Thomas Brand Hollis to John Adams, March 29, 1790

London March 29. 1790.

Dear Sir

I ought to have acknowledged the receipt of your favour 1 before this but indeed it is not easy to get
letters conveyd to you. if by private hands they often miscarry & the publick
conveyance I do not much like.— The National assembly have regulated the post only one
sou for a sheet of paper by this means intellects are not taxed & the produce not
applied to support pride & Luxury but a free communication of sentiments is
encouraged & the citizens & their representatives correspond at no expence not
fearing to have too much light. 2 may
America enjoy the same advantages & preserve every means of communication of
knowledge free & open & the Tyrants plea necessity never prevail with them to
tax or licence any instrument or means of knowledge; paper pens wax ink or Types &
it is the more incumbent on them when they recollect what they owe, to publick schools
& Universal reading, emancipation from Tyranny.

your favor came by Captain Bernard who conveyed three Boxes of
Books to Boston tho I have never heard from President Willard of the receipt. 3 therefore imagine his letter has
miscarried which should be sorry for as it delays other matters intended for Boston.
The Martyr of humanity we have lost in the plains of Chersome Howard! I sent his Books
of Lazzaretto s. & the D of Tuscanys code of criminal
Law to induce some state in America to execute one or more of those plans which having
been considerd half the trouble & expence of an ignorant builder is avoided. 4 & this to be done before any publick
calamity of that kind affects them to which from the shameful permitted depredations
of the Africans Pyrates & from your extended coast you are most liable to.

what a Supernatural event has taken place in Europe? your manly
exertions, resistance to Despotism & glorious insurrection have occasioned &
brought into execution this glorious emancipation of the world, for I cannot limit or
contract its bounds, as it is now spreading through all quarters of the globe— we hear
& have hopes of mexico but all intelligence is prevented as much as possible from
Spain regarding that quarter— we expect confirmation from the west or Jamaica. Truth
is abroad & cannot now be long concealed.

could imagination have conceived such a regeneration The hand of
providence seems to direct the whole but a few months since & the French nation
had no Idea that the welfare & happiness of 30 millions of people
were of more consequence & importance in the scale of beings than the Pride &
Luxury of one man & that man a Tyrant but thanks to heaven this truth is now
universally acknowledged & maintained by every Frenchman & from equal
representation results equal Laws, civil & religious liberty & where each
directs the Sword he wears an equal participation of the blessings of life evincing
the unbounded goodness of the author of nature leading the generations of men to
scenes of perpetual improvement & of endless being. The assembly have laid open
the India company &c but all their glorious acts must be known to you—but the
subject runs away with me & I am lost in expectation of the immense good which
will follow. 5

we have been engaged in endeavouring to repeal the test laws but
the church has taken the Alarm & the minister rejoicing has joined the clergy
& we have been defeated however the subject never was so well discussed or
understood 6 & will come with more
force sometime hence—but the church does not know its own interest— every day the
Aristocratical spirit shows its self & instead of profiting by the French
government we are to be more strict & not relinquish or alter any the smallest
matter least innovation should ensue from which we & you owe every thing.

I have inclosed some tracts of the times which will inform you of
what is going forward here. Foxs speech was excellent—but the question became a matter
of party & treated accordingly. 7

my best respects to M rs Adams whom I
remember with affection & should be gratified with a line from her— I have
inscribed one Pamphlet for her as I know her principles. 8 Farewell & remember him who esteems you
sincerely & is yours.

T Brand Hollis.

I must think the French always had the end in view resentment
& rage has had but a small part in their revolution for upon the most candid
account [not] 400 persons have lost their lives & some of them notorious
aggressors & others by accident the revence was against the enormous oppression of
the feudal tenures—& how small a loss to the general good acquired & which
will last having knowledge & truth for its basis.

The English will be the last to reform! the French refugees are
acting the same part, but more diligent that the Americans did during the contest.