Lt. Colo. Franks being appointed to carry to Paris one of the copies of our ratification of the Def. treaty, & being to depart in the instant of his appointmt. furnishes me a hasty opportunity of obtruding myself on your recollection. Should this prove troublesome you must take the blame as having exposed yourself to my esteem by letting me become acquainted with your merit. Our transactions on this side the water must now have become uninteresting to the rest of [the] world. We are busy however among ourselves endeavoring to get our new governments into regular and concerted motion. For this purpose I beleive we shall find some additions requisite to our Confederation. As yet every thing has gone smoothly since the war. We are diverted with the European accts. of the anarchy & opposition to government in America. Nothing can be more untrue than these relations. There was indeed some disatisfaction in the army at not being paid off before they were disbanded, and a very trifling mutiny of 200 souldiers in Philadelphia. On the latter occasion, Congress left that place disgusted with the pusillanimity of the government and not from any want of security to their own persons. The indignation which the other states felt at this insult to their delegates has enlisted them more warmly in support of Congress & the people, the legislature & the Exec. themselves of Pennsylvania have made the most satisfactory atonements. Some people also of warm blood undertook to resolve as committees for proscribing the refugees. But they were few, scattered here & there through the several states, were absolutely unnoticed by those both in & out of power, and never expressed an idea of not acquiescing

   FC (MoSHi); reprinted from Jefferson, Papers (Boyd), 6:466-67.