’碧’’’當斯
(ABIGALE ADAMS)’’翰’’’
Correspondence with John
(American Memory Collection, Library of Congress)
不’讓’夫們’握’’’限’’’’’’’’’’有’’’’’’’都’成爲暴’’’
’碧’’’當斯(1744－1818)生’麻塞諸塞’’’’’’學’讀’’’歷’’’’1764’嫁給’翰’’當斯’’當’還’’’’輕’’’’’’’’’當斯’’離’忙’公務’歲月裏’’對夫婦’’’’’’’’’’’裏’’當’翰’’當斯’’’陸議’’’’國’當’交’’’當副’統’’統’’’’碧’’’當斯’給’’’’友’’’’’’’’生’’’不僅’衛婦’’’’’而’反對奴隸’’
1776’3月31日’當’陸議’正’’’考’’立’’’碧’’’當斯’’給’’夫’’’’’麻塞諸塞’天’’’情景’’’提醒’’夫’’’’’’’’“’’’’們”’’’當斯1776’4月14日給’’’’’’中’’把’’“’’’’”視’’’’’’個’’’’’
’碧’給’翰’’
’’我’著聽’’們’’’立’’’’順’說’’’我’’們’需’立個’’’’’’個’’’’裏’我們’望’們’’’’’們’而’’比’們’’輩們對’們’’’’’’’不’讓’夫們’握’’’限’’’’’’’’’’有’’’’’’’都’成爲暴’’’’’對’’’有給予’’’照’’重視’我們’’心煽動’’’反’我們不’讓那’我們’有’言’’’’參’’’’’’’’’我們’
’們’’天生’’’’’’’’疑’’實’毋’’’’’’’像’’樣’望’’’福’’’’’’’’棄“’’”’個’耳’稱號而換’“’友”’個’溫’親切’稱號’那麽’’們爲什麽不’那’邪’之’’目’’’’’’’’殘忍’手’’’’’對’我們’’遙’’’任’’’’’情’’’’都憎’那’’把我們當’’們’’’’’’習’’請把我們當’’’’’’’們’’之’’生’’’’’’’’用那種’’’僅僅’爲’給我們’福’
’翰給’碧’’’
’’’’’’’’’’’我’’’’’之’’’’’對我們說’我們’鬥’’’’’’都’’’’’’管’’’’’學’都變’’’不順’中’學’’學滋生騷亂’’’’’蔑視監’’’黑奴對’’粗暴’禮’’’’’’’第’次正式’’’有’個族’滋生不滿’而’’’’比’’’有族’’數’’’’’’’’’’’給我提’’’個’當棘手’’議’’’’’’麽’’’提’’’’我’不’忘掉’’
’’’’’說’除’’除我們’’’’’’’我們’’做什麽’’’雖’’’’’’’’’正’面實’’’’’’它們’不’’’論而’’我們’不敢’面’’我們’’’’我們必須公正溫’’實際’’’’我們都’’民’我們僅有’’之’’而’寧’’棄’個’分’’樣’’我們完’’’
’婦’’’’’我’望華盛’’’’及我們’有’敢’’雄都’戰鬥’我’’’’個’’’’’都’終身謀劃反對’’’’國’’’’’族’寡’’’’暴民’’’’’’’個動聽’’’’我’’’爲內閣’’謀遠’’邪’’’煽’托’黨’’’’投機商’’牆’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’黑’’’諾’’’赫斯’’’’國’’’爾蘭羅馬天’教’’蘇’蘭’教’之’’最’’們’’’’’們’’’’’’’’而’’’’’反’
ABIGAIL to
JOHN
I long to
hear that you have declared an Independency--and by the way in the new Code of
Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would
Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your
ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands.
Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and
attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and
will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or
Representation.
That
your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to
admit of no dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the
harsh title of Master for the more lender and endearing one of Friend. Why then,
not put it out of the power of the vicious and the Lawless to use us with
cruelty and indignity with impunity. Men of Sense in all Ages abhor those
customs which treat us only as the vassals of your Sex. Regard us then as Beings
placed by providence under your protection and in immitation of the Supreem
Being make use of that power only for our happiness.
JOHN to
ABIGAIL
. . . As to
your extraordinary Code of Laws, cannot but laugh. We have been told that our
Struggle has loosened the bands of Government every where. That Children and
Apprentices were disobedient--that schools and Colledges were grown
turbulent--that Indians slighted Their Guardians and Negroes grew insolent to
Their Masters. But your Letter was the first Intimation that another Tribe more
numerous and powerfull than all the rest were grown discontented.--This is
rather too coarse a Compliment but you are so saucy, I wont blot it out.
Depend
upon it, We know better than to repeal our Masculine systems. Altho they are in
full Force, you know they are little more than Theory. We dare not exert our
Power in its full Latitude. We are obliged to go fair, and softly, and in
Practice you know We are the subjects. We have only the Name of Masters, and
rather than give up this, which would compleatly subject Us to the Despotism of
the Peticoat, I hope General Washington, and all our brave Heroes would fight. I
am sure every good Politician would plot, as long as he would against Despotism,
Empire, Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, or Ochlocracy.--A fine Story indeed. I
begin to think the Ministry as deep as they are wicked.
After stirring up Tories, Landjobbers, Trimmers, Bigots, Canadians, Indians,
Negroes, Hanoverians, Hessians, Russians, Irish Roman Catholicks, Scotch
Renegadoes, at last they have stimulated the [Ladies] to demand new Priviledges
and threaten to rebell.
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