part15-第2章

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and　much　valued　citizen。




　　　　　　　　You　ask　if　I　have　read　Hartley？　　I　have　not。　　My　present　course

of　life　admits　less　reading　than　I　wish。　　From　breakfast；　or　noon　at

latest；　to　dinner；　I　am　mostly　on　horseback；　attending　to　my　farm　or

other　concerns；　which　I　find　healthful　to　my　body；　mind　and　affairs；

and　the　few　hours　I　can　pass　in　my　cabinet；　are　devoured　by

correspondences；　not　those　with　my　intimate　friends；　with　whom　I

delight　to　interchange　sentiments；　but　with　others；　who；　writing　to

me　on　concerns　of　their　own　in　which　I　have　had　an　agency；　or　from

motives　of　mere　respect　and　approbation；　are　entitled　to　be　answered

with　respect　and　a　return　of　good　will。　　My　hope　is　that　this

obstacle　to　the　delights　of　retirement；　will　wear　away　with　the

oblivion　which　follows　that；　and　that　I　may　at　length　be　indulged　in

those　studious　pursuits；　from　which　nothing　but　revolutionary　duties

would　ever　have　called　me。




　　　　　　　　I　shall　receive　your　proposed　publication　and　read　it　with　the

pleasure　which　everything　gives　me　from　your　pen。　　Although　much　of　a

sceptic　in　the　practice　of　medicine；　I　read　with　pleasure　its

ingenious　theories。




　　　　　　　　I　receive　with　sensibility　your　observations　on　the

discontinuance　of　friendly　correspondence　between　Mr。　Adams　and

myself；　and　the　concern　you　take　in　its　restoration。　　This

discontinuance　has　not　proceeded　from　me；　nor　from　the　want　of

sincere　desire　and　of　effort　on　my　part；　to　renew　our　intercourse。

You　know　the　perfect　coincidence　of　principle　and　of　action；　in　the

early　part　of　the　Revolution；　which　produced　a　high　degree　of　mutual

respect　and　esteem　between　Mr。　Adams　and　myself。　　Certainly　no　man

was　ever　truer　than　he　was；　in　that　day；　to　those　principles　of

rational　republicanism　which；　after　the　necessity　of　throwing　off　our

monarchy；　dictated　all　our　efforts　in　the　establishment　of　a　new

government。　　And　although　he　swerved；　afterwards；　towards　the

principles　of　the　English　constitution；　our　friendship　did　not　abate

on　that　account。　　While　he　was　Vice　President；　and　I　Secretary　of

State；　I　received　a　letter　from　President　Washington；　then　at　Mount

Vernon；　desiring　me　to　call　together　the　Heads　of　departments；　and　to

invite　Mr。　Adams　to　join　us　（which；　by…the…bye；　was　the　only　instance

of　that　being　done）　in　order　to　determine　on　some　measure　which

required　despatch；　and　he　desired　me　to　act　on　it；　as　decided；

without　again　recurring　to　him。　　I　invited　them　to　dine　with　me；　and

after　dinner；　sitting　at　our　wine；　having　settled　our　question；　other

conversation　came　on；　in　which　a　collision　of　opinion　arose　between

Mr。　Adams　and　Colonel　Hamilton；　on　the　merits　of　the　British

constitution；　Mr。　Adams　giving　it　as　his　opinion；　that；　if　some　of

its　defects　and　abuses　were　corrected；　it　would　be　the　most　perfect

constitution　of　government　ever　devised　by　man。　　Hamilton；　on　the

contrary；　asserted；　that　with　its　existing　vices；　it　was　the　most

perfect　model　of　government　that　could　be　formed；　and　that　the

correction　of　its　vices　would　render　it　an　impracticable　government。

And　this　you　may　be　assured　was　the　real　line　of　difference　between

the　political　principles　of　these　two　gentlemen。　　Another　incident

took　place　on　the　same　occasion；　which　will　further　delineate　Mr。

Hamilton's　political　principles。　　The　room　being　hung　around　with　a

collection　of　the　portraits　of　remarkable　men；　among　them　were　those

of　Bacon；　Newton　and　Locke；　Hamilton　asked　me　who　they　were。　　I　told

him　they　were　my　trinity　of　the　three　greatest　men　the　world　had　ever

produced；　naming　them。　　He　paused　for　some　time：　〃the　greatest　man；〃

said　he；　〃that　ever　lived；　was　Julius　Caesar。〃　　Mr。　Adams　was　honest

as　a　politician；　as　well　as　a　man；　Hamilton　honest　as　a　man；　but；　as

a　politician；　believing　in　the　necessity　of　either　force　or

corruption　to　govern　men。




　　　　　　　　You　remember　the　machinery　which　the　federalists　played　off；

