Papers of John Adams, volume 21
th.1792
I beg the enclosed may be read in your Honorable House.
My former Petitions, and other Papers respecting Mr. Churchmans Conduct, I have in my pocket, and wish they may be
read also
Your mo: obedt: / hble
servt:
ENCLOSURE
For the sake of Justice, and for the honor of your Country, hear my Complaints, and do me that justice, which every freeman, in a free Country is entituled to.— That I have discovered Longitude, is a truth, that I can easily prove, if I can but obtain an impartial hearing, face to face, with the Man, that would with Art and falshood deprive me of the Credit and benefit of my discovery, but which by your Justice of impartiality I can obtain.
While I understood, that he was to discover Longitude, by
the variation of the Compass, I only smiled at his ignorance; but when I
observed to Mr. Page, that I could ascertain the
Longitude, within a quarter of a degree, by the dipping needle, as certainly
as he could a whole degree, by the variation of the Compass; as the
Inclination of the Load Stone, was four times as much as its declination.
True says Mr: Page, but he is to take a dipping
needle with him.2 Then, said
I, he intends to find out Longitude, by my plan, & give assurance that
he did it by his own.
Surely the Representatives, of the Freemen of North America, will not suffer such fraud to prevail, but will do justice, to every one 113 of their fellow Citizens, according to their veracity, and abilities— Your compliance with this request, will do honor to yourselves, and justice to / Your most obedient & / very humble Servant
N: B. I do not wish to obtain Sea Otters and Seal Skins &c by deceiving my Country; nor to run it to the expence of such a Voyage, My only desire is, to be sent a passenger to France, in the Character of a Gentleman, that I may have an opportunity, by crossing the Atlantic, to prove my allegations, and to make the second discovery of my improvement, to your good Ally the King of the French—
I am respectfully, Yours as above,—
RC and enclosure: (DNA:RG 46,
Records of the U.S. Senate); addressed: “The President / of the Senate /
of the United states / of / North America.”; docketed: “2d Con: 1st:
Sess: / John McPherson / Letter / March
19th / 1792”; enclosure addressed “The
President and other / Gentlemen of the Senate of / the United states /
of North / America.”
Macpherson (1726–1792), a Scottish privateer who
immigrated to Philadelphia and in 1785 published the city directory,
frequently assailed his U.S. government contacts with various requests,
policy ideas, and scientific endeavors, such as this plan to determine
longitude at sea. JA routed Macpherson’s petitions to
Congress, including one of 27 Dec. 1791 relating to Native American
diplomacy in the Northwest Territory. JA also forwarded
Macpherson’s 2 April 1792 petition to the Senate seeking compensation
for service in the Revolutionary War. Macpherson was engaged in a
lengthy disagreement with Maryland surveyor John Churchman Jr. regarding
the invention of a method to ascertain longitude at sea (vol. 19:90–92; Washington, Papers,
Presidential Series
, 4:148, 7:528–529; DNA: RG 46,
Records of the U.S. Senate).
John Page (1743–1808), William and Mary 1763,
represented Virginia in the House of Representatives from 1789 to 1797
(
Biog. Dir. Cong.
).