2636. ENGLAND, Friendly advances of.—
Our successors have deserved well of
their country in meeting so readily the first
friendly advance ever made to us by England.
I hope it is the harbinger of a return to the
exercise of common sense and common good
humor, with a country with which mutual
interests would urge a mutual and affectionate
intercourse. But her conduct hitherto has
been towards us so insulting. so tyrannical
and so malicious, as to indicate a contempt
for our opinions or dispositions respecting
her. I hope she is now coming over to a
wiser conduct, and becoming sensible how
much better it is to cultivate the good will
of the government itself, than of a faction
hostile to it; to obtain its friendship gratis
than to purchase its enmity by nourishing at
great expense a faction to embarrass it, to
receive the reward of an honest policy rather
than of a corrupt and vexatious one. I trust
she has at length opened her eyes to federal
falsehood and misinformation, and learned, in
the issue of the Presidential election, the folly
of believing them. Such a reconciliation to
the government, if real and permanent, will
secure the tranquillity of our country, and
render the management of our affairs easy
and delightful to our successors, for whom
I feel as much interest as if I were still in
their place. Certainly all the troubles and
difficulties in the government during our
time proceeded from England; at least all
others were trifling in comparison with them.—
To Henry Dearborn. Washington ed. v, 455.
(M.
June. 1809)
