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Writing to a fellow Signer of the Declaration, Vice-President Elbridge Gerry, Adams, with moving eloquence, reflects upon the generation that has passed since the Revolution. |
John Adams (1735-1826).
2nd President of the U.S. (1797-1801) and Signer of the Declaration.
Historic Autograph Letter Signed
In this historically important
letter, Adams paraphrases the final phrase in the Declaration
of Independence, "...we mutually pledge to each other our
Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor...," and offers
a stunning retropect on the fate of the Signers.
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"We have sacrificed
our Lives our Families our Popularity, our Reputations our Pleasures
our Comforts to the Publick,- while the Politicians have accumulated
Fortunes, Palaces in the City and Pillars in the Country..."
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On the History of the Revolution and the Passing of the Signers 
"You talk to me at 77 years of age of writing History. If I was only thirty, I would not undertake an History of the Revolution in less than twenty years. A few Facts I wish to put upon Paper: and an awful Warning to do it soon has been given me by the Sudden Death of our Friend [Benjamin] Rush. Livingstone and Clymer had preceeded him in the same year; the same Spring. How few remain. Three in Massachusetts I believe are a Majority of the Surviving Signers of a Declaration which has had too much Credit in the World, and the Expence of the most of its Signers…"
John Adams (1735-1826). 2nd President of the U.S.
(1797-1801). An Autograph Letter Signed of epochal historical
content. Two pages (recto/verso), quarto, Quincy, Ma., April
26, 1813. To Vice President Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) and fellow
Signer. A letter of introspection from one Signer to another;
with eloquence and sadness, Adams touches upon the important
historical events that have shaped the course of American history
during the previous forty years--the Revolution, the sacrifice
and fate of the Signers, their passing, the Constitution, the
XYZ Affair--lamenting the end of an era.
Reads
in part: "Dear Sir Although Governor [Thomas]
Gage's Prediction to General Jo. Warren has not
yet been fully accomplished in this country, yet as his observation
was suggested by History, it will be found too just… Selfishness
has disappointed the Hopes of Patriotism and Philanthropy in
all ages, not only in England at the Period of her Commonwealth…
Had your Motion in Congress
been adopted, and a Man of Sense and Letters appointed in each
State to collect Memorials of the Rise Progress and Termination
of the Revolution: we should now possess a monument of more inestimable
value than all the Histories and Orations that have been written.
The Few, if they are not more selfish than the Many, are more
cunning,- and all the Ages of the World, have not produced such
glaring proofs of it, as the History of this Country for the
last thirty years. I look back with astonishment at the Height
and Depth, the Length and Breadth of this Stupendous Fabrick
of Artifice. If I had suspicions of the Depravity of our Politicians,
I had no Idea of their Genius. That Mr. Jay the President of
Congress when your motion was made, admired it is no surprise
to me. His head could conceive and his heart feel the importance
of it…
Your allusion to the controversy
with Governor Hutchinson has touch’d me to the quick. I
want the Journal of the General Court… Governor Adams once
shewed it to me, and Judge Paine mentioned it to me, a year or
two ago: but I dared not say a word to him about it, much less
to ask the Loan of it… You, my Friend, have been hurt, by
your Country: So have I. We have sacrificed our Lives our Families
our Popularity, our Reputations our Pleasures our Comforts to
the Publick,- while the Politicians have accumulated Fortunes,
Palaces in the City and Pillars in the Country. It is in my opinion
our duty to brave the Imputation of Vanity and Egotism by recording
Facts that no other human Beings know. Our Country will be 
benefited by
it, sometime or other. There are a few Anecdotes which I wish
to reduce to writing, particularly the Impeachment of the Judges
and the Controversy with General Brattle…
You talk to me at 77 years
of age of writing History. If I was only thirty, I would not
undertake an History of the Revolution in less than twenty years.
