March 26
Mess Otis and Henley are under a Difficulty which I wish mt have your Attention, and that you wd consult our Brother Mr Gerry to whom they have written on the Subject. In Consequence of the most pressing Letters from the Board of War, they have lately purchasd a Quant.i.ty of Woolen Goods at 5 Months Credit, to be paid for in Currency at 75 for one provided Bills on Europe continue at 25, otherwise is that Proportion. They consulted the most judicious and publick spirited Merchants upon Change who thought it an advantageous Bargain. But the Board of War in a Letter to them say they hope & expect they have got rid of the Bargain. To insist upon this would seem hard and unjust, and to leave the Matter to be settled at a distant Time would be precarious and unsafe for them. I hope Gentlemen with you do not look upon them as that Kind of Men who seek publick Employment without any View of serving the Publick. They are Men of Honor and Reputation; and as such they expect to fullfil the Contracts they make, and they ought to be supported by their Employers.
A Prize is arrivd in Salem taken by one of our Privateers, said to have on board 1500 bls of Flour, 1400 bls of Beef and Pork, besides dry Goods.
Mrs A made a Visit to Mrs L a day or two ago & informd me that your Family were in Health. They are shortly to move into the House of S Waterhouse an Absentee.
TO JAMES LOVELL.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
Mar 27
The Gentn of the Medical Departmt have diverse Times applied to Congress for Consideration on Accot of the depreciating Currency. It appears to me that they are as much int.i.tled to it, as the officers of the Line; for altho they may not run Risques in the fighting Way, they very probably do, equally, in the Midst of putrid Fevers &c. Those of them who are the Subjects of this State, have applied to the General a.s.sembly; and tho ample Provision is made for officers & Soldiers, no Provision is made for them, because they are not considerd as Part of the Quota of this State. I wish you would take this Matter under your Consideration. This is the first Time I have ever interposd in behalf of that Department. I have hitherto refraind on Account of my Sons being one, whom I early cautiond not to expect any Advantage, as a Servant of the Publick from his Connection with me.
TO JAMES LOVELL.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
March 30
Capt Paul Jones, it is supposd may be now in Philadelphia in Command of the Alliance. If Congress will recollect the Mannagemt of the Cutter Revenge commanded by Cunningham, which I imagine has not been cleard up to this Day & probably never will be, they will think it just to the Publick and necessary that Enquiry shd be made, while Jones is on the Spot, concerning the Squadron lately under his Command. Whether it was fitted out at the Expence of the Publick either french or american or joyntly by both. Or whether it was a Project of private Men so artfully contrivd & conducted as that they can declare the property to be either publick or private as may best suit their Interest. Landais is esteemd here a good Commander & an honest Man. But he is left in France & cannot inform you any thing about it. And whether the Character which Jones has given to all his officers (Landais only excepted) may operate as a Bribe, may be worth your particular Vigilance. The Reputation of our Navy, to say Nothing of the Honor of Congress which ought never to be suspected, will suffer, if our Seamen, after having vent.u.r.d their Lives in cruizing upon the Enemy in Europe should return to America without receiving their Prize Money, & be told [here] that no one knows, whether the Vessels into which they inlisted were publick or private Property, tho they were taught to believe in Europe they were ownd & commissiond by the United States. If [our] Ministers or Agents abroad either with or without special Direction of Congress shall think it proper to employ our Ships of War (which has been the Case of the Alliance at least) in Expeditions or Services in Europe, ought they not to be directed, when the Service is performd, if it cannot be done conveniently before, to make known the Circ.u.mstances & Events to Congress? I am told that a Commodore Gillon has written a Letter to the late Mr President Jay concerning the attaching the American Ship of War Alliance to "an amphibious Squadron of french Cruizers, subjecting them to the Orders of Capt Paul Jones and giving Continental Commissions to a Number of french men, who were put upon Court Martials on American Citizens." And it is apprehended this Information will be withheld from Congress, because, tho intended to be laid before them, it was not expressly so desired. It is allowd that Jones has behavd with Bravery; but I think the Expedition with all its Circ.u.mstances should be the Subject of thorough & immediate Enquiry. Landais, I am informd is in Prison. He is an officer of Congress, and Congress should know, whether he is justly a....
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers Lenox Library.]
PHILAD Apr 1 1779
SIR
We had the Honor of receiving by the Hands of N1 Gorham Esqr & others a Come of the General Court, your Letter of the 1st of March. Congress had before considerd the Subject of it and come in to Resolutions which we forwarded to you in Season. If any thing further can be done for the Reliefe of the Inhabitants of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay from the Distress they are under for Want of Bread, the Honble a.s.sembly may rely upon our utmost Exertions. We have also recd another Letter by Express, inclosing a Resolution of the a.s.sembly relating to the Necessity of ascertaining the Powers of foreign Consuls in the American Ports. This we immediately laid before Congress & the Matter is under the Consideration of a Committee.
A Resolution yesterday pa.s.sd, which directs that the proceedings of Congress from the first of Jany last, excepting such as require Secrecy for the present, be publishd with all Dispatch and transmitted weekly to the a.s.semblys of the respective States. This will enable us to comply with a former Instruction with Ease. The printing of the Journals preceding the Time just mentiond, will not be interrupted by the execution of this Resolution.
