The Federalists of this county are very much distracted on the subject of Sheriff, Clerk, Congressman &c. The new name they assumed at their District Convention has disgusted many of their strongest men. They held their town meeting yesterday at the house where I was; the notice was directed to the Federal Republicans and several spoke to me with severity of the proceeding of the District Convention in taking the name they did, were pleased with the articles in the Argus on that subject, and Van Der Pool told me he had been pestered to death about it. The Van Vlecks of this town want the Sheriff, and the Van Schaaks the Clerk. The town cannot of course have both, and it was amusing to me to see men whose unanimity of action had never been disturbed, nine tenths of whom were Tories during the Revolution and have been uniformly Federal since, for the first time meet each other with distrust and smothered hostility. They appointed a large committee of the friends of both families, and deferred the contest to the County meeting. There are six powerful candidates for the Sheriff's office, and nearly as many for that of Clerk. I cannot yet say whether much advantage may safely be calculated on from these matters, but am strongly inclined to wait until after their county meeting (which is on Thursday) to see whether something may not be made out of them. In that event I shall visit Mr. Livingston. I saw the Patroon the morning I left town. He spoke of you in the most friendly manner, said he had no doubt you would be elected, and told me that he would go into Renssaelaer and would express his opinion unreservedly on the subject of their Senator nomination. I wish you would be particular and say nothing about this, however, to any person. Tell Cantine I will write him by Tuesday's mail.