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395. ROBERT MORRIS TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.1 PHILADA. March 6th. 1777

It is truly lamentable that we have never been able to this day to Conquer that Fundamental error made in the outset, by short enlistments. it was not untill Conviction of the absolute necessity of it stared every man in the Face that the wholesome measure of enlisting for three years or during the War, could be carried in Congress and since it was carried there, it meets with insuperable obstacles raised by the former practice, for the Bounties, high wages and short Service has vitiated the Minds of all that Class of people and they are grown the most mercenary beings that exist.2

In the mean time the public Stores are removing, and Congress have adjourned back to this place many of the Members are come up and the rest on the road. I dont expect they will make a House sooner than Monday, but your late dispatches shall be delivered to the President soon as he arrives. I wish with you Sir that they had complyed with General Lee's request, and when I sent forward those dispatches to Baltimore I wrote my sentiments to some of the Members and altho it woud have been inconvenient for me and I urged not to be appointed on that errand yet I would have gone rather than he shoud have been disapointed. Whether they will take up the matter again or not I don't know, but I much doubt it as from the little conversation I have had with some of the Members now here they seem very averse to it. however I expect this matter as well as the confinement of the Hessian Field officers will at least be referred to the Consideration of a Committee in consequence of your letters on the Subject and if I can influence a Complyance with your wishes it will give me pleasure for my own Sentiments coincide with yours exactly in these two points at the same time I must hint to you what I take to be one of the most forcible arguments that probably has been used in Congress against this Measure. I have not heard that it was used, but as it occurred to myself on reading Genl Lee's letters I mean the effect it may have at the Court of France shou'd they hear as they undoubtedly woud that Members of Congress visited Genl Lee by permission of the British Commissioners. The meeting with Ld. Howe at Staten Island last Summer injured Mr Deane's negotiations much and retarded supply's intended for us. I am now at the 15th of March and must appologize to you Sir for not answering fully your letter and for not having sent this away long since; but I have been attacked by a weakness in my Eyes, and writing is the most dangerous thing I can do whilst it continues. On this account I

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[395] Library of Congress, Letters to Washington, XIV. 66; Letters to Washington (ed. Sparks), I. 348. 2 In a letter to the commissioners in Paris, Mar. 28, Morris discusses at some length the evils of short enlistments. A copy of the letter is in the Am. Phil. Soc., Franklin Papers, vol. V. (II.), no. 134, and also in the library of the University of Virginia, Lee Papers.

8 See no. 366, note 3, ante. Morris is replying to a letter from Washington, dated Mar. 2, in Writings (ed. Ford), V. 262. Cf. Washington to the President of Congress, Mar. 1, 6, ibid., pp. 257, 274. Cf. the Journals, Mar. 14, 24, 29, June 2.

am obliged to absent myself from Congress and refrain from business but in all situations of life I shall ever remain with the sincerest esteem your Excellencys,

most obedt hble Servant

396. JOHN ADAMS TO MRS. ADAMS.1

ROBT MORRIS.

PHILADELPHIA, 7 March, 1777.

The President, who is just arrived from Baltimore, came in, a few minutes ago, and delivered me yours of February 8, which he found at Susquehannah river, on its way to Baltimore. . . . .

We may possibly remove again from hence, perhaps to Lancaster or Reading. It is good to change place; it promotes health and spirits; it does good many ways; it does good to the place we remove from, as well as to that we remove to, and it does good to those who move.

My Dr Friend

397. ABRAHAM CLARK TO ELIAS DAYTON.1

PHILA. Friday evening March 7th 1777.

.. You tell me you might inform me what you have been doing etc. but for certain reasons refrain. You have been unfortunate in the Line of Promotion happening from certain Circumstances. last summer several Promotions were made. Mr. Maxwell was proposed by the Canada Commissrs. as a person deserving of particular Notice. You had been placed in a obscure part of the world and Genl. Schuyler had never mentioned you as having done any thing good or bad, he is alway Sparing of Praise. however, tho' I highly esteemed Mr. Maxwell I did not think him altogether qualified for a Genl. and proposed you. N. York joined me, but the Delegates of Jersey Divided between you two and thereby neither Obtained it then 2 towards fall I was at home sick when Genl. Maxwell was apptd. as I am told, by desire of some Jersey Delegates then present; this apptment gave N. Jersey two Generals Ld. Stirling having been apptd before, and this is more than our Quota. You stood in Nomination at the last promotions but we could not with any face insist upon another. I esteem Genl. Maxwell and am rejoiced to hear of his behaving well last Sunday Week at Woodridge tho' before I find he was not greatly esteemed by a Certain General. You ask my advice with regard to yourself. Your Chance of promotion soon you may judge from what I have above related.3

[396]1 Familiar Letters, p. 249.

