There are several letters from John Adams, written in a small, hasty, ungraceful hand, but earnest, and with no unnecessary flourish. The earliest is dated at Philadelphia, September 26, 1774, about twenty days after the first opening of the Continental Congress. We look at this old yellow document, scribbled21 on half a sheet of foolscap, and ask of it many questions for which words have no response. We would fain know what were their mutual22 impressions, when all those venerable faces, that have since been traced on steel, or chiselled23 out, of marble, and thus made familiar to posterity24, first met one another's gaze! Did one spirit harmonize them, in spite of the dissimilitude of manners between the North and the South, which were now for the first time brought into political relations? Could the Virginian descendant of the Cavaliers, and the New-Englander with his hereditary25 Puritanism,—the aristocratic Southern planter, and the self-made man from Massachusetts or Connecticut,—at once feel that they were countrymen and brothers? What did John Adams think of Jefferson?—and Samuel Adams of Patrick Henry? Did not North and South combine in their deference26 for the sage27 Franklin, so long the defender28 of the colonies in England, and whose scientific renown29 was already world-wide? And was there yet any whispered prophecy, any vague conjecture30, circulating among the delegates, as to the destiny which might be in reserve for one stately man, who sat, for the most part, silent among them?—what station he was to assume in the world's history?—and how many statues would repeat his form and countenance31, and successively crumble32 beneath his immortality33?
The letter before us does not answer these inquiries34. Its main feature is the strong expression of the uncertainty35 and awe36 that pervaded37 even the firm hearts of the Old Congress, while anticipating the struggle which was to ensue. "The commencement of hostilities38," it says, "is exceedingly dreaded39 here. It is thought that an attack upon the troops, even should it prove successful, would certainly involve the whole continent in a war. It is generally thought that the Ministry40 would rejoice at a rupture41 in Boston, because it would furnish an excuse to the people at home" [this was the last time, we suspect, that John Adams spoke42 of England thus affectionately], "and unite them in an opinion of the necessity of pushing hostilities against us."
His next letter bears on the superscription, "Favored by General Washington." The date is June 20, 1775, three days after the battle of Bunker Hill, the news of which could not yet have arrived at Philadelphia. But the war, so much dreaded, had begun, on the quiet banks of Concord43 River; an army of twenty thousand men was beleaguering44 Boston; and here was Washington journeying northward45 to take the command. It seems to place us in a nearer relation with the hero, to find him performing the little courtesy of leaving a letter between friend and friend, and to hold in our hands the very document intrusted to such a messenger. John Adams says simply, "We send you Generals Washington and Lee for your comfort"; but adds nothing in regard to the character of the Commander-in-Chief. This letter displays much of the writer's ardent46 temperament47; if he had been anywhere but in the hall of Congress, it would have been in the intrenchment before Boston.
"I hope," he writes, "a good account will be given of Gage48, Haldiman, Burgoyne, Clinton, and Howe, before winter. Such a wretch49 as Howe, with a statue in honor of his family in Westminster Abbey, erected50 by the Massachusetts, to come over with the design to cut the throats of the Massachusetts people, is too much. I most sincerely, coolly, and devoutly51 wish that a lucky ball or bayonet may make a signal example of him, in warning to all such unprincipled, unsentimental miscreants52 for the future!"
He goes on in a strain that smacks53 somewhat of aristocratic feeling: "Our camp will be an illustrious school of military virtue54, and will be resorted to and frequented, as such, by gentlemen in great numbers from the other colonies." The term "gentleman" has seldom been used in this sense subsequently to the Revolution. Another letter introduces us to two of these gentlemen, Messrs. Acquilla Hall and Josias Carvill, volunteers, who are recommended as "of the first families in Maryland, and possessing independent fortunes."
After the British had been driven out of Boston, Adams cries out, "Fortify55, fortify; and never let them get in again!" It is agreeable enough to perceive the filial affection with which John Adams, and the other delegates from the North, regard New England, and especially the good old capital of the Puritans. Their love of country was hardly yet so diluted56 as to extend over the whole thirteen colonies, which were rather looked upon as allies than as composing one nation. In truth, the patriotism57 of a citizen of the United States is a sentiment by itself of a peculiar58 nature, and requiring a lifetime, or at least the custom of many years, to naturalize it among the other possessions of the heart.
The collection is enriched by a letter dated "Cambridge, August 26, 1775" from Washington himself. He wrote it in that house,—now so venerable with his memory,—in that very room, where his bust59 now stands upon a poet's table; from this sheet of paper passed the hand that held the leading-staff! Nothing can be more perfectly60 in keeping with all other manifestations61 of Washington than the whole visible aspect and embodiment of this letter. The manuscript is as clear as daylight; the punctuation62 exact, to a comma. There is a calm accuracy throughout, which seems the production of a species of intelligence that cannot err63, and which, if we may so speak, would affect us with a more human warmth, if we could conceive it capable of some slight human error. The chirography is characterized by a plain and easy grace, which, in the signature, is somewhat elaborated, and becomes a type of the personal manner of a gentleman of the old school, but without detriment64 to the truth and clearness that distinguish the rest of the manuscript. The lines are as straight and equidistant as if ruled; and from beginning to end, there is no physical symptom—as how should there be?—of a varying mood, of jets of emotion, or any of those fluctuating feelings that pass from the hearts into the fingers of common men. The paper itself (like most of those Revolutionary letters, which are written on fabrics65 fit to endure the burden of ponderous66 and earnest thought) is stout67, and of excellent quality, and bears the water-mark of Britannia, surmounted68 by the Crown. The subject of the letter is a statement of reasons for not taking possession of Point Alderton; a position commanding the entrance of Boston Harbor. After explaining the difficulties of the case, arising from his want of men and munitions69 for the adequate defence of the lines which he already occupies, Washington proceeds: "To you, sir, who are a well-wisher to the cause, and can reason upon the effects of such conduct, I may open myself with freedom, because no improper70 disclosures will be made of our situation. But I cannot expose my weakness to the enemy (though I believe they are pretty well informed of everything that passes), by telling this and that man, who are daily pointing out this, and that, and t' other place, of all the motives71 that govern my actions; notwithstanding I know what will be the consequence of not doing it,—namely, that I shall be accused of inattention to the public service, and perhaps of want of spirit to prosecute72 it. But this shall have no effect upon my conduct. I will steadily73 (as far as my judgment74 will assist me) pursue such measures as I think conducive75 to the interest of the cause, and rest satisfied under any obloquy76 that shall be thrown, conscious of having discharged my duty to the best of my abilities."
