highly & confide in him. We ought not however to think any Man
incapable of Error. But so it is with the Bulk of Mankind & even in a
free Country. They will reprobate the Idea of implicit Faith; and at
the same time, while the Impression of Gratitude is deep in their
Minds, they will not admit of a Benefactor, which must be said of every
Man, "aliquando dormitat." I would never inculcate a mean & envious
Suspicion of any Man especially of those who have renderd signal
Services to their Country. But there is a Degree of Watchfulness over
all Men possessd of Power or Influence upon which the Liberties of
Mankind much depend. It is necessary to guard against the Infirmities
of the best as well as the Wickedness of the worst of Men. Such is the
Weakness of human Nature that Tyranny has oftener sprang from that than
any other Source. It is this that unravels the Mystery of Millions
being enslavd by a few. What was it that indued the Cincinnati
Gentlemen who have undertaken to deliberate and act upon Matters which
may essentially concern "the Happiness & future Dignity of the American
Empire," to admit foreign Military Subjects into their Society? Was
there not Danger before that a foreign Influence might prevail in
America? Do not Foreigners wish to have Weight in our Councils? Can
such a Junction of Subjects of different Nations (& those Nations
widely different in their principles of Government) to Deliberate upon
things which relate to the Union & national Honor, the Happiness &
future Dignity of one consist with sound Policy? Are we sure that those
foreign Nations will never have separate Views & very national &
interrested ones too, because they once united in the same object & it
was accidentally their mutual Interest to fight Side by Side? If the
Cincinnati had a Right to erect themselves into an order for the
national Purposes of their Institution, had they a Right to call in
foreign Aid for those Purposes? It appears to me as impolitic,
preposterous & dangerous as it would be for the United States to invite