TO JARED SPARKS.
Dear Sir,—I have duly recd. yours of 24th Ult,
and inclose the little pamphlet by Govr. Morris
which it refers to. Unless it is to be printed entire
in the vols.. you are preparing, I shd. wish to replace
it in the collection from which it is taken. Of the
other unofficial writings by him, I have but the
single recollection that he was a writer for the Newspapers
in 1780 (being then a member of Congs.) on our
public affairs, chiefly I believe, on the currency &
resources of the U. S. It was about the time that
the scale of 1 for 40, was applied to the 200,000,000
of dolrs. which had been emitted; and his publications
were probably occasioned by the crisis, but of the
precise scope of them, I cannot speak. I became
a member of Congr. in March of that year, just
after the fate of the old Emissions had been
decided on; and the subject so far deprived of its
interest. In the Phila. newspapers of that period,
the writings in question might probably be found,
and verified by the style if not the name of the
Author. Whether Mr. M. wrote a pamphlet about
Deane is a point on wch. I can give no answer.
May I ask of you to let me know the result of your
correspondence with Charleston on the subject of
Mr. Pinckney's draft of a Const
n. for the U. S. as soon
as it is ascertained.
It is quite certain that since the death of Col.
Few I have been the only living signer of the Constn.
of the U. S. Of the members who were present &
did not sign, & of those who were present part of the
time, but had left the Convention, it is equally
certain, that not one has remained since the death
of Mr. Lansing who disappeared so mysteriously
not very long ago. I happen also to be the sole
survivor of those who were members of the Revoly.
Congs. prior to the close of the war; as I had been
for some years, of the members of the Convention
in 1776 which formed the first Constn. for Virga.
Having outlived, so many of my cotemporaries, I
ought not to forget that I may be thought to have
outlived myself.
With cordl. esteem & all good wishes.
I had not known that the papers of Mr. Hamilton
had passed into the hands of Mr. Bayless. Col.
Pickering was the last reported selection for the
trust.
