Volume 17 , Issue 41

1809 - John Adams Letter To Printers of the Boston Patriot

In our research this week we find this May, 1809 letter written by John Adams, and printed in The North Carolina Star, out of Raleigh North Carolina, dated 29 June 1809, Thursday, page 2, "To the Printers of the Boston Patriot:"

Found on Newspapers.com

Sirs -- Mr. Hamilton, in his famous pamphlet page 23, says, "the conduct pursued bore sufficient marks of courage and elevation to raise the national character to an exalted height throughout Europe."

"Much it is to be deplored that we should have been precipitated from this proud eminence, without necessity, without temptation."

I will venture to say, that Mr. Hamilton wrote entirely at random, and without a glimmering of genuine information when he mentioned both the exaltation and precipitation of our national character. To appeal to the courtiers or cabinet, or to the diplomatic corps in Europe, would be idle; because none of them will ever read Hamilton's pamphlet or those papers. But I would not hesitate to submit the whole subject to any of them. I shall take another course. Chief Justice Ellsworth is no more. I can no longer appeal to him. If I could, I would say no more than the truth, but it would be more than I shall now say: and I aver that his representation to me was the direct reverse of Hamilton's dogmatical assertions. Governor Davie still lives, and to him I appeal with confidence. He declared to me, that to judge of the conduct of the American government both i their naval and other preparations for war, and in their political and diplomatic negotiations upon that occasion, man must go to Europe, where it was considered as the greatest demonstration of genius, firmness and wisdom. If I represent the Governor's expressions in stronger terms than those he used, I request him to correct them.

Let me conclude this letter with an anecdote. Dr. Franklin told me, that before 1775, he was in company, I believe at Lord Pencer's with a number of English noblemen, when the conversation turned upon fables, those of Aesop, La Fontaine, Gay, More, & c. & c. & c. Some of the company observed that he thought the subject was exhausted. He did not believe that any man could now find an animal, beast, bird, or fish, that he could work into a new fable with any success; and the whole company appeared to applaud the idea, except Franklin, who was silent. He said, with submission to their lordships, he believed the subject was inexhaustible, and that many new and instructive fables might be made out of such materials. Can you think of one at present? If you lordship will furnish me a pen, ink and paper, I believe I can furnish your lordship with one in a few minutes. The paper was brought, and he sat down and wrote:

Once upon a time, an eagle scaling round a farmer's barn, and espying a hare, darted down upon him like a sun beam, seized him in his claws, and re-mounted with him in the air. He soon found that he had a creature of more courage and strength than a hare, for which, notwithstanding the keenness of his eyesight, he had mistaken a cat. The snarling and scrambling of the prey was very inconvenient, and what was worse, she had disengaged herself from his talons, grasped his body with her four limbs, so as to stop his breath, and seized fast hold of his throat with her teeth. Pray, said the eagle, let go your hold and I will release you. Very fine said the cat. I have no fancy to fall from this height and be crushed to death. You have taken me up, and you shall stoop and let me down. The eagle thought it necessary to stoop accordingly. Moral was so applicable to England and America, that the fable was allowed to be original and highly applauded.

Let Hamilton say what he will, the French Directory found it convenient to stoop and set us down on our honest ground of neutrality and impartiality as the English did to the eagle formerly, and now does a second time. - Quincy, May, 1809. John Adams.
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