Sender: Samuel Adams
Recipient: Richard Henry Lee

My dear Sir

Your second Letter came to hand in due Season. My much esteemed Friend Mr
Arthur Lee will take the Charge of this. I will say to you as I have
said to my Boston Friends, who are sollicitous to know what Treatment
he meets with here. The more I have conversd with him, the more I have
been confirmd in a good opinion of him, and lamented the Mistakes and
Prejudices of some Men & the Wickedness of others. His Enemies, I
think, dare not openly attack his Reputation or Conduct. But the
Whispers of envy & Malice, have some times Influence enough to
prevent the Justice due to the virtuous Citizen. When this is the Case,
it affords a Symptom of the Decay of publick Spirit, more threatening
to the Liberties of a Commonwealth than Hosts of foreign Enemies.
Monarchs have their Favorites who serve as Pimps on their honest
Subjects. But Republicks should examine the Conduct of their Servants
with an impartial Eye; and it discovers the Want of publick Virtue, as
much, to withhold their Smiles from the wise and good as to bestow them
on the wicked & unfaithful. Mr. Lee has as yet had neither Smiles
nor Frowns. I am still in hopes he will meet with the Rewards which I
am sure he would have receivd if he had returnd a few years ago. He
will have them when the Trustees of the Publick shall have Fortitude
enough to be uninfluencd by great Names & Characters given to Men
of base & depraved Minds. You will ask, when that will be. Perhaps
not in this Age. But the Historian will in some future time draw forth
the Proofs of his Patriotism, & unprejudicd Posterity will
acknowledge that Arthur Lee has borne a great share in defending &
establishing the Liberties of America. I say Posterity; for I believe
that a wiser Generation will enjoy the Fruits of the Toil of Patriots
& Heroes in the present Day.

My Friend, we must not suffer any thing to discourage us in this great
Conflict. Let us recur to first Principles without Delay. It is our
Duty, to make every proper Exertion in our respective States to revive
the old patriotick Feelings among the People at large and to get the
publick Departments, especially the most important of them, filled with
Men of understanding & inflexible Virtue. It would be indeed
alarming, if the United States should ever entrust the Ship in which
our all is at Stake, with inexperienc’d or unprincipled Pilots. Our
Cause is surely too interesting to Mankind, to be put under the
Direction of Men, vain, avaricious or conceald under the Hypocritical
Guise of Patriotism, without a Spark of publick or private Virtue. We
may possibly be more in Danger of this, than many of our honest
Citizens may imagine. Is there not Reason to apprehend, that even those
who are inimical to our Cause may steal into Places of the highest
Trust? I need not remind you that Men of this Character have had Seats
in Congress from the beginning. Where is Galloway, Low, Allen &
Alexander?¹ If it was so in those Times of
Vigilance & Zeal, how much more is it to be expected, when the Love
of many is waxin cold, & their Minds are distracted with the
Pursuit of Pleasure & exorbitant Riches. We cannot be perswaded to
believe that bad Men have been sent by their States with a View of
giving a fatal Stab to our Cause in its Infancy; but is it unreasonable
to suppose that their Elections were secretly influencd by artful Men;
with this Design. Our most dangerous Enemies may be in our Bosoms.

Mr. Lee will inform you how Matters go on here. I must let you know that
when your Kinsman Mr William Lee² was in
Boston in Sept 1779 he borrowed five hundred Dollars of Moses Gill
Esqr, and drew his Bill on his Brother Mr George Lee of Westmoreland
County. I wish it may be paid on Sight, for it was advancd on my
Application.