Adams Family Correspondence, volume 10
Since, I wrote you this morning, at the request of Mr Randolph a thousand things occur to me to say to you, but as I have not time at present I shall write you from day to day.
You will have a Collection to make of the Journals of Congress and the Laws of the Union; and all the Reports of our Ministers of State to take with you.
You must remember all the Relations of the U. S. with all foreign Nations.
In holland you must be very cautious between Patriots and Stathouderiens.1
In your Dispatches you must be very cautious and delicate in casting Reflections upon Nations, souvereigns, and even Courts and Parties. Write nothing which can give personal, party or national offence: unless the public good as well as the Truth, absolutely demand it of you.— You will have Loans & Money Matters to attend to. Study therefore, the Calculations necessary.
You must make yourself Master of all our disputes with England Spain, France. &c
You must Study the Lines & Boundaries of the United States.— You will have to watch the English Ambassador & all the Anglomanes. But I have not time.
Adieu
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “J. Q. A.”
The people of the Netherlands had long been divided loosely into two political parties: the Patriot Party and the Orangist, or Stadholder, Party. Although there were many divisions within each of these broad groups, the Patriots generally favored political reform, including the abolition of the hereditary position of stadholder, while the Orangists supported retaining the existing government and the rule of the stadholder (currently William V of the House of Orange). In 1786–1787, revolution in the Netherlands had led to the temporary expulsion of William V and the arrest of his wife, Wilhelmina, but an invasion by the Prussian Army restored the stadholder and overthrew the Patriot leaders, who were pushed into exile in France. By 1794, the French Army was prepared to invade the Netherlands, and by 1795, Patriots, in conjunction with the
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French, had formally established the Batavian Republic as a client state of the French Republic and permanently exiled William V (Schama, Patriots and Liberators,
p. xix, 14–15). See also
TBA to JA, 19 Oct., and note 2, below.
th:1794.
Mr: Dorr obtained a passage in the vessel with Mr: Jay, and Mr: Jones, had an opportunity to go from Newport, so that they had no occasion to make the application to Congress, in behalf of which I requested your favour.
I drew another petition some time since, for the manufacturers of snuff and tobacco in this Town, making representations against the tax proposed upon those articles. I know not whether you have seen this petition, or in what light it appeared if you did. In the house of Representatives I believe it was not read, and the tax I understand has pass’d.1 I was somewhat puzzled for reasons to suggest against it.
The Session of Congress, I presume is approaching to a close; The prospects of immediate War appear to blow over. Whether we shall be able to make any terms of accommodation with G. Britain, and obtain proper satisfaction for her insolence and violence is still very questionable, but it is of infinite importance that we should preserve Peace, until war shall become a duty.
It is therefore fortunate for the Country, that the passionate measures which have been proposed, were all defeated. That for the suspension of intercourse with G. Britain was one of the most important of them. Your decision of that question probably gives the tone to our affairs for one season further. The fate of this Country depended upon that vote.— I expected it would have renewed the abusive system which was for some time so rancorously pursued, but which for some time past has drooped away. But very little has been said upon the subject, and I have not seen a single speculation in the prints upon it.
The cessation of the embargo is offensive to our Jacobins, who are reduced to the argument, that either the Congress were precipitate in laying it on, or imprudent in taking it off. I have silenced some of them, by avowing the former as my opinion.
You have seen the operation of democratic clubs, in this Town, by the dismission of Mr: Jones and the election of Mr: Morton as a
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representative. Morton has of late been a violent sans-culotte and faction covers at least as great a multitude of sins as Charity.
The opposite party have not so much industry, and have not the advantage of an organized system. Otis had about 200 votes but did not obtain his election. Jarvis was formerly his warm political friend, and probably viewed him as a disciple of his own; but finding him untractable, and rather falling into the other scale, he has forsaken him, and of course carried off a powerful interest. Jarvis’s electioneering influence in this Town, is very great.
I think I have every day less ambition than the former, to pursue a political career. In my profession I trudge along, without eminence, and without total idleness. I see very few things in this life beyond the wants of nature, that I desire: and whether it be philosophy or insensibility, I find myself contented with my state as it is.
I hope to see you in the course of a few days, and remain in the meantime affectionately your Son
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “The Vice-President of the United States / Philadelphia. / Quincy / near Boston”; endorsed: “JQA 1794.”
A copy of JQA’s petition has not been found in the Adams Papers, but on 1 May a resolution was proposed in the House of Representatives for a tax on snuff and tobacco. The next day, a memorial of Philadelphia tobacco manufacturers was read opposing the resolution. After considerable debate over the next several weeks, an “Act laying certain duties upon snuff and refined sugar” was approved on 5 June. It included an eight-cent tax per pound of U.S.-manufactured snuff. Additionally, all imported snuff would be taxed at twelve cents per pound and all imported tobacco at four cents per pound (
Annals of Congress,
3d Cong., 1st sess., p. 620, 622–623, 1464–1471).