Mr. Marshall requests that you will endeavour to procure for him from the editor of the Lancaster Journal or of the federal paper in that place the original letter from Genl Washington, which he has published.

Your letter of the 3d. inst. I have received, and hope that my acknowledgment of one or both of your former letters has reached you before this. If I have not been as punctual in answering letters for a month past as usual, the painful sickness & death of Major Blackburn to whom my whole time was devoted must be my apology.

As for myself I have no objection to exchanging our contract from a dollar per vol. to a [yrly?] sum, but as you make no specific offer it is impossible for me at this time to say more. It is true the subscription list is small, but as I never supposed that the plan of obtaining subscribers thro the agency of the post masters was to be depended upon, it is nearly equal to my expectations. I suppose it may safely be calculated that not more than 1/10th part of the U.S. has been visited by any person who could secure subscriptions – This peculiarly the case in the Southern States & has been but partially done in the others. – Moreover, altho I do not believe that every person will purchase who would have subscribed, I presume the sales to nonsubscribers will be at least equal (I believe greatly exceeding) to those who have subscribed. If you will state what sum you think you can afford, I will write to Mr Marshall upon the subject & will immediately inform you the result. –

Mr Marshall informs me that he expects you will receive the copy of the 1st vol. about the 1st of Decr. How long do you suppose it will take you to print it, & by what time will you be ready for the 2d.? I am Dr Sir very respectfully yr. ob. Servt