Papers of John Adams, volume 18

From John Adams to David Ramsay, 9 February 1786 Adams, John Ramsay, David

To David Ramsay

Sir. Grosvenor square Feby. 9. 1786—

I have received the Letter you did me, the honor to write me, on the 23d. of Decr. and am much obliged to you, for the present of the history of the late revolution in south, Carolina,1 I have not yet received it: calling on Mr. Dilly, on the receipt of your Letter I was informed that the Books consigned to him were still on board the ship, and would not be landed under 10 or 12 day’s— I wish, sir, that your Example may be followed by some Gentlemen of suitable talents & the necessary leisure, in each of the States.

There have been in fact 13. Revolutions, for that Number of established Governments were over thrown and as many new ones erected— for this Reason I think that a compleat history of the American Revolution can never be written untill, the history of the Change in each state is known, nor can any man be competent to the general Undertaking who is not master of the particulars.

There are already half a dozen histories written in Europe, and there is an hundred other writers who wish to engage in it. Those already published are worse than nothing, and such as are intended will be no better. My constant answer to all who propose writing is, that there is no Man now living qualified for the Work, nor would it be possible even for those who have been most active and the best informed, to collect the indispensable materials even if the most secrect Papers could be laid open to him, in a short time.

Let me request your acceptance of a Pamphlet, “An address to the landed, trading and funded Interests of England, on the present state of public affairs”—2 This is the first publication which in any sense may be called judicious— it is well worth the attention of our Citizens—

No writings however will be sufficient to produce a change in the sentiments of this Nation—without an Union in America in measures to vindicate their own Navigation, and even that would opperate but slowly.

157

You will oblige me much Sir, by continuing this Correspondence, and Communicating to me your advice upon all things which relate to the public affairs committed to my care—

With great respect I have the honor to be

J. A—

LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble. David / Ramsay Esqr. member of / Congress from South Carolina”; APM Reel 113.

With his 23 Dec. 1785 letter to JA (MHi:Adams-Hull Coll.), David Ramsay (1749–1815), Princeton 1765, sent a copy of The History of the Revolution of South-Carolina, from a British Province to an Independent State, 2 vols., Trenton, N.J., 1785. Though previously unknown to JA, Ramsay, then acting president of Congress in John Hancock’s absence, wrote that the gift served “as a testimony of my great veneration of your public character & as a mark of my gratitude for the services you have renderd & are now rendering to our common country” ( ANB ). A copy of the 1785 edition with JQA’s bookplate is at MQA (Catalog of the Stone Library).

Ramsay also sent 1,600 copies to the London bookseller Charles Dilly, who recommended revising portions of the book that were critical of British colonial policy. JA intervened in the dispute, visiting Dilly on 19 April 1786 to press successfully for liberal publication of American writers like Ramsay, Timothy Dwight, and Joel Barlow. Ramsay’s work, which AA thought was “written in a cool dispassionate Stile and is chiefly a detail of facts,” was quietly published in London the following year. A Paris edition, with revisions by Ramsay and François de Barbé-Marbois, French chargé d’affaires to the United States, was simultaneously shepherded to publication by Thomas Jefferson. As JA predicted of the foreign reception to American literary efforts, Ramsay’s history brought dismal sales and mixed reviews (JA, D&A , 3:189; AFC , 7:208, 285, 378, 379; Arthur H. Shaffer, To Be an American: David Ramsay and the Making of the American Consciousness, Columbia, S.C., 1991, p. 98–103).

This pamphlet, which JA also enclosed with his 11 March 1786 letter to Cotton Tufts ( AFC , 7:87–88), was Matthew Robinson-Morris’ An Address to the Landed, Trading and Funded Interests of England on the Present State of Public Affairs, London, 1786. In the second edition, also published in 1786, “The Dangerous Situation of England, or” preceded the original title. For JA’s additional comments on the pamphlet, see his letter to Tufts, and his letters to Robinson-Morris of 21 Feb. and 2, 4, and 23 March, all below. For more on Robinson-Morris, see Descriptive List of Illustrations, No. 1, above.

From John Adams to John Jay, 14 February 1786 Adams, John Jay, John

To John Jay

Dear Sir Grosvenor Square Feb. 14. 1786.

I have received your Letter, inclosing two Pamphlets one of which I have Sent to Mr Jefferson, by Coll Humphreys who Setts out for Paris this morning.1

These Letters will be Sufficient to Shew any Man of common Decency, the Characters of the Writers. on one Side there is the Condescension of a provident but indulgent Father: on the other the Impertinence and Ingratitude of a Prodigal son, not yet reduced to the Mortification of eating Husks with the Swine.2

What with the Imprudence of some of our young Men who like Littlepage are natives of America, and what with the assurance of 158 some others who assume the American Character, with less Pretensions to it our Country Suffers very much in its Reputation.

The Scæne to which I was witness, is truly and candidly described and I have So certified to Mr Jefferson and to others.

It is indeed a mortifying Consideration that neither Purity of Character, Rank in society, nor any Degree of Merit or Reputation, Should be a Protection against Such rude and virulent Attacks, which, however despized or resented by virtuous and judicious Men, are commonly received and applauded without thinking, by the Profligate, and, with malignity by the designing. Even Such Extravagants as Littlepage, as you and I have known before, are sometimes cherrished and courted for the deliberate tho secret Purpose, of doing Business which cannot be done by fairer means. In this Case I rely upon it, that no Injury will be done to you. The Attempt is too gross.

My best Respects, in which my Family desires to join to Mrs Jay.

With great Esteem and Affection, I have / the Honour to be, dear sir, your Friend / and servant

John Adams.

RC (PCC, No. 84, VI, f. 91–94); internal address: “Mr Jay.”; endorsed: “From Mr. J. Adams / February 14. 1786 / respecting L. Littlepage—” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 112.

Jay’s letter enclosing the pamphlets has not been found, but David Humphreys likely delivered the pamphlet to Thomas Jefferson on 17 Feb., along with letters from AA and WSS of 11 and 13 Feb., respectively ( AFC , 7:50–52; Jefferson, Papers , 9:281–283). For the controversy between Jay and Lewis Littlepage, see Jay’s 2 Feb. letter, and note 1, above.

JA refers to the parable of the prodigal son’s exile in Luke, 15:16: “And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.”