[draft] Philadelphia 24th July 1792 My dear friend I have received several letters from you [struck: relative] relatively to appointments for young officers in the Army. They generally came too late, but they have all been registered for future consideration - There were [struck: several] [inserted: some] hundred more applicants for appointments than there were officers - of course there must be many disapointments - [struck: Besides] the officers have been apportioned locally [struck: to proportion] [inserted: accordg] to the number of troops to be raised in each state [inserted: respectively], [struck: and the] [inserted: and the] 12 rifle companies being generaly raised towards the frontier constrained [text loss] takes the officers from the [south] districts where [strikeout] [inserted: [several Genl] the [strikeout] [illegible] [2] [struck: At] [inserted: About] the time you wrote for the papers relatively to Genl Greene, Congress by a considerable majority [passed] the act in favor of the estate - It was then judged expedient [struck: to let the object] not again to excite the attention of the [public] to the object - [struck: The ill part] The indian war, and the failure of the last expedition [struck: has excited much ill h] combined with [strikeout] [inserted: a partial] aversion to the government [struck: in the [minds] of some ill disposed persons] excited much ill humor [inserted: during the last session]. It was thought proper [struck: by some] [inserted: by a party], to [levell] some shafts at [me], [struck: and] an extraordinary report [3] report was produced to the house of representatives on the last day of Congress - [struck: I flatt] [struck: This report] [inserted: and it] was [incidentally] not to say unjustly published I flatter myself that materials are not [illegible] to refute the most [strikeout] [inserted: important] parts of it, as they affect [illegible] department - and that the justice of the house will [inserted: therefore] reject [struck: the] the report - Parties will arise in free governments - and party prejudice is proverbally blind Pray how does the general Machine work [struck: with] [inserted: in Virginia] you? I will venture to say that from the greater part of this state [4] to the extreme east, the most unexampled instances of prosperity are exhibited in Town and County that ever was present to human ken - and yet there are a set of malignant beings who say we are going hardly to [struck: the Devil] [inserted: ruin] [struck: The eastern people grumble at the Indian War which I sincerely wish could be terminated - and there are some gleams of hope o[n] that subject] In France all [struck: seem] [inserted: are] mad - and in New York [strikeout] there have been symptoms of [strikeout] insecurity which are subsiding - Jay it would seem had a majority of votes - [struck: But] [inserted: [struck: a] But] Clinton is [5] the governor in part [owg] to some [defeated power] - [struck: where is] the freedom of election - [struck: where is] [inserted: is in this instance [negative] the essence of republicanism is done away and if a man can perpetuate himself [to office] [struck: will] by a minority. The degree thereof is immaterial provided he possesses an [artifical] [sic] power to repel or [overcome] the majority - [inserted on page 6: and yet we are told it is [struck: th] the intention of some person in Virginia to push Genl] Clinton for Vice President in opposition to Mr Adams - is this so? My family are [struck: at] Boston they dreaded the heat of a summer in Philadelphia - I regret my official duties prevent my joing them - I am dear sir Your Affectionate and Colo Edward Carrington sincere friend HKnox [docket] To Colo Edward Carrington at Richmond 24 July 1792