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JOHN ADAMS DISCOURAGED. 341
where there had heretofore been unity of sentiment and action. The personnel of the members of that body had greatly deteriorated since the
commencement of the war, and many whose names had been a tower of
strength at the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, had withdrawn from the national councils—occupied either by their individual affairs
or by the affairs of their individual States. Robert Morris had, in a letter to
Washington, as early as February 27th, 1777, deprecated and deplored the
absence of the ablest statesmen from the councils of the country. In this
letter he depicts in sombre colors the prospects of the future and designs of
the enemy, and observes:
" I should lament to you the absence of many great, good, and valuable men from
Congress; for, if great care is not taken, that body, so respectable from the nature of the
appointment, the importance of its objects, and the respectable characters of its heretofore
individual members, will lose great part of its weight and consequence in the eyes of our
own people. We have now to lament the absence from the public councils of America,
of Thomas Johnson, Jay, R. R. Livingston, Duane, Deane, H. Livingston, Franklin, Dickinson, Harrison, Nelson, Hooper, Rutledge, and others not less conspicuous, without any
proper appointments to fill their places, and this at the very time they are most wanted, or
would be so, if they had not very wisely supplied the deficiency by delegating to your
Excellency certain powers that they durst not have entrusted to any other man." l
About this time, too, a sudden change came over the mind of John Adams.
He began to sigh for the modest quiet of private life. " I had rather," he
wrote, " build a stone wall on Penn's Hill than to be the first prince in
Europe, or the first general or first senator in America." Four days before
the landing of Howe upon Long Island, he would have abandoned his seat in
congress had not a sense of shame restrained him. As the consequences, however, became more serious, he could no longer resist his yearnings for " Penn's
Hill," and on the 13th of October, 1776, when Washington was writing from
Harlem Heights that his army was " on the eve of dissolution," when Howe
was advancing to strike a decisive blow, and notwithstanding he was chairman
of the board of war, he left*congress, followed by the triumphant scoffings of
the enemy. In his route home he avoided the army, keeping above the Highlands, nor did he return until the first of February, 1777, after the victories
of Trenton and Princeton had turned the scale.2
We have already seen the jealousies that existed among the colonial troops
in the war. The ill-effects produced by these feelings were also shared by
members of congress. Washington, whose comprehensive patriotism embraced
the whole union, deprecated and deplored the dawning of this sectional spirit.
On the 4th of August, 1777, the day after he had declined to select an officer
for the northern department, Gates was elected to its command by congress.
" General Schuyler," Duane wrote, " to humor the eastern people, wTho declare
that their militia will not fight under him, is recalled."3
1 Sparks, iv., p. 340. 3 Early in 1777, the different States were urged
2 Hamilton's History of the Republic, i., p. 164. to levy and equip the quotas for the Continental
Irving's Washington, ii., p. 447. Life of John army. " Nothing but the united efforts of every
Adams, i., p. 453, ii., pp. 43, 243, 257, 258, 259. State in America," writes Washington, " can
| Title | History of Maryland - 2 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000376 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | JOHN ADAMS DISCOURAGED. 341 where there had heretofore been unity of sentiment and action. The personnel of the members of that body had greatly deteriorated since the commencement of the war, and many whose names had been a tower of strength at the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, had withdrawn from the national councils—occupied either by their individual affairs or by the affairs of their individual States. Robert Morris had, in a letter to Washington, as early as February 27th, 1777, deprecated and deplored the absence of the ablest statesmen from the councils of the country. In this letter he depicts in sombre colors the prospects of the future and designs of the enemy, and observes: " I should lament to you the absence of many great, good, and valuable men from Congress; for, if great care is not taken, that body, so respectable from the nature of the appointment, the importance of its objects, and the respectable characters of its heretofore individual members, will lose great part of its weight and consequence in the eyes of our own people. We have now to lament the absence from the public councils of America, of Thomas Johnson, Jay, R. R. Livingston, Duane, Deane, H. Livingston, Franklin, Dickinson, Harrison, Nelson, Hooper, Rutledge, and others not less conspicuous, without any proper appointments to fill their places, and this at the very time they are most wanted, or would be so, if they had not very wisely supplied the deficiency by delegating to your Excellency certain powers that they durst not have entrusted to any other man." l About this time, too, a sudden change came over the mind of John Adams. He began to sigh for the modest quiet of private life. " I had rather," he wrote, " build a stone wall on Penn's Hill than to be the first prince in Europe, or the first general or first senator in America." Four days before the landing of Howe upon Long Island, he would have abandoned his seat in congress had not a sense of shame restrained him. As the consequences, however, became more serious, he could no longer resist his yearnings for " Penn's Hill," and on the 13th of October, 1776, when Washington was writing from Harlem Heights that his army was " on the eve of dissolution," when Howe was advancing to strike a decisive blow, and notwithstanding he was chairman of the board of war, he left*congress, followed by the triumphant scoffings of the enemy. In his route home he avoided the army, keeping above the Highlands, nor did he return until the first of February, 1777, after the victories of Trenton and Princeton had turned the scale.2 We have already seen the jealousies that existed among the colonial troops in the war. The ill-effects produced by these feelings were also shared by members of congress. Washington, whose comprehensive patriotism embraced the whole union, deprecated and deplored the dawning of this sectional spirit. On the 4th of August, 1777, the day after he had declined to select an officer for the northern department, Gates was elected to its command by congress. " General Schuyler," Duane wrote, " to humor the eastern people, wTho declare that their militia will not fight under him, is recalled."3 1 Sparks, iv., p. 340. 3 Early in 1777, the different States were urged 2 Hamilton's History of the Republic, i., p. 164. to levy and equip the quotas for the Continental Irving's Washington, ii., p. 447. Life of John army. " Nothing but the united efforts of every Adams, i., p. 453, ii., pp. 43, 243, 257, 258, 259. State in America," writes Washington, " can |
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