The Original Writings of Samuel Adams, Volume 4
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Samuel Adams >> The Original Writings of Samuel Adams, Volume 4
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And as at this season the general business of the year commences, it
seems highly proper humbly to implore the divine blessing on our
Husbandry, Trade, and Fishery, and all the labour of our hands--On our
University and Schools of Education--On the Administration of the
Government of the United States and of this and the other States of the
Union --On the foreign relations of the United States; and in a particular
manner that all misunderstanding between them and a Sister Republic may
be happily, so adjusted as to prevent an open Rupture, and establish
Peace.
And as it is our duty to extend our wishes to the happiness of the
great Family of Man, I concede we cannot better express ourselves than
by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the World--That the rod of
tyrants may be broken into pieces, and the oppressed made Free--That wars
may cease in all the Earth, and that the confusions that are and have
been among the Nations may be overruled for the promoting and speedily
bringing on that holy and happy period, when the Kingdom of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and all the
people willingly bow to the Sceptre of Him who is the Prince of Peace.
And I do hereby recommend that all unnecessary labour and recreation
may be suspended on the said day.
Given at the Council Chamber in Boston, this 20th day of March, in the
Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Ninety seven, and in
the twenty first Year of the Independence of the United States of
America.
SAMUEL ADAMS.
Attest, JOHN AVERY, Secretary.
GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS!
TO JOHN ADAMS.
[MS., Adams Papers, Quincy.]
BOSTON April 17th 1797
SIR
I am loth to trespass one moment upon your time, which at present must
be very precious. But I am induced even to offer Mr Wyllys this
recommendatory Letter to you. He is a native of our Commonwealth, and
lately a traveller in Europe. Tho his travels have been merely on
Mercantile Business, he appears to be very intelligent, observing, and
impartial. He has seen Italy; and conversed among others with Genl
Buonoparte and the Pope. He has visited a number of the Italian States,
also Algiers and France.--I flatter myself you will be pleased with his
conversation and hope you will find it usefull to you. This is the only
motive for my addressing a Letter to you at this Time. I congratulate
you as the first Citizen of the United States--I may add of the World. I
am my dear Sir, notwithstanding I have been otherwise represented in
party papers.
Your Old and unvaried Friend,
1801
TO THOMAS JEFFERSON.
[MS., Library of Congress; a draft is in the Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox
Library.]
BOSTON, April 24th, 1801
MY VERY DEAR FRIEND
Your Letter of the 29th of March came duly to my hand. I sincerely
congratulate our Country on the arrival of the day of Glory which has
called you to the first office in the administration of our federal
Government. Your warm feeling of friendship must certainly have carried
you to a higher tone of expression than my utmost merits will bear. If
I have at any time been avoided or frowned upon, your kind ejaculation
in the language of the most perfect friend of Man, surpasses every
injury. The Storm is now over, and we are in port, and I dare say, the
ship will be rigged for her proper service; she must also be well man'd
and very carefully officered. No man can be fit to sustain an office
who cannot consent to the principles by which he must be governed. With
you, I hope, we shall once more see harmony restored; but after so
severe and long a storm, it will take a proportionate time to still the
raging of the waves. The World has been governed by prejudice and
passion, which never can be friendly to truth; and while you nobly
resolve to retain the principles of candour and of justice, resulting
from a free elective Representative Government, such as they have been
taught to hate and despise; you must depend upon being hated yourself,
because they hate your principles, not a man of them dare openly to
despise you; your inaugural speech, to say nothing of your eminent
services to the acceptance of our Country, will secure you from
contempt. It may require some time before the great body of our fellow
citizens will settle in harmony good humour and peace. When deep
prejudices shall be removed in some, the self interestedness of others
shall cease and many honest Men, whose minds for want of better
information have been clouded, shall return to the use of their own
understanding, the happy and wished for time will come. The Eyes of the
people have too generally been fast closed from the view of their own
happiness, such alass has been always the lot of Man! but Providence,
who rules the World, seems now to be rapidly changing the sentiments of
Mankind in Europe and America. May Heaven grant that the principles of
Liberty and virtue, truth and justice may pervade the whole Earth. I
have a small circle of intimate friends, among whom Doctr Charles
Jarvis is one; he is a man of much information and great integrity. I
heartily wish there may be an epistolary correspondence between him and
you. I should have written this Letter before, had not my faithfull
friend and amanuensis John Avery, who is your friend as well as mine,
been occupied in the business of his office of Secretary of this
Commonwealth, which he attends with great punctuality and integrity. It
is not in my power my dear friend, to give you council; an Old Man is
apt to flatter himself, that he stands upon an equal footing with
younger Men; he indeed cannot help feeling that the powers of his Mind,
as well as his body are weakened; but he relies upon his memory, and
fondly wishes his young friends to think that he can instruct them by
his Experience, when in all probability he has forgot every trace of
it, that was worth his memory. Be assured, that my esteem for you is as
cordial, if possible, as yours is to me. Though an Old Man cannot
advise you, he can give you his Blessing. You have devoutly my Blessing
and my Prayers.
