John Adams to Thomas Mifflin, July 14, 1789

New York July 14 1789

Dear Sir

I have received the letter you did me the honor to write me on the
third of this month, and I thank you for giving me an opportunity of renewing a friendly
intercourse which has continued I beleive with some interruption for these seventeen
years. 1

I was early acquainted with the activity, Zeal, and Steadiness of
Capt: Falconer in the cause of his country: but as the number of competitors for
employment in your city, is greater than that of the offices to be bestowed, and the
merits of many of them are considerable; The President will no doubt think himself
obliged to seek information from all quarters and carefully weigh the merits and
qualifications of every one.

In order to preserve and improve the Ballance of our constitution,
it is so necessary that the nominations of the President should be revered, that I shall
generally support to the utmost of my power the men of his choice, and it must be a very
strong case indeed that would justify me to myself in venturing to differ from him.

I congratulate you on the prospect we have that our countrymen will
by degrees recover their original national character, and thier native veneration for
the wisdom and virtue of those institutions of our Ancestors, which have been so long
obscured and misrepresented by passion, prejudice, ignorance, and error.

With great esteem &

John Adams