To Elbridge Gerry.

Name: The Writings of Samuel Adams— Volume 3 - To Elbridge Gerry.
Author: Samuel Adams

[J. T. Austin, Life of Elbridge Gerry, vol. i., pp. 125-127; a text is in Force, American Archives, 4th ser., vol. iv., p. 541; and a draft is in the Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 2, 1776.

MY DEAR SIR,

Your very acceptable letter of the 13th of December is now before me. Our opinions of the necessity of keeping the military power under the direction and control of the legislative, I always thought were alike. It was far from my intention in my letter to you on the subject, to attempt the correcting any imagined errour in your judgment, but rather shortly to express my own apprehensions at this time, when it is become necessary to tolerate that power, which is always formidable, and has so often proved fatal to the liberties of mankind.

It gives me great satisfaction to be informed, that the members of the house of representatives are possessed of so warm a spirit of patriotism, as that "an enemy to America may as well attempt to scale the regions of bliss, as to insinuate himself into their favour." Whatever kind of men may be denominated enemies to their country, certainly he is a very injudicious friend to it, who gives his suffrage for any man to fill a public office, merely because he is rich; and yet you tell me there are recent instances of this in our government. I confess it mortifies me greatly. The giving such a preference to riches is both dishonourable and dangerous to a government. It is indeed equally dangerous to promote a man to a place of public trust only because he wants bread, but I think it is not so dishonourable; for men may be influenced to the latter from the feelings of humanity, but the other argues a base, degenerate, servile temper of mind. I hope our country will never see the time, when either riches or the want of them will be the leading considerations in the choice of public officers. Whenever riches shall be deemed a necessary qualification, ambition as well as avarice will prompt men most earnestly to thirst for them, and it will be commonly said, as in ancient times of degeneracy,

Quaerenda pecunia primum est, Virtus post nummos.

"Get money, money still, And then let virtue follow if she will."

I am greatly honoured, if my late letter has been acceptable to the house. I hope the militia bill, to which that letter referred, is completed to the satisfaction of both houses of the assembly.

The account you give me of the success our people meet with in the manufacture of salt-petre is highly pleasing to me. I procured of a gentleman in the colony of New-York, the plan of a powder mill, which I lately sent to Mr. Revere. I hope it may be of some use.

I have time at present only to request you to write to me by the post, and to assure that I am

Your affectionate friend,

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Chicago: Samuel Adams, "To Elbridge Gerry.," The Writings of Samuel Adams— Volume 3 in The Writings of Samuel Adams—Volume 3 Original Sources, accessed May 6, 2025, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=EI71HMEERJG5DV6.

MLA: Adams, Samuel. "To Elbridge Gerry." The Writings of Samuel Adams— Volume 3, in The Writings of Samuel Adams—Volume 3, Original Sources. 6 May. 2025. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=EI71HMEERJG5DV6.

Harvard: Adams, S, 'To Elbridge Gerry.' in The Writings of Samuel Adams— Volume 3. cited in , The Writings of Samuel Adams—Volume 3. Original Sources, retrieved 6 May 2025, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=EI71HMEERJG5DV6.