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JAMES BOWDOIN TO JOHN TEMPLE.

BOSTON, Oct 10, 1789.

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DEAR SIR, I have had the pleasure of your letters of the 12th & 28th September. The former by Maj' Shaw about ten days ago, just as I was setting out on a journey, and the latter p' Mr Thacher I received on my return yesterday. It made us happy to know that you Betsy & y young folks had arrived safe at N. York, though the passage was rough & uncomfortable; and we hope her sea-sickness & fatigue, wch she bore with so much fortitude, have been of service to her. It gave us particular pleasure to learn that your health was better, and there is no room to doubt of its complete restoration, if you keep up y spirits, exercise, &c. You judged perfectly right in inoculating your gd daughter ; and we rejoice with you, that she has happily got through the small pox.

By the character & situation of Dr Dwight, I think you could not have chosen a better instructor for your son James; and I hope he will give you reason to think so by his proficience and good conduct.

From y enquiries contained in y° Duke of Leeds's letter of the 30th of June, I am of opinion with you, that y British ministry are somewhat alarmed at the encreasing growth of y° manufactures of the United States. The general statement of it, represented in your answer to y Duke's letter, is I believe just, so far as it extends. Several sorts of manufactures going on in this State may be added to those mentioned in your letter: as, wool & cotton cards, women's shoes, nails, &c. With respect to the first, more than one thousand dozen of wool cards are made, as I am informed, in this town monthly; and they are made in other towns also. Our country people are all supplied with them, and a considerable quantity is exported. With respect to ye shoes, in ye town of Lyn

only are made more than 170 thousand pair of wom shoes (besides their leather shoes) annually, most of wch are sent to yo other States: and with respect to nails they are made every where, and have effectually stopt ye importation of them: considerable quantities being exported. I do not mention potash, pearl ash, & sundry other manufactures, as they are probably not meant to be included in y° answer to y° enquiries.

In a year or two, the returns made to Congress by their executive officers will probably furnish y° means of a full answer to most of those enquiries; and until those returns can be applied to, any answer must be imperfect.

The Revolution in France is a most extraordinary one; and from it will result very important consequences, some of which it may be conjectured will not be very advantageous to G. Britain; but however that may be, if it should terminate in a government founded on just principles of liberty, it will be the era of political happiness to the French nation.

Mrs Bowdoin sends her most affectionate regards to you and her dear daughter, with y young gentry; in which she is with great cordiality joined by, dear Sir, Yr. most obt hble. serv.

SIR JOHN TEMPLE.

JAMES BOWDOIN.

ELBRIDGE GERRY TO JAMES BOWDOIN.

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NEW YORK, 25th June, 1790. (Friday.)

DEAR SIR, I am favoured with your letter of the 15th, mentioning Mr John Erving & Mr Samuel Waldo as candidates for offices under the federal government. Whether the assumption will take place or not this session is at present problematical, altho I think the assumptionists have the power of attaining the object; but the misfortune is that some of them are influenced

by the Pennsylvanians, all of whom, even those who are firmly attached to the assumption, will hazard it & every thing else of the highest importance to the Union for the paltry object of the temporary residence of Congress. The Rhode Island Senators are arrived & the questions respecting both the permanent & temporary residence are to be agitated on Monday next in the Senate. Upon the issue of these matters we shall be able to form some judgment of what will be the fate of the State debts, & should an opportunity offer of promoting your wishes respecting your nephews, I shall be very happy in cooperating in the measures. The House consists of two classes, the funders & anti-funders; & the former are subdivided into assumptionists & anti-assumptionists. Part of the assumptionists have formed a junction with the anti-funders & have thrown out the revenue bill, which has puzzled the residue of the funders, some of whom would be also for the assumption had not the residence of Congress been blended there wth. Since the bill was rejected I have seen the Secretary of the Treasury & find he is pleased with the measure & thinks it a good stroke of policy. I have only time to assure you that, with great esteem & respect,

I remain, dear Sir, your most obed & very hum. sert. E. GERRY.

