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manufacturing　hands　alongside　the　agricultural；　so　that　the　one　part

shall　feed　both；　and　the　other　part　furnish　both　with　clothes　and

other　comforts。　　Would　that　be　best　here？　　Egoism　and　first

appearances　say　yes。　　Or　would　it　be　better　that　all　our　laborers

should　be　employed　in　agriculture？　　In　this　case　a　double　or　treble

portion　of　fertile　lands　would　be　brought　into　culture；　a　double　or

treble　creation　of　food　be　produced；　and　its　surplus　go　to　nourish

the　now　perishing　births　of　Europe；　who　in　return　would　manufacture

and　send　us　in　exchange　our　clothes　and　other　comforts。　　Morality

listens　to　this；　and　so　invariably　do　the　laws　of　nature　create　our

duties　and　interests；　that　when　they　seem　to　be　at　variance；　we　ought

to　suspect　some　fallacy　in　our　reasonings。　　In　solving　this　question；

too；　we　should　allow　its　just　weight　to　the　moral　and　physical

preference　of　the　agricultural；　over　the　manufacturing；　man。　　My

occupations　permit　me　only　to　ask　questions。　　They　deny　me　the　time；

if　I　had　the　information；　to　answer　them。　　Perhaps；　as　worthy　the

attention　of　the　author　of　the　Traite　d'Economie　Politique；　I　shall

find　them　answered　in　that　work。　　If　they　are　not；　the　reason　will

have　been　that　you　wrote　for　Europe；　while　I　shall　have　asked　them

because　I　think　for　America。　　Accept；　Sir；　my　respectful　salutations；

and　assurances　of　great　consideration。







　　　　　　　　GRIEF　AND　GRIEVANCES




　　　　　　　　_To　Abigail　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　June　13；　1804_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　MADAM　　The　affectionate　sentiments　which　you　have　had

