Their want of discipline and skill in
military manoeuvres is of little consequence in small engagements, and
of great in larger ones. Their grand army was at Adrianople by the last
accounts, and to get from thence to Belgrade will require a month. It
will be that time at least then, before we can have any very interesting
news from them. In the mean time, the plague rages at Constantinople to
a terrible degree. I cannot think but that it would be desirable to all
commercial nations, to have that nation and all its dependencies driven
from the sea-coast, into the interior parts of Asia and Africa. What a
field would, thus be restored to commerce! The finest parts of the old
world are now dead, in a great degree, to commerce, to arts, to science,
and to society. Greece, Syria, Egypt, and the northern coast of Africa,
constituted the whole world almost for the Romans, and to us they are
scarcely known, scarcely accessible at all. The present summer will
enable us to judge, what turn this contest will take. I am greatly
anxious to hear that nine States accept our new constitution.
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