I spent an hour last evening at Mr. Wyer's, with Judge Cushing. Wyer's
father, who has a little place in the customs, came in. He began upon
politics, and told us that Mr. Smith had a fast last week which he
attended. Mr. Gilman preached, he said, part of the day, and told them
that the judgments of God upon the land were in consequence of the mobs
and riots which had prevailed in the country; and then turning to me old
Wyer said, "What do you think of that, Mr. Adams?"
I answered, "I can't say but mobs and violence may have been one cause
of our calamities. I am inclined to think that they do come in for a
share; but there are many other causes. Did not Mr. Gilman mention
bribery and corruption as another cause? He ought to have been
impartial, and pointed out the venality which prevails in the land as a
cause, as well as tumults." "I think he did," says Wyer. I might have
pursued my inquiry, whether he did not mention universal pilfering,
robbery, and picking of pockets which prevails in the land,--as every
man's pocket upon the continent is picked every day by taking from him
duties without his consent. I might have inquired whether he mentioned
the universal spirit of debauchery, dissipation, luxury, effeminacy, and
gaming, which the late ministerial measures are introducing, etc., etc.,
etc., but I forbore.
How much profaneness, lewdness, intemperance, etc., have been introduced
by the army and navy and revenue; how much servility, venality,
artifice, and hypocrisy have been introduced among the ambitious and
avaricious by the British politics of the last ten years. In short the
original faulty causes of all the vices which have been introduced are
the political innovations of the last ten years. This is no
justification and a poor excuse for the girls who have been debauched,
and for the injustice which has been committed in some riots; but surely
the soldiers, sailors, and excisemen who have occasioned these vices
ought not to reproach those they have corrupted. These Tories act the
part of the devil. They tempt the women into sin and then reproach them
for it, and become soon their tormentors for it. A tempter and tormentor
is the character of the devil. Hutchinson, Oliver, and others of their
circle, who for their own ends of ambition and avarice have pursued,
promoted, encouraged, counseled, aided, and abetted the taxation of
America, have been the real tempters of their countrymen and women into
all the vices, sins, crimes, and follies which that taxation has
occasioned. And now by themselves and their friends, dependents, and
votaries, they are reproaching those very men and women with those vices
and follies, sins and crimes.
There is not a sin which prevails more universally and has prevailed
longer than prodigality in furniture, equipage, apparel, and diet. And I
believe that this vice, this sin, has as large a share in drawing down
the judgments of Heaven as any. And perhaps the punishment that is
inflicted may work medicinally and cure the disease.