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

TO MRS. MERCY WARREN. 2 - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 9 (Letters and State Papers 1799-1811) [1854]

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. 9.

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

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TO MRS. MERCY WARREN.2

Philadelphia, 25 November, 1775.

Madam,—

I had the pleasure of yours of Nov. 4th, several days ago.

You know, Madam, that I have no pleasure or amusement which has any charms for me. Balls, assemblies, concerts, cards, horses, dogs, never engaged any part of my attention or concern. Nor am I ever happy in large and promiscuous companies. Business alone, with the intimate, unreserved conversation of a very few friends, books, and familiar correspondence, have ever engaged all my time; and I have no pleasure, no ease, in any other way. In this place, I have no opportunity to meddle with books, only in the way of business. The conversation I have here, is all in the ceremonious, reserved, impenetrable way.

Thus I have sketched a character for myself, of a morose philosopher and a surly politician, neither of which is very amiable or respectable, but, yet there is too much truth in it, and from it you will easily believe that I have very little pleasure here, excepting in the correspondence of my friends; and among these, I assure you, Madam, there is none whose letters I read with more pleasure and instruction than yours. I wish it was in my power to write you oftener than I do, but I am really engaged in constant business from seven to ten in the morning in committee, from ten to four in Congress, and from six to ten again in committee. Our assembly is scarcely numerous enough for the business; everybody is engaged, all day in Congress, and all the morning and evening in committees. I mention this, Madam, as an apology for not writing you so often as I ought; and as a reason for my request that you would not wait for my answers.

The dispute you mention between the House and Board, I hope will be easily settled. Yet I believe the Board acted with great honor and integrity, and with a wise design and a virtuous resolution to do nothing that should endanger the Union. But I am clear that it is best the two Houses should join in the appointment of officers of militia, and I am equally clear that the resolve of Congress was intended to leave it to the discretion of the colony to adopt such a mode as should please themselves; and I have done myself the honor to write these sentiments to the Board, who were pleased to write to us upon the occasion.

Am obliged to you for your account of the state of things in Boston. I am ever anxious about our friends who remain there, and nothing is ever more acceptable to me than to learn what passes there.

The inactivity of the two armies is not very agreeable to me. Fabius’s cunctando was wise and brave. But, if I had submitted to it in his situation, it would have been a cruel mortification to me. Zeal, and fire, and activity, and enterprise, strike my imagination too much. I am obliged to be constantly on my guard; yet the heat within will burst forth at times.

The characters drawn in your last, entertained me very agreeably. They were taken off by a nice and penetrating eye. I hope you will favor me with more of these characters. I wish I could draw a number of characters for you inspection. I should, perhaps, daub on the paint too thick, but the features would be very strong.

The General1 is amiable, and accomplished, and judicious, and cool; you will soon know the person and character of his lady. I hope she has as much ambition for her husband’s glory as Portia and Marcia1 have, and then—the Lord have mercy on the souls of Howe and Burgoyne, and all the troops in Boston!

TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Watertown, 6 January, 1776.

As your Excellency has asked my opinion of General Lee’s plan, as explained in his letter of the 5th instant, I think it my duty to give it, although I am obliged to do it in more haste than I could wish.

I suppose the only questions which arise upon that letter, are, whether the plan is practicable, whether it is expedient, and whether it lies properly within your Excellency’s authority, without further directions from Congress.

Of the practicability of it, I am very ill qualified to judge; but were I to hazard a conjecture, it would be, that the enterprise would not be attended with much difficulty. The Connecticut people, who are very ready upon such occasions, in conjunction with the friends of liberty in New York, I should think might easily accomplish the work.

That it is expedient, and even necessary to be done by some authority or other, I believe will not be doubted by any friend of the American cause, who considers the vast importance of that City, Province, and the North River, which is in it, in the progress of this war. As it is the nexus of the northern and southern Colonies, as a kind of key to the whole continent, as it is a passage to Canada, to the Great Lakes, and to all the Indian nations, no effort to secure it ought to be omitted.

That it is within the limits of your Excellency’s command, is, in my mind, perfectly clear. Your commission constitutes you commander of all the forces now raised, or to be raised, and of all others who shall voluntarily offer their service, and join the army for the defence of American liberty, and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof; and you are vested with full power and authority to act as you shall think for the good and welfare of the service.

Now if upon Long Island there is a body of people, who have arms in their hands, and are intrenching themselves, professedly to oppose the American system of defence, who are supplying our enemies both of the army and navy, in Boston and elsewhere, as I suppose is undoubtedly the fact, no man can hesitate to say that this is a hostile invasion of American liberty, as much as that now made in Boston. Nay, those people are guilty of the very invasion in Boston, as they are constantly aiding, abetting, comforting, and assisting the army there, and that in the most essential manner, by supplies of provisions.

If in the city a body of tories are waiting only for a force to protect them, to declare themselves on the side of our enemies, it is high time that city was secured. The Jersey troops have already been ordered into that city by the Congress, and are there undoubtedly under your command, ready to assist in this service. That New York is within your command, as much as the Massachusetts, cannot bear a question. Your Excellency’s superiority in the command over the Generals in the Northern Department, as it is called, has been always carefully preserved in Congress, although the necessity of despatch has sometimes induced them to send instructions directly to them, instead of first sending them to your Excellency, which would have occasioned a circuit of many hundreds of miles, and have lost much time.

Upon the whole, Sir, my opinion is, that General Lee’s is a very useful proposal, and will answer many good ends.

[2 ]The wife of James Warren, and the sister of James Otis.

[1 ]Washington.

[1 ]These were names by which Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Warren were designated in the familiar letters of their friends during the revolution.