[39711 Harvard Univ. Lib., Sparks MSS., no. 49, vol. II., p. 215 (original).

2 The occasion alluded to was probably Aug. 9, 1776. See the Journals; cf. ibid., May 29, June 3. William Maxwell was appointed brigadier-general Oct. 23, 1776.

8 Dayton was not made a brigadier-general until Jan. 7, 1783. See the Journals, Aug. 14, 1780, Mar. 8, 1781, May 8, June 3 (p. 315 n.), 5, Nov. 25 (p. 753 n.), Dec. 12, 1782, Jan. 7, 1783. Cf. no. 742, post. See also Clark to Dayton, Dec. 19, 1780, and July 29, Dec. 16, 1782, and Boudinot to Dayton, Dec. 25, 1782, and Jan. 7, 1783, in vols. IV. and V. of these Letters.

I assure you I never was fond of your entering into the Service, I most earnestly wished you employed in the Civil Line. this was prevented long ago by your Averseness to it, or your timidity. we really want you more in this way than the Military, but how to effect it I cannot tell; If you should now decline the Service I fear it would place you in an unfavourable Light with the Public, and to remain Idle will neither be profitable to you or the Public, that upon the whole I cannot advise you how to Act. You inquire how Jonathan can get his Coms this you can Obtain from Genl. Washington, he hath the Comm". to give out and also the Nomination.

4

I came to Philadela. last Tuesday evening, Congress Adjrd. to meet here last Wednesday but a sufficient Numr. to proceed to business have not yet come in unless they have got here this evening. Our Assembly is sitting at Haddonfield about 7 Miles from hence, by a Letter recd. this day from the Speaker I am desired to attend there a few days and shall go to morrow, If I can leave Delegates to represent our State in my Absence, otherwise stay till I can, as I am not sure there is any but my self in Town. when I shall have an Oppertunity to visit Eliz. Town I cant say, I have not seen any of my family since Novr. and shall not I believe very soon.

Our Friend Mr. Caldwells Services I am particularly Attentive to, but the wheels drag heavy, a Presbyterian Clergyman is not with some a Popular Name, and tho' I have the assurance of Congress in his favour I can promise Nothing but my best endeavours."

You say some of our Eliz'Town Gentry want the Genrl. to alter his Proclamation. It must render any man Unpopular to Speak in favour of those who joined the Enemy and took Protection, but I think the Genrls. proclamation a Violation of our Civil Rights and Ventured to call it in question in Congress. My Motion was committed to a Come. who reported favourable of the Procla. but foreseeing their report would be contested they desired that the same might lie for consideration; That I suppose was with design that it should never be called for, and I Suppose never will unless I do it, for it is Notorious the Genrl. directly counter acted a Resolve of Congress of the 9th. of March last, Strictly forbidding any officer to impose or require any Oath of the Inhabitants, and he requires an oath of Allegiance to the United States when such an Oath is Absurd before our Confederation takes place, Each State requires an Oath to the Particular State, in many other instances the Procla". is exceptionable, and very improper, and I believe was the Production or at least set on foot by some too much in the Genrls. Good Graces, he is too much incumbered to attend to every thing, and tho' I believe him honest, I think him fallible. My Paper suffers me only to add, that I am with great regard most Affectionately yours etc.

ABRA: CLARK.

4 Dr. Jonathan_Dayton, brother of Elias Dayton. He was elected regimental paymaster of Colonel Dayton's battalion Aug. 26, 1776.

5 See no. 398, post.

• See the Journals, Feb. 6 and 27, and no. 347, ante.

My Dr Sir

398. ABRAHAM CLARK TO JAMES CALDWELL.1

PHILADA. Friday Evening March 7th 1777.

Congress have once more Ventured to this Town, where I shall be glad to hear from you when Opportunity Presents. I have Nothing interesting either to the Public or your self to Communicate. I was in hopes before this to have been able to inform you Congress had to some purpose considered your extraordinary Services. The come apptd. for that purpose reported a reward for you, not great, but such as would have been useful to you at this Time, Congress allowed your Merrit and desert but seemed loath to make a pecuniary reward, and recommitted the report, desiring the Come to keep it for the Present to see if something worthy for them to give and you to receive would not fall in the way. Some began to think it right to Suffer you to hold the Office of Paymaster to that of Chaplain and they Agreed to raise the Chaplains pay to 40 dollars-but nothing is yet determined. I can assure you of nothing but that you have some hearty friends in Congress, and would have more were you not a Presbyt Clergyman. If any thing arises I hope it will be Acceptable, but till it does come don't Appropriate it, nothing is more uncertain than a dependance upon public bodies, they are moved like the wind, but rather more uncertain. I shall watch for a favourable gale.2.

