Philadelphia Jany. 29th. 1783
My dear friend.
I arrivd here but three days since from Virginia
1 when I received your favor of the 21st of Novr. 1782.2 I do not see by the Journals, that any thing has been done relative to the Mr. Burgess you mention, or that he has petitiond as you apprehend he intended, to be admitted a Citizen of the U.S.3 If he had, I conceive he woud have done it in vain. I remember that the recommendation not to admit any british Subject whatsoever, was on my motion;4
therefore you may be satisfyd that I should have concurrd with you, in objecting to one so particularly exceptionable as this Petitioner.
While you was thus employd in endeavoring to prevent the establishment of a british interest among us; you will not be a little surprized to hear that the following information was given to the House of Delegates in Virginia, & is now on their records, by a Mr. Mercer, & Col. Saml. Griffin stated as the witness to it, "That it was the public conversation at Philadelphia that there was a British Party on the Continent, at the head of which Messrs Adams, Messrs. Lees & Mr Laurens."
Col Griffin being calld before a Committee deposed That he heard this report about two years ago in Boston, & lately in Philadelphia, That it came from Mr. Hancocks Party, which he thought attachd to the french Alliance, the Congress & Genl Washington, because they were most popular and had two thirds of the Assembly on their side, That he had not mentiond Mr. Richard Henry Lee, nor J. Adams, as he did not hear such reports of them. But Mr. S. Adams & his Party, among whom he mentiond Genl. Warren, he thought were Enemies to the french Alliance, because some french frigates, having recapturd a vessel the Owner of which livd at some distance, & the French wanting the matter judgd immediately, Mr. S. Adams had influence enough with the Assembly to prevent it, The Agent for the French in that affair told him, Mr. S. Adams was an Enemy to the French.
Such was the silly evidence in support of as silly a charge, which however not admitting on the sudden of any refutation but what arose from its own absurdity, made an impression on some minds unfavorable to me, & in so doing answerd the purpose for wch. it was intended.
Every Engine is at work here to obtain permanent taxes and the appointment of Collectors by Congress, in the States. The terror of a mutinying Army is playd off with considerable efficacy. It is certainly a great misfortune to any Country, that their Army shoud be discontented, & the more so when they have reason on their side, as in the present case. But to remedy temporary evils by permanent Ones is neither wise nor safe. I am persuaded that real inability to pay taxes, is the reason that the States do not furnish their quota, & that peace woud soon enable us to pay the army all their Arrears, and satisfy all our Creditors. A majority of the Army at least, will remember that they are Citizens, & not lend themselves to the tory designs, as I verily believe this is, of subverting the Revolution.
Nothing coud be a greater disappointment to me, than not seeing that most excellent Patriot Genl Whipple. My Brother Richard had given me so high an idea of his character, that I respect him as one of the most worthy of our Countrymen.
I am much afraid, that peace is not so near as our interest woud make us wish. France & England seem desirous of trying their strength in another campaign. We must not therefore be deluded with pacific appearances here but remember how easy it is for the Enemy to renew offensive operations, shoud their success in other parts permit.
The treaty of Amity & Commerce with the States general of the United Netherlands is ratifyd. Our friend Mr. John Adams had great merit in the whole of that business, & the merit is all his own.
My respects to Mrs Adams & Mrs Temple, and my best remembrance to Genl. Warren, Mr. Boudwoin, Mr. Lowell &c &c &c. Adieu,
A. Lee
Receiver's copy, Adams Papers, New York Public Library.
1 Lee had just resumed his seat in Congress on Monday January 27. JCC, 24:96. Upon his arrival the previous day, he also wrote letters to his brother William and to John Adams, of which only the following brief extracts have been found. "Mr Livingston has resigned," he wrote to William on January 26. "His chancellorship could not be held with his secretaryship, and he preferred the former. It is probable Genl. Schuyler will succeed him. I shall resign my place in Congress in a few months, being convinced that I can do little service, and finding that it exposes me to perpetual enmities, of which I had much and bitter experience in the last session of Assembly, when every art was used to procure my recall; and altho' it was without success, yet to be thus exposed without doing the public any material service determines me to retire altogether." And to John Adams he wrote: "The servility, envy, & avarice of the old man you mention (Franklin) have been the more pernicious to our cause, as he is most unaccountably rooted in the opinion of many, and nothing but success will in their eyes justify a conduct founded upon opposite principles." Sparks Transcripts, MH-H; Lee Family Papers microfilm, reel (7).
2 Adams' letter is in Adams, Writings (Cushing), 4:275 - 76.
3 William Burgess ("very lately arrived from England, by way of Holland"), Adams explained, had recently petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to be naturalized. "The senate declined sustaining his petition and gave him leave to withdraw it. A few days after, an authenticated resolution of congress came to hand, recommending it to the states not to admit any British subject whatever. Yet this man has had interest enough to prevail on the assembly to permit him to go to congress, to have it decided there whether he comes within the meaning of their resolution, because his arrival here was prior to the reception of the resolution by this government." Ibid., p. 275. No evidence has been found, however, to indicate that Burgess submitted his case to Congress.
4 Lee seems to have exaggerated his role in this matter. The October 4 resolution at issue is embodied in a report written by James Duane (as chairman of a committee of which Lee was not a member), and the provision opposing the admission of British subjects into the United States was added as an amendment by James Madison. See JCC, 23:637 - 39; and Madison, Papers (Hutchinson), 5:180 - 82.