where a power to establish such a bank, or that the world may not go on very well without it.

Can it be thought that the constitution intended, that, for a shade or two of convenience, more or less, Congress should be authorised to break down the most antient and fundamental laws of the several States, such as those against mortmain, the laws of alienage, the rules of descent, the acts of distribution, the laws of escheat and forfeiture, and the laws of monopoly? Nothing but a necessity invincible by any other means, can justify such a prostration of laws, which constitute the pillars of our whole system of jurisprudence. Will Congress be too strait-laced to carry the constitution into honest effect, unless they may pass over the foundation laws of the State governments, for the slightest convenience to theirs?

The negative of the President is the shield provided by the constitution, to protect against the invasions of the legisla ture, 1. the rights of the Executive; 2. of the Judiciary; 3. of the States and State legislatures. The present is the case of a right remaining exclusively with the States, and is, consequently, one of those intended by the constitution to be placed under his protection.

It must be added, however, that unless the President's mind, on a view of every thing which is urged for and against this bill, is tolerably clear that it is unauthorised by the constitution, if the pro and the con hang so even as to balance his judgment, a just respect for the wisdom of the legislature would naturally decide the balance in favour of their opinion. It is chiefly for cases where they are clearly misled by error, ambition, or interest, that the constitution has placed a check in the negative of the President.

February 15, 1791.

TH. JEFFERSON.

THE END.

INDEX.

A.

Adams, John, correspondence with, i. 231, 243, 245, 259, 263, 267,
270, 303, 315, 319, 327, 361, 367, 371, 372, 376, 441; ii. 25,
36, 80, 171, 226, 241, 265, 272, 294, 412; iii. 345; iv. 172,
174, 195, 197, 206, 209, 227, 231, 246, 268, 274, 282, 304, 307,
309, 316, 317, 322, 327, 337, 347, 359, 363, 369, 371, 387,
389.

John Quincy, letter to, iv. 450.
Samuel, letters to, iii. 439, 473.
Mrs. letters to, iv. 16, 23, 27.

Albemarle County, letter to the inhabitants of, iv. 131.

Anas, volumes containing, iv. 453.

Arnond, M. l'Abbé, letter to, iii. 8.

Asquith, Lester, letters to, i. 314, 324, 366, 398-case of 356; ii.
26.

Attorney General, letters to, iii. 138, 306, letter from, 222.

Austin, Benjamin, letter to, iv. 276.

Bancroft, Dr. letter to, ii. 436.

B.

Banister, J. jun. letters to, i. 345; ii. 161.

Bank national, bill for establishing, iv. 536.

Barclay, Thomas, heads of instructions to, i. 305; heads of inquiry for,
307; ii. 201, letter to, iii. 109; private instructions to 110.

Barlow, Joel, letter to, iii. 465.

Barry, W. T. letter to, iv. 360.

Barton Dr. letter to, iv. 135.

Beaumarchais' claim against the United States, papers relating to, iii.

241.

Bellini, Mr. letters to, i. 327; ii. 343.

Bernstorff, le Comte de, letters to, ii. 286, 328.

Bidwell, Mr. letter to, iii. 57.

Bingham, Mrs. letter to, ii. 94.

Blanca, Count de Florida, letter to, iii. 52.

Bourne, Sylvanus, letters to, iii. 75, 124.

Bowdoin, Mr. letters to, iv. 71, 97.

Breckenridge, General, letter to, iv. 350.
Judge, letter to, iii. 454.

Brehan, Madame de, letters to, ii. 251, 443.
Briet, Monsieur, letter to, i. 255.

Brown, Dr. James, letter to, iv. 117.
John, letter to, ii. 318.

Buchanan and Hay, Messrs. letters to, i. 272, 439.
Buffon, M. le Comte de, letter to, ii. 243.
Burr, Colonel, letters to, iii. 363, 452, 457.
Burwell, W. A. letter to, iv. 61.

C.

Cabell, Joseph, letters to, iv. 342, 348, 395, 421.
Campbell, Colonel Arthur, letter to, iii. 371.

Carleton, Sir Guy, instructions to, ii. 41.

