Debate on the Report of a Committee on this Subject, the Letters were brought in, having been receivd by our General and forwarded. This Mode of Conveyance suited the Inclination of the House, they being, as I thought, at that Juncture ready to assent to a Proposition approving of the General's Conduct in refusing to grant a Passport to the Messenger, and expressing themselves content that he should receive the Message and send it by a Messenger of his own.

The Contents of the Letter, as far as they were read appeard extraordinary indeed, and show'd plainly that their Design was to draw us back to a Subjection to their King. Some Expressions in the Letter gave particular Disgust to all the Members. The House adjournd till Monday when I think I may assure you the Subject will be treated with becoming Spirit and Propriety.

I wish you would speak to some leading Member in the House of Representatives relating to the Resolution which was offerd concerning Dr. Lee. I have a Reason which strongly influences me to wish that such a Resolution may now pass. Justice and Policy as well as Gratitude require it. There are a few bad Men, one of whom you are not unacquainted with, who, so far from desiring that Respect should be shown to that patriotic and highly deserving Gentleman would rejoyce to see him disgrac❜d. My friendly Regards to your good Lady and all Friends. Adieu.

[No signature.]

SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN

YORK TOWN, June 19, 1778

MY DEAR SIR,- I have Time only to write you a few Words by Captn. Landais who is appointed by Congress to the Command of the new Ship of War Alliance. This Gentleman is esteemd for his Experience and Knowledge in Marine Affairs and will go first to Portsmouth to direct in the Construction of the Ship designd to be built there. I wish you would (with the other Gentlemen of your Board) assist him with a popular as well as able Lieutenant:

popular; because as he is a frenchman, it may be difficult for him to procure a sufficient Number of American Seamen. He is in hopes of geting french Sailors out of the Vessels that are or may be at Boston, etc.

I will by the next Post send you a full Account of our late Transactions with the British Peace Makers which conclude with confirming on our Part our former Resolutions.

We have just recd. Advice that the Enemy have totally evacuated Philadelphia and we expect every moment to have the News confirmd. Mr. Hancock and Dr. Holton are arrivd. The last mentiond deliverd me a Letter from you which I will more fully acknowledge in my next. Adieu my Friend.

S. ADAMS

SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES Warren

YORK TOWN, June 20, 1778

DEAR SIR, -In my Letter of yesterday's date (by Capt. Landais) I promisd to write again by the next Post, and give you a full Account of our Transactions with the British Peace Makers. Cap. Landais after the ensealing of my Letter obtaind a News Paper which he intends to deliver to you. That will answer the Purpose. The President has informd us of an opportunity previous to the Post which I readily embrace. It gave me much Concern to find an omission of your Name in both Houses of Assembly. I indulged Hopes that it was occasiond by your Time and Attention being so much employd in the Affairs of the Continent, and am sorry that an Opportunity was not afforded to you of declining a Seat, if you had thought it necessary, on that occasion. But, my Friend, you must expect and be content to be now and then neglected when the Influence of aspiring but worthless Men shall prevail in an Hour while your own and your Countrys Friends are unsuspecting and unguarded. Believe me, you cannot long be unnoticed by your Country, while she remains virtuous and wise; when a People becomes so abandond (which I trust is far from being the Case of our Country) as to be not worth saving, no wise

Patriot will further attempt to save them. He will then seek a Place of Retreat where he may enjoy the happy Reflections of his own Mind, and count a private Station the highest Post of Honor. But the Express waits, which obliges me to break off abruptly. Heaven knows best, how to dispose of you and me. Adieu.

JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS 1

S. A

BOSTON, June 26, 1778

MY DEAR SIR,—I have had the great pleasure of receiving your several favours, per Blaisford, Capt. Barry, and one by an Unknown hand. I am Glad to find you so well pleased with the Situation of the Army, and the doings of Congress for you know I ever Entertain an Opinion that things are right when they go according to your mind. I Expect very soon to have an Account under your hand, of the reception Congress gave to the proposals of the British Commissioners, and of their Ultimate determinations on them and their silly Errand. we expect the Dignity of Congress will Appear with great Lustre on this Occasion. we have handed about in this Town a List of their proposals, but I cant suppose they are Genuine. they are Indeed too Contemptible even for the British Administration to be the Authors of. My Letter per Mr. Collins which I presume has reached you before now will Inform you that I did not leave my station in the Political Ship before the Gale was over, or fly from those Colours I helped you and some few other Good Patriots to Hoist. You know I have been on Deck for twelve Years, and I believe you will not be able with all your discernment and Watchfulness to recollect an Instance of my flinching. I was left out by my Town, without an Ostensible reason to give. I was not Noticed by the two Houses for reasons best known to themselves. the Mutability of Mankind, the Enmity of the Tories united with the Intrigues of a party you are acquainted with must Account for it. I will only Inform you that the Bar Seat had a large Share in this matter, and some of them that you would hardly suspect. this may be adding InI From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library.