THE HONBLE. MR BOWDOIN.

MERCY WARREN TO JAMES BOWDOIN.*

SIR, My confidence in your friendship & my respect for your judgment leads me to submit to your perusal a few pieces designed for publication, if not better advised by so good a judge. I feel myself very diffident, though encouraged by my friends, to embark on the sea of public opinion; but I yet shrink at the idea & keep

For notice of Mrs. Warren, see 6 Mass. Hist. Coll., vol. ix. p. 397 note.

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my mind open to the strictest scrutiny of friendship & candor. I might shew them to many who would criticise, to others who might flatter, the one without friendship & the other without sincerity; but your opinion, Sir, which I am confident will be the result of both, will lead me readily to suppress any of them which you may think will neither be pleasing to the public eye or honourary to me, who would not have presumed this interruption did she not feel more assured of your friendship than that of any other gentleman of literature & taste in this capital. With respect and esteem

I am, Sir, your most obedient

My best compliments to Mrs Bowdoin.

N. BOSTON SQUARE, June 28th, 1790.

M. WARREN.

As soon as Mr Bowdoin's leasure will permit, he will return the papers with his observations to his obliged friend, &c.

JAMES BOWDOIN TO MERCY WARREN.

Mr Bowdoin presents his most respectful compliments to Mr Warren, and acquaints her that in y° afternoon or tomorrow morning he is to proceed on a journey into Connecticut & to ye western parts of Massachusetts, where he will be happy to execute any of MTM Warren's commands. He thinks himself very unfortunate that he is obliged to forego the pleasure of reading the manuscript poems which accompanied her polite billet of this morning. With great reluctance he now returns them; but promises himself no small entertainment upon their publication, which he hopes will soon take place; being assured it will be no discredit to American genius.

Mr Bowdoin with her best compliments hopes for the pleasure of seeing Mr Warren.

Monday, June 28th,

JAMES BOWDOIN * TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.†

BOSTON, October 1st, 1792.

MY LORD, The very little acquaintance we had at Christ Church, although Gentlemen Commoners of the same College, would have hardly justified, in my own estimation, the liberty I now take in writing you, had not Sir Jn° Temple satisfied me of your Lordship's recollection of me by presenting me with your compliments at your Lordship's request. Be assured, my Lord, the circumstance was pleasing to me, and I frequently thôt of grounding a correspondence upon it, to which I have been frequently urged by Sir John.

The unexpected situation into which England and this country have been thrown, arising out of the late Revolution, must necessarily excite a curiosity to be con versant with the political movements wch do or may agitate the two countries. Although I have much to expect, and but little to bestow, still I know too much of the policy of the English government to think that a gentleman elevated by rank, fortune, and political character can be indifferent to the force and effect of the measures of the government woh so eminently distinguishes him, or to those objects and pursuits wch deter

* James Bowdoin, the Governor, died Nov. 6, 1790. After his death his only son, the third James Bowdoin, subsequently minister to Spain, dropped the affix "Junior." He died Oct. 11, 1811, and with him the male line of descent became extinct, though the name Bowdoin was afterward borne by various descendants of his only sister, Lady Temple. EDS.

† George Nugent-Temple Grenville, first Marquis of Buckingham, was the second son of George Grenville, and was born June 17, 1753. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1774, and took an active part in the debates. Five years later he succeeded his uncle Richard as Earl Temple, and obtained the royal license "to take the names and arms of Nugent and Temple in addition to his own." In 1782 he was appointed LordLieutenant of Ireland, an office which he held for only a few months, until the downfall of the Shelburne ministry. At the time of the Coalition ministry he was conspicuous among the "King's friends,” and after the triumph of Pitt he was created Marquis of Buckingham. A few years later he was again made Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland; but resigned in less than two years. He died at Stowe Feb. 11, 1813. See Dictionary of National Biography, vol. xxiii. pp. 117-119. — Eds.

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