John Adams to Rev. Dr. Walter re: Europe's political strife, system of checks and balances - American History 1493-1945 - Adam Matthew Digital

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Field name	Value
Collection Reference Number	GLC06666
From Archive Folder	Documents Relating to 1797
Title	John Adams to Rev. Dr. Walter re: Europe's political strife, system of checks and balances
Date	24 October 1797
Author	Adams, John (1735-1826)
Recipient	Walter, Rev. Dr.
Document Type	Correspondence
Content Description	Some edge losses at top right, affecting a few letters. A rare letter, written as president, commenting on his writings on government and their influence on the Federal constitution, and his despair over Europe's political and military strife. He thanks Dr. Walter for sending two volumes of essays from Count Rumford and then elaborates of his system (in his book Defence of the Constitutions of the United States) of checks and balances between an executive and legislative branch. He writes in part that the three volumes of the Defence "were written with a view of not only compassing the ferment in America which produced Shaye's [sic] Rebellion, but with a hope of laying before the French Nation, and all Europe, some Considerations, which had not been much attended to for a century past..." Discussing the system of checks and balances he writes "[i]t is an Attempt to place Government upon the only Philosophy which can ever Support, the Constitution of human Nature... The Emulations of the Legislative and Executive Authorities are made to check each other... And by no other means were ever human Passions restrained..." Adams appeals to history and then adds "Had I possessed the Leisure of a Man of Letters, I might have made it shorter..."
Subjects	President US Constitution Government and Civics Global History and Civics Foreign Affairs Politics Library Rebellion Shays' Rebellion France French Revolution
People	Adams, John (1735-1826) Walters, Rev. Dr. (fl. 1797)
Place written	East Chester, New York
Theme	Foreign Affairs; Government & Politics; The Presidency; Health & Medicine; The Presidency
Sub-collection	The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859
Copyright	The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module	Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859
Transcript	Show/hide East Chester. 20 miles from New York Oct. 24. 1797 Dear Sir I received, yesterday your favour of the 14th with two Volumes of Essays from the beneficent Genius of Count Rumford. If you have laboured through the three Volumes of my Defence of the Constitutions, you have done them an honour that very few other Men of Letters have taken the trouble to bestow on them. They were written with a View of not only composing the ferment in America which produced Shaye's Rebellion, but with a hope of laying before the French Nation, and all Europe some Considerations, which had not been much attended to for a Century past, the want of which I then feared and foresaw would produce such horrors [struck: and] [inserted: as] have Since terrified the World. My Labour however has been lost, as much as Platos in his Republic, Sir Thomas More's in his Eutopia or Harringtons in his Oceana. If I had not some little consolation in thinking that it had Some Effect in Producing our federal Constitution I should almost repent of having wasted my time in writing it. [2] It is an Attempt to place Government upon the only Philosophy which can ever Support it, the real Constitution of human Nature: not upon any wild Visions of its perfectibility. That Emulation of the human heart, which produces Rivalries of Men, Cities, and Nations and consequent Injustice and Disorder is applied as a Remedy to its own Excesses. The Emulation of the Legislative and Executive authorities are made to check each other and the Emulation between the poor and the rich, in their respective representative assemblies, are employed in the same way. And by no other means were ever human Passions restrained, and compelled to respect the Laws. The whole history of Nations is brought to support the Theory. But all the Ages of the world have not afforded stronger Proofs of its Infallibility, than the last ten years of the History of France, Holland, Italy &c. Had I possessed the Leisure of a Man of Letters I might have made it shorter: but had the Eloquence of a Burke or a Rousseau fallen to my Lot, I never could have induced Numbers to read it Sufficient to have convinced Nations and Saved their Blood. Such is the Condition of humanity. The News you give me of Mrs Gill's Sickness is a Severe affliction to me. Though I will still hope for her Recovery, I very much fear that the next Post will bring me fatal Tidings. I am, Sir, with great Esteem, your Friend and humble Servant John Adams. Revd Dr Walter

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