Your kind favor of the 9th instant has been received, and I am much gratified with the expressions of confidence with which you honor me.

     In publishing the letters received by General Washington, I am fully aware of the delicacy you mention, and trust my judgment will guard me against any indiscretion, which shall afford reasonable grounds of complaint. I believe it may be set down as a rule, that in every case it will be safe to print even with the names, whatever reflects credit on all persons concerned; but wherever the heat of party, or local causes, give an unfavorable tone to the writers feelings and sentiments, and lead him into harsh reflections upon others, there will be room for deliberation, and perhaps a motive for passing by letters in other respects highly interesting. But even here I conceive it would be allowable to omit objectionable parts and print what may be deemed expedient. On the whole I do not think it necessary for much delicacy to be used, except where there is manifest danger of giving undue offence to some living person, or of committing an act of unkindness or injustice to the character of the dead. But there are very few letters from which any such effects need be apprehended. Calumny and personal invective were not topics, which any one often ventured to introduce into letters to General Washington.

From time to time I shall print letters, and extracts in the North American Review in connexion with such historical subjects as may be there discussed. My chief object will be to excite an interest in the papers, and keep the project of publishing them in various shapes before the readers of that work.

The third volume of Orders is not yet discovered. You will remember that the chest which contained these volumes, had also packed in it many parcels of loose papers. I have mentioned the circumstance in a letterto the Chief Justice.

Among the letters I have found nearly fifty originals from Lafayette apparently out of place.

     I am now about to introduce to your notice a subject of considerable importance, which will be likely to run into a long letter; but which may await your leisure for perusal.

     The farther I advance in the examination of General Washington's papers, the more strongly I am impressed with their value, and the more I am encouraged with the prospect of a successful result of my labors; but I am obliged to confess that the task of preparing them for publication, becomes every day magnified and threatens to be much greater, than I had ever anticipated. Materials for several volumes might easily be selected and sent out as comprising some of the best of General Washington's writings; but neither respect for my own reputation, nor a sense of justice to the public, nor veneration for the name of the author will allow me to execute the work in any other manner, than such as shall render it in my own judgment faithful, well digested, and complete. To accomplish this, with any tolerable facility, it will be necessary for me to have the whole mass of papers before me, during the entire process of my labors. This will be made plain from the following considerations.

     I. The plan of the work must be such, that in arranging any one part I shall have occasion constantly to refer to several other parts. I have nearly resolved on the following divisions as a general outline.

     Part 1. Papers relating to the French war.

     Part 2. American Revolution.

     Part 3. Private Correspondence on public affairs.

     Part 4. Messages and Addresses.

     Part 5. Miscellaneous Private Letters.

     Part 6. Agricultural Papers.

     Now you will at once perceive, that these topics do not come in chronological order; and the materials for each one, except perhaps the first, are scattered throughout many of the manuscript volumes. The revolutionary papers alone are comprised in forty five volumes, and these you will recollect are arranged according to subjects, and not in the order of dates. My plan will require that the papers in each Part shall follow in the order of time, and hence some particulars contained in the first of these forty-five volumes must be brought into connexion with others contained in the last, and also in several intermediate ones. There will be four or five printed volumes of the revolutionary matter, all of which must be arranged in the same way. Again when we come to the private papers, they run over a still wider range, and the necessity of perpetual recurrence to the whole is yet more obvious.

     II.  As a limit must be fixed to the number of volumes printed, a due consistency of parts can be preserved only by a special regard to the whole amount of materials, and the proportional quantity to be selected, so that the most valuable may in the end be gleaned out. This will require a careful calculation from time to time as I proceed in the work, founded on repeated inspections of the papers, and comparisons of one with another to judge of their merits. Any other method of deciding less thorough than this, would not only be defective,¹ but would defeat the main object in view, that of securing the materials of the highest character.

     III. A work of this kind, consisting chiefly of letters in which things are often alluded to without a full explanation, may derive much interest from notes and illustrations appended to the original text, serving at the same time to elucidate obscure passages, and communicate collateral facts of history. Such notes should be brief, having a substance and a point. Additions of this kind I have resolved to prepare, as my judgment may dictate. But the sources of greatest fertility for this object, are the papers and letters received by General Washington which will be left behind unpublished, from which it is desirable to extract the essence in the form of notes to illustrate those that constitute the body of the work. I hardly need suggest the inference, that this essential part of my scheme cannot be executed unless all the papers shall be with in reach as I proceed.

     In short I need not say more to convince you, that in whatever place the papers are to be consulted and prepared, it must be where I can have daily access to the whole. It remains to be considered, then, whether it is practicable for this to be done at Mount Vernon; and on this point I esteem it my duty to say, at the present stage of my investigation, that I do not think it is, whether the subject be regarded with reference to yourself or to me. The reasons are obvious.

1. The space of time occupied in completing the work I cannot hope will be much less than three years of pretty diligent application; that is giving to it as large a portion of the time, as a man can profitably or agreeably be devoted to a single object of this nature. A narrower limit I cannot venture to fix, and it will be likely to extend further. To read all the manuscripts faithfully through would take a year.² In making our contract, I suppose it was never your idea, that I should spend so much time, or any considerable part of it, at Mount Vernon. Such a residence would neither comport with your convenience nor interest.

2ndly With my present necessary pursuits, such an absence from home would be impossible for me, even if there were no objections on your part. The only mode in which I could effect the object would be to come here at irregular periods for one, two, or three months, and then return. Thus the final execution of the work would be indefinitely protracted, and the expenses of travelling would make a draft upon me, which I have never contemplated.

