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siderable Share (I mean for an Individual) in the American Revolution. if Winslow succeeds it will be the only reward to and the only place at present held or expected by any of the Family. You will make my sincere regards to Mrs. Adams and Love to Nabby, and believe me to be as usual with great Esteem your Friend, etc.

J. WARREN

JAMES WARREN TO ELBRIDGE Gerry

MILTON, Octr. 9th, 1785

MY DEAR SIR, Since my last which went by the Monday's Post, I am honoured by your Friendly and polite favour of the 27th Ulto. by which I learn that Congress are in a way to adopt a Mode for the Appointment of Consuls. Whether the Mode be so consistent with propriety, or dignity, as a direct one by themselves, is a subject out of the reach of a Plebean, occupied in the manureing and culture of the Field, but I think a Ploughman may discern that it is better than none, and therefore I hope it will succeed. I have taken your advice and wrote to Mr. Jefferson, and have engaged some of my Friends here to do it. I request my Friend Gerry to Interest himself in the same way; he is always the first on my List. my Opinion of his Abilities and Generosity have placed him there, and if that Situation gives him much Trouble, it at the same time gives me much confidence and pleasure. if the President, and any other Gentleman of Congress, will write in Winslow's favour, they would oblige me. I asked the favour of the G[overnor], the only favour I ever did, or will ask of one. he replied that he wished it to succeed, but that he had never corresponded. I dare say this is all true, but yet it was a strange Answer from a Man whose rank Intitled him to write to any Body. but it is characteristic. how much is a Man's Friendship to be Coveted, or his Enmity dreaded, who does not feel that Ardent Animating Glow, unrestrained by Timid Cautious Moderation, which will force him, as it were Mechanically to stretch out his Arm to serve a Friend, or blast an Enemy.

I think the Exchange you mention, will be a good one, but I am intirely in your sentiment with regard to the residence of foreign Ministers here. The Addresses you mention, and the Anecdotes are Curiosities I wish to see. My Compliments to all my Friends. I am Yours most Assuredly,

JOHN ADAMS TO MERCY Warren

J. WARREN

GROSVENOR SQUARE, Decr. 12, 1785

MADAM, I am much obliged to you for your Letter and refer you to General Warren for what respects your son.

You suppose my present situation to be eligible and I confess it. I have it in my Power here to enjoy the society of Persons of great Worth, and if I please of high Rank, and if our publick Affairs here went well, I should not desire a better situation. but they do not.

A Lady, who was born at Gibraltar, came to England and Married a Man of Merit, Fortune and Rank. She had every Thing which this Country affords, to make Life agreable. Yet she used to say, it was true, that England was very clever, but it was nothing to be compared to Gib[raltar].

If the Circumstance of Birth and Education could give such an Attachment to that Barren Rock, it is not surprizing that I should be fond of my barren Mountain. Yet the World would laugh at me as well as the Lady of Gibraltar.

I have been so long agitated in the World, and puzzled with Business, that indeed I dont know, whether I should feel my Existence at Braintree, and My Eyes and my Health will not admit of Reading or Writing by Candle Light, so that I should want Amusement of Evenings, but the Care of a Farm, and Books and Papers in the Day, would Serve me very well. and as far as I can judge of my own Inclinations I had rather live in that Retirement, for my personal Enjoyment, upon one hundred a Year than at any Court in Europe upon five Thousand. It may be depended on then that I have no dread upon my Mind of being obliged to return and plant Cabbages at the foot of Penns hill.

The Dismall Accounts of the Misfortunes and Afflictions of our Friends in America, distress Us a good deal, but the Jewish avarice in the Loan of Money, which We hear of, much more. While such Interest can be obtained, much Property will be diverted from Trade. But this must have an End. The great Fish will have eaten all the little ones, and then they must look out for other Prey. The Multiplicity of Law Suits, is much like what I remember after the Peace of 1763, but when a certain Quantity of Property had shifted hands they diminished. it is generally agreed that our People have been imprudent and extravagant, but I hope that Profligacy and want of Principle have not taken any deep root. I wish it were in my Power to comfort them with any hopes of relief from this Country, but it is not. There is, instead of any Consideration of our Losses, Inconveniences, or Distresses, a visible and indecent Joy at all the Accounts of them. If Revenge is sweet our People will have it, in a few years, but that is no rational Consolation.

