to be an indifferent Spectator of the Miseries of his Country -- much more
so, to desert her while struggling for her Liberty -- and still more, to
seek Refuge in the very Time of her Conflict in the Arms of her cruel &
inveterate Enemies. It cannot then be thought strange, that those who
love and reverence their Country, feel an Indignation against the Men,
who have held her Safety, her Liberty & her Honor at so cheap a Rate.
The Injury which this State unavoidably sustaind from the Arts of too
many internal Enemies, hath been a sufficient Caution against receiving
into her own Bosom, those who have withdrawn their Persons and their
Aid in the Time of Danger & Distress; & there is less Reason for others
to expect Favor and Forgiveness, who having basely betrayed such a
Diffidence in the Wisdom and Fortitude of their Country and the
righteous Cause she is contending for, have imagind themselves more
secure, under the Power of its Invaders, and fled to them for
Protection.
It is indeed much to be regretted, that the greatest Vigilance is
insufficient to detect the most virulent Enemies of the publick Liberty
in every Instance, and bring them to condign Punishment. This
Government, however, hath taken every Measure which Prudence dictated,
to effect so necessary a Purpose. Notorious offenders have been
proscribed by the Laws, and forbidden to return from their voluntary
and shameful Exile. Mutual Interest as well as mutual Friendship most
strongly remonstrate against such Persons being permitted to reside
within any of the Sister States. While we are embarkd in the same
Cause; While we are actuated by the same Principles and Views; While we
partake of the same publick Feeling, and are confederated for the same
great Purpose of mutual Safety and Defence; Honor and Justice forbid us
to entertain a Suspicion, that the State of Rhode Island would afford
Shelter & Protection to those, who have forfeited the Rights of
Citizens in the United States.
In the Name & Behalf of the General Assembly
I am &c,
TO JOHN ADAMS.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
BOSTON Jany 13, 1780.
MY DEAR SIR
I gladly embrace the first opportunity I have had of writing to you
since you left this Country. Mr Jonn Loring Austin is the Bearer of
this Letter. He is appointed by the General Assembly to negociate an
Affair in Europe which will be communicated to you by a Letter written
to you by the President of the Council & signd in their Name. The
Measure is the favorite offspring of the House of Representatives, &
was adopted by many Members of the Council. I wish it may succeed to
their Expectation.
The Assembly has been sitting five or six Weeks, and it is probable
will rise tomorrow. Among other things, they have passed an Act for
securing to their own officers & Soldiers in the Army of the United
States, a Compensation for the Depreciation of their pay. It is done in
a Mode agreeable to a Committee of officers from the Army, so that
there is no Doubt but the Rest of the officers & the Soldiers will be
satisfied with it. Money has been sent to the Army to inlist those
whose three years are expired, & who may be inclind to continue in the
Service, & we are well assured that great Numbers have engagd, so that
there is a good Prospect of our States Batallions being well filled.
Indeed there is all imaginable Reason to expect that the General will
be furnishd in the Spring with an Army better disciplined than even
those which have provd their Superiority to the Enemy in several
Campaigns. The more they are inured to actual Service, the more perfect
they will be in Discipline; and the Courage of a Soldier in the Time of
Action, in a great Measure... from a confidence in his military
Knowledge. What Events may take place in the Spring we cannot certainly
predict. An Army we know will be necessary, either to fight the Enemy,
or to give Assurance & Stability to the skillful Negociator of Peace.
The Plan you mentiond to me as having been proposd by you to Monsr -------- the
last October was a twelvemonth, if it could be fully accomplishd, might
in one of the ways above mentiond or the other, secure to us the
Objects which I know your heart is much set upon as well as mine.
Independence is a mere Charm, [and] unless by Arts or by Arms we secure
to ourselves those Advantages we may not have the Fortitude to assert
it as we ought, but by which alone we shall be enabled, under God, to
maintain it. You have the... , and for my self I confide both in your
Wisdom & Integrity.
You will see by the inclosd Paper that our Convention is adjournd. The
Roads thro the Country are so blockd up by incessant & heavy Snows,
that it has been impracticable for the Members to attend. It is proposd
to keep it alive by short Adjournments till a sufficient Number shall
arrive to proceed to the Business. Those among us who can remember the
year 1717 say there has not been so much Snow on the Ground since that
Time.
Mr L informs me that Colo Laurens the younger has declind going to
Europe. "The little Gentleman" (he will pardon me the Joke) will, if he
recollects, help us to guess who will probably obtain the next Choice.
