To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 17 March 1790
From François Adriaan Van der Kemp
Kingston. 17. March 1790
Sir!
After your Excellency’s advice, for which I am much obliged, I wrote, by this Sloop to his Excellencÿ the President, State the affair, and requested his interference, so far, as He maÿ think proper, and I flatter mÿself, that it wil be promoted bÿ you in the Same manner.1 But this occasion Sir! is to favourable, not to make use of it in enlarging—for a moment upon a particular article of your favour— Perhaps, Some time or other, you Excellencÿ maÿ find leisure, to gratifÿ mÿ curiosity, and honour me with a farther communication of his thoughts upon a matter, if al not interestful to us, Surelÿ not indifferent, and certainly of the highest moment to our Posterity—perhaps to our children. Ought I remember—that a hereditarÿ Senat is this Subject.
Permit me before to reflect Sir! that what you please, to call compliments received from Europe, is reallÿ no more than homage paid to truth—of So more value, because I am persuaded, that most of them, who paid that tribute, were made Proselytes to a doctrine, of which they had, before, none of verÿ confuse Ideas— this, I candidly allow, was mÿ case, who, meaning to be an adept in the Doctrine of Republican government, was Soon convinced, that I was not initiated in this So Simple mÿsterÿ—now it is revealed—and bÿ this cynosure, I made Such progress in a Short time, that I dare guess—to be not a great difference between our thoughts upon the Stability of, and the degree of civil Liberty inhering in last French Revolution—
I Should have desired Sir! there you had given So open and candid,
morning warnings to the americans in regard, what theÿ have to do, and to fear, if they
chuse to preserve their Political independencÿ and civil libertÿ,
though some of these warnings maÿ, at first view, be verÿ disagreable to
Short-Sighted—intrested—or ambitious Americans. There you, more than once and I
Sincerilÿ believe, upon solid reasonings upon experience, intimate your fear—that the
elections of Presidents and Senators will not be continued—for a long time, without
corruption—Sedition &c there you Showed with a finger a remedÿ—against it—in your
opinion—necessarÿ though otherwise not desirable— I should have desired, that Mr. Adams
had discussed this matter a little farther, and explained—how this chance wil—or can be
introduced—without Sedition—and civil war—and in wat manner that hereditarÿ Senate wil
be continued after his first creation. Whether the Same reasonings wil not be as
conclusifes against the elections of the house of
representatives, as wel against the Senator and president?— being there perhaps So much
reason for fear of briberÿ and corruption—when but one representative can be chosen for
30 or 90000 citisens
But Sir! it Seems not alone, the introduction wil meet the difficulties—feared be elections consequences of the most Serious nature will be unavoidable by the continuation. Shall the ofspring of certain families—the Possessors of a cetain tract of Land be chosen for the first hereditary Senators? or Shall the Legislative Bodies—or Executive Power of the different States make choice of a certain number? In case of a vacant Seed—who Shal have the Power of creating a New Senator or Peer? the President? the Senat? the house of Representatives? or both Houses—of all the three? Perhaps it would be of utility to the United States, if Kentuckÿ and Vermont, acknowledged as independant States, in alliance with us, could be persuaded to trÿ what Succes from a hereditarÿ president and Senators with a house of representatives might accrue to the State, in removing briberÿ—corruption and Sedition, in promoting civil Libertÿ—
Should it not be more desirable Sir! Supposing that the elections
of a President and Senators—for one or more ÿears, was preferable, in case Such
elections could be effected without fear for briberÿ—Sedition—to dismember the
commonwealth—in two or more Royal independant
Governments—as Soon as the population, opulence and commerce was increased to that
degree, that everÿ part—could be compared to the whole at present? Would it not be
easier to preserve peace between two, three or more States upon the Continent—than
between 14 or fifteen States—of Such different intrests—united together by a feeble
fee—in the possession of Such a population, opulence and commerce, as wil be the case in
half a centurÿ—but more than enough, if your Excellency is not discontent
with it; and excuse the trouble I had occasioned—being persuaded, that Your Excellency
may receive more elaborate and useful Political productions, and offerings of
Services—though I dare adfirm, that not one of them, wil be with higher and Sincerer
esteem and respect, than I.
Sir! / Your Excellency’s most obedient / and obliged Servant
Fr Adr. vanderkemp.
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Fr. Ad. Van der Kemp / Kingston. 17. March / ansd. 27. 1790.”
1. Van der Kemp also wrote to George Washington on 17 March, seeking restitution amounting to “45000 Guldens—or 7500£ Newyorks Currency” for the fine paid to end his 1787 imprisonment in the Netherlands. Washington referred the query to Thomas Jefferson, who responded on 31 March 1790, informing Van der Kemp that, as there was no minister resident at The Hague following JA’s departure, the American government lacked a diplomatic channel to address the grievance (to Van der Kemp, 27 Feb., above; , 5:244, 245).