Henry Marchant to John Adams, December 19, 1789

Newport State of Rhode Island &c Dec r. 19 th. 1789—

Dear Sir,

Yours of the 17 th. of Sep r. I have been honored with.— I truly esteem myself so by
every Mark of Your Attention— Your unexpected Visit to Boston prevented an Answer
sooner— My Concern as a Friend to my Country is awakened at the Account You give of some
disagreable Symptoms attending Your Breast upon close attention, and in publick speaking. How we can spare You from the first I scarce can tell.— But
you must somewhat abate in the Severity of it— As to the latter, Reading &c, I would
advise that You let one of the Clerks do all the publick Reading, even every Motion
made— I know many Explanations and Observations, Opinions &c &c must be expected
from the Chair; but you have a peculiar Faculty of speaking multum in parvo—

I was very glad to find upon my Return that my Family had found out
your Son:— He had taken up Lodgings and could not be tempted to release them. His very
agreable Manners and Improvements rendered Him too entertaining to cause any Regret, but
that of His too suddenly leaving the Town— We hope M r. Adams
and His, will never pass Us without Notice— 1

You must be right, and I stand corrected as to the Time of the
Prediction &c I heretofore alluded to— It must have been,—I well remember it was at
Philadelphia— The Matter, and the Effect of it, as it struck my Mind, and to all
Appearance every Member present I never can forget.— I have mentioned it a hundred
Times, tho’ not the Author, save to a very few—

You may remember when I had the Honor of seeing you at New-York
last Sep t. — I informed You, Our Assembly had been called
specially, after I left Newport.— That it boded no good;—and I was confident the Gov r. had been induced to it, by His Friends who were alarmed at
what might take Place in the New House at Oct r. sessions,—
And therefore were determined by some Means or other, if possible to raise some
Difficulty in Their Way:— It turned out so:— The special Assembly, (at which I arrived
in Time to be mortified with Their Conduct)—directed Town-Meetings to be called to give
their new Members Instructions— Those New members had been appointed in Consequence of
the Alteration which had greatly taken Place in the Minds of the People as to the Paper
Mony System: But the People still not so much relenting in Their Opposition to the New
Constitution did indeed instruct Their Members ag t. a
Convention— Upon Consultation out of the House, we found most of the new members would
have risked giving a Vote for a Convention, if the Disposition of the People had been
any way flattering, of Success in a Convention— This not being the Case, it was thought
prudent, the members should conduct agreably to Their Instructions, thereby to continue
Their Credit with Their Constituents, till They might be induced to more favourable
Sentiments of the New Constitution— With this Opinion the old Fœderal Members
politically coincided Our Assembly again sits the second Monday
of January— The Ground is considerably changed since the Instructions given last
October. The Amendments have been sent forth by Congress, And North Carolina by a very
large Majority have acceeded to the Union, And for which I sincerely give You Joy.

What effect those Circumstances may have we cannot possitively
conclude. We have been often deceived in Our Hopes, and I do not wish to be sanguine— As
to interested Motives, I know of none of much Importance, that we can advance to Our
Country Members that have not been already urged, that will operate till the next Fall
upon Them—While Our merchantile Interest on the fifteenth of January will be in a most
deplorable State— It has been an unhappy Circumstance hitherto, that nothing could be
done by which the merchantile and Country Interest should be affected at the same
Time,—And unless the merchantile Interest is indulged till next Fall, They must suffer
and severely too, at least nine Months before the Country Interest can be much affected—
This however upon the Supposition that there should not be a voluntary giving up of
former Sentiments, or the Measures of Congress should not prove sufficient Inducements
to lead Our People to a Spirit of Condescention—

I was at New Haven the begining of Nov r. where I placed my Son under President Stiles, in the second Year.— 2 I arrived there two Hours after His Excellency
The President, had left the Town on His Return to New-York— 3

I hope You have refreshed Your Body and Spirits by Your Journey;
and that you found M rs. Adams & Family well— Be pleased
to present my Respects & Compliments—

I am most truly / Your old and / sincere Friend

H y: Marchant