Boston, Sept: 15th 1774. 9 o’Clo’ PM Dear Sir,

Yesterday I wrote a few lines to your Bror: J. Adams, almost without Pen or Ink; if he shou’d not be able to read it, the loss will not be great, for it may serve to light a Pipe, or—; & this may serve for like purpose.1 In this time of great & public distress, I shou’d not trifle in this manner, did I not depend upon your having all our public affairs transmitted you by much abler hands; however, this will shew that I have not forgot our old Friendship, & serve to assure you of its continuance. Since mine of yesterday, we of the County Comtee. for Suffolk, have endeavored to obtain of his Excellency, an answer, whether he wd. receive our 2d Address in form, a Copy of wh. had been delivered to him by the Secretary; but after several fruitless attempts, about an hour since, the Deputy Secretary came to me, not meeting with our Chairman, & verbally inform’d me, “that the Secretary had waited upon the Govr., who desired him to acquaint the Comtee. that, as he had several times been addressed upon the same subject, & had answer’d as fully as he was able, he beg’d the favor of being excused receiving any more addresses upon that business.” This 3is the substance, as near as I can recollect, of Mr. Cotton’s messge. Our 1st address, with the Govrs. answer, you will doubtless have among the Papers by this conveyance.2

Last Night, the Cannon at the North-Battery were spiked by persons who came in Boats from the Men of War; but this day they have been drill’d.

Our People in the Country are busy making Carriages for Cannon &c. &c., so that preparations for war are carrying on as if the last reason of States was soon to be tried. May God preserve Our rights without that severe trial; but if it must be, let us shew ourselves men. The Country people, as ’tis said, have turn’d Paddock’s Field pieces into Dung, & have carried them into their Fields; what Crop they will produce is only written in the prophecies. Adieu my dear Friend, may God direct you all to the wisest & best measures. I shall obtrude no farther upon your precious time, but only to assure you that I remain yr. Friend

J: Palmer

ps. The Towns back of Casco-Bay, have all come into a non-consumption agreemt., but Falmouth refused to join; in consequence of wh., for 3 days preceeding the date of the Letter, no one article of any sort had been carried from the Country into the Town of Falmouth.

RC ; addressed: “To Robert Treat Paine Esqr: Philadelphia”; endorsed.

1.

For this letter, see The Papers of John Adams, ed. Robert J. Taylor et al. (Cambridge, Mass., 1977), 2:166.

2.

Palmer was moderator of the county meeting that passed the Suffolk Resolves. The meeting members, describing themselves as “being greatly, and in their Opinion justly alarmed, at the formidable Appearances of Hostility, now threatening his Majesty’s good Subjects of this Country,” on Sept. 10 demanded the removal of the British ordnance, the restoration of the entrance to the town, “an effectual stop to all Insults and Abuses in the future,” and the establishment of the inhabitants “in that State of Peace and Tranquility, in which every free Subject ought to live.” The officials mentioned were Gov. Thomas Gage (1721–1787), Provincial Secretary Thomas Flucker (1719–1783), and Deputy Secretary John Cotton (1728–1775).