The Delegates in Congress for the last year are again chosen excepting
General Ward in the Room of Mr Dana. I own it is not becoming an old
Man to be mutable--and yet I am intimately acquainted with one who took
his Leave of his good Friends in Philadelphia with almost as much
Formality as if he was on his dying Bed soon after resolving to visit
them once more. In [your] horrid Catalogue of evil Dispositions with
which Age is infested we do not find Vanity. This perhaps may be common
to the old & the young, tho I confess it is the more pardonable in the
latter. It is difficult for a Man in years to perswade himself to
believe a mortifying Truth that the Powers of his mind whether they
have been greater or less, are diminishd.
Pray assure Mr Dana of my affectionate Regards, and Colo Laurens if you
meet with him. I am informd he is gone or going to Europe. My old
patriotick Friend Mr A L, I am perswaded is before this time on his
Passage to America. But if not, let him know that the Hopes of seeing
him at Philadelphia is a strong Inducement to me, otherwise against my
Inclination, to visit Philadelphia once more.
A Letter from Genl Heath dated at Head Quarters Decr 21 says "the
health & Spirits of the Troops are not to be parralled. The Enemy at N
Y are undoubtedly embarking a large Body of Troops from 8 to 10,000--they
would have saild before this Time but have been under Apprehension that
the Coast was not clear. Their Destination is said to be to the
Southward but some say to the W. I. most probably both."
TO JOHN MORIN SCOTT.1
[MS., Massachusetts Archives; a text is in W. V. Wells' Life of Samuel
Adams, vol. iii., pp. 146, 147.]
BOSTON Feb 17 1780
SIR
Your Letter of the 19th of Jany did not reach my Hand till yesterday.--I
am sorry to acquaint you that the Affairs of this Government
immediately previous to the Enemies taking Possession of this Town in
the year 1775, being under the Direction of Persons inimical to us, the
Papers in the files of the Secretary of the Province were derangd &
thrown into such disorder, as to render it impracticable for me
immediately to comply with your Request to send you authenticated
Copies of the papers you have mentiond. I can conceive of no Reason why
you should not be servd with Copies as you desire. The Council have
orderd the papers to be lookd up for the Use of a Committee appointed
to state our Claim. This will be done with the greatest Despatch, and
will enable me to convince you of the Readiness with which I am disposd
to gratify you in all Cases consistent with the Duties of my office.
In the mean time I am with great Esteem &c
1 Secretary of State of New York.
TO JAMES LOVELL.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
BOSTON Mar 5 1780
MY DEAR SIR
I have receivd since I last wrote, your 21st, 25th & 28th of Jany and
8th & 16th of Feby, with the inclosd which I have distributed according
to your Request. My Time has been spent for two Months past, partly in
my sick Chamber and partly in our Convention for forming a Constitution
which we finishd yesterday for the Inspection of the People. You shall
have a Copy of it when it can be got thro the Press. Considering the
Winter we have had and the utmost Impossibility of travelling, I am not
so much surprizd at your Presidents not having receivd the Letters
which have been sent from the General Assembly relating to Vermont. Mr
Avery assures me that Duplicates were sent, so that I hope they have
before this time got to hand. A Committee was appointed by the General
Assembly to state our Right to the Land in Question, with an Intention
that our Agent mt be ready at Congress by the Time appointed, but on
their representing that they should not be able to report at the last
Session they were directed to do it at the next which will begin next
Wednesday. I will then endeavor to get the Number of our Delegates
necessary to be present in Congress reducd.
I wish you would send your Account of Time & Expences to the Assembly.
Twenty five Dollars pr Day and Expences were allowd to me for the year
79. I inform you of this that you may judge whether the Allowance for
Time & Service is raisd in Proportion to other things.
In your Letter of the 16 of Feb you mention your having inclosd to me
the Day before two Letters from Genl Lincoln, and your having had four
sent to your Care. I have receivd only two, and them by Mr Torrey, one
of them for the Generals Lady which I have forwarded by a safe hand,
and the other for his Son.
"Our Newspapers are remarkeable lately for more groundless Paragraphs
than most others." It is true. And there are some Men who with all
other political Qualities, cannot keep a political Secret. I thought it
not prudent to mention it, and did not to any one; but to my great
Surprize saw it in one of the Papers. It was however a great Wonder, as
I was told a paragraph of one of your own Letters was either read or
explaind in a large table Circle, and so it got into the Press. The
Intelligence was far from being displeasing to any of your virtuous
fellow Citizens, unless to those who think your Presence in Congress
indispensible.
In the Hint I gave you in one of my Letters I was far from intending
you should think I meant Capt Mc Neil. I am sure he is a Man of too
much Honor to write the anonimous Letter the Committee receivd.
