Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 20

To Alexander Jardine

From John Brown Cutting
From John Adams to Henry Marchant, 1 June 1790 Adams, John Marchant, Henry
To Henry Marchant
Dear Sir New York June 1. 1790

Your obliging Letter of the 29. Ult. was brought to me Yesterday at my house, and as there happened to be a few Freinds with me, we joined in Wishing Happiness and Prosperity to Rhode Island with great Cordiality. This morning the President did me the honour of a Visit and I had the Pleasure of congratulating him on this pleasing Event and presenting to him your affectionate Respects.

Congress I conjecture will wait the Arrival of your Senators, before they pass any Act.1

My hopes of the Blessings of Liberty from this Government, are much increased Since Yesterday. United We Stand but divided We fall. Join or die. these were our Maxims, twenty five or thirty Years ago, and they are neither less true nor less important now than they were then.

The renovation of that Union, which has acquired such renown in the World, by tryumphing, over Such formidable Ennemies, and by Spreading the Principles which are like to produce a compleat Revolution both in Religion and Government in most parts of Europe; cannot fail to res[tore] respectability to the American Name, and procure Us Consideration among nations.

I earnestly wish to see your Senators here and your Representative in the other house, and I cannot but hope that you will be one of the former.

With Sincere Esteem I am / dear sir your Friend and servant

John Adams

RC (MWelC:Special Colls.); internal address: “The Honourable / Henry Marchant”; endorsed: “V. P. J. Adams / June 1st. 1790—” Some loss of text due to wear at the edge.

 369 1.

On the same day that JA wrote this letter, the House of Representatives appointed a committee to draft three pieces of legislation bringing the thirteenth state in line with the union. The first, the Rhode Island Act, was introduced on 2 June and signed by George Washington on 14 June, extending all previous federal laws. The second, the Rhode Island Judiciary Act of 23 June, established federal courts. Finally, the Rhode Island Enumeration Act of 5 July implemented the Census Act of 1 March ( First Fed. Cong. , 1:727; 3:441–442, 822, 823).