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

TO ELBRIDGE GERRY. - 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 ELBRIDGE GERRY.

Braintree, 6 December, 1777.

My Dear Sir,—

You must expect for the future to find in me, situated as I am by a blissful fireside, surrounded by a wife and a parcel of chattering boys and girls, only a dealer in small politics.

I find the same perplexities here that we felt at Yorktown, a general inclination among the people to barter, and as general an aversion to dealing in paper money of any denomination; guineas, half joes, and milled dollars in as high estimation as in Pennsylvania. The monied men, I am informed, generally decline receiving paper for their debts; many refuse; and it is said all will, very soon. There is a whispering about among the richer sort that an act is necessary for allowing a depreciation or an appreciation, as the case may be, upon specialties; and the poorer sort look cunning, and give hints that the rich are aiming at a depreciation.

I mention these facts, and leave you to draw your own inferences. I know and feel the delicacy of the subject, and am restrained by certain prudential considerations from writing my own sentiments freely. Two things I will venture to say. One is that I am sick of attempts to work impossibilities, and to alter the course of nature. Another is, Fiat justitia, ruat cælum. The rapid translation of property from hand to hand, the robbing of Peter to pay Paul, alarms and distresses me beyond measure. The man who lent another a hundred pounds in gold four years ago, and is paid now in paper, cannot purchase with it one quarter part in pork, beef, or land, of what he could when he lent the gold. This is fact, and facts are stubborn things in opposition to speculation. You have the happiest, nimblest spirit for climbing over difficulties, and for dispersing mists and seeing fair weather, when it is foggy or rainy, of any man I know. But this will be a serious perplexity even to you, before it is over. I am not out of my wits about it. It will not ruin our cause, great as the evil is, and if it was much greater. But it torments me to see injustice both to the public and to individuals so frequent. Every man’s liberty and life are equally dear to him; every man, therefore, ought to be taxed equally for the defence of his life and liberty. That is, the polltax should be equal. Every man’s property is equally dear both to himself and to the public: every man’s property ought to be taxed for the defence of the public in proportion to the quantity of it. These are fundamental maxims of sound policy. But instead of this every man who had money due to him at the commencement of this war, has been already taxed three fourth parts of that money, besides his tax on his poll and estate in proportion to other people. And every man who owed money at the beginning of the war, has put three fourth parts of it in his pocket as clear gain. The war, therefore, is immoderately gainful to some, and ruinous to others. This will never do.