Captain Stanhope's Letters to the Governor, are by no means approved at this Court, as Congress will be informed Officially before this reaches you. With the greatest Esteem and respect I have the honour to be, Madam, your sincere Friend and humble servant,

JOHN ADAMS

NATHANIEL GORHAM TO JAMES WARREN

NEW YORK, March 6, 1786

1

DEAR SIR, -Your esteemed favour of the 11th ulto. recd. and would observe in answer to the first part of it, that the Board of Treasury have (by order) laid before Congress a plan for expediting the settlement of the public Accounts by which plan four or five thousand dollars will be Annually saved, and Mr. Pennet will consiquently be discharged, and some other Person employed for a short time to bring the accounts in that quarter to a close. but the great inattention and negligence of the States with regard 1 1 Journals of the Continental Congress, March 24, 1786.

to their representation renders it impossible for Congress to pass upon this report and various other matters in which the wellfare of the Union is deeply interested - it being a money matter there being only seven States represented, R. Island Connecticut Delaware Maryland North Carolina and Georgia being absent. indeed the principle of the confederation as it respects representation and the mode of voting is calculated to encourage delinquency. there is no reason that Rhode Island, Delaware and Georgia should have equal weight in the federal councills with Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and if the representation had been apportiond according to numbers or property, and a suitable quorum established and the major vote to determine questions, this inattention would not exist. but as unanimity is now necessary upon the most trivial questions we feel all the inconveniences of the liberum Veto of a Polish Diet. the applications from our foreign creditors are of such a nature as to make a deep impression with Congress and they have thought it their duty again to call the consideration of the States to the subject of an Impost, more especially as the situation of N. York enables them so to Tax their Neighbours of Connecticut and N. Jersey as to create such a temper in those States as will greatly weaken if not destroy the Union. The Assembly of N. Jersey have lately entered into a resolution that they will not comply with the last or any future requisition of Congress untill N. York gives up their Impost or applys it for the general purposes of the Union. indeed there is nothing but the restraining hand of Congress, (weak as it is), that prevents N. Jersey and Connecticut from entering the lists very seriously with N. York and bloodshed would very quickly be the consiquence. but however N. Jersey may suffer by her paying taxes, for N. York her refusal to comply with the requisition is unjustifiable, and unless she recinds her resolution must work the end of all federal Government. Congress sent an express to demand an attested copy of the resolution. he returned with it last night. tomorrow it will be very seriously considered. but as N. Jersey is one of the seven States now on the floor they may perhaps embarras Congress in their proceedings. they have however wrote in the most pressing manner for the attendance of the

delinquent States. Congress yesterday agreed on another application to the States on the subject of Commerce. it is plain from the whole tenor of Mr. Adams' letters, that unless Congress possess the power of restricting the British trade there is no probability of his being able to do any thing to purpose with that Court. I will endeavor as far as I am able to have an equitable adjustment of your account. we do not get any account of the President's state of health, we are therefore intirely at a loss when to expect him. Your Son Mr. Warren being returnd to Boston I inclose some letters which I red. under cover for him. please to make my best respects to Mrs. Warren and be assured that I am with esteem and regard your most Humble Servant,

NATHANIEL GORHAM

JAMES WARREN TO JOHN ADAMS ADAMS MSS.

MILTON, April 30th, 1786

DEAR SIR, — I was a few days ago honoured with your favour of the 12th of Decr. I am much obliged to you for your Attention to my Son and your favourable, if not partial, Opinion of the Merits of his Family. Winslow left Lisbon and returned Home last fall, after a disagreeable residence there for more than Twelve months at a great Expense, fully convinced of the futility of Court promises, which his former Experience could no longer justify any future dependence upon. it has been my Opinion that Consuls should be appointed in several of the European Ports, and particularly at Lisbon, where we have had a great Trade till interrupted by the Algerine Corsairs. no resource is so natural and beneficial for the supply of that great Branch of Business, the Fishery, as the Trade with Lisbon and Cadiz, and I can scarcely conceive how it can be supported without it, unless by a dependence on foreigners for the Importation, which must defeat all the policy of our Navigation Acts, however founded in Policy or Economy. How we are to be relieved from the Injury of those Pirates I am at a loss to determine. their Generosity will not do it and our Poverty cant, and if it is not done the Fishery and Trade

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