Jabez Bowen to John Adams, December 28, 1789

Providence Decm r 28. 1789

Sir

I Congratulate you on the accession of N o. Carolina to the general Government. our Antis are Thunderstruck at the News more especially as the Majority was so large. 1 I have waited several Days to find out what they
intend to do wheather to agree to Call a Convention, or stand out longer; in hopes that
something would Turn up to perplex the
New-Government. They are not well agreed among themselves. But the Heads of the party
lately proposed (at one of their Night meetings) that the Duties on all Goods Imported
should be put verry low (say one pr Cent.) and that our Ports should be opened to all
the World (or in other words that R d Island should be the St Estatia 2 of the North). 3

The Consequences of such a proceedure can be better seen into by
you Sir than by me—and I have no Idea that Congress will suffer such a set of people to
remain impure in the verry middle of their Teritorys.

Our Gen l: Assembly meets on the second
Monday of January— when we shall muster all our Forces to procure a Vote for a State
Convention. if we fail ’tis proposed by the most Respectable Inhabitants of the Towns of
Newport Providence Bristol &c to seperate from the State Government provided
Congress will protect us, and we wish to know thro some safe medium wheather This Idea
meets the approbation of Congress, or wheather some different mode will be adopted to
Oblige us to submit, when 49 parts out of 50, is for the adoption, and one half of the
50 th part are of the same mind

I hope and Intreat that Congress will not think of Restricting our
Trade as that will but Distress the Federal Towns and will be well pleasing to our Antis. in a word we shall be happy to fall in with any
measures that will be adopted by Congress for the Compleating the Union. if Congress
would Answer the Letter Received from this State 4 before your Adjornment and State in short the
necessity that there was of Their Committing the Consideration of the Federal Governm t to the People in the way prescribed by the Grand Convention
and by the old Congress and perhaps hint that it was necessary that something should be
done before the first of April it might, bring some of them to consider of the necessity
of Acting soon on the Business—

I fully intended to have seen you when at Boston but was prevented
by Indisposition , please to present M rs Bowens & my Comp s to M rs Adams— I Remain with the highest Esteeme Your Excellency Most Obed t. & Verry Hum le Servant

Jabez Bowen

P.S. in a Letter to the president I lately asked the Question
about our seperation. it may not be amis to let him know that I have wrote to you on
the same subject &c— 5