Appendix G: Letter to William S. Smith, Paris (1787)

• Author: Arthur Rizer
• Profession: Director of Justice Policy and a senior fellow at the R Street Institute
• Pages: 237-238

237

APPENDIX G

Letter to William S. Smith,

Paris (1787)

e famous “Tree of Liberty” letter. “[W ]hat country can preserve its liberties

if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the

spirit of resistance?” is letter stands as an example of a very good mix of

pathos and logos: Jeerson uses very evocative language, but his analysis

sounds in solid reason.

DEAR SIR,

I am now to acknoledge the receipt of your favors of October the 4th, 8th, &

26th. In the last you apologise for your letters of introduction to Americans

coming here. It is so far from needing apology on your part, that it calls for

thanks on mine. I endeavor to shew civilities to all the Americans who come

here, & will give me opportunities of doing it: and it is a matter of comfort to

know from a good quarter what they are, & how far I may go in my attentions

to them. Can you send me Woodmason’s bills for the two copying presses for

the M. de la Fayette, & the M. de Chastellux? e latter makes one article in

a considerable account, of old standing, and which I cannot present for want

of this article.—I do not know whether it is to yourself or Mr. Adams I am to

give my thanks for the copy of the new constitution. I beg leave through you

to place them where due. It will be yet three weeks before I shall receive them

from America. ere are very good articles in it: & very bad. I do not know

which preponderate. What we have lately read in the history of Holland, in

the chapter on the Stadtholder, would have suced to set me against a chief

magistrate eligible for a long duration, if I had ever been disposed towards

one: & what we have always read of the elections of Polish kings should have