The Cantos Project - LXII

LXII

‘Acquit of evil intention
or inclination to perseverance in error
to correct it with cheerfulness
particularly as to the motives of actions
of the great nations of Europe.’
for the planting
and ruling and ordering of New England
from latitude 40° to 48°
TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE COMPANIE
whereon Thomas Adams
19th March 1628
18th assistant whereof the said Thomas Adams
(abbreviated)
Merry Mount become Braintree, a plantation near Weston’s
Capn Wollanston’s became Merrymount.
ten head 40 acres at 3/ (shillings) per acre
who lasted 6 years, brewing commenced by the first Henry
continued by Joseph Adams, his son
at decease left a malting establishment.
Born 1735; 19th Oct. old style; 30th new style John Adams
its emolument gave but a bare scanty subsistence.
‘Passion of orthodoxy in fear, Calvinism has no other agent
study of theology
wd/ involve me in endless altercation
to no purpose, of no design and do no good to
any man whatsoever ...
not less of order than liberty ...
Burke, Gibbon, beautifiers of figures ...
middle path, resource of second-rate statesmen ...
produced not in Britain:
tcha
tax falls on the colonists.
Lord North, purblind to the rights of a
continent, eye on a few London merchants ...
no longer saw redcoat
as brother or as a protector
(Boston about the size of Rapallo)
scarce 16,000,
habits of freedom now formed
even among those who scarcely got so far as analysis
so about 9 o’c in the morning Lard Narf wuz bein’ impassible
was a light fall of snow in Bastun, in King St.
and the 29th Styschire in Brattle St
Murray’s barracks, and in this case was a
barber’s boy ragging the sentinel
so Capn Preston etc/
lower order with billets of wood and ‘just roving’
force in fact of a right sez Chawles Fwancis
at same time, and in Louses of Parleymoot ...
so fatal a precision of aim,
sojers aiming??
Gent standing in his doorway got 2 balls in the arm
and five deaders ‘never Cadmus ...’ etc
was more pregnant
patriots need legal advisor
measures involvin’ pro-fessional knowl-edge
BE IT ENACTED / guv-nor council an’ house of assembly
(Blaydon objectin’ to form ov these doggymints)
Encourage arts commerce an’ farmin’
not suggest anything on my own
if ever abandoned by administration of England
and outrage of the soldiery
the bonds of affection be broken
till then let us try cases by law IF by
snowballs oystershells cinders
was provocation
reply was then manslaughter only
in consideration of endocrine human emotions
unuprootable, that is, human emotions—
merely manslaughter
brand ’em in hand
but not hang ’em being mere human blighters
common men like the rest of us
subjekk to
passions
law not bent to wanton imagination
and temper of individuals
mens sine affectu
that law rules
that it be
since affectu in 1770, Bastun.
Bad law is the worst sort of tyranny. Burke
disputed right to seize lands of the heathen
and give it to any king, If we be feudatory
parliament has no control over us
We are merely
under the monarch
allegiance is to the king’s natural person ‘The Spensers’
said Coke, hatched treason denying this
allegiance follows natural, not politic person
are we mere slaves of some other people?
Mercantile temper of Britain
constitution ... without appeal to higher powers unwritten
VOTED 92 to 8 against Oliver
i.e. against king’s pay for the judges instead of
having the wigs paid by the colony
no jurors wd/ serve
These are the stones of foundation
J. A.’s reply to the Governor
Impeachment of Oliver
These stones we built on
I don’t receive a shilling a month, wrote Mr Adams to Abigail
in seventeen 74
June 7th. approve of committee from the several colonies
Bowdoin, Cushing, Sam Adams, John A. and Paine (Robert)
‘mope, I muse, I ruminate’ le
personnel manque we have not men for the times
Cut the overhead my dear wife and keep yr/ eye on the dairy
non importation, non eating, non export, all bugwash
but until they have proved it
in experiment
no use in telling ’em.
