I'm Mary Catherine, and I'm celebrating America 250 by reading primary documents written for or by the founders for as many of the years as I can.

Thanks for joining me for this mini episode of Getting Hammered.

Today in 1776, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that we have another letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams.

In this missive, he confides in her about a delicate diplomatic mission to Canada,

admires her mastery of the French language, and tells her about common sense, Thomas Payne's

influential pamphlet released in January. My dearest friend, I sent you from New York a pamphlet

entitled Common Sense, written in vindication of doctrines which there is reason to expect that

the further encroachments of tyranny and depredations of oppression will soon make the common faith, unless the cunning

ministry by proposing negotiations in terms of reconciliation should divert the present current

from its channel. Reconciliation, if practicable and peace, if attainable, you very well know,

would be as agreeable to my inclinations and

as advantageous to my interest as to any man's. But I see no prospect, no probability, no

possibility, and I cannot but despise the understanding which sincerely expects an honorable

peace for its credulity, and detest the hypocritical heart, which pretends to expect it when in truth

it does not.

The newspapers here are full of free speculations, the tendency of which you will easily discover.

The writer's reason from topics which have been long in contemplation and fully understood by the

people at large in New England, but have been attended to in the southern colonies only by

gentlemen of free spirits and liberal minds,

who are very few. I shall endeavor to enclose to you as many of the papers and pamphlets as I can,

as long as I stay here. Some will go by this conveyance. Dr. Franklin, Mr. Chase, and Mr. Charles

Carroll of Carrollton and Maryland are chosen a committee to go into Canada. The last is not a member

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