joynt Letter, will depend upon our Negociations with England.”  The sooner a Commercial Treaty is settled with that Nation the better, as it appears to me.  Our General Court, in the late Session, thought of making Retaliation on England for her prohibiting Importations from America into her West India Islands but in British Bottoms.  They were sensible of the Difficulty in the Way of the United States coming into general Regulations of this Kind, & have written to their Delegates on the Subject.  Should the States agree to give Congress a more extensive Power, it may yet be a great while before it is compleated; and Britain in the mean time seeing our Trade daily reverting to its old Channel, may think it needless and impolitick to enter into express Stipulations in favor of any Part of it while she promises her self the whole without them.

I am fully in the Sentiment expressd in your joynt Letter Sept 10th, that now we have regular & constitutional Governments, popular Committees and County Conventions are not only useless but dangerous.  They served an excellent Purpose & were highly necessary when they were set up.  I shall not repent the small Share I then took in them.  But what think you of the District & State Conventions of the Cincinnati, & of the Cincinnati in Congress assembled?  Do not these Assemblies convene expressly to deliberate & adopt Measures on great and National Concerns proper only for the Cognizance of the United States in Congress assembled, and the different Legislators & Officers of Government?  And will they not, being an Order of Military Men, too soon proceed to enforce their Resolutions, not only to the lessening the Dignity of the States in the Eye of Europe, but the putting an End to their free Existence!  The Order is very unpopular here.  By the inclosd you will see the Sentiments of our Gen1 Court.  The Governor of Sdeg.  Carolina in a late Speech to his Assembly inveighs against them with the Vehemence of Luther.

Adieu

TO JOHN ADAMS.

[Ms., Adams Papers, Quincy; a draft is in the Lenox Library.]

Boston April 17 1784

DEAR SIR

Several of my Fellow Citizens have desired me to mention to you certain Difficulties they labour under & to request that you would inform me whether it is probable they can obtain Reliefe, among whom are Dr Nath1 Noyes & Capt Saml Dashwood.  Both of them I believe you knew.  I inclose Mr Noyess Questions as he has stated them himself.—­Capt Dashwoods Goods were taken from him by order of the Commanding officer of the British Troops when they left this Town in 1776.  I need not trouble you to explain as I doubt not you well remember the Circumstances of these Matters.  It will be hard for such Persons to pay the British Creditors for the same Goods which the British Nation took from them for its own necessary Use & if I mistake not with a Promise to compensate them, unless the Promise is complied with.