[Extract]

Norfolk is reduc'd to Ashes as last it seems ー I fear we are laying plans for more of this kind of Work ー Dunmore has a most malignant Hea[rt] of his own, & I wish some Patriot Bullett wou'd give him a Safe Conduct to the other World ー In this, he is a pest ー The further I extend my View, the greater to me appears our Danger & I wish those Gent among us, who conduct our Politics to deliberate well on the deep Stake we are playing & consider if it may not on the whole be best to make one further Essay for Accomodation ー A thousand reasons may be urg'd in its favor, not a single one agst it occurs to me ー It surely is not impossible, but that the Spirit of an old Roman might be accompany's by the Humility of a good Christian, & this be our Conduct ー I would hold the Olive Branch in one hand & the Sword in the other, & I woud convince the whole World, that this was not by way of threat, but purely to secure my Liberty ー I woud wipe away the Aspersion that Independance was our View, by drawing the Line as nearly as I cou'd in Terms not the least ambiguous, & if they refus'd, the Blood that must be Spilt, woud fall on their heads ー If this be done, there woud be but few Tories in America & of those few, none dare shew them selves ー We shoud unite as one Man & no power coud destroy us ー If we do not, what may be the fatal Consequencds of Disunion ー If no Accomodation takes place & they resolve to risque their all upon the Cast, for so I think they will, must they not accept of the foreign Troops offer'd them ー If the Russians come over, will it not necessarily introduce the French, it must. That Power will find means to persuade us into an Acceptance of their Men. We shall have the sevral Powers of Europe, fighting their Battles in America, & in this View of things, the fate of Poland ought to make us tremble ー I pretend not to say that all this will happen ー That it may serve my Purpose, or suppose it any way less injurious, yet a spe[e]dy Settlemt by Negoiation must be preferable. That it must come to at last, perhaps after the loss of 50,000 Lives, & should the bale [balance] be agst us, we may want Spirit to exrt our Abilities to advantage. It's observable that those who are most elated with Success, and proportionably depress'd by a Reverse of Fortune, & if so, we coud not go into a Negotiation at a more proper Season ー I woud send Home dispatch Boats, I woud draw the Letter in [illegible] plain & express Terms, that he who run[s] might read, so, as that it coud not possibly be misunderstood ー I woud let them know that while I had Life I woud have Liberty, & that the better to secure it, I woud not relax in a single Instance ー My Operations should all be continued without abatement, & if they refus'd, what all Mankind must agree was right & reasonable, the Blood as I said before shoud be on their own heads ー By this Conduct we shoud stand perfectly fair with the whole World, with our selves, & I shoud suppose with Heaven, whose Interposition I am not Infidel eno' to think, ought not to be taken into the Account ー I coud say much more, but I shoud not take up too much of you Time ー You have these thoughts as they occur in confidence, & you'l let me hear what may be the prevailing Opinion of our Acquaintance & friends on this most interesting Subject ー If something in this way be not done, I see a Spirit rising, that may be injurious to our Cause ー More minds will grow more agitated, & a difference of Sentiment may throw us into Altercations & heart burnings which may be prejudicial ー Policy shoud dictate to our Leaders to adopt such Measures as may be as universally approv'd as possible. ー Shoud a Jealousy take place among ourselves as well as England, that Independance is the real View of almost a Majority, what Distractions may we not fall into, & to insure our Success, it ought to be prevented least here & every where our Enemies take advantage of it ー Tho the present gloomy prospect almost precludes happiness, I can't help wishing you a large proportion of it ー & with my Respects to my old friends, I am Dr Tom Yr affect Uncle