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1 withdrawn | |
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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2 glide | |
n./v.溜,滑行;(时间)消逝 | |
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3 ominous | |
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
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4 sublimity | |
崇高,庄严,气质高尚 | |
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5 perilous | |
adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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6 scrolls | |
n.(常用于录写正式文件的)纸卷( scroll的名词复数 );卷轴;涡卷形(装饰);卷形花纹v.(电脑屏幕上)从上到下移动(资料等),卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 );(似卷轴般)卷起;(像展开卷轴般地)将文字显示于屏幕 | |
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7 fanfare | |
n.喇叭;号角之声;v.热闹地宣布 | |
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8 trumpet | |
n.喇叭,喇叭声;v.吹喇叭,吹嘘 | |
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9 oratory | |
n.演讲术;词藻华丽的言辞 | |
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10 resounded | |
v.(指声音等)回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 );产生回响;(指某处)回荡着声音 | |
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11 continental | |
adj.大陆的,大陆性的,欧洲大陆的 | |
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12 utterance | |
n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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13 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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14 craves | |
渴望,热望( crave的第三人称单数 ); 恳求,请求 | |
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15 materialism | |
n.[哲]唯物主义,唯物论;物质至上 | |
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16 pertinaciously | |
adv.坚持地;固执地;坚决地;执拗地 | |
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17 tangible | |
adj.有形的,可触摸的,确凿的,实际的 | |
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18 inevitably | |
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地 | |
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19 erasure | |
n.擦掉,删去;删掉的词;消音;抹音 | |
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20 blot | |
vt.弄脏(用吸墨纸)吸干;n.污点,污渍 | |
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21 scribbled | |
v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 );乱画;草草地写;匆匆记下 | |
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22 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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23 chiselled | |
adj.凿过的,凿光的; (文章等)精心雕琢的v.凿,雕,镌( chisel的过去式 ) | |
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24 posterity | |
n.后裔,子孙,后代 | |
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25 hereditary | |
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的 | |
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26 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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27 sage | |
n.圣人,哲人;adj.贤明的,明智的 | |
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28 defender | |
n.保卫者,拥护者,辩护人 | |
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29 renown | |
n.声誉,名望 | |
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30 conjecture | |
n./v.推测,猜测 | |
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31 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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32 crumble | |
vi.碎裂,崩溃;vt.弄碎,摧毁 | |
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33 immortality | |
n.不死,不朽 | |
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34 inquiries | |
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听 | |
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35 uncertainty | |
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
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36 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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37 pervaded | |
v.遍及,弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38 hostilities | |
n.战争;敌意(hostility的复数);敌对状态;战事 | |
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39 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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40 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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41 rupture | |
n.破裂;(关系的)决裂;v.(使)破裂 | |
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42 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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43 concord | |
n.和谐;协调 | |
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44 beleaguering | |
v.围攻( beleaguer的现在分词 );困扰;骚扰 | |
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45 northward | |
adv.向北;n.北方的地区 | |
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46 ardent | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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47 temperament | |
n.气质,性格,性情 | |
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48 gage | |
n.标准尺寸,规格;量规,量表 [=gauge] | |
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49 wretch | |
n.可怜的人,不幸的人;卑鄙的人 | |
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50 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
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51 devoutly | |
adv.虔诚地,虔敬地,衷心地 | |
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52 miscreants | |
n.恶棍,歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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53 smacks | |
掌掴(声)( smack的名词复数 ); 海洛因; (打的)一拳; 打巴掌 | |
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54 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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55 fortify | |
v.强化防御,为…设防;加强,强化 | |
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56 diluted | |
无力的,冲淡的 | |
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57 patriotism | |
n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义 | |
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58 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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59 bust | |
vt.打破;vi.爆裂;n.半身像;胸部 | |
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60 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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61 manifestations | |
n.表示,显示(manifestation的复数形式) | |
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62 punctuation | |
n.标点符号,标点法 | |
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63 err | |
vi.犯错误,出差错 | |
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64 detriment | |
n.损害;损害物,造成损害的根源 | |
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65 fabrics | |
织物( fabric的名词复数 ); 布; 构造; (建筑物的)结构(如墙、地面、屋顶):质地 | |
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66 ponderous | |
adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的 | |
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68 surmounted | |
战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 ); 克服(困难); 居于…之上; 在…顶上 | |
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69 munitions | |
n.军火,弹药;v.供应…军需品 | |
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70 improper | |
adj.不适当的,不合适的,不正确的,不合礼仪的 | |
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71 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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72 prosecute | |
vt.告发;进行;vi.告发,起诉,作检察官 | |
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73 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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74 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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75 conducive | |
adj.有益的,有助的 | |
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76 obloquy | |
n.斥责,大骂 | |
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