The New York Packet

New-York, June 12.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman of character in New-York, to his friend in Boston, dated May 26.

"The Convention opens the great field of political speculation; and there seems to be at present an astonishing variety in the opinion even of respectable men concerning the alterations which ought to be made in our federal system--it ever has been, and ever will be, the effect of letting men loose in that field--and I shall think it a fortunate event if a tolerable majority can, in the course of a year or two, be brought to think alike of our national character and condition, and to adopt alterations in the forms of government suitable to them. There are many temperate and very respectable men in the Convention; and I hope they will propose those judicious alterations, in the national constitution, which may give stability, happiness, and satisfaction to this great community. But as we complain now of evils which evidently do not exist, I confess, I sometimes almost despair of seeing the day when we shall cease to murmur, and suffer imaginary evils to produce in the end real ones. We certainly enjoy great blessings as a people, tho not all we wish for--nor, probably, all we might enjoy, were our governments more established and settled, and individuals more fixed and steady in their respective branches of business."