We are with Sentiments of Duty & Regard to the Gen1 a.s.sembly
Sir
your most hbl Servts 2
1 Nathaniel Gorham, of Lunenburgh, Ma.s.s. On February 27 the House of Representatives appropriated L500 each to Gorham and Ebenezer Wells for their expenses while visiting the southern states as a committee of the House.
2 Signed by Adams, Gerry, Lovell and Holten, delegates of Ma.s.sachusetts in the Continental Congress.
TO JOHN PITTS.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
PHILAD April 27-79
MY DEAR SIR
I have recd several of your favors which I have not yet answerd. You will not I am sure, impute it to Inattention or Neglect. I have been often sick. I have been fatigud with Business, whereby I am become greatly indebted to all my Friends in the Epistolary Way. Shortly I hope to see them when I shall make a satisfactory Apology. Upon what Foundation do they build their Hopes of Peace? Congress, they say, have receivd great News. No such thing. There is Nothing I know of worth your hearing which you have not already heard. Be not amusd by the Tales of interrested Politicians, Speculators & Tories. A false Hope of peace in the Time of War does a World of Mischiefe. The latest & best Advices I have seen mention Britain as breathing Nothing but Revenge.
Besides, were we to expect serious Overtures, did a wise Nation ever remit; their Exertions at such a Juncture? I hope America will persevere in this glorious Struggle till she obtains what in Reason she ought to insist upon This you will tell me is saying just Nothing at all Very true; and why should one speak when it is the Time to be silent? At a proper time when I shall have the pleasure of seeing you, I will chat with you upon the Subject. Let me only ask you at present, Is not the Fishery as valueable to America & more so to old Ma.s.sachusetts than the Tobacco Fields of the middle States or the Rice Swamps of the South?
Ask my old Fd the Hon T C1 what he thinks of the pious Lord Dartmouth now. Adieu.
TO SAMUEL COOPER.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
PHILADE April 29, 1779
MY DEAR FRIEND
I have not yet acknowledgd your Favors of the 14th & 15th of March. The Subject of the former is of the last Importance. I have always been of Opinion that America would be in more Danger in the Point of coming to an Accommodation with Great Britain than in any Stage of the War.
Unpracticd as we are in the Business of Treaties and perhaps too unsuspecting of the Intrigues of Courts, we may be led into Conventions which may put us into a State of Insecurity while we are nominally independent. The Advice which some Persons would affect to give us not to insist upon too much, should be receivd with the greatest Caution.
What do they mean by it, and how far wd they have us extend it? If we had hearkned to such Advice in the Infancy of this Contest, we should have submitted [to] Britain the Right of taxing us, & humbly supplicated her to suspend the Exercise of it. In doing this we might have prevented the Horrors of War, & have been her quiet Slaves. No Terms have yet been proposd by Britain. She possibly may offer them soon, and her proposals possibly may be insidious & inadmissible. I do believe she is at this Moment employing her secret Emissaries to find out the Disposition of America & what would be her Ultimatum. Should not the People then speak the Language which becomes them & a.s.sure her that after so virtuous & successful a Struggle they are determind to demand enough for the Purpose of securing their own internal & external Happiness. This is the Aim of the Revolution and the Extent of the Wishes of our good & great Ally, who I dare affirm, is invariably determind not to seperate his Interest from that of America, & to support the Cause of the United States as his own. Our Happiness depends upon Independence. To be prosperous we must have an extensive Trade. This will require a respectable Navy. Our Ships must be mannd, and the Source of Seamen is the Fishery. Among those who ought to see the Importance of the Fishery, I am affraid there are some who think that in insisting upon that we should insist upon too much. Nova Scotia & Canada would be a great & permanent Protection to the Fishery. But these, say some, are not Parts of the United States, and what Right should we have to claim them? The Cession of those Territories would prevent any Views of Britain to disturb our Peace in future & cut off a Source of corrupt British Influence which issuing from them, might diffuse Mischiefe and Poison thro the States. Will not then the Possession of Nova Scotia & Canada be necessary, if we mean to make Peace upon pacifick Principles? If we are to have no overtures this year, and Providence blesses us with the Spirit of Enterprize would it not be better for us, provided it be practicable, to wrest those Places from the Hands of the Enemy than trust to the Uncertainty of Treaty? I confess we have a Choice of Difficulties. I pray G.o.d we may surmount them all! None however reach the Pinnacle of Eminence & Glory but the virtuous & brave. Adieu my dear Sir. I hope to see & live with you shortly; but I shall expect another Letter from you before I leave this Place.
1 Thomas Cushing.
THE MARINE COMMITTEE OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.
[MS., Letter Book of the Marine Committee, Library of Congress; a draft is in the Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]
May 26th 1779
SIR
Your Excellencys Letter to this committee of the 25th instant together with an Extract from another of the 17th instant to the President of Congress has been duely considered by the Committee.
Unfortunately the situation of our frigates is such as to afford no reason to expect that they can possibly be collected in season to execute the plan proposed. The Providence of 32 Guns and the Ranger of 18 are already ordered on a Cruize and it is supposed must be at Sea before different orders can reach them at Boston.
The Warren of 36 Guns and the Queen of France of 20 have lately returned from a Cruize and are unmanned. Although the Naval force of the enemy at New York is at present trifleing, yet as their situation in this respect is very fluctuateing they may probably be so reinforced as to render it too hazardous to risque only the Two frigates in this River viz: the Confederacy of 36 Guns & the Deane of 28 Guns the latter of which wants a great number of hands to make up her complement.