August 14, 1787
I remain in hopes of great and good effects from the decision of the Assembly over which you are presiding. To make our States one as to all foreign concerns, preserve them several as to all merely domestic, to give the federal head some peaceable mode of enforcing its just authority, to organize that head into legislative, executive and judiciary departments are great desiderata in our federal constitution. Yet with all its defects and with those of our particular governments, the inconveniences resulting from them are so light in comparison with those existing in every other government on earth that our citizens may certainly be considered as in the happiest political situation which exists.