Local legislation / that is basic /
we wd. consent in matters of empire trade, It is
by no means essential to trade with foreign nations at all
as sez Chas Francis, China and Japan have proved it
weekly in Boston Gazette from ‘74 until Lexington
wrote Novanglus, then shooting started
allus them as putts off taking a side
and lastly in superintending the preparation of
bills of credit, to serve as dollars durin’ the struggle
then moved for a navee
which he got, after some ridicule
Guided pubk mind in formation of state constitutions
e.g. N. York and N. Carolina
retain what experience has found good,
central authority, war, trade, and disputes between states
republican jealousy which seeks to cut off all power
from fear of of abuses does
quite as much harm as a despotism
9th Feb to end of that year probably very laborious
Birth of a Nation
privateers not independence, what is?
sovereign state
acknowledged of nations and all that
sovreign state and all that
by other nations acknowledged
when his Brit. majesty lords commons have excluded from
crown protection
May 12th, ‘as 12 months ago shd/ have been’
regards independency being moved and accepted June 7th
spies and persons counterfeiting—or abetting in same—
our continental bills of credit
or knowingly passing the same to be punished
no word, orationem, probably not elegantissimam
Routledge was elegant
‘said nothing not hackneyed six months before’
wrote J. A. to his wife
I said nothing etc/ letter to Chase from John Adams
the people are addicted, as well as the great, to corruption
Providence in which, unfashionable as the faith is, I believe
Schicksal, sagt der Führer
with pomp bells bonfires on the 2nd day of July
than any social community has ever yet carried out
reasonable act only by its geography
INadequate concession by England,
always too late (sero)
Britain never in season, reciprocation by trade
Cavalier, sentiment rather than principle
TO serve liberty at a higher rate than tyrants wd/ pay ’em
you shd/ have numbered yr/ regiments, you never send me
accounts e.g. of guns, numbers, their weight of metal
I never know of what size (frigates etc/)
Impassible moderation of Washington
saved us by stoppin’ catfights between officers
For proportional representation—
Clearest head in the Congress
(John’s was)
THUMON
we want one man of integrity in that embassy
Bordeaux, and passed on to Paris
the ethics, so called, of Franklin
IF moral analysis
be not the purpose of historical writing ...
Leyden Gazette, Magazine Politique Hollandais, Calkoen,
Amsterdam bankers, directed to Mr A. by Gen. Washington
(Cornwallis’ surrender)
De Ruyter still cherished memories of Dutch freedom
doivent tousjours crier la Liberté,—amis de la France shd/
remarked Flassans
and especially the consonance of Van Capellen
personal visits to deputies at der Haag
Leyden, Harlem, Zwol were petitions
Zeland, Overyssel, Gronye, Utrecht and Guilderland
so on the 19th of April
John got his answer and recognition, categoric
Mr Adams has demanded a categorical answer
for the U.S.N.A. letters of credence / we say that he is to be now
admitted as envoy 1782 Birth of a Nation
corps diplomatique
His literary connections sans which was no opening
a stranger to language and manners so in his correspondence with
Dumas, without money, friends, against intrigue
to pecuniary advances
in fact from Willink, van Staphorst and Fynje
5,000,000 guilders to maintain our overstrained credit
till 1788 relations
His relations with bankers in Amsterdam
in October a treaty of commerce, by no arts or disguises
no flatteries, no corruptions
who to the age of 40 years
had scarce crossed the edge of his province
transferred to Adam Street in the Adelphi
suspecting the post boy of humour in taking him there
Magazines, daily pamphlets in hands of men of no character
in fact one bookseller said to me: can get ’em at a guinea a day
to write pro or con anything. Hired!
