A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 4

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From Eleazar Porter
Porter, Eleazar RTP
Hadley Octr. 27 Novr. 20th 1780 Hond. Sir,

I1 Received your’s of Octr. 27th, Ult.2 In which you Charge me without using your Character too freely, and Call on me to shew the occasion. It was this; at a Town Meeting to Chuse Governour, Lt. Governer & Senators—After the town had (in my opinion) generally Voted for those Gentn. first Chosen viz Hancock & Bowdoin, some person proposed you, for one, to a few of us (four or five I beleive) who were together a littel from the body of the meeting. I then Objected to those few, not to the Meeting against your being sett in Competition, with Mr. Hancock and Mr. Bowdoin. I acknowledge that in the Course of the Conversation I inadvertantly & Imprudently said some things that I do not Justifie, but ever from that time have Condemned my self for. But it was not my Intent to Injure your Character, nor had I malice or Ill will towards you in my heart, But was Inattentive to the precepts of the Gospel, by which I am to Regulate my Actions—And as I am sensible I did wrong in giving my Opinion so freely, I Retract it, & Ask your Pordan for it—I shall also Endeavour to Remove all Undue Impressions made on the minds of others by my said free Discouse if any such were made.

I am Really obliged to you for your Reproving Letter and hope to be greatly profited by it, It being the only one of the kind I ever Recd.

For the future I shall be very carefull to set a watch over my lips least I offend with my tongue.

As I have always Approved of your Character as an Attory. Generall so I shall use my Influence to promote your Usefullness in it, and be particularly carefull of it, while you Continue a freind to the Rights of Mankind.

I am Hond. Sir with Respect your Freind & Humle. Sert., Eleazr: Porter

RC ; addressed: “The Honble. Robert Treat Pain Esqr. of Taunton to be Left at Mr. Brackets Inholder—Boston”; endorsed.

1.

Eleazar Porter (1728–1797) was a 1748 Yale graduate, lawyer, and leading citizen of Hadley, Mass. Commissioned as a justice of the peace in 1758, he later served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas (from 1778) and as a judge of probate (from 1779) in Hadley (Dexter, Biographical Sketches of Yale Graduates, 2:178–179).

2.

Not located.