I hope the General Assembly when they come together will turn their
Attention principally to the fitting up & supplying their Quota of the
Army. The Council have given Colo Blaney their best Advice and he
appears to be well pleasd with the Candor & Respect they have shown him.
TO THE LEGISLATURE OF MASSACHUSETTS.
[W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. iii., p. 136.]
To the Honorable Council and House of Representatives, in General Court
assembled.
March 9, 1780.
The petition of Samuel Adams of Boston humbly shows:--
That when the British troops were in possession of the town of Boston,
in 1775, he suffered the loss of the greatest and most valuable part of
his household furniture, and has since been indulged with the use of
sundry articles belonging to certain absentees until the General
Assembly should be pleased to otherwise order them to be disposed of.
Your petitioner prays the Honorable Court that he may be permitted to
avail himself of the purchase of the said furniture at the prices that
may be set upon them by good and discreet men.
And as in duty bound, he shall pray, &c.
TO JOHN ADAMS.
[MS., Adams Papers, Quincy.]
BOSTON March 15 1780
MY DEAR SIR/
The immediate Departure of Mr Appleton who takes the Charge of this
Letter, prevents my saying to you more than a very few Words. Colo
Niles informd me yesterday that your Lady & Family were well when he
saw them on Saturday last. Our General Assembly began a Session the
last Week. They are intent on filling up their Quota of the Army. The
Convention is adjournd till the first Wednesday in June next.1 The
Fabrick is not materially injurd. It is proposd that the People should
state their Objections if they have any, and that the Convention shd
adapt it to the General Sentiments & give it the Sanction--a New
Convention to be called, if two thirds of the people shall think it
expedient in the year 95 to make Alterations as Experience may dictate.
Mr Appleton is the Son of our Friend the Loan Officer. I think he will
not dishonor his Country abroad.
My Regards to Dr F-- Mr D-- Colo L if you see him & all Friends--Adieu my dear
Friend.
1 Its address to the public is printed in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel
Adams, vol. iii., pp. 90--96
TO JAMES LOVELL.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
BOSTON Mar 25 1780
MY DEAR SIR
Your Favor of the 9th was deliverd to me by Mr Brailes.... one day this
Week & the Day following that of the 28 of Feb by the Post.--" New York
presses Congress hard upon the Resolution, in Regard to Vermont." &c.
Our Assembly in their first Letter to Congress on the Subject, expressd
a Doubt whether they should be ready by the Time appointed. They
immediately appointed a Come to state their Claim, consisting of three
Gentle-men, two of whom viz Mr Bowdoin & Mr Lowell are not Members. The
great Business of the Convention of which all the Come were Members
intervened. Their Report however is expected in a very few Days. I wish
this Matter could be settled to the Satisfaction of all. If there was
Reason to expect that all would be satisfied with a Decision of
Congress, I should think the sooner it is done the better. But the
Grant People, you say, now refuse. It may be a Question then whether it
wd be best to attempt a Settlement in the Time of War, and especially
at a Juncture of it, when the only Object of all should be to prosecute
it with their utmost united Force and Vigor. Nothing however but the
Multiplicity of most pressing Affairs, has prevented this State being
ready hitherto. They are in Earnest to support their Claim. They were
discontented with the Decision in 1739, and I think afterwards directed
their Agent Mr Bollan to manifest it to the King in Council. I will
examine the Letters of that Day & make this certain to you. Ethan Allen
was in this Towne last Winter, and returnd disgusted on his being
informd that we were determined to support our Claim.
The Resolutions of Congress, a Sketch of which you sent to me, came to
the Council by the same Conveyance. The Assembly being sitting, they
were laid before them. Every practicable Measure is taking to promote
the great Business of recruiting the Army & every other Essential to a
vigorous Campaign. I have noticed the honest Intention of ---- without
feeling any Jealousy on the Occasion. It is always my Endeavor to
render the recommendations of Congress most respectable; tho I
perceive, that the artful Writers in some of the Philadelphia Papers
affect to hold up a Contrast between the present & the "illustrious
Congress of '74"--I may be supposd
[to] be impartial, having had the Honor of being a Member from the
Beginning; and I do verily believe that in point of Understanding,
Wisdom, Integrity, and Diligence in Affairs they are as respectable now
as they were then. It is the Wish of Tories and Britons to make them
appear little in the Eye of the World. Under God they have done
Wonders. By an affectionate Union of the Members with each other, by
their joynt & unwearied application to the publick Business, by
Vigilance Zeal and an inflexible Independence of Spirit they will
continue reverd by the Friends and dreaded by the Enemies of our
Country.
