with the most favorable eye. I shall only lock myself up in reserve when convinced there is no stability in human Friendships by Mr. Adams' forgetfulness of, or indifference toward, such an invariable Friend as I know he has from his first entrance on life possessed in Mr. Warren. But though ill treated, maligned and persecuted in a most unjust and singular manner, he yet bears and has borne the unprovoked abuse with the Dignity of conscious rectitude and that Philippic calmness which is never the companion of insurgency, Anarchy or Fraud. I always have thought those Ideas when applied to a person of his established and uniform character were too ridiculous to require a serious refutation; till by a strange combination of parties (invidious to each other, and who have only united when it would aid the depression of a man of too much independence of mind to subserve their designs) they have in some instances been so successful as to injure him in the opinion of some he highly esteems.

But time will make curious disclosures, when you, sir, may be astonished to find the incendiaries who fomented the discontents among the ignorant and miserable insurgents of the Massachusetts in a class least suspected by the world; by persons who to screen their own Guilt fabricated and secretly caused the vague and malignant rumour to light on one of the most cherished friends to the Constitution and to his Country; a gentleman whose services have been distinguished; whose patriotism has been unshaken and his Virtue incorruptible; whose fortune has been impaired and whose Family have personally suffered in the public cause. Yet neither himself nor any one of a family of young Gentlemen of promising expectations have sustained any office of honour or emolument since the commencement of the Constitution of Massachusetts.

I only mention these things from a sense of justice, from that justice which I would wish to exercise toward any one, however disconnected, were I equally sure of their merit and their mal

treatment.

You, sir, will excuse my detaining you thus long when I tell you the sensibility of my feeling heart has been awakened on many trying occasions; nor is it totally an uninteresting subject to

yourself. For so fluctuating is the popular voice, and so replete with vicissitude are all human affairs, that those whose commanding good fortune augurs no change for the worse may yet contemplate in a more solemn hour the injustice, the ingratitude and abuse experienced by themselves, which has been felt before by some of their Friends.

I will swell this long Epistle with only one truth more, which I dare say I may ever subjoin to my correspondence with you, that I am, respected sir, with great esteem your sincere well-wisher, assured Friend and very Humble servant

M. WARREN

JOHN ADAMS TO MERCY WARREN

ADAMS MSS.

NEW YORK, May 29th, 1789

MADAM, A little before my departure from Braintree I received your favor inclosing a letter from Mrs. Walker. Last night I received that of the 7th May. There was no necessity of any apology for writing to me after so long a correspondence. There has never been on my part any failure of friendship to Mr. Warren or yourself. You are very much mistaken in your opinion of my situation. I have neither reached the acme of applause nor am I in a situation to establish my Family or assist my Friends. I am and have been extremely mortified from my first arrival in America to hear from all quarters the unpopularity of my Friend Warren and his family, whom I was formerly accustomed to hear spoken of with affection and respect by all. It is not my fault to have listened to the uninterrupted Ebulitions of the public wrath. For I must have been wholly out of society not to have heard them, and they hurt my heart most too intimately not to make a deep impression. No doubt there have been many and great exaggerations and misrepresentations. But one thing is indubitable, that G[eneral] Warren did differ for a time from all his Friends and did countenance measures that appear to me, as they did to those Friends, extremely pernicious.

You are pleased to say, Madam, that you are sure of our Patron

age for certain purposes. In the first place, I have no patronage; in the next, neither your children nor my own would be sure of it if I had it. Beyond my own clear conviction of the public good I should belie the whole course of my public and private conduct and all the maxims of my life, if I should ever consider public authority entrusted to me to be made subservient to my private views, or those of my Family or Friends. The friendship between General Warren and me began and has continued on different principles.

No man knows better than I do that time will make curious disclosures. I should not be astonished to find Incendiaries who fomented the discontents among the Insurgents of Massachusetts in a class the least suspected by the world. From my earliest youth I have been perfectly aware that the popular voice is fluctuating and that human affairs are full of vicissitudes. I have long contemplated in many very solemn hours the Injustice, Ingratitude, and Abuse experienced by myself, and it would be no surprise to me if my latter end should be as melancholy an instance of popular mutability as the annals of anarchy ever exhibited to the World. If this should happen to me or to others, it will wholly be owing to the ignorance of the great leaders in the Revolution of the nature of Government and their obstinacy in refusing to learn it. But enough and too much of this.

