this Missouri question by a geographical line of division is the most portentous one I have ever contemplated. King is ready to risk the union for any chance of restoring his party to power and wriggling himself to the head of it. nor is Clinton without his hopes nor scrupulous as to the means of...

it is more a subject of joy that we have so few of the desperate characters which compose modern regular armies....

Great Britain, in her pride and ascendency, has certainly hated and despised us beyond every earthly object. her hatred may remain, but the hour of her contempt is past; and is succeeded by dread; not a present, but a distant and deep one. it is the greater, as she feels herself plunged into an...

no two countries upon earth have so many points of common interest & friendship: & their rulers must be great bunglers indeed if with such dispositions they break them asunder.

I become daily more & more convinced that all the West India islands will remain in the hands of the people of colour, & a total expulsion of the whites sooner or later take place. it is high time we should foresee the bloody scenes which our children certainly, & possibly ourselves ...

Could we procure lands beyond the limits of the US. to form a receptacle for these people? on our Northern boundary, the country not occupied by British subjects, is the property of Indian nations, whose title would be to be extinguished, with the consent of Great Britain; & the new settlers...

I observe that the resolution of the legislature of Virginia, of Jan. 23. in desiring us to look out for some proper place to which insurgent negroes may be sent, expresses a preference of the continent of Africa, or some of the Spanish or Portuguese settlements in S. America: in which preference...

mr Madison’s friendship & mine to you being so well known the public will have eagle eyes to watch if we grant you any indulgencies out of the general rule; and on the other hand, the example set in your case will be more cogent on future ones, and produce greater approbation to our conduct....

some men are born for the public. nature by fitting them for the service of the human race on a broad scale, has stamped them with the evidences of her destination & their duty

no man has greater confidence, than I have, in the spirit of our people, to a rational extent. whatever they can, they will.