Tribute due to the Man who has servd his Country well, to esteem him highly & confide in him.  We ought not however to think any Man incapable of Error.  But so it is with the Bulk of Mankind & even in a free Country.  They will reprobate the Idea of implicit Faith; and at the same time, while the Impression of Gratitude is deep in their Minds, they will not admit of a Benefactor, which must be said of every Man, “aliquando dormitat.”  I would never inculcate a mean & envious Suspicion of any Man especially of those who have renderd signal Services to their Country.  But there is a Degree of Watchfulness over all Men possessd of Power or Influence upon which the Liberties of Mankind much depend.  It is necessary to guard against the Infirmities of the best as well as the Wickedness of the worst of Men.  Such is the Weakness of human Nature that Tyranny has oftener sprang from that than any other Source.  It is this that unravels the Mystery of Millions being enslavd by a few.  What was it that indued the Cincinnati Gentlemen who have undertaken to deliberate and act upon Matters which may essentially concern “the Happiness & future Dignity of the American Empire,” to admit foreign Military Subjects into their Society?  Was there not Danger before that a foreign Influence might prevail in America?  Do not Foreigners wish to have Weight in our Councils?  Can such a Junction of Subjects of different Nations (& those Nations widely different in their principles of Government) to Deliberate upon things which relate to the Union & national Honor, the Happiness & future Dignity of one consist with sound Policy?  Are we sure that those foreign Nations will never have separate Views & very national & interrested ones too, because they once united in the same object & it was accidentally their mutual Interest to fight Side by Side?  If the Cincinnati had a Right to erect themselves into an order for the national Purposes of their Institution, had they a Right to call in foreign Aid for those Purposes?  It appears to me as impolitic, preposterous & dangerous as it would be for the United States to invite & admit a Delegation from that foreign Power into their Congress.

I take Notice that the Committee of Congress propose that the Govts of the ten new States to be formd shall be in Republican form & shall admit no Person to be a Citizen who holds any hereditary Title.  I hope Congress will not fail to make this an indispensible Condition.

Your Letter of the 2d relating to Colo Gridleys Affair came to hand.  I am obligd to you for the Care you have taken.

Believe me to be yr sincere & affectionate Friend,

1 Cf.  J. F. Jameson, Essays in Constitutional History, pp. 32 et seq.

TO NOAH WEBSTER.