gratitude to Witchcraft, as my whole Conduct has been Uniformly favourable to your Town, and if you will not Construe it into vanity I will tell you I have sometimes thought I did them as much service as any Representative they have had since you left the House. You and I have been Companions the whole Vo[yage]. I have now the Honour to be the Object of the same rancour, and the victim of the same Intrigue and policy as against you. however I am Content with regard to myself if your Interest is Secured. with regard to your Friend Dr. Lee I took Care early in the Session to Apply to some Members to have the Business done. the Court is now Adjourned to September. I question whether it is done, tho' I am not certain. I was promised but as they set out of Town, I had not the Advantage of pursueing the matter. I will not forget or Neglect it. but you are to Consider that I and my Applications may for a while be treated with Neglect, and if you will permit me to use Metaphors suggested by the Nature of my Business, A New Crew is Ship'd and the principle direction fallen into hands whose Seamanship we did not use to Esteem, and who for want of Fortitude never dared to go aloft to view the fair and open Coast before them, or to Examine and Ascertain the strength of the Ship and how well she was Constructed and fitted for the Voyage. Millions of such Seamen never would have Conducted her to the Lattitude and Longitude she is now in. but enough of this your own reflections I dare say Exhibit pictures much more to the Life.

I am Extremely Glad to find you on the Marine Committee, for Notwithstanding you have not been used to Naval Matters, I conceive you will do great Service there. I shall write to you often the little time I shall be connected with you in that Station, and very freely, for the Subject must be better Understood, and more Attended to, or the Navy given up, though I conceive it will soon be more Important and more necessary than an Army. did your Committee attend to this matter would they write us that they hoped 50,000 dollars would supply all our demands for some time. we received that Money. we have recv'd the greatest part of 80,000. dollars we drew for in favour of Mr. Shaw,1 and this MornI Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Continental Agent at New London, Connecticut.

ing we had not a 100 dollars in the office, and if Capt. Bradford 1 had not been good enough to Supply us with £1000. we could not have paid the Bounty to Seamen this day Entered. we must stop payment of all Bills, however reasonable or Justly due, or however hard we are duned. where to look next, or what is to be done next week I know not. this is Indeed Embarrassing. why Sir we want 500,000 dollars if it be meant we should do any thing to purpose. is it feared we shall Squander profusely, or apply fraudulently. our Accounts will be at any time ready in three days for the strictest Scrutiny. I am, my Friend, also Mortified, and it is hard to be both perplexed and Mortified, while we work for Nothing, and spend necessarily more than our pay. Many things take place to make me feel very small in this office, to say nothing of our Inability to Answer the Expectations of the public and of their never knowing the reason. why when you have Appointed Captains in the Navy cant it be left to us to say which shall go in any Ship here on a vacancy and while we and every Body else sees the service suffering, must we wait for an Appointment from the Marine Committee. they Expect the Raleigh is prepared for the Sea. but two days ago a Captain for her Arrived here, and every Body acquainted with Seamen must know they will not Engage in a Ship till they know the Captain. the public have Clamoured. to save our Reputation we have been obliged to take pains to let it be known, that you dare not trust us so far. the Brigantine Resistance has lai[n] some time, to get her to sea we appointed or rather ordere[d] Capt. Olney to take Command of her. he is a deserving Officer, and I think would make a figure in a better Vessel. he readily obeyed and things were going on finely. An Appointment arrives for Burke. he may be a good officer but besides the Mortification to us, the Brigantine will be delayed. My favourite plan was to get a Number of these Vessels to Sea in Company. Your Committee have Approved, and desired it, but how is it possible. the Raleigh would have been ready for the Sea, if she had a Captain. she has now no Men. you have Appointed a Good one. I believe we shall Man her soon, but the Warren is almost Manned. Must she wait for her. I wish you would make I John Bradford, Continental Agent at Boston.