(Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1841).

IMPORTANT FIRST EDITION OF THESE WONDERFUL CORRESPONDENCES. As Charles Francis Adams says in his preface: “There was no hypocrisy in him whilst alive and it would scarcely be doing him justice to invest him with a share of it after his death. His character and that of his compeers must go down to be judged by posterity, with whom there is no chance of the fear or favor that affects the verdicts of contemporary generations....
The great recommendation of this correspondence, in a historical point of view, is that, as connected with the period of which it treats, it is probably unique. Nothing of the same kind has thus far appeared from any quarter, much less from persons so actively interested in the management of affairs....America is not the place for preservation of papers in the hands of families. The modes of life are too migratory, and the means of subsistence too precarious to be favorable to this object. For this reason is it, that the domestic feelings of the revolution are already rapidly eluding the grasp of investigators....We are beginning to forget that the patriots of former days were men like ourselves, acting and acted upon like the present race, and we are almost irresistibly led to ascribe to them in our imaginations certain gigantic proportions and superhuman qualities, without reflecting that his at once robs their characters of consistency and their virtues of all merit....The present race of Americans may not be called to make precisely the same exertions in the field that were made by their predecessors, but..will be subjected to ...struggles perhaps even more violent than theirs....(T)he path of rectitude and of honor (are) equally hard to tread in every age and under every clime.”
Adams’ letters of July 3, 1776 are telling and representative of the quality of thought and writing throughout the totality. “Yesterday, the greatest question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater, perhaps, never was nor will be decided among men. A Resolution was passed without one dissenting Colony “that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, and as such they have, and of right ought to have, full power to make war, conclude peace, establish commerce and to do all other acts and things which other States may rightfully do.” You will see, in a few days, a Declaration setting forth the causes which have impelled us to this mighty revolution, and the reasons which will justify it in the sight of God and man.”. Item #34923

2 volumes. First Edition, with the half-titles as called for. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece of John Adams. 8vo, publisher’s original brown cloth ruled in blind on all covers, spines lettered in gilt and with further blindstamped rules. xxxii, 286; xx, 282 pp. A better then very good copy, internally fine and fresh and sturdy. Head and tails of spines with a bit of light wear, the cloth in quite nice condition.