3rly A more serious difficulty is still behind. If the work extends to ten or twelve volumes, as it will I think, there will be at least seven or eight to be copied; and if the letters to General Washington should also be printed there will be four more. Now I presume it is wholly out of the question, that copyists are to come here for this purpose; and indeed the copying ought all to be done under my own eye; sometimes one person, sometimes more should be employed, according as I get the different parts in readiness, for I cannot judge before hand how much of each will be wanted, but must decide as I go along. Hence a copyist cannot be set at work as he would be, if a definite quantity of papers were set before him.

After deliberately weighing, in their various bearings, the topics at which I have here hinted, I am brought irresistably to the conclusion, that the only feasible mode of accomplishing properly what I have undertaken is to have the papers removed to my own study in Boston. I am fully aware of your reluctance to such a step, and of the good grounds on which it is founded, but after you have revolved the above considerations carefully in your mind, I am constrained to believe you will see the subject in the same light as myself. It ought moreover to be kept in view, that the enterprise in which I am embarked is not one of trifling moment either as it relates to you or to me, that the main value of the papers consists in their furnishing materials for such a work as I propose, that some risks may with great propriety be run to effect such an end, especially as it cannot be effected without them; and lastly, that I have already made, and am prepared still to make, extraordinary sacrifices, to execute with fidelity and justice what I have undertaken without any narrow calculations as to the time, trouble, or expense, which it will demand. These circumstances as well as others, may be allowed to have a claim on as full a latitude of indulgence in the use of the papers, as you can make consistent with the responsibility of your charge over them. Another thing may also be mentioned. The copying will be a heavy expense, & I have found by experience, that I can procure this to be done by clerks in my own office at less than half the usual charge. But I do not insist on these grounds, for I am persuaded the advantage of granting my request will in itself be quite as great on your part as on mine.

The papers desired to be removed may be ranked in the following classes.

1 The Manuscripts bound in volumes.

2 Letters received by General Washington.

3. Miscellaneous Papers.

The first class comprises about seventy volumes, full two thirds of which relate to the Revolution, nearly the whole of which are copies from originals preserved here. In short except one volume previous to the Revolution, principally on matters of business and not important, & four volumes immediately succeeding the Revolution. I believe every copied paper is also here in the original; and of these four volumes I presume the originals were kept, although I have not yet met with them. In point of safety there would actually be a gain in having these transcripts deposited in some place separate from the originals, for an accident by fire at Mount Vernon would now endanger the whole, where the loss of one part only would be of comparatively small moment. I mention these particulars because I think they ought to weigh much in guiding your mind to a decision.

The papers of the second class are originals, but such parts as are to be published must all be copied somewhere, and a great many of them must be consulted by me continually. I have made considerable progress in looking over these letters, and I find upon an average that I select about one quarter for future consideration and reference. The whole number is not much short of twenty thousand.

The third class is very small, consisting of such papers as I have culled out of the case standing next to the inner door. The mass of papers in that case is composed chiefly of army returns, and of little consequence. But I have picked out a few scraps, that will aid me a little, and also press-copies of letters written during the last two years of General Washington's life, which I do not find recorded.

Thus you are presented with my thoughts somewhat in detail on this subject, and so arranged, that I trust you will be able clearly to apprehend them. If I can be furnished with the papers in the manner here suggested, it will not be necessary for me to visit Mount Vernon, except occasionally to consult the originals in cases of doubt, but these will seldom occur.

Should you consent on the above considerations, to the removal of the papers, I will agree on my part to the following terms. I will procure boxes to be made, in which they shall be carefully packed, and will take them to Boston by land under my own charge, and at my own expense. They shall also be brought back at my expense, and I will pledge myself that all the papers shall be returned in good order, unless prevented by accidents not in my power to control. When in Boston they shall be deposited in my own study, where I will effect an insurance on them against fire to the amount of ten thousand dollars, the policy of insurance being either taken out in your name, or so made over to you that in case of loss your claim shall exist directly against the office. When I am absent from Boston for several weeks as may sometimes happen, all the original papers shall be deposited in a fire proof safe either in one of the Banks or in Recorder's office.

As soon as you have duly considered the above particulars and can form a decision, I should be glad of a reply. I shall send a copy of this letter to Chief Justice Marshall, and as his knowledge of the papers is so full and minute, he will be able to communicate to you his impressions without delay. The kind of enquiries to which I shall devote myself during the remainder of my present visit here will depend a good deal on your answer. My business at home will call me from this place as early as the last of May, but should you accede to my proposal, I will make a point of waiting till you return, for I should wish you to be present when the papers are packed, and take any memorandums of the same, which you may think proper. Meantime I will have every thing in readiness.

In four or five weeks I expect to publish in the newspapers some account of the papers at Mount Vernon, with a developement of my plan, and such remarks as will tend to prepare the public mind for a suitable reception of the work. As soon as I arrive in Boston I shall send out a Prospectus, and put the business of collecting subscriptions into speedy operation. I am now negociating with a competent person to traverse for this object all the Eastern States.³ Any arrangement which may hereafter be made with a publisher, will be very much facilitated by having a good subscription list in hand. From the sale in England I do not expect much, but I intend myself to go out there, principally on this business, and ascertain what can be done.

I am about making a trip to Monticello for a well, to consult certain parts of Mr Jefferson's papers.⁴ I wish also to see Mr Madison who I think will be able and willing to lend me important aid. With perfect respect & sincere regards, I am, Sir, Your most obedt humble servant