You have not informed me, Madam, what particular View you have for Mr. Warren or your sons. The Candidates are very numerous and equally importunate. I must say to you as to every one else, I am not the Person to apply to. The Constitution has wisely made the President the Judge in the first instance of the pretensions of all. Every application must be made to him and it ought to be made in writing. With my sincere respects to Mr. Warren I am, Madam, your Friend and humble Servant

J. ADAMS

MERCY WARREN TO HENRY KNOX

KNOX MSS.

PLIMOUTH, June 18, 1789

SIR, Though not used to make applications for office, I feel such a Confidence in your friendship as justifys my nameing to you at his request Major Henry Warren, who wishes (and perhaps no one is better intitled to expect it) the appointment of Collector of Customs for the port of Plimouth and Duxborough.

You, sir, are acquainted with mr. Winslow Warren, who thinks you will not forget him in the arrangement of the military department, but I believe you may not recollect the young Gentleman named above. General Lincoln is undoubtedly his friend. He was his first aid de camp in the successful expedition against the insurgents of the western counties. he will name him to the President, but knowing your intimacy and influence with him and your Friendship for their parents, my sons are led to suppose that your recommendation alone is sufficient.

I know not the regular mode of application for favours of this kind, but judge that an address for much greater matters than this might be made with success to the confidential Friend of General Washington. and I am mistaken indeed if your influence should ever be withheld when you have it in your power to serve any one of my Family.1

Though I have not before acknowledged your favour of March 29 I now thank you, sir, for your care of the inclosures, for the polite return, and for your invitation to make an excurssion to N. York. You judge right when you observe "that my zeal for the happiness of my Country and my belief in the Glory she may attain, were sufficient to induce me to wish to be an immediate spectator of the various agitations and projects of the off-set." when the wheels of a new Government destined for so rising and extensive an empire were set in motion.

It would have given me peculiar pleasure to have seen the entra public of the president and the just tribute of honour and

I William Watson was appointed Collector for the port of Plymouth in August, 1789, and continued in office until he was removed under President Jefferson and Henry Warren named in his place, November, 1803. Winslow Warren was commissioned a lieutenant in the Second Regiment, March, 1791.

Gratitude the united voice pays to real merit conspicuously marked with modesty and Dignity in our much revered Chief magistrate. But I can contemplate, perhaps with equal pleasure, beneath my own private roof the felicity this people may enjoy under the administration of a Man made by Heaven to Conduct War and revolution with Glory to his Country: to sit down in peace with Honour and eclat to himself: and peculiarly blessed with the happy tallent of uniting the affections of mankind, we now behold him to the pride and admiration of the present and doubtless to the Wonder of future Generations, at the head of our civil police with the hearts of all parties in his hand and the blessings of the whole Continent on his head. Heaven grant that he may be continued to Govern the united states in the untryed path of infant empire and untrodden systems with the same just and universal applause He acquired in the field when Gloriously leading the armies of America to Victory, Freedom and independence. . . .

M. WARREN

HENRY KNOX TO MERCY WARREN

KNOX MSS.

NEW YORK, 9 July, 1789

MADAM,- Two posts past I had the pleasure to receive the favor of your letter dated the 18th of June.

You judge truly, Madam, in thinking I should derive satisfaction in serving any of your family. All, however, that I do at present is to advise the mode of proceeding most likely to effect the object desired.

As the president has the nomination to all offices, all applications should be made to him in writing. It will, therefore, be necessary that Major H. Warren should immediately write to the President stating this request. It would be proper that his letter be accompanied by vouchers of his character and fitness for the office. Genl. Lincoln and Mr. Bowdoin would be good signers to this paper. Were the merchants and principal people also of Plymouth and Duxborough to sign another declaration of their