the Necessity and Importance of keeping your Board duly supplyd with Cash to enable you effectually to do the Duty of your Department, and was told that 50m Dollars had been lately remitted to you. I will not fail to do what in me lies to forward that Service, as our Navy has always lain near my Heart.

I am exceedingly pleasd to find that our Army makes a much better Appearance than it has done since the Commencement of this War. It is very respectable in Point of Numbers and Discipline has been happily improvd by the Baron de Stuben who is appointed Inspector General with the Rank of Major General.1 The invariable Accounts from Philadelphia are that the Enemy are making Preparations for an Embarkation, and it is expected they will soon leave that Place. Where they will proceed next you can as easily conjecture as we. I am not apprehensive of their visiting Boston; I wish however that more effectual Measures might be taken to strengthen and secure that Harbour and Town from Insult to which I think it is too much exposd.

I recollect that your Election of Councillors will come on the Day after tomorrow. Has Mr [Hancock] waited for the Event of that important Day? 2 or is he on his Journey to this Place? It is a Matter of so much uncertainty here, that Nothing, I suppose prevents many Wagers being laid upon it, but its being not of so much Moment as some others. Was he present here, he might, if he pleasd, vindicate me against a Report which has given Occasion to my Friends to rally me, that I have been called to Account and severely reprehended at a Boston Town Meeting for being in a Conspiracy against a very great Man [Washington]. You know how little I care for such Rumours. It is easy for me to conjecture by what Means it extended it self from Manheim, where I first heard it, to York Town; and it may not be difficult to guess how it came from Boston to that Place. Manheim is about twelve Miles

1 May 5. Journals of the Continental Congress, XI. 465.

2 Though a delegate to Congress Hancock did not attend until June 19, 1778. On July 9 he was granted leave of absence. On May 13 he had been elected a representative of Boston in the General Court.

3 Probably the subject was discussed in the Town Meeting of May 13 when a memorial to the General Court on the men supplied to the Continental Army was presented. Boston Record Commission, xxvI. 19.

East of the Susquehanna; there lives Mr. R. M.,1 a very intimate Acquaintance of my excellent Friend. Mr. H. is said to be on the Road, but no one makes it certain. When he arrives Messrs. Gerry and Dana2 propose to set off for N. England. I shall be mortified at their leaving us, for I verily think that the Accession even of that Gentleman will not make up for the Absence of the other two.

I am happy to find C[ongress] in perfect good humour and attentive to Business, though so hard put to it in this place, as hardly to have a Room a peice, in which to write a Letter to a Friend. It brings to my Mind the Circumstances and Temper of the old Deputies who sat down under a Tree to eat their Bread and Cheese. This is the Kind of Men who are the Terror of Tyrants. I hope I shall shortly be able to write you something of Importance, from the Army at least. In the meantime Vale et

me ama.

[No signature.]

JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS 3

BOSTON, May 31, 1778

MY DEAR SIR, -The Papers will Inform you that I am no longer a Member of the General Court. My Town left me out, and the House did not take Notice enough of me to Elect me a Member of the Board and so saved me the Trouble of a refusal. your Curiosity will lead you to Enquire how my Town came to leave me out, and how the Interest I used to have in the House vanished and sunk on this occasion. it may not satisfy you to carry it to the Account only of the versatility and Caprice of Mankind. they have had their Effects, but they would not do alone. Envy and the Ambition of some people has aided them, and the policy or rather what you will Call the Cunning of a party here, who have

272.

I Robert Morris. This friendship for Hancock is noted in Oberholtzer, Robert Morris, 2 Leave of absence to Dana was granted August 7, but Gerry remained through the year.

