You know now that all letters are read, and that should not be _always_ the case with ours.

There is, however, one thing about which I think it right to warn you.

This way of reading people's letters is often taken advantage of by the writers of them, who are _not so ignorant of the thing as is imagined_ to write the very subject which they wish to convey to the ears of persons without compromising themselves.

I will give you an example: we are still plagued by Prussia concerning those fortresses; now, to tell the Prussian Government many things, which we _should not like_ to tell them _officially_, the Minister is going to write a despatch to our man at Berlin, sending it _by post_; the Prussians _are sure_ to read it, and to learn in this way what we wish them to hear.

The diplomats in England may resort to this same mode of proceeding to injure people, to calumniate, and to convey to your knowledge such things as they may hope to have the effect of injuring some people _they may fear_, in your eyes.