A few Facts I wish to put upon Paper: and an awful Warning to
do it soon has been given me by the Sudden Death of our Friend
[Benjamin] Rush. Livingstone and Clymer had preceeded him in
the same year,- the same Spring. How few remain. Three in Massachusetts
I believe are a Majority of the Surviving Signers of a Declaration
which has had too much Credit in the World, and the Expence of
the most of its Signers…
As a Man of Science, Letters,
Taste, Sense, Phylosophy, Patriotism, Religion, Morality, Merit,
Usefulness, taken all together Rush has not left his equal in
America, nor that I know in the World. In him is taken away,
and in a manner most sudden and totally unexpected a main Prop
of my Life. 'Why should l grieve when grieving l must bear…I
can conceive no reason why Governor Plumer may not be furnished
with every Scratch of a Pen relative to the X Y & Z Embassy.
I know not where to look for any one Paper relative to it…
It would give me great Pleasure
to see Commodore Williams. His List of Prizes would be very acceptable.
I wish he would write his own Life. With high Esteem and Strong
Affection. John Adams. "
A remarkably intimate and historically
important letter from one of the founding fathers. In fine condition.
$149,000. (#10375)
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John Adams (1735-1826). 2nd President of the U.S. (1797-1801). An Autograph Letter Signed of epochal historical content. Two pages (recto/verso), quarto, Quincy, Ma., April 26, 1813. To Vice President Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) and fellow Signer. A letter of introspection from one Signer to another; with eloquence and sadness, Adams touches upon the important historical events that have shaped the course of American history during the previous forty years--the Revolution, the sacrifice and fate of the Signers, their passing, the Constitution, the XYZ Affair--lamenting the end of an era.
Had your Motion in Congress been adopted, and a Man of Sense and Letters appointed in each State to collect Memorials of the Rise Progress and Termination of the Revolution: we should now possess a monument of more inestimable value than all the Histories and Orations that have been written. The Few, if they are not more selfish than the Many, are more cunning,- and all the Ages of the World, have not produced such glaring proofs of it, as the History of this Country for the last thirty years. I look back with astonishment at the Height and Depth, the Length and Breadth of this Stupendous Fabrick of Artifice. If I had suspicions of the Depravity of our Politicians, I had no Idea of their Genius. That Mr. Jay the President of Congress when your motion was made, admired it is no surprise to me. His head could conceive and his heart feel the importance of it… Your allusion to the controversy
with Governor Hutchinson has touch’d me to the quick. I
want the Journal of the General Court… Governor Adams once
shewed it to me, and Judge Paine mentioned it to me, a year or
two ago: but I dared not say a word to him about it, much less
to ask the Loan of it… You, my Friend, have been hurt, by
your Country: So have I. We have sacrificed our Lives our Families
our Popularity, our Reputations our Pleasures our Comforts to
the Publick,- while the Politicians have accumulated Fortunes,
Palaces in the City and Pillars in the Country. It is in my opinion
our duty to brave the Imputation of Vanity and Egotism by recording
Facts that no other human Beings know. Our Country will be You talk to me at 77 years of age of writing History. If I was only thirty, I would not undertake an History of the Revolution in less than twenty years. A few Facts I wish to put upon Paper: and an awful Warning to do it soon has been given me by the Sudden Death of our Friend [Benjamin] Rush. Livingstone and Clymer had preceeded him in the same year,- the same Spring. How few remain. Three in Massachusetts I believe are a Majority of the Surviving Signers of a Declaration which has had too much Credit in the World, and the Expence of the most of its Signers… As a Man of Science, Letters, Taste, Sense, Phylosophy, Patriotism, Religion, Morality, Merit, Usefulness, taken all together Rush has not left his equal in America, nor that I know in the World. In him is taken away, and in a manner most sudden and totally unexpected a main Prop of my Life. 'Why should l grieve when grieving l must bear…I can conceive no reason why Governor Plumer may not be furnished with every Scratch of a Pen relative to the X Y & Z Embassy. I know not where to look for any one Paper relative to it… It would give me great Pleasure to see Commodore Williams. His List of Prizes would be very acceptable. I wish he would write his own Life. With high Esteem and Strong Affection. John Adams. " A remarkably intimate and historically important letter from one of the founding fathers. In fine condition. $149,000. (#10375) |
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