Washington Feb, 21, 1818
Dear Sir,
I have just received your very friendly letter of the 27th
of January, for which you will please to accept my sincere
thanks. It gives me much satisfaction to learn by it that my
friends at Craftsbury are in the enjoyment of health, and
particularly your family. I am sensible that an apology is
due from me for not writing oftener; it is not, because my friends
being out of sight, they are also out of mind; they still occupy that
place in my affections, which I trust that neither time nor dis
tance will have power to efface. I have found my situation
here much more arduous than I had anticipated. Beside the
common business of legislation, I received innumerable applica-
tions from every part of Vermont, to obtain soldiers land warrants,
pensions for widows, commutations for heirs of deceased soldiers,
accounts to settle, etc., etc., all these are to be attended to at the differ-
ent departments, each of which requires considerable time, care
and patience. The business of legislating for a nation is a very
important and responsible employment. Altho' we have in
congress many men of the first talents and virtue, we have
also many who are very visionary - and every subject which
is brought forwarded must be closely examined in all its re-
lations, and bearings upon the different classes of society, and
and are often supported from views which are enti-
rely
local, and
would prove injurious to other sections of country. It is
necessary therefore to be attentive to every thing that comes
before us, and to this part of my duty I have paid the
strictest attention. I am sorry to learn that money is scarce
in Vermont, but I must confess that I did expect it. If I
am not very much disappointed in my calculations there
will soon be a general scarcity in the U.S. It is a solemn
fact, that for the three years which have passed since the
termination of the late war, our imports have exceeded our
exports about 70 million of dollars, which must be paid for
in something besides the products of our country - this bal-
lance has in a great measure been paid, by selling in Eu-
rope our national stock, as in otherwords, selling the evidence
of our national debt, and stock in the United States bank, in
England - at present we do not feel the inconvenience of this
transfer - but the debt must be paid, and in many too;
and the time is at hand when the payments will become
due - and then if our exports shall not exceed our imports,
the money which shall have remained in the country
must necessary leave it, and our only currency be proper,
without specie to keep its credit up. But I hope by an-
ticipating this state of things, there will be wisdom sufficient
to provide for it in season, by lessening our importations
and by doing all in our power to increase the amount
of our exports. But I must end. I have enjoyed good
health, can give you no information when I shall get home
probably in April - I think I shall succeed in getting Mrs
Clark claim through- Be pleased to present my best
respects to Mrs Clark, and your daughters, with the rest of your
family, and believe me to remain your friend
Mr B Clark
S C Crafts