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The Revd.

I am Dr Sir with great regard yours etc.

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ABRA CLARK.

399. JOHN HANCOCK TO MRS. HANCOCK.1

My Dear Dear Dolly:

PHILADELPHIA 10th March 1777

My detention at the Ferry and the badness of the Roads prevented my arriving here untill Fryday evening. . I have been exceedingly busy, since I have been here, tho' have not yet made a Congress, are waiting for the South Carolina gentleman.2

[398] Library of J. Pierpont Morgan, Declaration of Independence, II.

53, ante.

2 See the Journals, Feb. 5, Mar. 15; cf. ibid., Apr. 14, May 27. See also nos. 52,

3 Some account of Rev. James Caldwell is found in N. J. Hist. Soc., Proceedings, first ser., III. 77-89; Hatfield, History of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pp. 513-536; and Boudinot, Life of Elias Boudinot, I. 187-189. See also an article in N. J. Hist. Soc., Proceedings, 1916. There are also many newspaper extracts concerning him in N. J. Arch., second ser.

[399] Sears, John Hancock, p. 215; Crawford, Old Boston Days and Ways, p. 237.

2 Possibly this should be gentlemen (that is, Thomas Heyward and Arthur Middleton). The attendance of Middleton after the adjournment to Philadelphia is not however recorded in the Journals until May 29. In a letter to his wife, Mar. 11, Hancock says: "No Congress to-day, and I have been as busily employ'd as you can conceive" (Crawford, op. cit., p. 241).

Sir

400. THOMAS BURKE TO THE GOVERNOR OF NORTH CAROLINA (RICHARD CASwell).1

PHILADELPHIA March 11th 1777.

Our adjournment from Baltimore has put all our Proceedings to a stand and our unsettled Situation has prevented my writing to you as often as I at first Intended. I believe you have no cause to regret it, for I had nothing to communicate worth your attention.

The more experience I acquire, the stronger is my Conviction, that unlimited Power can not be safely Trusted to any man or set of men on Earth. No men have undertaken to exercise authority with Intentions more generous and disinterested than the Congress and none seem to have fewer or more feeble motives for increasing the Power of their body Politic. What could Induce Individuals blest with peaceable domestic affluence to forego all the enjoyment of a pleasing home, to neglect their private affairs, and at the expence of all their time and some part of their private fortunes, to attend public Business under many Insurmountable Difficulties and Inconveniences? What but a generous Zeal for the public? And what can Induce such men to Endeavour at increasing the Power with which they are Invested, when their Tenure of it must be exceedingly Dangerous and precarious and can bring them Individually neither pleasure or profit? this is a Question I believe cannot be answered but by a plain declaration that Power of all kinds has an Irresistible propensity to increase a desire for itself. it gives the Passion of ambition a Velocity which Increases in its progress, and this is a passion which grows in proportion as it is gratified. I hope sir you will pardon me these Reflections. I know they have not escaped you. but I find my attendance in Congress, short as it has been, obtrudes them on me every day. great part of our time is consumed in debates, whose object on one side is to increase the Power of Congress, and on the other to restrain it. The advocates do not always keep the same side of the Contest. the same persons who on one day endeavour to carry through some Resolutions, whose Tendency is to increase the Power of Congress, are often on an other day very strenuous advocates to restrain it. from this I infer that no one has entertained a concerted design to increase the Power; and the attempts to do it proceed from Ignorance of what such a Being ought to be, and from the Delusive Intoxication which Power Naturally imposes on the human Mind.2. . . .

These and many other considerations make me earnestly wish that the Power of Congress was accurately defined and that there were adequate Check provided to prevent any Excess. I am also exceedingly desirous

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[400] N. C. Hist. Comm.; N. C. State Recs., XI. 417. The letter in possession of the North Carolina Historical Commission is endorsed in Burke's writing: Copy letter to Govr. Caswell, No. I", and contains, besides minor variations, some passages not found in the letter as printed in N. C. State Records. To one passage (omitted here) is attached this note: "This thought is expressed in a more concise manner in the original."

2 Some further reflections upon the dangers of unlimited power and the possibilities of combinations among the larger states, which would endanger the independence of the lesser, are here omitted.

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