The Intelligence in Your Letter of the 18 Sept which I have just now with pleasure receivd, does not at all surprize me--”His former Letters” “wrote before Bernard embarkd for England” “have been equally oppugnant to the Form of your Govt”--And yet this very Man gives out, that in six months, the Province will be convincd that his Letters are written in defence of our Charter! So I remember Bernard himself, not long before his own Letters returnd, declard to both Houses of Assembly, that if he was at Liberty to make publick the Letters he had written to the several Boards in favor of the Province, his Enemies wd blush.--Why does not this Man make his Letters publick? Would not a Roman Senator have seizd the opportunity of appeasing the Jealousys of the angry Citizens? But the Body of the people are contemptible.4 This People who know not the Law are accursed, said a haughty Jewish priest. It has been his Principle from a Boy, that Mankind are to be governd by the discerning few--and it has ever since been his Ambition to be the Hero5 of the few. I have long since been of your Opinion that few great Men in Britain are entitled to an American Confidence--They will all in their Turns clamour for us while it is their Interest so to do.--It is the Business of America to take Care of herself--her salvation as you justly observe depends upon her own Virtue. Arts & Manufactures aided by Commerce have raised Great Britain to its present Pitch of Grandeur. America will avail herself by imitating her. We have already seen her troops and AS WE HAVE A PROSPECT OF A WAR I hope I may safely tell you that our YOUNG MEN begin to be ambitious of making themselves perfect Masters of the Art MILITARY. Amidst the innumerable Evils which we complain of from the bad policy of YOUR Ministry, this is the happy Effect of Britains transplanting her Arms in America. 1The prorogation, on November 20, was until January 23, 1771; the next session actually began April 3, 1771. 2Delivered by Richard Cary. A copy is in S.A. Wells, Samuel Adams and the American Revolution, vol. i., pp. 293, 294. 3At this point the words “Good God!” are crossed out. 4Before alteration, this sentence read: “But the Body of the people are too contemptible to be favord with a Sight of them.” 5Originally “Head.” TO JOSIAH WILLIAMS. [MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library; a text, with variations, is in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. i., pp. 341, 342.] Boston Novr 23 1770 MY DEAR SR