Joseph B. Palmer to John Adams, November 28, 1785
Germantown 28 th Nov r 1785.
Dear Sir
Your very friendly Lett r of the 26 th August ’84, wou’d not have lain so long unnoticed, had not my embarrassments continued. 1 When I wrote you in the June preceding, I then hoped Soon to emerge out of that flood of diffeculties in which I had long been Struggling; but my hopes being disappointed, I cou’d not Suppose it consistant with honor, & the rule of right, to make any proposels to any of the gentlemen of Amsterdam, mention’d in Your favor of Aug st ’84; especially as I found that the want of a commercial Treaty with G B, had discouraged the Whalers & Manufacturers; & which discouragem t was promoted by Some of the inhabitants of Nantuckett, who presented a petition to Our Court, praying that they might be Seperated from, & independ t of this State; in Order to be Seperated from, & independ t of the United States; & this, as T Folger Esq r told me (who presented the petition) in order to make an exchange with G B, of Nantuckett for a Settlem t on Falkland Isles! 2 However, this discouragem t has been, in Some measure, counteracted by our Fr d Gen l Warren & others, whose representations to the Marquis of Fayette, has operated (as you will see by the inclosed paper of the 15 th Sep t past) 3 the opening a Market in France, for Oil; how extensive it will be, or how great the prospects of those concern’d on this Side the Water, I know not, but suppose it considerable: My circumstances have not permitted my concern therein, & therefore I express myself in this doubtful manner.
On your M rs Adams’s leaving us, I no longer experienced M r Tyler’s friendship, but rather the reverse; for ’tho’ what I said of him in June ’84 was true at that time , yet truth wou’d not permit my saying so much at this time : 4 Thus much I tho’t it incumbent upon me to say, in order to acknowledge M rs Adams’s friendship, & to give a proof of mine:— I do not wish greater happiness to myself & mine, than to You & Yours.
Whether I shall or shall not remain at this place, is very uncertain, but must soon be determined; I think it most probable that I shall continue here, & if I do, may have it in my power to encourage the Whalefishery: But my great object, is Salt-making, which is the most lucrative business of any, I have been acquainted with; the Sea always furnishes Stock gratis , and the Market will not be overstock’d in my day with this necessary Article . Tho’ ’tis so obviously of public Utility to encourage this Manuf r , yet the Mercantile interest blinds the eyes of the Legislature, & occasions great opposition. I was never so left alone in any undertaking, as in this; but if I live, I shall establish the Manufacture, maugre all opposition, & ’tho’ ruin’d & friendless: And if my life Shou’d be Spared a few years longer (it can’t be many) & I can get into this business, under the common Smiles of providence, I Shall Soon repair the ruins of past years. 5
M r Jo Cranch has been Armorer, at Springfield, 6 a few months past, & arrived here on Saturday Even g , & bro t me the inclosed Pamphlet; I Send it you for the Sake of the intelligence it contains: I cut off Some waste paper from it, which wou’d only enlarge the packett with useless lumber.
I have a Letter from M r Perkins of Kentucky, 7 which mentions the rapid growth of that Settlem t ; 30 or 40 thousand, of all Ages. He also mentions the general face of the Country, as beautiful; rich in Soil, & healthy; plenty of Coal, Iron-Ore, Lead, & Salt Springs. It’s 700 Miles due West of Williamsburg, to the rapids of Ohio; near which are, as, I apprehend, their thickest Settlem ts . He mourns the Stopage of our Navigation on the Mississippi by the Spaniard; & thinks they cou’d do much in Tobacco, if they had a free Navigation out to, & in from Sea. The nature of things will not long permit this Stopage, & it will disturb our peace, unless timeously Settled, as I hope it will. If the back-settlers on Virginia are, as Perkins says, 30 or 40 m̃; & there are Said to be nearly as many on the Western parts of N Carolina; & more above the Virginia North line, upon the various branches of the Ohio; & all those rapidly increasing; they will not long Suffer Such an interruption, for our Spirit of liberty, especially in our new Settlem ts , inclines to licentiousness, & will not easily be kept within proper bounds.
When Congress shall be vested with proper powers for the regulation of Weights, Measures, Coinage, Imports & Exports & c , it will Shorten the business of our general Courts, so that it will be Sooner dispatch’d, & probably be better done; & we Shall soon be convinced of the propriety of the Measure, either by rejoiceing in the blessings of Such a power exerted by Congress; or Suffering the evils consequent on withholding it. I dread the consequences of withholding this power from Congress, more than I ever did the power of G B: I think that we Shall come to rights, but it will be thro’ much tribulation. Much may be done by Such a plenitude of power in Congress, which cannot be done by the Seperate States. Congress, in this case may, by imposts , well regulated, do much for the payment of our debts, & encouragem t of Manuf rs & c ; & by bounties they might give other, or further encouragem ts , such as our Seperate Legislatures wou’d never agree upon. Besides, the Several States will eternally be doing little things, to gain advantages over their neighbors, which will tend to the destruction of the whole. We cannot do without a Head ; but let us keep a proper check over the particular Members which form this Head , & then we may be safe. My dear friend will forgive my zeal for the public good, & accept of the Sincere friendship of one who sends the purest love to M rs & Miss Adams, & whose friendship & love will continue as long as he can write
J: Palmer