I should be very vain if I did hope that by satisfying my desire to give You any mark of the high veneration with which I have oftentimes dwelled with my heart on Your high abilities and on the force of Your genius, I could add something to the happiness of Your most illustrious life and if for that reason I did take the liberty of sending to You some of my writings by a brother who goes in this moment in affaires of the        Comp at St. Thomas. Now Sir, I shall take evre of such a vanity. Tho I am sure that Your heart is not indifferent to the veneration a good man had for You, wherever and whatever he may be, the esteem of a single man who is unknown to You, cann’t be of much importance for aman who is admired and adored by whole nations. But what encourages me to write to You, is the hope that the books I take the liberty to join to this letter, could be of any service to some men who have much influence with the       which are given to the civil and religious constitution of the unit states of America. I should not permit me to indulge to this delighting hope if Germany had not jugd very favourably of my writings and of thier usefulness. In the book which is publishd just now I have endeavord to establish universal principlles with respect to all kinds of usefull notions particularly on account of religious matters. There cann’t be put an end to all those calamities and evils which result from the different opinions, which exist among men in point of religious precepts, if the government in every state takes not care, that principles, founded on the common sense of mankind, be generally adopted and professed, by which every one is naturally     to be just and equitable and to abhorr every religious persecution. I am sure that all polite nations if they return not to barbarousness and blindness must come to such principles as a basis of human felicity. But the establish’d religious constitutions, which are adopted not only in all countries, where the Roman Catholic religion is domineering but also in every protestant state of Europe, shall create for a long while many hindrances to wise amendments of religious doctrines. There is at present no people in the world, which can sooner be brought to a high degree of perfection in usefull     and religious doctrines than the inhabitants of the united states of America. Your americans adhere not to so many articles of faith as the Roman Catholic and protestant inhabitants of Europe do. Principles of tolerance are domineering in all the united states. The utmost exertions of wise men and especially of one of the most learned and the most wise man the world ever saw, the utmost exertions of a Franklin are employed to give to those states excellent constitutions and laws. Universities and Schools are rising and the instruction of the students of divinity can be regulated on a liberal and enlarged plan comprehending all those who are good citizens, whatever they may think upon meerely theoretical articles of faith. Tho I have not had, Sir the idea of sending You my Werke für gute     (Hints for good princes) and as this idea is just now by the opportunity my brother gives me of sending You this books with some other writings, I hope considerations have nevertheless had the effect that I have perhaps writen but few pages, where I have not had in view the united American states and where I have not thought on the use the Americans would make with success of my Hints. These ideas are the more nurrish’d by the reflexion that a very great number of the habitants of the united states are Germans. I should be accordingly happy, Sir, if You did judge favourably of this my        of the ardent desire that the most happy Constitution which take place among many may render the Americans the most happy people on earth and may vanquish all oppositions and disorders which are generally by ignorant and bad men in the beginning of a new empire. I cann’t also but wish that you be satisfyd of the manner of thinking and of principles. You shall find in the writings I take the liberty to give to this my letter, and     in my Hints. I have but little reason to hope that You understand the german language so much that You can read with any facility german. Therefore I join to the     a                 philosophioi and a french translation of a treatise on human liberty. With respect to the german books the Congress has perhaps men who can read them and judge of their merit, tho I might wish a Franklin himself could read and understand.

I beg Your pardon, Sir, that I write You a bad english letter. I feel it that my expressions     are less naturally rising than if I did make use of my own language. But fearing that You could not read a german letter I would rather write You a bad english one.

Thinking on You, Sir, which I do more often than You can conceive it, I wish most ardently that before You exit out of the stage of this world all what belongs to government and to the laws of the united states of America, may be entirely settled; and with respect to the accomplishment of this my vow I wish with an ardour I am not able to express sufficiently, that it may please to the divine providence to conserve a life which is so presious for millions, and the forces of Your mind for many Years and that You may yet augment in a high degree the benefits and obligations which the vast republican empire of the American states owe to Your wisdom, to the force of Your genius, to Your learning and to all the great talents which providence has been pleased to unite in Your Person. With these Overflowings of my wishes and of my feelings I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant