Papers of John Adams, volume 19

From John Adams to Mercy Otis Warren, 29 May 1789 Adams, John Warren, Mercy Otis
To Mercy Otis Warren
Madam— New york May 29th 1789

A little before my departure from Braintree I received your favour inclosing a letter from Mrs Walker.1 last night I received that of the 7th May There was no necessity of any apology for writing to me after so long a correspondence there has never been on my part any failure of friendship to Mr Warren or yourself— you are very much mistaken in your opinion of my situation. I have neither reached the Acma of Applause nor am I in an a situation to establish my Family or assist my Friends. I am and have been extremely mortified from my first arrival in America, to hear from all Quarters the unpopularity of my Friend Warren and his family—whom I was formerly accustomed to hear spoken of with affection and Respect by all— It is not my fault to have listened to the uninterrupted Ebulitions of the public Wrath. for I must have been wholly out of Society not to have heard them, and they hurt my heart much too intimately not to make a deep impression. No doubt there have been many and great exaggerations and misrepresentations. But one thing is indubitable that G Warren did differ for a time from all his Friends, and did countenance measures that appear to me as they did to those Friends extremely pernicious— You are pleased to say Madam that you are sure of my Patronage for certain purposes— in the first place I have no patronage in the next neither your Children nor my own would be sure of it if I had it. beyond my own clear Conviction of the public Good I should bely the whole coure of my public and private Conduct and all the Maxims of my Life if I should ever consider public Authority entrusted to me to be made subservient to my private Views or those of my Family or Friends— The Friendship between Genl Warren and me began and has continued in different principles—

No man knows better than I do that time will make curious disclosures. I should not be astonished to find Incendiaries who fomented the discontents among the Insurgents of Massachusetts in a Class the least suspected by the World— From my earliest youth I have been perfectly aware that the popular Voice is fluctuating & that human affairs are full of Vicissitudes— I have long contemplated in many very solemn hours the Injustice—Ingratitude and Abuse experienced by myself—and it would be no surprize to me if my latter end should be as melancholly an instance of popular mutability as the annals of Anarchy ever exhibited to the World if this should 484 happen to me or to others it will wholly be owing to the ignorance of the great Rulers leaders in the Revolution of the Nature of Government and their Obstinacy in refusing to learn it. But enough and too much of this— You have not informed me Madam what particular View you have for Mr Warren or your Sons— The Candidates are very numerous and equally importunate I must say to you as to every one else. I am not the Person to apply to The Constitution has wisely made the President the Judge in the first instance of the pretensions of all— Every application must be made to him and it ought to be made in writing— With my sincer Respects to Mr Warren— / I am Madam yr Friend and humble Servant

J Adams—

LbC in an unknown hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs Warren / Plymouth Massats”; APM Reel 115.

1.

Warren’s letter to JA enclosing Martha Walker’s appeal was of 2 April, above.

To John Adams from Jeremy Belknap, 30 May 1789 Belknap, Jeremy Adams, John
From Jeremy Belknap
Sir, Boston May 30 1789

I should not have thought of troubling you with the inclosed sermon,1 if it had not been suggested to me by a friend who heard it that it seemed to be formed on the principles which were advanced in your defence of the American Constitutions & to recommend such Checks and Balances in Ecclesiastical as you had thought necessary in civil Government. If in this view of it, or any other it may be acceptable I shall think myself honoured, & am / Sir / with the greatest respect / Your very humble Servant

Jeremy Belknap.

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Hon Dr Adams.”

1.

Belknap sent a copy of his homily A Sermon, Preached at the Installation of the Rev. Jedidiah Morse, A.M.: To the Pastoral Care of the Church and Congregation in Charlestown, on the 30th of April, 1789, Boston, 1789, Evans, No. 21673.

To John Adams from James Bowdoin, 30 May 1789 Bowdoin, James Adams, John
From James Bowdoin
sir Boston May 30. 1789

The attachment of Mr. Boid to the American Cause has, as you are Sensible, occasioned the forfeiture to the British Government of all his Lands upon the Schoodac: to which river they have extended their Province of New Brunswick.— The Papers that relate to his Case, as well as to that encroachment, were by order of Congress, as 485 I have understood, transmitted to you, during your residence in England: and Mr. Boid purposes to send you a copy of the former, with a request, that you would be so good as to support his intended Petition to Congress, so far as it shall appear to you just and reasonable.

The General Court, by their letter of Instructions to their Delegates in Novr. 1786, esteemed him a good friend to this Country; and having been deprived of a large interest in consequence of his attachment to it, instructed their Delegates to recommend him to the attention & favour of Congress; and to move them to afford him Such relief as they might think proper.1

As Mr. Boid has become a citizen of the United States, has greatly Suffered for his attachment to them, and is a worthy man; and as he can probably give information of evidence, that may be useful in determining the true divisional line between those States and the British Province of New Brunswick, I beg leave to recommend him to your favourable notice: and am very respectfully, sir / Yr Excy’s most obt. hble servt.

James Bowdoin

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excy. John Adams esqr. / Vice Presidt. &c”; endorsed: “Govr. Bowdoin May 30th / Answd June 11th 1789—”

1.

American sympathizer James Boyd (ca. 1736–1798) emigrated from Scotland and settled at Passamaquoddy, Mass. (now Maine). In 1767 he acquired land near Passamaquoddy Bay and brought in “a large number of families” and was “at great expence for Cattle and farming Utensils of all sorts, as well as in the erecting of necessary Mills and Water Works.” At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Boyd relocated to Boston, where he petitioned the Mass. General Court “to afford him such relief as they may think proper.” On 10 Nov. 1786 the General Court sent a letter of instruction to its congressional delegates asking for aid on Boyd’s behalf, with no success (Mass., Acts and Laws , 1786–1787, p. 385–386). On 30 June 1789, Boyd wrote to JA to request congressional intervention and noted his “present Indigent situation” (Adams Papers). Boyd also wrote to George Washington on 27 Nov., and Washington forwarded that letter to the Senate on 9 Feb. 1790, but no action was taken (Washington, Papers, Presidential Series , 4:328–329, 5:119–120).