Hardly was Mr.Gallatin settled at Friendship Hill when a letter from President Monroe (October 15) arrived, urging him to return to Paris, if only for the winter, or until the crisis brought on by the rupture between France and Spain should be over.

Mr.Gallatin replied, that the deranged state of his private affairs rendered his return to Europe extremely improbable.
Goethe says in his "Elective Affinities" that we cannot escape the atmosphere we breathe.

The natural atmosphere of Mr.Gallatin was public life.

In November, 1825, Mr.Clay, Adams's secretary of state, offered, and, meeting a refusal, pressed upon Mr.Gallatin the post of representative of the United States at the proposed Congress of American Republics at Panama.

Mr.Clay was right in considering it the most important mission ever sent from the United States, and had Mr.Gallatin accepted it, relations with these interesting countries might have been improved to an immeasurable degree of happiness to them, and of benefit to both continents.