My dear Mrs. Adams will not suffer me to close this Letter, till I let
you know, that she recollects the pleasure and entertainment you
afforded us, when you was about to embark for France, and hopes that
your administration may be happy to yourself and prosperous to our
Country.
TO THOMAS JEFFERSON.
[MS., Library of Congress , a draft is in the Samuel Adams Papers,
Lenox Library.]
BOSTON Novemr 18th 1801
MY DEAR FRIEND
Doctr Eustis will be so kind as to deliver you this Letter.--I am
persuaded you will find him a man of a candid and fair Mind and liberal
sentiments.
I congratulate you on the return of Peace. The War both in America and
Europe was designed by Tyrant Kings to exterminate those rights and
liberties which the Gracious Creator has granted to Man, and to sink
the happiness resulting therefrom in ruin and oblivion.--Is there not, my
friend, reason to believe, that the principles of Democratic
Republicanism are already better understood than they were before; and
that by the continued efforts of Men of Science and Virtue, they will
extend more and more till the turbulent and destructive Spirit of War
shall cease?--The proud oppressors over the Earth shall be totally broken
down and those classes of Men who have hitherto been the victims of
their rage and cruelty shall perpetually enjoy perfect Peace and Safety
till time shall be no more.
I am
Your cordial friend
1802
TO THOMAS PAINE
[W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol iii , pp 372, 373]
BOSTON, November 30, 1802.
SIR,--
I have frequently with pleasure reflected on your services to my native
and your adopted country. Your Common Sense, and your Crisis,
unquestionably awakened the public mind, and led the people loudly to
call for a declaration of our national independence. I therefore
esteemed you as a warm friend to the liberty and lasting welfare of the
human race. But when I heard you had turned your mind to a defence of
infidelity, I felt myself much astonished and more grieved, that you
had attempted a measure so injurious to the feelings and so repugnant
to the true interest of so great a part of the citizens of the United
States. The people of New England, if you will allow me to use a
Scripture phrase, are fast returning to their first love. Will you
excite among them the spirit of angry controversy at a time when they
are hastening to amity and peace? I am told that some of our newspapers
have announced your intention to publish an additional pamphlet upon
the principles of your Age of Reason. Do you think that your pen, or
the pen of any other man, can unchristianize the mass of our citizens,
or have you hopes of converting a few of them to assist you in so bad a
cause? We ought to think ourselves happy in the enjoyment of opinion,
without the danger of persecution by civil or ecclesiastical law. Our
friend, the President of the United States, has been calumniated for
his liberal sentiments by men who have attributed that liberality to a
latent design to promote the cause of infidelity. This, and all other
slanders, have been made without the least shadow of proof. Neither
religion nor liberty can long subsist in the tumult of altercation, and
amidst the noise and violence of faction. Felix qui cautus. Adieu.
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