What I saw and heard of your son pleased me, and I cannot but hope he will repay all your anxieties and realize your reasonable expectations by his conduct and the standing which he must and will acquire in society by that conduct." Mr.Van Schaick's letter was written also in New York, on December 14, 1814:-- "To those passages of Dr.Morse's letter respecting his son, to which you have directed my attention, I hasten to reply without any form, because it will gratify me to relieve the anxiety of the parents of my friend.
His religious and moral character is unexceptionally good.

He feels strongly for his country and expresses those feelings among his American friends with great sensibility.

I do not know that he ever indulges in any observations in the company of Englishmen which are calculated to injure his standing among them.

But, my dear sir, you fully know that an American cannot escape the sting of illiberal and false charges against his country and even its moral character, unless he almost entirely withholds himself from society.

It cannot be expected that any human being should be so unfeeling as to suffer indignity in total silence.
"But I do not think that any political collisions, which may incidentally and very infrequently arise, can injure him as an artist; for it is well known to you that the simple fact of his being an American is sufficient to prevent his rising rapidly into notice, since the possession of that character clogs the efforts, or, at least, somewhat clouds the fame of men of superior genius and established talent....