Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 4
This gratefully acknowledges your friendship in your exertions before the Comtee., in the case of my petition, so long pending. My character will, in some degree, be restored to its deserts; & my family not suffer so much from the evil reports of my enemies, as they might have done, in case the prayer had not been granted; & if you had not open’d the eyes of the blind, they wou’d not have seen their duty to me, & the public. I have not the presumption to place myself upon the list of the most enlightened patriots; but I flatter myself, that my public conduct has not been void of merit; & as the merit, & demerit of my public actions, must be best known to myself, so far at least as respects their motives, I do not hesitate to affirm, that the aggregate of all my other merits was by no means equal to that of my conduct on the Secret expe. Whether I was inspired by wisdom or cowardice, the public derived more benefit (at least by preventing evil 362 negatively) from my conduct in this single instance, than from all my other public conduct. With respectful regards to Mrs. Paine, & Mrs. Eunice; & love to the Children, I remain your friend &c.