Carmichael, William, correspondence with, i. 241, 284, 347, 350;
ii. 11, 29, 70, 160, 269, 320, 359, 457; iii. 14, 53, 64, 89, 92,
103, 114, 130.

and Short, Messrs. letters to, iii. 161, 166, 193, 195, 224,
239. 260.

Carnes, Mr. letters to, ii. 239, 435.

Carr, Dabney, letter to, iv. 279.

Peter, letters to, i. 285; ii. 215, 328.

Carrington, Colonel Edward, letters to, ii. 84, 202, 278.
Cartwright, Major John, letter to, iv. 403.

Cary, A. letter to, i. 395.

Castries, M. de, letter to, i. 265.

Cathalan, M. letter to, ii. 359.

Stephen, junior, letter to, ii. 182.

Charter of Rights, sketch of, for the States General, ii. 475.
Chastellux, General, letter to, i. 228.

Churchman, John, letter to, ii. 214.

Claiborne, Governor, letter to, iv. 26.

Clarke, G. R. letter of, to the Governor of Virginia, i. 451.
Coinage, Notes on a, for the United States, i. 134.

Colvin, J. B. letter to, iv. 153.

Commerce of the United States, statement of the, with France and
England, and the French and British American possessions, iii. 146.
Committees of Correspondence, origin of, i. 100.

Congress, letters to the President of, i. 203, 205, 212, 213, 214, 215,
216, 217, 251; extract from report to, 378.

Consuls and Vice Consuls of the United States, circular letters to,
iii. 75, 173.

Contributions, female, i. 459.

Convention, project of a, with the Spanish Provinces, iii. 167, heads
of one between the United States and their neighbours, for the
delivery of fugitives from justice, 169.

extract from the journals of the, iii. 325.

Convention, Consular, made with France, ii. 378.

Cooper, Dr. letter to, iv. 366.

Cornwallis, Lord, letter from, to Colonel Balfour, i. 463.
Corny, Madame de, letters to, ii. 170, 252.

Cosway, Mrs. letters to, ii. 46, 56.

Council of Virginia, resolutions of the, see Virginia.

Coxe, Tench, letters to, iii. 309, 458.

Crawford, W. H. letter to, iv. 290.

Crimes and punishments, a bill for proportioning of, i. 121.

Creve-cœur, Monsieur de, letters to, ii. 82, 353.

Currie, Doctor, letter to, ii. 204.

Cutting, Mr. letters to, ii. 361, 373.

D.

D'Auberteuil, Monsieur Hilliard, letter to, i. 447.
Dearborne, General, letters to, iv. 151, 169, 264.
Departments, private, circular to the heads of, iii. 493.
Desbordes, Monsieur, letter to, i. 342.

Dickinson, John, letters to, iii. 462, 495; iv. 65.

Digges, Mr. letter to, iv. 56.

Diodati, M. le Comte de, letter to, iv. 69.

D'Ivernois M. letter to, iii. 315.

Donald, A. letters to, ii. 191, 292, 387.

Drayton, Wm. letters to, ii. 14, 193.

Duane, Colonel William, letters to, iv. 45, 102. 184.

Dumas, Mr. letters to, ii. 13, 97, 244, 252, 298, iii. 58, 59.
and Short, Messrs. letter to, i. 302.

Dupont, M., letter to, iii. 511.

Durival, Mr. letters from, iii. 248, 250.

E.

Encyclopedie Methodique, observations on an article prepared for,
406; answer to questions proposed by the author of the, 398;
observations to the author of the, on articles of the treaty with
Prussia, 430.

England and France, declaration and counter-declaration of the courts
of, ii. 259, 260.

Eppes, J. W. letters to, ii. 190; iv. 200, 211.

Etienne, Monsieur de St. letter to, ii. 474.

Eustis, Dr. letter to, iv. 123.

Everett, Edward, letter to, iv. 418.

F.

Fayette, Marquis de la, correspondence with, i. 446; ii. 101, 104,
458, 476, 491, 492, 493, 494; iii. 338; iv. 99, 253, 311, 393.
Forest, M. la, letter to, iii. 80.

Foronda, Don Valentine de, letter to, iv. 137.

Forrest, Colonel Uriah, letter to, i. 227.