第39章

_ToCharlesCarroll_

_Philadelphia，April15，1791_

DEARSIR，——Ireceivedlastnightyourfavorofthe10th，withMr。Brown’sreceipt，andthankyouforthetroubleyouhavebeensokindastotakeinthisbusiness。

Ournewsfromthewestwardisdisagreeable。ConstantmurderscommittingbytheIndians，andtheircombinationthreatenstobemoreandmoreextensive。Ihopeweshallgivethemathoroughdrubbingthissummer，andthenchangeourtomahawkintoagoldenchainoffriendship。Themosteconomicalaswellasmosthumaneconducttowardsthemistobribethemintopeace，andtoretaintheminpeacebyeternalbribes。Theexpeditionthisyearwouldhaveservedforpresentsonthemostliberalscaleforonehundredyears；norshallweotherwiseevergetridofanyarmy，orofourdebt。TheleastragofIndiandepredationwillbeanexcusetoraisetroopsforthosewholovetohavetroops，andforthosewhothinkthatapublicdebtisagoodthing。Adieu，mydearSir。Yoursaffectionately。

BURKE，PAINE，ANDMR。ADAMS

_TothePresidentoftheUnitedStates_

(GEORGEWASHINGTON)

_Philadelphia，May8，1791_

SIR，——Thelastweekdoesnotfurnishonesinglepubliceventworthycommunicatingtoyou：sothatIhaveonlytosay”alliswell。”Paine’sanswertoBurke’spamphletbeginstoproducesomesquibsinourpublicpapers。InFenno’spapertheyareBurkites，intheothers，Painites。OneofFenno’swasevidentlyfromtheauthorofthediscoursesonDavila。IamafraidtheindiscretionofaprinterhascommittedmewithmyfriendMr。Adams，forwhom，asoneofthemosthonest&disinterestedmenalive，Ihaveacordialesteem，increasedbylonghabitsofconcurrenceinopinioninthedaysofhisrepublicanism；andevensincehisapostacytohereditarymonarchy&nobility，tho’wediffer，wedifferasfriendsshoulddo。

BeckleyhadtheonlycopyofPaine’spamphlet，&lentittome，desiringwhenIshouldhavereadit，thatIwouldsendittoaMr。J。

B。Smith，whohadaskeditforhisbrothertoreprintit。BeinganutterstrangertoJ。B。Smith，bothbysight&characterIwroteanotetoexplaintohimwhyI(astrangertohim)senthimapamphlet，towit，thatMr。Beckleyhaddesiredit；&totakeoffalittleofthedrynessofthenote，IaddedthatIwasgladtofinditwastobereprinted，thatsomethingwouldatlengthbepubliclysaidagainstthepoliticalheresieswhichhadlatelysprungupamongus，&thatI

didnotdoubtourcitizenswouldrallyagainroundthestandardofcommonsense。ThatIhadinmyviewtheDiscoursesonDavila，whichhavefilledFenno’spapers，foratwelvemonth，withoutcontradiction，iscertain，butnothingwaseverfurtherfrommythoughtsthantobecomemyselfthecontradictorbeforethepublic。Tomygreatastonishmenthowever，whenthepamphletcameout，theprinterhadprefixedmynotetoit，withouthavinggivenmethemostdistanthintofit。Mr。Adamswillunquestionablytaketohimselfthechargeofpoliticalheresy，asconsciousofhisownviewsofdrawingthepresentgovernmenttotheformoftheEnglishconstitution，and，I

fearwillconsidermeasmeaningtoinjurehiminthepubliceye。I

learnthatsomeAnglomenhavecensureditinanotherpointofview，asasanctionofPaine’sprinciplestendstogiveoffencetotheBritishgovernment。Theirrealfearhoweveristhatthispopular&

republicanpamphlet，takingwonderfully，islikelyatasinglestroketowipeoutalltheunconstitutionaldoctrineswhichtheirbell-weatherDavilahasbeenpreachingforatwelvemonth。I

certainlynevermadeasecretofmybeinganti-monarchical，&

anti-aristocratical；butIamsincerelymortifiedtobethusbroughtforwardonthepublicstage，wheretoremain，toadvanceortoretire，willbeequallyagainstmyloveofsilence&quiet，&myabhorrenceofdispute——IdonotknowwhetheryourecollectthattherecordsofVirginiaweredestroyedbytheBritishintheyear1781。Particularlythetransactionsoftherevolutionbeforethattime。IamcollectinghereallthelettersIwrotetoCongresswhileIwasintheadministrationthere，andthisbeingdoneIshallthenextendmyviewstothetransactionsofmypredecessors，inordertoreplacethewholeinthepublicofficesinVirginia。Ithinkthatduringmyadministration，sa