3 From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library.

set up an Idol they are determined to worship with or without reason has had the greatest. they have even made use of the Tories to prevent my being Chose by my Town, who made their Appearance on this Occasion for the first Time for seven Years. The partiality of you and the rest of my friends has made me an object of great Importance with this party, and every thing is done to get me out of sight. in short the plan is to Sacrifise you and me to the Shrine of their Idol. I hope for the sake of the Character and Interest of our Country they wont Succeed against you. for myself I am Content to be as private a Man as they can make me. I have a Good Conscience that is all I want and of that they cant deprive me. I am not disappointed. I have all I expected you will see the List of the House and will form your own Expectations. I suppose my Cousin will be an Influential Member. with regard to the Constitution I am of the Opinion it will not prevail, and that Anarchy and Confusion will take place before we have one settled Your dear Town have with others lost their Compass and with it lost sight of their old principles and policy. they have acted accordingly upon this Occasion, while no Man can Entertain a reasonable prospect of getting a better form. the Small Pox is still lurking in Town and has made its Appearance in such a Manner as has alarmed the House. the Court is therefore Adjourned to Watertown. what else is done I cant say. No foreign News. we learn Philadelphia is Evacuated. where are they going next. some Conjecture to the West Indies while others think the North Rivers or Connecticut are the Object. we shall know soon. we have yet no Intelligence of the Arrival of the Boston I dont write to Mr. Gerry because I suppose he is on his way here. if still with you my regards to him. I shall write to Mr. Lovel. Doct'r Holton is waiting for General Hancock, who I hear took a pompous Leave of the House Yesterday by going up and shakeing Hands with the Speaker, etc., after moving for leave to return soon if his health would not admit of his Tarrying long. I suppose a Cavelcade will attend him, Subscriptions for that purpose haveing been Circulated for a week. I believe he will go Tomorrow. you will provide for his reception as you think fit. I am Your Assured Friend

J. W.

SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN

YORK TOWN, June 1, 1778

MY DEAR SIR, - I wrote to you a few Days ago by Mr. Brailsford,1 since which I have receivd your Favors of the 10th and 13th of May. The Arts you mention as being practicd by the Tories in Boston, to prejudice the People against our new Connections, are similar to those which I find on reading a late Philada. Paper, are practiced there. The Danger of Popery is particularly held up by the Partizans of that King, who would wish to drain Ireland of its Catholicks to carry on his bloody Purposes in America. I do not wonder that a certain Gentleman, though of the Character you have described, should joyn in such an objection. He may think it will give him Popularity among a particular class of Men, and serve one Purpose which I believe he has constantly in View; but I am satisfied that such a Suggestion will have a different Effect.

I have receivd several Letters from my Friend Dr. Lee since my Arrival here. Those by the Way of Boston are Duplicates, and contain Nothing of Importance more than what we receivd by Mr. Dean. I wish you would revive in the House of Representatives the Proposition which was made last Winter relating to that Gentleman. I have an additional Reason inducing me to urge this Matter, which I will communicate to you at another Time, and which I am very sure you will approve of. At present I believe you are satisfied that it is both Policy and Justice that it should be done.

Congress has been pleasd to put me on the Marine Committee.3 I mention this to you, in hopes that I shall have the Pleasure of receiving your Letters the oftener on that Account, and particularly on the Subject of the Navy, which I will use my utmost Endeavours to build up. The Committee have orderd a Letter to your Board by this Post. Capt. Burk is to have the Command of the Resistance which may be a Step to further Promotion here

I Norton Brailsford.

3 May 27, 1778.

2 For granting land to Lee in Massachusetts.

4 William Bourke. Capt. Daniel Waters had refused the offer of the vessel.

after. The french Gentleman who was fed with Promises at Boston and afterwards substantially relievd by you is highly esteemd by this Committee, and will be rewarded and employed, and Capt. Peck' is not unnoticed. The new Frigate at Salisbury, though before christened by another Name, has that of the Alliance given to her by the Committee. This Letter I intended to have finishd and forwarded by the Post, this Morning, (June 2) but was prevented. Capt. Barry who is to take the Command of the Raughley will deliver it to you. I am apprehensive for our Friend Mr. J. A. who if I mistake not had saild seven Weeks when the last Vessel left Nantz. The Bearer is in Haste. Adieu. [No signature.]

MERCY WARREN TO JAMES WARREN

PLIMOUTH, June 2, 1778

You, my Dearest Friend, who have so often heard me express my opinion of the folly, fickleness and ingratitude of mankind will not wonder when I tell you I am not at all surprised to see them forsake a man who for many years has at the expense of his own health and happiness uniformly aimed to promote their interest, but I own I did not expect to see your town so suddenly deviate from the principles they formerly professed.

I never supposed that in the midst of the contest and at the most critical period thereof they would suffer the inveterate enemies of this country to lift up their heads and openly oppose the measures and malign the men who have suffered so much in the public cause. Yet strange as it may appear one of the most subtile emissaries of Britain and the most malignant of your foes was suffered yesterday in full meeting of the town to stand up and cast the most illiberal reflections on a man whose primary object has been to rescue these people from the thraldom of a foreign yoke and to preserve their rights against the machinations of the more dangerous enemies that lurk in their own bosoms. With this sole point in view how much fatigue and painful watching have 2 A designer of vessels. 3 Ned Winslow the elder.

1 Pierre Landais.