I received yesterday the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 15th of June past. I had never before been acquainted that the Name of your intended New State, had any Relation with my Name, having understood that it was called Frank Land. It is a very great Honour indeed that its Inhabitants have done me, and I should be happy if it were in my Power to show how sensible I am of it; by some thing more essential than my Wishes for their Prosperity.

Having resided some Years past in Europe, and being but lately arrived from there, I have not had an Opportunity of being well inform’d of the Points in Dispute between you and the State of North Carolina. Ican therefore only say, that I think you are perfectly right in resolving to submit them to the Decision of Congress, and to abide by their Determination. It is a wise and impartial Tribunal, which can have no sinister Views to warp its Judgment. ’Tis happy for us all that we have now in our own Country such a Council to apply to, for composing our Differences, without being oblig’d as formerly, to carry them across the Ocean, to be decided at an immense Expence, by a Council which knew little of our Affairs, would hardly take any Pains to understand them, and which often treated our Applications with Contempt, and rejected them with injurious Language. Let us therefore cherish and respect our own Tribunal; for the more generally it is held in high Regard, the more able it will be to answer effectually the Ends of its Institution, the Quieting of our Contentions, and thereby promoting and securing our common peace and Happiness.

I do not hear any Talk of an Adjournment of Congress, concerning which you enquire; and I rather think it likely they may continue to sit out their Year; as it is but lately they have been able to make a Quorum for Business, which must therefore probably be in Arrear. If you proceed in your intended Journey, I shall be glad to see you as you pass through Philadelphia. In the mean time, I have the honour to be very respectfully, Sir, Your most obedient Servant