Papers of John Adams, volume 20

From John Adams to Thomas Brand Hollis, 1 June 1790 Adams, John Hollis, Thomas Brand

To Thomas Brand Hollis

My dear friend NewYork June 1 1790

Nothing mortifies me more than the difficulty I find to maintain that correspondence with you which when I left England I thought would be some consolation to me for the loss of your conversation.

We proceed by degrees to introduce a little order into this Country, and my public duties require so much of my time, that I have little left for private friendships however dear to me. By General Mansell I send you a small packet which will give you some idea of our proceedings.1 The French seem to be very zealous to follow our example: I wish they may not too exactly copy our greatest errors and suffer in consequence of them greater misfortunes than ours. They will find themselves under a necessity of treading back some of their too hasty steps as we have done.—

I am situated on the majestic banks of the Hudson, in comparison of which your Thames is but a rivulet; and surrounded with all the beauties and sublimities of nature. Never did I live in so delightful a spot— I would give—what would I not give to see you here?— Your library and your cabinets of elegant and costly curiosities, would be an addition to such a situation which in this country would attract the attention of all. In Europe it is lost in the croud. Come over and purchase a paradise here, and be the delight and admiration of a new world; marry one of our fine girls and leave a family to do honor to human nature when you can do it no longer in person. Franklin is no more, and we have lately trembled for Washington— Thank God he is recovered from a dangerous sickness and is likely now to continue many years. His life is of vast importance to us.— Is there any probability of a fermentation in England, sufficient to carry off, any of her distempers? I wish her happy and prosperous, but I wish she would adopt the old maxim—“Live and Let live.” Will there be a compleat revolution in Europe both in religion and government? Where will the present passions and principles lead and in what will they end? In more freedom and humanity I am clear: but when? or how?— My 367 affectionate regards to Doctor Price and all our good friends—and beleive me yours dum spiro

John Adams.

Rhode Island is become one of us on the 29 May.

LbC in CA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Thomas Brand Hollis Esqr / Chesterfield Street Westminster.”; APM Reel 115.

British Army officer John Maunsell (1724–1795), a veteran of the Seven Years’ War, held land grants to property in New York State and Vermont. He departed New York City on 3 June aboard the British packet Queen Charlotte, Capt. John Fargie, which reached Falmouth, England, on 3 July. JA’s packet for Hollis included congressional journals (Jefferson, Papers , 18:263; New-York Daily Gazette, 2 June; London Public Advertiser, 5 July; from Hollis, 19 Oct., and note 4, below).

From John Adams to Alexander Jardine, 1 June 1790 Adams, John Jardine, Alexander

To Alexander Jardine

Sir New York June 1st 1790

I take the opportunity by General Mansell to acknowledge the receipt of your polite letter of the 29 of May 1789 and to present you my thanks for the valuable present of your entertaining travels.1 Your compliments upon so hasty a production as my book are very flattering. It would give me pleasure to pursue the subject through all the known governments, and to correct or rather new make the whole work. But my life is destined to labor of a much less agreable kind.— I know not how it is but mankind have an aversion to the study of the science of government. Is it because the subject is dry? To me, no romance is more entertaining. Those who take the lead in revolutions are seldom well informed, and they commonly take more pains to inflame their own passions, and those of society than to discover truth: and very few of those who have just ideas, have the courage to pursue them. I know by experience that in revolutions the most fiery spirits and flighty genius’s frequently obtain more influence than men of sense and judgment: and the weakest men may carry foolish measures in opposition to wise ones proposed by the ablest. France is in great danger from this quarter. The desire of change in Europe is not wonderful Abuses in religion and government are so numerous and oppresive to the people, that a reformation must take place or a general decline. The armies of monks, soldiers and courtiers were become so numerous and costly that the labor of the rest was not enough to maintain them. Either reformation or depopulation must come.

I am so well satisfied of my own principles, that I think them as eternal and unchangeable as the earth and its inhabitants. I know 368 mankind must finally adopt a ballance between the executive and legislative powers, and another ballance between the poor and the rich in the legislature; and quarrel till they come to that conclusion— But how long they must quarrel before they agree in the inference I know not—

John Adams

LbC in CA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Major A Jardine / Woolwich near London.”; APM Reel 115.

Jardine last wrote on 26 May 1789 to praise JA’s Defence of the Const. , which had “advanced the subject more than any thing that has appeared since Montesquiu” (Adams Papers).