Philada. Sepr. 21st. 1779
Dear Sir, I recd. nothing from you yesterday. I am in better health than lately. Mr. Gérard is on the point of sailing. He is at Bristol, to give a Ton, I will not say positively a bon Ton to the Successor. Decision is over respectg. Florda. and I am told that the greatest Exertion will be made to prevent the Instructions going to A.L., they will be pushed thru Franklin or some new appointment.1 I have every Thing Arranged to elucidate the new members and make the old sin, if they do sin, with full Conviction before their Eyes. W.H.D. is off the Stage.2 Jemmy D. and Gov. M. are behind the Scenes;3 Judge F - l & Wody L - don are on their Pillows But the main Chair is full.4 The Farmer, the Fidler & the Boatswain are active.5 I cannot really tell Events beforehand. But I think I shall not want the advice of any Man to make me present the Triplicate & consult Ingersol & Sargeant if a Slight is put on my Friend.6 If things go to my mind; I shall not undertake a troublesome Course, of uncertain Issue, and inferior triumph if attended with a verdict for the Plaintif. S.A.7 was well the 9th. Ellery the 2d. Our Convention for a Constitution in which are both S & J. A.,8 have, after clear, long, free Discusion of Principles, determined unanimously that the Governmt. shall be a free Republic. A Comtee. is appointed to form a Plan upon the discussed & accepted Principles, so that I hope the Draught will not be obstructed when brought it [in] at the Adjournment towards the end of Octr.
Affectionately yr. friend & humb. Sevt.
J.L.
Receiver's copy, Lee Family Papers, Houghton Library, Harvard University.
1 Lovell was anticipating the effort that removed Arthur Lee as commissioner to Spain in a series of crucial votes on September 26 and 27. For further information on Lee's supercession, see Lovell to Richard Henry Lee, September 27, Lovell to John Adams, September 27 and 28, and Elbridge Gerry to John Adams, September 29, 1779; JCC, 15: 1109 - 10, 1112 - 13; H. James Henderson, Party Politics in the Continental Congress (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1974), pp. 208 - 10; and Louis W. Potts, Arthur Lee: A Virtuous Revolutionary (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1981), pp. 235 - 38.
2 That is, William Henry Drayton, who had died on September 4.
3 That is, James Duane and Gouverneur Morris were absent from Congress.
4 That is, John Fell and Woodbury Langdon were ill, but John Jay was still in the president's chair.
5 The "Farmer" and "Fidler" were certainly John Dickinson and Meriwether Smith; the "Boatswain" was probably William Carmichael or William Paca.
6 See Lovell to Arthur Lee, September 17, 1779, note 8.
7 Samuel Adams.
8 That is, Samuel and John Adams, who were members of the Massachusetts constitutional convention.