Found archery still being practiced
Credit till I returned to America
Ice, broken ice, icy water
500 miles on a trotting horse in dead winter
but never as on that journey to Holland
(England to Holland)
Struck down our men, shattered our mainmast
never as on that going to Amsterdam,
fundamentals in critical moments
literature and philosophy are the rage in even
fashionable circles
and Frederick’s treaty of commerce
toward mitigation of maritime law
considerably in advance of world standards
philanthropy not wholly free from suspicion that
the new states cd/ profit
The Duke said that John wd/ be stared at,
to make gain out of neighbor’s troubles
secondary misfortune of Britain.
AS of a demonstration in Euclid:
system of government
Immediacy: in order to be of any effect
perceive taste and elegance are the cry
which I have not
Libertatem Amicitiam Fidem
a new power arose, that of fund holders
fond of rotation so that to remove
their abuse from me to the President (Washington)
TO be punctual, to be confined to my seat
(over the Senate)
to see nothing done (by the senate)
to hear nothing said, to say and DO nothing
borrow for trading very unmercantile
by thought, word, never encourage a war ...
horror they are in lest peace shd/ continue
will accumulate perpetual DEBT
leading to yet more revolutions
He (Adet) announced to the President the entire
annihilation of factions in France (18 June ’95)
He (Jay) returned yesterday to N. York
very sociable and in fine spirits
no Chief Justice yet named to succeed him
happily he is elected before the
treaty was published
as factions
against him wd/ have quarrelled whether right or the contrary
to colour their opposition
elegance of J. Q. A.’s style is admired
properties of serenity in OBservation
but where shall be found (1795) good men and true to fill offices
Washington’s cabinet posts go a-begging
to four senators, and to more whom I do not know nominatim
King, Henry, Cotsworth (?) and Pinckney
all have refused it (similarly for the War Office)
expenses here so far beyond salaries
Integrity rewarded with obloquy
I believe the President will retire
Dangerous that President and V.P. be in opposite boxes
persons highest class of ability enlisted
habitually in elaborate discussions
assiduously read by the people
I hate to live in Philadelphy in the summer
hate speeches messages addresses levees and drawingrooms
been 30 years among these rocks whistling
(Amphion) and none wd/ ever move without money.
Had I eloquence humour or irony, if Mr Jefferson be elected I
believe I must put up for the House
believe I
might be of some use in that body, retirement
(Washington’s) removed all check upon
parties
Mr Jefferson, Mr Hamilton
the latter not enjoying the confidence of the people at large
to oppose Ham to Jeff wd/ be futile
whereon Ham set to undercut Adams
’96 till 1854 no president chosen against Pennsylvania
‘the old man will make a good president’ remarked Mr Giles
‘but we shall have to check him occasion’lly’
‘manoeuvres that wd/ surprise you’ wrote John to Abigail
a love of science and letters
a desire to encourage schools and academies
as only means to preserve our Constitution.
Elleswood administered the oath with great energy.
Napoleon’s conquest of Italy
created a paradise for army contractors.
whereon Senor Miranda
was for making great conquests and Hamilton ...
Talleyrand ... Mr A. not caught asleep his cabinet
so that on the 18th of Feb. the senate recd/ the nomination of Murray
and a communication of Talleyrand’s document
assuming no risk in trusting
the professions of Talleyrand.
Not vindictive that I can remember
though I have often been wroth
at any rate staved off a war
roused the land to be ready
a pardon for all offenders
(i.e. poor dutch Fries and companions)
formed own view of Hamilton’s game (and his friends’)
which wd/ certainly have tangled with Europe
wont to give to his conversation
full impetus of vehement will,
charged course of Ham and his satellites
to disappointment that they hadn’t
got us entangled with Britain
defensive and offensive
Snot, Bott, Cott left over from
Washington’s cabinet
and as for Hamilton
we may take it (my authority, ego scriptor cantilenae)
that he was the Prime snot in ALL American history
(11th Jan. 1938, from Rapallo)
But for the clearest head in the congress
1774 and thereafter
pater patriae
the man who at certain points
made us
at certain points
saved us
by fairness, honesty and straight moving
ARRIBA ADAMS

Useful Links