That Gallatin was not blinded by democratic prejudices appears in the letter he wrote to Lafayette after Napoleon's abdication, in which he said: "My attachment to the form of government under which I was born and have ever lived never made me desirous that it should, by way of experiment, be applied to countries which might be better fitted for a limited monarchy." _Minister to France_ Strange as it appears, there is no doubt that Mr.Gallatin was at this time heartily weary of political life, and seriously contemplated a permanent retirement to the banks of the Monongahela.

He naturally enough declined a nomination to Congress, which was tendered him by the Philadelphia district.

His tastes were not for the violence and turbulence of the popular house.
Madison left him full time to decide whether he could arrange his private affairs so as to accept the mission to Paris.

In November he positively declined.

He considered the compensation as incompetent to the support of a minister in the style in which he was expected to live.
His private income was at this time about twenty-five hundred dollars a year.