Thank you for yours of Feb. 27.—1 You Seem to threaten me with a Place in the Pages of some Tory Historian. If the Party “to a man Supposed me the most energetic Plotter and intrepid Projector of all the Authors of the Revolution” I shall no doubt have it. The Papers signed Novanglus, and the Controversy with Brattle about the Independence of the Judges they could be no strangers to. nor could they be uninformed of the share I had in the Controversy between the House of Representatives and Hutchinson about the supremacy of Parliament any more than of the Impeachment of Oliver.2 From these Things which they remember, though all the rest of the World have forgotten them, they had some Reason to suppose me as deep as any body in the Plott: accordingly I was informed in England that I was one who stood proscribed on the Records of the Privy Council. However they ascribed to me a thousand Scurrilous and mean publications in the Newspapers, and have accused me of Savage designs towards them of which I was incapable. I have long expected that my Memory would be blackened by a thousand Lyes, from that quarter: but there is another region from which Volumes of Obloquy will be found in dastardly Secret Letters, concerning me. I mean From the Tools and slaves of Franklin in France England Holland and elsewhere. I expect more Lyes and slanders from that Quarter than from the Tories, who to do them Justice, if they were not more honest, as I believe, they were less ungenerous Ennemies I know. never did the little Passions of Envy Jealousy and Rivalry operate with more malignity on any human heart, than they did in that of that old Dotard, against me. I hold however in deep Contempt all the scandal that Scrib Ecritoirs can vomit forth. Both Tories and frenchified slaves have ever been compelled to acknowledge my Integrity a[nd] this will preserve me. Have you heard of any one of [the] Tories who has written or intends to write the History.?

I rejoice that Congress are rising in Popularity. may they rise and shine more and more to the perfect day. I am happy that it has fallen 13 to my share to do some thing towards setting the Machine in motion. It has done more and better in two years than I expected, and in two years more if I can keep my Machine agoing so long, I may see it so established as to receive my Quietus with comfort.

The good that I can do as a Farmer at Braintree will be very little, unless it be to my own health. The President is going southward as far as Georgia, and I hope besides establishing his health will do as much good as he did in his northern Tour.3 Much still depends upon his Life, which I am thankful is a very good one.

I owe the Marine Committee a Letter and many Thanks. I have waited in hopes of having to write that something was done: but Congress had not time to compleat any Thing.4

I hope your Neighbour my son behaves like [a] good Sprig or young shoot of the Law: he can har[dly be] yet called a Limb.5

I am with sincere Esteem, my [dear] / sir yours

The Letter to your Council at Boston, inclosed in yours of the 5th of March is gone [on by the] Post. your reflections on the day of the date of your Letter are natural and just. It is a day that I myself have more reason to remember than any one of my Life. It is a day that occasioned me more obloquy and slander than any other or all the other Days I have beheld. It is a Day which brought me into the most critical Circumstances in which I ever stood, and in which, I will rejoice and glory in it to all Eternity I did my Duty with the most unequivocal and unshaken Integridity.

The Action of that night and the Tryals that were [oc]casioned by 14 it, opened the Eyes of the common People. It brought them acquainted with the Laws relative to Mobs, Riots and Seditions, of which they were before very ignorant. it convinced them that they only exposed their Lives to destruction by such irregular and ungenerous Attacks upon the soldiers: that they only endangered the Union of the Province and the Colonies, by venturing on such mad midnight Enterprizes: and that their only ultimate Resource must be in a formal and regular Resistance by Arms.1 Accordingly from that time, You saw them meeting not only in Boston but in all the neighbouring Towns, and exercising themselves in Arms.

A Lawyer who is my Friend, has put in a Plea in Abatement against The Defence of the American Constitutions. He says the Title is a Misnomer.2 And if the Title is understood to mean a Defence of the whole and all the Parts of those Constitutions I should agree with him. But it is only a Defence of them against one Assailant Mr Turgot and on one Point the Equilibrium of orders. The whole of the th[ree] Volumes is calculated to shew that equal Laws cannot be preserved without three independent orders forming a mutual Bal[lance] in the Legislature and between the Le[gislative and] Executive Power. I know of no Book in any Language, in which so m[uch] Information is to be found upon the subject. The English have made but dull Work of describing and defending their own Constitution. If I am not most miserably deceived by my own [va]nity, there are more Arguments in those Volumes in favo[ur] of their own Constitution, than their whole Language con[tained] before. in short if there is not Evidence enough in them to settle [the] Point forever, I shall despair of ever seeing any political quest[ion] decided.— you talk to me of “Gratitude to him who has taught them this important secret.” Gratitude is not a Delicacy too exquisite for me ever to receive or hope for. [Instead] of Gratitude I have received nothing but Abuse and Insolen[ce] for this Work, from the ignorant and the Profligate, and the wise and virtuous look on and are silent at le[ast,] if they do not Smile and applaud.

In short my Dear sir a Man who is concerned in a Revolution is greatly to be pitied. He must surrender h[is] Judgment and his Integrity into the hands of the Mob, or he must run the Gauntlet. so says the Experience of your Friend—if you’l allow me the Priviledge / and humble servant