Boston March 29th. 1782 My dear Sr.,

I recieved yours1 by Mr. Ellis, & to convince you how ill grounded your Excuses & Surmises were, I set me down to give you the best answer to the perticulars of yr. Letter, I am able. Herewith I send the Libells you mention & a letter accompanying them relating wholly to that business.

As to the affairs in Europe, it is not very easy as yet to write any thing certain about them, by what appears from England by the speeches, or printed in our late Papers, they seem determind to hold out yet, & the talk is that they intend a total alteration of the War, Some say, to that of Naval one altogether, others, to that of a continental one in Europe. I consider them both as Puffs, unless they can get some alliance, & effect a reconcilliation with Holland. A French Frigate has arrived from France in 42 days to Newport, brings news that the Alliance arrived there in 18 days, ’tis rumored that by this time the Marquis must have arrived in Chesapeak; this Frigate is said to have sailed from France in company with 150 sail of ships for America. I cannot find any perticular news that has transpired, but it will not be long before we shall have the determination on the other side the Water, but I have done caring much about British measures, certain I am if we are not more earnest to support our Liberty we shall not relish it when we have got it, and therefore I sat down another Campaign & consider it as our duty to make all provision for it; & unless we keep up our martial spirit we may expect a Revolution of another nature than what you allude to.

I am exceding Sorry to find such uneasiness in many parts of the Country, but I believe they are greatly aggravated & misrepresented—there always was a class of people among us who could not live without finding faults, they take advantage of the heavy taxes & clamour against Government & all its branches & officers as thô all the taxes was raised to Support them; when in truth if the whole Expence of Government was struck out it would be an inconsiderable alleviation; they don’t Consider that it is the War in general & the disproportionate Expence of raising men that enhances the Taxes, but our misfortune is, that there is not in our Towns, a sufficient number of men of Knowledge and disposition to clear up these matters & quiet the people; as for the commotion in Berkshire, 196 Hampshire &c they arise in some measure from a different Cause, it is so long since there has been any Suing partly for want of courts & partly because many creditors would not take paper money for their Debts, that the number of Debts became great & some people taking advantage of the times to vex the people are said to have brought as many actions as they could, this obliged others to Sue & so actions for Debt have encreased to an undue number at a time when people could hardly find money to pay taxes, this occasioned the stopping the Common pleas in Berkshire, the Sessions went on, indeed the Commn. Pleas adjourned to some other day—this evil we may hope to vent it self gradually. I do not understand that there is any uneasiness in any of the Counties but what may be traced to the burthen of taxes & lawsuits, the pressure of which seems to be complained of in a very unexpected manner, for within this 18 months there has been more hard money circulating than I ever knew in any Observation; it has vanished suddenly, whether it is hoarded or sent off is a question; & whether those who have it do not join in the cry of those who have it not: certain it is that those who do not love our Cause, foment these difficulties, & some good men are apt to clamour without considering the ill tendency of such conduct.

I had never heard of the attack upon your person till you mentioned it: at first I feared it was grounded upon some of the general causes you mentioned, but by Mr. Ellis I understand it was a private personal matter, however it shews the licentious disposition of the good people your way; I am glad it went no further & ended as well as it did.

While the people are clamouring against great Expences of Government Mr. Sullivan left the Bench because the salary would not support him, he appeared at the Bar last Supr. Ct. Boston & has since with Mr. Lowell been chosen member of Congress, whether he will accept I don’t know, no person is yet appointed to his Place.

I expect to visit Barnstable the next Court if there be any thing to be done in my way of more importance than prosecuting a drunken Grand Jury man.2

The Cmttee of Revising the Laws sat a large part of the winter past & reported near 60 Laws containing a Number of the most essential ones—they have not half gone through being called off by other engagements & the Task is very great. The Genl. Court have done but little towards passing them. I suppose the Fall Session may afford us a System: how well they will please I can’t tell, but I know there has been great pains 197 taken to make them consistent, Concise, intelligible & applicable, & if they are finished as begun, I venture to say they will not be worse than the old ones.3

It is now time for me to return the compliment, of excuses for long Writing. I wish I had more important matters to communicate to you; our duty is to hold on & hold out, & to keep continually before our Eyes the comparison of our present circumstances & of 1775 & with what must at all Events be the effects of now desponding; I frankly confess I trouble my self but little & rely less on my calculations, my observation of this Revolution teaches me that scarce any thing has turn’d out according to expectation. Matters of greatest reliance have failed us, & little unexpected matters have saved us; our most flushed Enterprises & veiws have disappointed us & in the greatest distress & darkness of Embarrassments we have suddenly had the greatest relief. I have sometimes thought that the Cloud & the Light have been as visible to us as to the Israelites breaking from the Bondage of Egypt. You’ll call me an Enthusiast; pray what have we all been thro’ the War; we now have the conduct of our own affairs; if we were under the Government of Great Britain we should not, now have any controul; pray which is best Enthusiasm or Abject Submission; but I am carrying coal to Newcastle; —

My Respects to Mr. Williams & all good Friends

I rest yr. Freind & hble. Ser. R T Paine

RC (formerly at James S. Copley Library, La Jolla, California); internal address: “Nathaniel Freeman Esqr.”

1.

See Nathaniel Freeman to RTP, Mar. 20, 1782 (above).

2.

RTP did not attend the May session of the Supreme Judicial Court at Barnstable, and Shearjashub Bourne substituted for him. The only criminal trial that session involved theft (Commonwealth v. Mott Brian) (Supreme Judicial Court Minute Books, Barnstable County, May 1782. Massachusetts Judicial Archives, Boston, Mass.).

3.

RTP recorded in his diary that the committee sat (Jan. 16, 1782) and that he later “reported 17. Laws” (Jan. 25).