Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
I inclosed the Petition and Resolve of the Honourable Congress into one to the Assembly of Jersey; but they gave me for Answer that they could exempt no Man, in whatever Station or Busseness he was. We can therefore deliver no Copper for the Public Service. I am, Sir, your most humble Servant,
I recd. yrs. of the 24th. ultimo1 per post which is the second letter recd. since I wrote to you last.
In your first you desire to know my circumstances Since I removed into Boston. I found my office safe & the chief of my effects which were not removed by Collo. Leverett.2 Business I have none. Tommy & my three apprentices all being in the Army, the printing business necessarily ceases. I sell a few books once in a while & do a little business as a Justice.
Tommy Katy & Eunice have had the small pox & got well thro’ it. Eunice has had a bad arm but it is now well. The skill of the Physicians has been much bafled. Some of their patients have been innoculated six or seven times & at last taken the distemper in the natural way. Some have had eruptions which were taken for the small pox from which they have recovered & in the opinion of the Doctor have had the distemper finely after which they have taken the real distemper & died. In short all the Doctors have been deceived in many instances and have not Philosophy eno’ to find out the deception.
Nabby & Polly are got out of town. We could not get them home before the time limitted for innoculation had expired. There are not more than 30 persons that now have it & we hope the town will be free from the distemper in a fortnight as the Sick persons are chiefly at the hospital.
As to politicks we seem to be very silent, little is wrote & less said upon the subject of government, our political writers some how or other seem to have fallen into a Lethargy. But we have a committee of both houses whose business it is to report a plan of government for this state. I hope it will not be very complex, the more simple the less liable to be out of order. Too many departments create many dependants, & having the power to bestow many posts inspires the bestowers with exalted Ideas of their own importance, what they now give they may hereafter sell or the gift may act as a bribe by which they may be enabled to assume more power than is consistent with the public safety.
279My opinion is in favour of a popular government, but antiquity doth not afford a modle to my mind. I can never believe that 28 persons are wiser than 250, especially when the 28 are chosen from among the 250, much less can I fancy that One person & perhaps chosen also from the 250 has more wisdom than all the rest put together.
If the people are the fountain of government, it is right it should spring from them, they then are the only check their representatives ought in reason to have. I know ’tis necessary to have executive officers, But those that legislate have the only right to say how their laws shall be executed.
The greatest difficulty will be in making a fit choice of persons to represent the state, men that have learning & Judgment to enable them to make laws & to Judge of Suitable persons to execute them.
Any emty headed fellow can bawl out Liberty without having any Idea of its true import, & such persons with the vulgar are mostly likely, in general, to be chosen Legislators but this is an evil not to be remedied at present.
I suppose I have now wrote as much as you will have time to peruse. I may continue the subject at some other time.
I must not conclude without telling you that yr. family were well when we heard last as are mine at present who Join with me in sending Love duty &c. I rejoice to hear you are so far recovered from yr. Sickness as to attend upon the important business of the united States. I am Sr. your friend & brother,
Not located.
John Leverett (1726/7–1777), Greenleaf ’s brother-in-law.