1833 September 1, to William D. Cope, Woodbourne

              Philadelphia Sep 1 1833



Dear Sir



Nothing but sentiments of disenterested friendship could induce me thus to address you-  & with the hope it may be received in accordance with those feelings.  I take the liberty to point to a few rules which should be laid down by each person- to be observed & practiced on the journey of Life- I could point to many authors who have written on general rules of Politeness & would not pay so poor a compliment to your acknowledged store of information- as suppose you were ignorant of Lord Chesterfield's code, yet am sorry to say I really think a more careful perusal would be much to your advantage-  But me thinks there is great latitude to excuse many  inadvertancies which is to be presumed arrises from your peculiar situation having no one near you, feeling a sufficient interest to give a word of advise- & they who might, detered from it by your very forbidding manner- did it never occur to you such manners must render you very unpopular-  the world is not withheld from speaking its mind of whom it pleases, however exalted his situation- for the blast that prostrates the oak passes harmless over the lovely violet- tis a fearful preeminance when our faults are learned & coined by note to be cast in to our [teath].  The great art of confering favour is to do it with apparent good will even when it goes against the grain- if we do not we run the risque of being thought selfish & rude- let not the tribulations of our minds speak too plainly through the countanance- & remember there are eyes of disernment about us.