I thank you for the Intelligence you inclosd, and have made a prudent
Use of it, by communicating it to some of the leading members of the
Assembly who are my confidential Friends. To others I have given it in
my own way as Articles of my political Creed, and I think to good
Effect. What do you think of Penobscott? The late Expedition,1 tho it
turnd out very unfortunate, was perhaps as great an Exertion as has
been made by any State since the War began. Our State must demand a
reimbursement. It is more than probable that if we had succeeded we shd
have had the Charge paid with thanks. And we shd have richly deserved
it. Britain I doubt not considers that an important Post and so
will.... if she regards her Navy.
You know that by our Charter the Crown reservd the Masts. Another
Circumstance I will.... remind you of, that part of our Eastern Country
was held by the Crown & the People of the Province as it were in joynt
Tenancy. He could not originate the Sale of any Part of it, nor could
they complete the sale without his Confirmation. Will it not be her
Policy to keep Possession of that part of our Territory till Terms of
Peace are proposd, that she may take occasion to say she is in
Possession of her own. And will it not then be somewhat difficult for
Mediator to find Arguments against her holding it? Should not Congress
assist us in endeavoring to recover possession? We want Ships. If a
french Squadron should again visit these Seas it is natural for a
Massachusetts Man to wish, that they should make Hallifax their capital
object. Probably America wd think it for her Interest if she.... that
the Masts & the Fishing Ground must be the great Security of their
Independence & Prosperity? We must have the reach of our arms or we
shall never be able even to defend ourselves....
I declare to you I shall not feel perfectly easy till those two
provinces are annexed to the United States as Nature seems to have
designd, and the unmolested Right to the Fishery is secured to us. I
believe my letter is become tedious to you. I will conclude with
mentioning that several Persons have hinted to me the Necessity of
establishing an American Consul in France. If it should be thought
expedient to propose it to Congress & they should judge it proper, Mr
Perez Moulton2 (whom you know) desires me to inform the Mass Delegates
that he intends residing in that Country a few years & would gladly
accept of that appointment.
1 Cf. Pages 154, 158 et seq.
2 Cf. Vol. iii., p. 293.
TO JOHN ADAMS.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
[May, 1780.]
MY DEAR SIR
The Son of our worthy Friend General Warren takes the Care of this
Letter. I need to say Nothing to recommend him to your Patronage and
Advice. The Marquis La Fayette who tarried here a few Days ago did me
the Honor to deliver me your Favor of--------. The other to which you refer me is
not come to Hand. I enclose you several Acts of the General Assembly
passed the last Session, besides which another passed granting to the
Subjects of France within this State equal Privileges with those
granted to the Subjects of the United States in France agreable to the
Treaty and another for instituting a Society for promoting Arts &
Sciences. The Suddeness of Mr Warrens Departure prevents my sending the
two last by him. I also inclose the Form of the Constitution as revisd
& alterd by the Convention and recommended to the People. The Town of
Boston have been in Meeting three Days, upon this important Affair. It
is this moment finishd. The Town have unanimously agreed to the
Constitution with a few Alterations (I think for the better) except the
third Article. They have proposd that in the 16th Article of the
Declaration of Rights provision be made for the Liberty of Speech as
well as the Press, in both Cases to respect publick Men in their
publick Conduct. In the Proviso under the 7 Article Chap. 2 they have
added to the Exception, so far as may be necessary for the Defence of a
neighboring State invaded or threatned with immediate Invasion. In the
7 Art. Chap. 6. the Words "upon the most urgent & pressing Occasions"
are proposd to be expungd and the Words "of War, Invasion or rebellion
declard by the Legislature to exist" to be inserted in their Stead. And
the Time is limitted to Six instead of 12 Months. The Religious Article
was considerd by itself, and occasiond much but candid Debate. The Town
have proposd a new Draft of the Article which I have not by me. If Mr
Warren does not call on me too early tomorrow I will transcribe it. The
Convention is adjournd to the 7th of June to receive & act upon the
Returns of the People agreably to the Resolution of Convention inserted
in the last pages of the inclosd, to which this Town has agreed. The
short Notice I have had of this opportunity & my being obligd to attend
the Town Meeting has prevented my writing so largely as I could have
wishd. Please to present my affectionate Regards to Mr Dana & let him
know that I receivd his Letter by the Marquis, & that Attention will be
given to his request for certain papers of Importance. I shall set off
for Philade in a few Days. Adieu my dear Sir.
I wrote you by Mr J. L. Austin who I hope is arrivd.
ARTICLE SIGNED "VINDEX."
[Boston Gazette, June 12, 1780.]
Messieurs Edes,
An old Correspondent begs room for a few Words in your next.