The island is now in possession of the English, who during the present war reduced the french colony there. The natives are still in a most barbarous state.

Accept reciprocal Congratulations on the Commencement of the New Year, and on having entered your 85th. Very few have the indulgence of so long a term for the enjoyment of their faculties in so much ease and comfort. It is however a blessing which your friends enjoy with you.

I am sorry for the disease of my friend Henry Warren. I have taken a week to enquire for some leeks, but have not yet met with any. There are none in the Botanic Gardens, nor in any other, that I can hear of in this vicinity. There are however some instances of outgrowing the disorder. The late Rev. Mr. Badger of Natic was one.1

My love, if you please, to Maria, I long to see her, and to your children. Mrs. Hilliard joins her good wishes to those of Mrs. Peck and myself for the continuance of your health and happiness. My brother has been unwell this winter, but is now pretty well reestablished. He superintends his farm in this neighborhood and about 18 months ago built him a new house on the old site, in which he lives. I am, Madam, with much respect Your most obedient servant,

JAMES WINTHROP

ABIGAIL ADAMS TO MERCY WARREN

QUINCY, April 9th, 1813

MY DEAR MADAM, I cannot let my son pass through Plimouth without stoping to inquire after your Health, and that of your Family!

Nor of asking you who have lived many Years, and whose observations and experience must have excited in your mind, Reflections which ought not to terminate with your days.

what is your opinion of the great and important events which are taking place in the civilized world? will they terminate in the I Stephen Badger (1725-1803).

freedom and happiness of the Great Family of Man? and are the Members of that great Family capable of appreciating and enjoying so great a Blessing?

Do we who boast of being the most enlightend Nation use our Liberty, without abusing it? what shall we answer? verily we are Guilty.

So great a system seems to be unfolding that the mind is bewilderd in the contemplation. it can only rest upon the belief that there is a wise and just Moral Govenour of the universe, who will order and direct all things to his own Glory.

Let me again see the Signature of my Friend to convince me that she is yet a sublinary Being, which will give pleasure to her assured Friend,1

A. ADAMS

JOHN ADAMS TO ELBRIDGE GERRY

QUINCY, April 17, 1813 DEAR SIR, Since I have read again, your Law "for encouraging the fitting out armed Vessells," printed in Edes's Watertown Gazette of the thirteenth of November, 1775; I have had the Curiosity to look into several of our Historians, in order to see what notice they have taken of this Transaction, which had such important Consequences.

It was natural to begin with Mrs. Warren, as she was a native of this Province, a Daughter of the first Member of the Counsell, and the Consort of the Speaker of the House, composing the Legislature which enacted it. In the first Volume of her History, page 239, Chap. 7. 1775, after representing the want of Arms and Ammunition she says:

These Circumstances accellerated a spirritted measure, before contemplated only by a few; the arming and equipping of ships to cruize on British Property, was a bold attempt, that startled the Apprehensions of many, zealously opposed to the undue exercise of British power; but necessity impelled, and the Enterprize

I A letter from Elbridge Gerry to Mrs. Warren, April 20, 1813, is in 5 Collections, IV. 504.

was pursued. The General Assembly of the Massachusetts soon resolved to build, equip, and arm, a number of Vessels suitable for the purpose, to cruise and capture any British Ships that might be found, on or near their Coasts. They granted Letters of Marque and Reprisal to several Adventurers, and appoint Courts of Admiralty for the Tryal and condemnation of any captures within those Limits. By these means, the seasonable capture, in the beginning of this Enterprise, of a British Ship, laden with Ordnance, and an assorted cargo of warlike stores, sufficiently supplied the exegencies of the Army and dissipated the fears of those, who had suffered the most painful Apprehensions for the safety of their Country. These Naval Preparations may perhaps be said, not to have been merely of a defensive nature, the Line yet avowedly observed by the Americans, But they had advanced too far to recede. Sophistical distinctions of Words or names were laid aside. It is a Fact of which every one is sensible that successful Opposition to arbitrary sway, places a civic crown, on the head of the Hero that resists; when contingences that defeat, confer an hempen cord, instead of a wreath of laurel. The Success and Catastrophe of the infant Navy of America, will be shewn in the succeeding Pages.

I should have expected that this ingenious Lady would have at least inserted your Law, which is certainly one of the most important Documents in the History of the World, in her Appendix to this volume. But no; the above Paragraph is all she says upon an Event so extreamly important to the Salvation of her Country at that time and at this. Had that Law been conceived or drawn by her Brother, her Father, or her Husband, Her Reader would have been favoured with a more ample detail and a more elegant panegyrick. But I presume this was written after She had conceived the horror of a Navy, which appears in other Parts of her History; and after she had acquired the habit of concording with my Enemies, in condemning me and my zeal to promote a Navy in 1798.