the　goodness　to　express　in　your　letter　of　May　20。　towards　my　dear

departed　daughter；　have　awakened　in　me　sensibilities　natural　to　the

occasion；　and　recalled　your　kindnesses　to　her　which　I　shall　ever

remember　with　gratitude　and　friendship。　　I　can　assure　you　with　truth

they　had　made　an　indelible　impression　on　her　mind；　and　that；　to　the

last；　on　our　meetings　after　long　separations；　whether　I　had　heard

lately　of　you；　and　how　you　did；　were　among　the　earliest　of　her

enquiries。　　In　giving　you　this　assurance　I　perform　a　sacred　duty　for

her；　and　at　the　same　time　am　thankful　for　the　occasion　furnished　me

of　expressing　my　regret　that　circumstances　should　have　arisen　which

have　seemed　to　draw　a　line　of　separation　between　us。　　The　friendship

with　which　you　honoured　me　has　ever　been　valued；　and　fully

reciprocated；　and　altho'　events　have　been　passing　which　might　be

trying　to　some　minds；　I　never　believed　yours　to　be　of　that　kind；　nor

felt　that　my　own　was。　　Neither　my　estimate　of　your　character；　nor　the

esteem　founded　in　that；　have　ever　been　lessened　for　a　single　moment；

although　doubts　whether　it　would　be　acceptable　may　have　forbidden

manifestations　of　it。　　Mr。　Adams's　friendship　and　mine　began　at　an

earlier　date。　　It　accompanied　us　thro'　long　and　important　scenes。

The　different　conclusions　we　had　drawn　from　our　political　reading　and

reflections　were　not　permitted　to　lessen　mutual　esteem；　each　party

being　conscious　they　were　the　result　of　an　honest　conviction　in　the

other。　　Like　differences　of　opinion　existing　among　our　fellow

citizens　attached　them　to　the　one　or　the　other　of　us；　and　produced　a

rivalship　in　their　minds　which　did　not　exist　in　ours。　　We　never　stood

in　one　another's　way：　for　if　either　had　been　withdrawn　at　any　time；

his　favorers　would　not　have　gone　over　to　the　other；　but　would　have

sought　for　some　one　of　homogeneous　opinions。　　This　consideration　was

sufficient　to　keep　down　all　jealousy　between　us；　and　to　guard　our

friendship　from　any　disturbance　by　sentiments　of　rivalship：　and　I　can

say　with　truth　that　one　act　of　Mr。　Adams's　life；　and　one　only；　ever

gave　me　a　moment's　personal　displeasure。　　I　did　consider　his　last

appointments　to　office　as　personally　unkind。　　They　were　from　among　my

most　ardent　political　enemies；　from　whom　no　faithful　cooperation

could　ever　be　expected；　and　laid　me　under　the　embarrasment　of　acting

thro'　men　whose　views　were　to　defeat　mine；　or　to　encounter　the　odium

of　putting　others　in　their　places。　　It　seemed　but　common　justice　to

leave　a　successor　free　to　act　by　instruments　of　his　own　choice。　　If

my　respect　for　him　did　not　permit　me　to　ascribe　the　whole　blame　to

the　influence　of　others；　it　left　something　for　friendship　to　forgive；

and　after　brooding　over　it　for　some　little　time；　and　not　always

resisting　the　expression　of　it；　I　forgave　it　cordially；　and　returned

to　the　same　state　of　esteem　and　respect　for　him　which　had　so　long

subsisted。　　Having　come　into　life　a　little　later　than　Mr。　Adams；　his

career　has　preceded　mine；　as　mine　is　followed　by　some　other；　and　it

will　probably　be　closed　at　the　same　distance　after　him　which　time

originally　placed　between　us。　　I　maintain　for　him；　and　shall　carry

into　private　life　an　uniform　and　high　measure　of　respect　and　good

will；　and　for　yourself　a　sincere　attachment。　　I　have　thus；　my　dear

Madam；　opened　myself　to　you　without　reserve；　which　I　have　long　wished

an　opportunity　of　doing；　and；　without　knowing　how　it　will　be

recieved；　I　feel　relief　from　being　unbosomed。　　And　I　have　now　only　to

entreat　your　forgiveness　for　this　transition　from　a　subject　of

domestic　affliction　to　one　which　seems　of　a　different　aspect。　　But

tho　connected　with　political　events；　it　has　been　viewed　by　me　most

strongly　in　it's　unfortunate　bearings　on　my　private　friendships。　　The

injury　these　have　sustained　has　been　a　heavy　price　for　what　has　never

given　me　equal　pleasure。　　That　you　may　both　be　favored　with　health；

tranquility　and　long　life；　is　the　prayer　of　one　who　tenders　you　the

assurances　of　his　highest　consideration　and　esteem。







　　　　　　　　FREEDOM　OF　THE　PRESS




　　　　　　　　_To　Judge　John　Tyler_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　June　28；　1804_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　the　10th　instant　has　been　duly

received。　　Amidst　the　direct　falsehoods；　the　misrepresentations　of

truth；　the　calumnies　and　the　insults　resorted　to　by　a　faction　to

mislead　the　public　mind；　and　to　overwhelm　those　entrusted　with　its

interests；　our　support　is　to　be　found　in　the　approving　voice　of　our

conscience　and　country；　in　the　testimony　of　our　fellow　citizens；　that

their　confidence　is　not　shaken　by　these　artifices。　　When　to　the

plaudits　of　the　honest　multitude；　the　sober　approbation　of　the　sage

in　his　closet　is　added；　it　becomes　a　gratification　of　an　higher

order。　　It　is　the　sanction　of　wisdom　superadded　to　the　voice　of

affection。　　The　terms；　therefore；　in　which　you　are　so　good　as　to

express　your　satisfaction　with　the　course　of　the　present

administration　cannot　but　give　me　great　pleasure。　　I　may　err　in　my

measures；　but　never　shall　deflect　from　the　intention　to　fortify　the

public　liberty　by　every　possible　means；　and　to　put　it　out　of　the

power　of　the　few　to　riot　on　the　labors　of　the　many。　　No　experiment

can　be　more　interesting　than　that　we　are　now　trying；　and　which　we

trust　will　end　in　establishing　the　fact；　that　man　may　be　governed　by

reason　and　truth。　　Our　first　object　should　therefore　be；　to　leave

open　to　him　all　the　avenues　to　truth。The　most　effectual　hitherto

found；　is　the　freedom　of　the　press。　　It　is　therefore；　the　first　shut

up　by　those　who　fear　the　investigation　of　their　actions。　　The

firmness　with　which　the　people　have　withstood　the　late　abuses　of　the

press；　the　discernment　they　have　manifested　between　truth　and

falsehood；　show　that　they　may　safely　be　trusted　to　hear　everything

true　and　false；　and　to　form　a　correct　judgment　between　them。　　As

little　is　it　necessary　to　impose　on　their　senses；　or　dazzle　their

minds　by　pomp；　splendor；　or　forms。　　Instead　of　this　artificial；　how

much　surer　is　that　real　respect；　which　results　from　the　use　of　their

reason；　and　the　habit　of　bringing　everything　to　the　test　of　common

sense。




　　　　　　　　I　hold　it；　therefore；　certain；　that　to　open　the　doors　of　truth；

and　to　fortify　the　habit　of　testing　everything　by　reason；　are　the

most　effectual　manacles　we　can　rivet　on　the　hands　of　our　successors

to　prevent　their　manacling　the　people　with　their　own　consent。　　The

panic　into　which　they　were　artfully　thrown　in　1798；　the　frenzy　which

was　excited　in　them　by　their　enemies　against　their　apparent　readiness

to　abandon　all　the　principles　established　for　their　own　protection；

seemed　for　awhile　to　countenance　the　opinions　of　those　who　say　they

cannot　be　trusted　with　their　own　government。　　But　I　never　doubted

their　rallying；　and　they　did　rally　much　sooner　than　I　expected。　　On

the　whole；　that　experiment　on　their　credulity　has　confirmed　my

confidence　in　their　ultimate　good　sense　and　virtue。




　

　　　　　　　　I　lament　to　learn　that　a　like　misfortune　has　enabled　you　to

estimate　the　afflictions　of　a　father　on　the　loss　of　a　beloved　child。

However　terrible　the　possibility　of　such　another　accident；　it　is

still　a　blessing　for　you　of　inestimable　value　that　you　would　not　even

then　descend　childless　to　the　grave。　　Three　sons；　and　hopeful　ones

too；　are　a　rich　treasure。　　I　rejoice　when　I　hear　of　young　me