Washington 10th of Dec 1820
My dearest friend,
Your letter of the 29th of Nov. is just received,
and I am thankful to learn by it that you are all still
the inhabitants of this earth - I assure you, [ ] considering
what frail beings we are, and how many accidents are daily
occurring, I never open a letter having the post mark of Crafts-
bury without emotion - and fearing [lest] it be the bearer of
some unpleasant information. So far, and I desire to be grateful
for it, I have received no unfavorable account. You inform
me that you have received no papers by the last mail & conjec-
ture that I have given them another direction - I need not inform
you that those conjectures are not well founded because before
this can reach you, you will received the papers regularly directed
to you, unless some person without any permission or authority
from me, shall take the liberty of detaining them. So soon as
I arrived here, I took my papers and after reading them have
enclosed them to you or to Samuel, who I have presumed is with
you before this - There has nothing of much interest transpired at
Washington since I last wrote, worthy of communicating - We have for
three days past been discussing the subject of admitting the new state
of Missouri - There is far less excitement and irritation this year, than
there was last year when that subject was before Congress - And it is
the general belief that it will be decided in the course of the present
week, and, I believe against its admission into the union, with its
present constitution. Altho' the Southern members will probably
all vote for the admission, yet there is much more union among
the Northern members, then last year-
Uncle Sam, as well other people, find the times hard, and
many scarce- and is very much put to it to continue ways & means
to raise enough to pay the current expenses of the government. We
talk very strongly of reducing our pay to six dollars - and of reducing
the pay of all the other offices of government, in the same proportion,
upon the army & navy, and try hard to live within our income -
There are projects before Congress, and will, I believe, receive a pretty
strong support - However, as it is mush easier to acquire habits of pro-
fusion, [ ] or indeed, any other bad habits, than to get rid of them
when acquired, I very much fear that we shall do but little with
reform more than to talk about it.
I have made no visit nor attended any party since I have
been here; but I have received an invitation to dine at the Presi-
dents, on next friday, and am not yet determined whether I shall
accept or not - If I attend I will in my next give you a parti-
cular account of it as I can do in a letter - particularly how the
ladies are dressed, if there are any ladies there - which is sometimes
the case - my health remains as usual, good -
I wish to be rembered [remembered] affectionately to Samuel & Mary -
and to all friends - shall write soon to them - And in
the mean time I remain affectionately your faithful
friend &c
Saml C Crafts
Mrs E Crafts
S.C.C. To E.C.
Dec. 10. 1820