310. ALLIANCES, Entangling.—[further continued] .
Determined as we are to
avoid, if possible, wasting the energies of our
people in war and destruction, we shall avoid
implicating ourselves with the powers of
Europe, even in support of principles which
we mean to pursue. They have so many other
interests different from ours, that we must
avoid being entangled in them. We believe
we can enforce these principles, as to ourselves,
by peaceable means, now that we are
likely to have our public councils detached
from foreign views.—
To Thomas Paine. Washington ed. iv, 370.
Ford ed., viii, 18.
(W.
March. 1801)