about　that　time；　to　beat　down　the　friends　to　the　real　principles　of

our　constitution；　to　silence　by　terror　every　expression　in　their

favor；　to　bring　us　into　war　with　France　and　alliance　with　England；

and　finally　to　homologize　our　constitution　with　that　of　England。　　Mr。

Adams；　you　know；　was　overwhelmed　with　feverish　addresses；　dictated　by

the　fear；　and　often　by　the　pen；　of　the　_bloody　buoy_；　and　was　seduced

by　them　into　some　open　indications　of　his　new　principles　of

government；　and　in　fact；　was　so　elated　as　to　mix　with　his　kindness　a

little　superciliousness　towards　me。　　Even　Mrs。　Adams；　with　all　her

good　sense　and　prudence；　was　sensibly　flushed。　　And　you　recollect　the

short　suspension　of　our　intercourse；　and　the　circumstance　which　gave

rise　to　it；　which　you　were　so　good　as　to　bring　to　an　early

explanation；　and　have　set　to　rights；　to　the　cordial　satisfaction　of

us　all。　　The　nation　at　length　passed　condemnation　on　the　political

principles　of　the　federalists；　by　refusing　to　continue　Mr。　Adams　in

the　Presidency。　　On　the　day　on　which　we　learned　in　Philadelphia　the

vote　of　the　city　of　New　York；　which　it　was　well　known　would　decide

the　vote　of　the　State；　and　that；　again；　the　vote　of　the　Union；　I

called　on　Mr。　Adams　on　some　official　business。　　He　was　very　sensibly

affected；　and　accosted　me　with　these　words：　〃Well；　I　understand　that

you　are　to　beat　me　in　this　contest；　and　I　will　only　say　that　I　will

be　as　faithful　a　subject　as　any　you　will　have。〃　〃Mr。　Adams；〃　said　I；

〃this　is　no　personal　contest　between　you　and　me。　　Two　systems　of

principles　on　the　subject　of　government　divide　our　fellow　citizens

into　two　parties。　　With　one　of　these　you　concur；　and　I　with　the

other。　　As　we　have　been　longer　on　the　public　stage　than　most　of　those

now　living；　our　names　happen　to　be　more　generally　known。　　One　of

these　parties；　therefore；　has　put　your　name　at　its　head；　the　other

mine。　　Were　we　both　to　die　to…day；　to…morrow　two　other　names　would　be

in　the　place　of　ours；　without　any　change　in　the　motion　of　the

machinery。　　Its　motion　is　from　its　principle；　not　from　you　or

myself。〃　〃I　believe　you　are　right；〃　said　he；　〃that　we　are　but　passive

instruments；　and　should　not　suffer　this　matter　to　affect　our　personal

dispositions。〃　But　he　did　not　long　retain　this　just　view　of　the

subject。　　I　have　always　believed　that　the　thousand　calumnies　which

the　federalists；　in　bitterness　of　heart；　and　mortification　at　their

ejection；　daily　invented　against　me；　were　carried　to　him　by　their

busy　intriguers；　and　made　some　impression。　　When　the　election　between

Burr　and　myself　was　kept　in　suspense　by　the　federalists；　and　they

were　mediating　to　place　the　President　of　the　Senate　at　the　head　of

the　government；　I　called　on　Mr。　Adams　with　a　view　to　have　this

desperate　measure　prevented　by　his　negative。　　He　grew　warm　in　an

instant；　and　said　with　a　vehemence　he　had　not　used　towards　me　before；

〃Sir；　the　event　of　the　election　is　within　your　own　power。　　You　have

only　to　say　you　will　do　justice　to　the　public　creditors；　maintain　the

navy；　and　not　disturb　those　holding　offices；　and　the　government　will

instantly　be　put　into　your　hands。　　We　know　it　is　the　wish　of　the

people　it　should　be　so。〃　〃Mr。　Adams；〃　said　I；　〃I　know　not　what　part

of　my　conduct；　in　either　public　or　private　life；　can　have　authorized

a　doubt　of　my　fidelity　to　the　public　engagements。　　I　say；　however；　I

will　not　come　into　the　government　by　capitulation。　　I　will　not　enter

on　it；　but　in　perfect　freedom　to　follow　the　dictates　of　my　own

judgment。〃　I　had　before　given　the　same　answer　to　the　same　intimation

from　Gouverneur　Morris。　　〃Then；〃　said　he；　〃things　must　take　their

course。〃　I　turned　the　conversation　to　something　else；　and　soon　took

my　leave。　　It　was　the　first　time　in　our　lives　we　had　ever　parted　with

anything　like　dissatisfaction。　　And　then　followed　those　scenes　of

midnight　appointment；　which　have　been　condemned　by　all　men。　　The　last

day　of　his　political　power；　the　last　hours；　and　even　beyond　the

midnight；　were　employed　in　filling　all　off