George Washington to the Vice President

November 15, 1794


[The quantity of immigrants should be kept small enough to encourage assimilation. — TGW]
 

…the policy or advantage of [immigration] taking place in a body (I mean the settling of them in a body) may be much questioned; for, by so doing, they retain the language, habits, and principles (good or bad) which they bring with them. Whereas by an intermixture with our people, they, or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures, and laws: in a word, soon become one people.

[From Writings of George Washington, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1931-44), 34:23.]