In page 247 are recorded the Proceedings of Congress towards a Naval Establishment, in a still more summary manner.

Many Gentlemen, sanguine in Opinion, that an American Navy was no Utopian project, but that her Marine might rapidly rise to a respectable height; engaged with an energy that seldom fails of carrying into execution any Attempt the human mind, on principles of reason is capable of forming. They accordingly built, on the large rivers from Portsmouth to Pensylvania, a Number of Vessels, Row Gallies, and Frigates, from four to forty Guns; fitted manned, and compleatly equipped them for Sea in the Course of a few Months. All encouragement was given both to public and private Adventurers, who engaged in the Sea

Service; Success was equal to expectation; many very valuable Prizes, and a vast number of Provision Vessels, from England, Ireland and Nova Scotia were captured, and by this means, the Americans were soon supplied, not only with the Necessaries for War, but with the conveniences and the Luxuries of Life.

Is this not strange, that one of the boldest, most dangerous and most important Measures and Epochas in the History of the New World The Commencement of an independent National Establishment of a new maritime and Naval military Power should be thus carelessly and confusedly hurried over? Had the Historian never read the Law of Massachusetts? Nor the Journal of Congress? One would think that this momentous Business was all performed by a few rash Individuals and private Adventurers.

History is not the Province of the Ladies. These three Volumes nevertheless contain many Facts, worthy of Preservation. Little Passions and Prejudices, want of Information, false Information, want of Experience, erroneous Judgment, and frequent Partiality, are among the Faults. Other Historians shall soon be examined, by your faithful Friend,

JOHN ADAMS

JOHN ADAMS TO ELBRIDGE Gerry

QUINCY, April 26, 1813

DEAR SIR, Although Governor Gage's Prediction to General Jo. Warren has not yet been fully accomplished in this Country; yet as his observation was suggested by History, it will be found too just, some time or other. Selfishness has disappointed The Hopes of Patriotism and Philanthropy in all Ages, not only in England at the Period of her Commonwealth.

Edes's Watertown Gazette shall be carefully returned to you or Mr. Austin if he requires it.

Had your Motion in Congress been adopted, and a Man of Sense and Letters appointed in each State to collect Memorials of the Rise Progress and Termination of the Revolution: We should now Possess a Monument of more inestimable Value than all the Histories and Orations that have been written. The Few,

if they are not more selfish than the Many, are more cunning; and all the Ages of the World, have not produced such glaring proofs of it, as the History of this Country for the last thirty years. I look back with Astonishment at the Height and Depth, the Length and Breadth of this Stupendous Fabrick of Artifice. If I had suspicions of the Depravity of our Politicians, I had no Idea of their Genius. That Mr. Jay, the President of Congress when your motion was made, admired it, is no Surprize to me. His head could conceive and his heart feel the importance of it.

Your Allusion to the Controversy with Governor Hutchinson has touch'd me to the quick. I want the Journal of the General Court, which contains his Speeches and the Answers his Replications and your Rejoinders. These were printed alltogether in a Pamphlet. But I cannot find that Pamphlet nor hear of it. Governor Adams once showed it to me, and Judge Paine mentioned it to me, a year or two ago: but I dared not say a word to him about it, much less to ask the Loan of it.

You, my Friend, have been hurt by your Country: so have I. We have sacrificed our Lives our Families our Popularity, our Reputations our Pleasures our Comforts to the Publick: while the Politicians have accumulated Fortunes, Palaces in the City and Villas in the Country. It is in my opinion our duty to brave the Imputation of Vanity and Egotism by recording Facts that no other human Beings know. Our Country will be benefited by it, some time or other. There are a few Anecdotes which I wish to reduce to writing, particularly the Impeachment of the Judges and the Controversy with General Brattle.

You talk to me at seventy-seven Years of Age of Writing History. If I was only thirty, I would not undertake an History of the Revolution in less than twenty years. A few Facts I wish to put upon Paper: and an Awful Warning to do it soon has been given me by the Sudden Death of our Friend Rush. Livingstone and Clymer had preceeded him in the same Year; the same Spring. How few remain. Three in Massachusetts I believe are a

1 Benjamin Rush died April 19, 1813; Robert R. Livingston, February 26; and George Clymer, January 23.