The Writings of Samuel Adams Volume IV Part 19

TO THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library; a text is in Ma.s.sachusetts Archives, and also in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. iii., pp.

98, 99]

STATE OF Ma.s.sACHUSETTS BAY Jany 5th 1780

SIR

The General a.s.sembly of this State, conceiving that great Evil may arise to the United States, from permitting Persons inimical to our Common Cause, to reside within them; And having Reason to apprehend, that certain Persons who by an Act of Government have been excluded from this State, are meditating a Design to obtain a Residence in the State of Rhode Island, have thought it necessary to address you on the Subject, and to request that you would be pleasd to communicate their Sentiments to your General a.s.sembly.

It is, in the Opinion of this a.s.sembly, highly criminal for a Citizen 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Arts of too many internal Enemies, hath been a sufficient Caution against receiving into her own Bosom, those who have withdrawn their Persons and their Aid in the Time of Danger & Distress; & there is less Reason for others to expect Favor and Forgiveness, who having basely betrayed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 Fort.i.tude 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 a.s.sembly

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 a.s.sembly 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 a.s.sembly has been sitting five or six Weeks, and it is probable will rise tomorrow. Among other things, they have pa.s.sed 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 a.s.sured 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 a.s.surance & 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 Fort.i.tude to a.s.sert it as we ought, but by which alone we shall be enabled, under G.o.d, 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 a.s.sure 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 Pa.s.sage 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 Gen1 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., Ma.s.sachusetts 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 Const.i.tution 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 a.s.sembly relating to Vermont. Mr Avery a.s.sures me that Duplicates were sent, so that I hope they have before this time got to hand. A Committee was appointed by the General a.s.sembly 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 a.s.sembly.

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 Gen1 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 a.s.sembly when they come together will turn their Attention princ.i.p.ally 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 Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.

[W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. iii., p. 136.]

To the Honorable Council and House of Representatives, in General Court a.s.sembled.

March 9, 1780.

The pet.i.tion of Samuel Adams of Boston humbly shows:--