To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 20 January 1790

From Thomas McKean

Philadelphia January 20th. 1790.

Sir,

This will be handed to you by Mr; Francis Bailey, printer of the Freemans Journal in this city. I esteem him as an intelligent, ingenious & honest man. He has lately invented a simple method of making ornaments, devices and even types for securities, certificates and other public papers, which cannot possibly be counterfeited.1

As soon as his invention shall be made known, it can be used by any printer, and no patent could secure him much benefit from it: He therefore hopes for employment from Congress in the line of his business so long as he may deserve it, as the only reward for his discovery. With this view he goes to New-York, and requests me to do him the honor of introducing him to you, and solliciting your patronage. Your countenance and recommendation will oblidge an industrious & worthy character.

Be pleased to make my compliments acceptable to Mrs; Adams, Colo: & Mrs; Smith, and permit me to subscribe myself, what with great sincerity I am, / Sir, Your most obedient humble servant

Tho M:Kean

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency John Adams Esquire.—”

1. Francis Bailey (ca. 1735–1815), former printer for the Continental Congress and the state of Pennsylvania, had published the Philadelphia Freeman’s Journal since 1781. Bailey developed a form of printing type that he claimed could not be counterfeited “by the most ingenious Artists in sculpture, or by any other means.” Bailey petitioned both houses of Congress for the exclusive use of his invention, garnering prominent supporters like Pennsylvania senator Robert Morris and George Duffield, pastor of Philadelphia’s Third Presbyterian Church. On 20 Jan. 1790 Duffield wrote to JA (Adams Papers), recommending Bailey as “a man of great integrity; & I think, I may safely say, universally esteemed by his Acquaintance for his honesty & uprightness.”

From 2 to 26 Feb., a House of Representatives committee considered Bailey’s petition and passed a bill in support of it. It was sent to the Senate on 2 March, where it foundered, likely because of Alexander Hamilton’s negative report on the efficacy of Bailey’s invention. On 4 March the Senate opted to postpone discussion of Bailey’s request until a “bill to promote the progress of useful arts shall be taken into consideration,” for which see Richard Cranch’s 22 Jan. letter, and note 1, below (Washington, Papers, Presidential Series description begins The Papers of George Washington: Presidential Series, ed. W. W. Abbot, Dorothy Twohig, Jack D. Warren, Mark A. Mastromarino, Robert F. Haggard, Christine S. Patrick, John C. Pinheiro, David R. Hoth, and others, Charlottesville, Va., 1987–. description ends , 5:89–90; AFC description begins Adams Family Correspondence, ed. L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Richard Alan Ryerson, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara Martin, Hobson Woodward, and others, Cambridge, 1963–. description ends , 1:216; Hamilton, Papers description begins The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, ed. Harold C. Syrett, Jacob E. Cooke, and others, New York, 1961–1987; 27 vols. description ends , 6:277–278; Annals of Congress description begins The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States [1789–1824], Washington, D.C., 1834–1856; 42 vols. description ends , 1st Cong., 1st sess., p. 988).

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 20 January 1790
Author: McKean, Thomas
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 20 January 1790

Reference

Cite as: “To John Adams from Thomas McKean, 20 January 1790,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-20-02-0140. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 20, June 1789–February 1791, ed. Sara Georgini, Sara Martin, R. M. Barlow, Gwen Fries, Amanda M. Norton, Neal E. Millikan, and Hobson Woodward. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2020, pp. 220–221.]

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