Papers of John Adams, volume 4
1776-04-02
It gives me the most sensible Pleasure to convey to you, by Order of Congress, the only Tribute, which a free People will ever consent to Pay; the Tribute of Thanks and Gratitude to their Friends and Benefactors.1
The disinterested and patriotic Principles which led you to the Field, have also led you to Glory: and it affords no little Consolation to your Countrymen to reflect, that, as a peculiar Greatness of Mind induced you to decline any Compensation for serving them, except the Pleasure of promoting their Happiness, they may, without your Permission, bestow upon you the largest Share of their Affections and Esteem.
Those Pages in the Annals of America, will record your Title to a conspicuous Place in the Temple of Fame, which shall inform Posterity, that under your Directions, an undisciplined Band of Husbandmen, in the Course of a few Months, became Soldiers; and that the Desolation meditated against the Country, by a brave Army of Veterans, commanded by the most experienced Generals, but employ'd by bad Men in the worst of Causes, was, by the Fortitude of your Troops, and the Address of their Officers, next to the kind Interposition of Providence, confined for near a Year, within such narrow Limits, as scarcely to admit more Room than was necessary for the Encampments and Fortifications, they lately abandoned.
Accept therefore, Sir, the Thanks of the United Colonies, unanimously declared by their Delegates, to be due to you, and the brave Officers and Troops under your Command: and be pleased to communicate to them, this distinguished Mark of the Approbation of their Country.
The Congress have ordered a Golden Medal, adapted to the Occasion, to be struck, and when finished, to be presented to you.2
On 25 March JA made a motion to accord Washington the formal thanks of the congress by resolution and by having a gold medal struck. He was made chairman of the committee of three, the others being John Jay and Stephen Hopkins, to prepare a suitable letter, which was apparently adopted without amendment and ordered transcribed for the president's signature (
JCC
, 4:234;
Diary and Autobiography
, 3:375–376).
On the medal see
Diary and Autobiography
, 3:xii, 375–376, note 1, and the illustration facing p. 257;
Adams Family Correspondence
, 2:96. For the medal finally presented to Washington in 1790, see Jefferson, Papers
, 16:xxxvi, 53–54, 69–70, and illustration No. I among the illustrations of medals following p. 52.
1776-05-15
Whereas his Britannic Majesty, in conjunction with the lords and commons of Great Britain, has, by a late act of Parliament, excluded the inhabitants of these United Colonies from the protection of his crown; And whereas, no answer, whatever, to the humble petitions of the colonies for redress of grievances and reconciliation with Great Britain, has been or is likely to be given; but, the whole force of that kingdom, aided by foreign mercenaries, is to be exerted for the destruction of the good people of these colonies; And whereas, it appears absolutely irreconcileable to reason and good Conscience, for the people of these colonies now to take the oaths and affirmations necessary for the support of any government under the crown of Great Britain, and it is necessary that the exercise of every kind of authority under the said crown should be totally suppressed, and all the powers of government exerted, under the authority of the people of the colonies,2 for the preservation of internal peace, virtue, and good order, as well as for the defence of their lives, liberties, and properties, against the hostile invasions and cruel depredations of their enemies; therefore, resolved, &c.
JCC
, 4:357–358); Dft not found.
The chronology of the important resolution which, with its preamble, urged the colonies to establish independent governments is confused. We know that the initial resolution came from the committee of the whole, but just when it was originally reported is uncertain. On 6 May the congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole to consider “the state of the United Colonies.” Its chairman, Benjamin Harrison, reported “after some time” that the committee had come into “sundry resolutions, which he laid before Congress,” but the “Corrected Journal” adds, “was ordered to report when the house should be ready to receive them.” The implication is that resolutions were ready but not read on that date. Moreover, we do not know whether the resolution on independent governments was one of the several mentioned. Later the same day Harrison asked for permission for the committee to meet again on the same general topic—the state of the United Colonies. Per-12mission granted, the committee met again on 8 May, when Harrison reported “that they have had under consideration the matters referred to them, but not having come to any resolution thereon, have desired him to move for leave to sit again.” On 9 May the committee chairman reported its conclusions, but consideration of the report was postponed until the 10th. On that day the report was accepted. It recommended to the several effective governing bodies in the colonies that, “where no government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs have been hitherto established,” they “adopt such government as shall . . . best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents” and America. Immediately afterward, it was voted to name JA, Edward Rutledge, and Richard Henry Lee as a committee to draft a preamble (
JCC
, 4:329, 330, 338, 340, 342). Undoubtedly JA played an important role in securing the passage of the resolution on independent governments, but no evidence other than a somewhat confused autobiographical statement supports the claim that he wrote it. He did, however, write the preamble, first reported on 13 May and passed on the 15th (
Diary and Autobiography
, 3:335, 385;
JCC
, 4:351, 357–358). JA's notes on the extensive and sharp debate which it provoked are in
Diary and Autobiography
, 2:238–240. The resolution and its preamble were printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette, 22 May. The impact of the resolution and preamble is succinctly summarized in Edmund C. Burnett, The Continental Congress, N.Y., 1941, p. 159–161.
In Thoughts on Government
JA had made a point of having commissions and writs issued in the name of a colony (ante 27 March–April 1776, below).