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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

TO T. PICKERING, SECRETARY OF STATE. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 8 (Letters and State Papers 1782-1799) [1853]

Edition used:

The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, by his Grandson Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856). 10 volumes. Vol. 8.

Part of: The Works of John Adams, 10 vols.

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TO T. PICKERING, SECRETARY OF STATE.

Sir,

I return you all the letters of Mr. King and Mr. Humphreys which were inclosed with your letter of May 30th. Encourage Mr. King, I pray you, in your letters and instructions to him, to persevere, with all the decision which may be consistent with decency and politeness, in denying the right of British men-of-war to take from our ships of war any men whatever, and from our merchant vessels any Americans, or foreigners, or even Englishmen. There is no principle under heaven, by which they can justify taking by force, even from an American merchant vessel, even a deserter from their army or navy, much less private seamen. If they have a right, we have the same. I know not whether the exercise of it would not be most useful to us. Their merchant ships are more numerous than ours, and they have more foreigners, Swedes, Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, Danes, Dutch, &c., than we have. If our men-of-war had a right to take them, we might easily man our navy; but the thing has no principle.