The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

JET. 57.] LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 447
large correspondence on agriculture with gentlemen in
Europe and America. His letters to Sir John Sinclair,
Arthur Young, and Dr. Anderson, have been published and are well known. Indeed his thoughts never
seemed to flow more freely, nor his pen. to move more
easily, than when he was writing on agriculture, extolling it as a most attractive pursuit, and describing
the pleasure he derived from it, and its superior claims
not only on the practical economist, but on the statesman and philanthropist.
The President had not been long in New York
before he found it necessary to establish rules for receiving visiters and entertaining company. There being
no precedent to serve as a guide, this was an affair of
considerable delicacy and difficulty. In the first place,
it was essential to maintain the dignity of the office
by such forms as would inspire deference and respect;
and, at the same time, the nature of republican institutions and the habits of the people required the chief
magistrate to be accessible to every citizen on proper
occasions and for reasonable purposes. A just line
was therefore to be drawn between too much pomp
and ceremony on the one hand, and an extreme of
familiarity on the other. Regard was also to be had
to the President's time and convenience. After a short
experiment of leaving the matter to the discretion of
the public, it was proved, that without some fixed rule
he would never have an hour at his disposal. From
breakfast till dinner his door was besieged with persons
calling to pay their respects, or to consult him on affairs
of little moment. His sense of duty to.the claims of
his office, and to himself, convinced him that this practice could not be endured. The Vice-President, Mr.
Jay, Mr. Madison, Mr. Hamilton, and other gentlemen,
concurred in this opinion, and by their advice a different mode was adopted.