Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 20

To Henry Marchant

From William Cushing
135 To John Adams from Sylvanus Bourne, 18 August 1789 Bourne, Sylvanus Adams, John
From Sylvanus Bourne
Respected Sir— Boston Augt 18th 1789—

It gives me sensible pain to be under the necessity of troubling you further with my personal Concerns amid the weight of your public Cares: but entertaining the fond hope that you are not totally disinterested in my welfare, I am prompted to observe to you, that upon my arrival here I found Mr Keith had been pushing all possible force for the Marshalship of this District a place which I mentioned to your Excellency the day before I left New york, I had requested of the President: the above circumstance of Keiths warm application may render some more pointed exertions on my part necessary and that I should thro some able friend acquaint the President that relying on the force of your recommendation & others upon another Account. I had neglected to accompany my request for the marshall with any specific vouchers—but which if necessary I have the happiness to suppose I can obtain from the most respectable of my fellow Citizens who are cordial in their wishes for my success— under this impression I have taken the liberty to enclose a line to the President which humbly hope you will do me the favr to hand him if not militating with the delicacy of your official situation or personal Dignity. I should be extremely hurt to ask any thing improper—& your refusal of it, if so will be my just return: but if not I cannot but entertain sanguine wishes of success from the medium of conveyance—1

Genl Lincoln & Govr Bowdoin not knowing of my wishes for the marshalship have given Keith letters, but say they should have been happy in giving me the preference, & yet hope from which they have mentioned in my behalf in another Case, joined to my other recommendations that I may eventually succeed in my wishes—

I am sorry to use so many egotisms in my letter which the Case alone can justify—

Any assistance my much Esteemed Sir—which you may afford me in procuring a reputable situation in my Countrys service will be received with affection & remembered with gratitude by him who is with all that Respect & Esteem which your Abilities command & your virtues inspire / Your obliged & Devoted / servant

Silvas Bourn—

PS—

If you should think that your relating the circumstances of the 136 Case to the President would render a delivery of the letter unecessary; you will withhold it. I submit to your judgment a matter in which my feelings are much interested & the hopes of my friends—

My best respects to Mrs. Adams & Family—

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency John Adams Esqr— / Vice President / of the / United States”; endorsed: “Mr Bourne Aug. 18. / ansd 30. 1789.”

 1.

Merchant Sylvanus (Silvanus) Bourne lobbied JA, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson over several months for various positions, including marshal for the district of Boston and U.S. consul at Lisbon. In June 1790 Bourne was named “Consul of the United States of America, for the Island of Hispaniola, and for such other islands.”

Gen. Israel Keith (1751–1819), Harvard 1771, of Easton, Mass., became a justice of the peace for Suffolk County following his service in the Continental Army. He appealed to Washington for a position on 18 July 1789, subsequently sending letters of recommendation from James Bowdoin and William Heath. Keith did not earn a federal post and moved to Pittsford, Vt., to establish an ironworks in 1791 (vol. 19:375–377; Washington, Papers, Presidential Series , 2:364–366, 3:234).