on the wicked & unfaithful.  Mr Lee has as yet had neither Smiles nor Frowns.  I am still in hopes, he will meet with the Rewards which I am sure he would have receivd if he had returnd a few years ago.  He will have them, when the Trustees of the Publick shall have Fortitude enough, to be uninfluencd by great Names & Characters given to Men of base & depraved Minds.  You will ask, when that will be.  Perhaps not in this Age.  But the Historian will in some future time draw forth the Proofs of his Patriotism, & unprejudicd Posterity will acknowledge that Arthur Lee has borne a great Share in defending & establishing the Liberties of America.  I say Posterity; for I believe that a wiser Generation will enjoy the Fruits of the Toil of Patriots & Heroes in the present Day.

My Friend, we must not suffer any thing to discourage us in this great Conflict.  Let us recur to first Principles without Delay.  It is our Duty, to make every proper Exertion in our respective States to revive the old patriotick Feelings among the People at large, and to get the publick Departments, especially the most important of them, filled with Men of Understanding & inflexible Virtue.  It would be indeed alarming, if the United States should ever entrust the Ship in which our all is at Stake, with inexperiencd or unprincipled Pilots.  Our Cause is surely too interesting to Mankind, to be put under the Direction of Men, vain, avaricious or conceald under the Hypocritical Guise of Patriotism, without a Spark of publick or private Virtue.  We may possibly be more in Danger of this, than many of our honest Citizens may imagine.  Is there not Reason to apprehend, that even those who are inimical to our Cause may steal into Places of the highest Trust?  I need not remind you that Men of this Character have had Seats in Congress from the begining.  Where is Galloway, low, Allen & Alexander?—­If it was so in those Times of Vigilance & Zeal, how much more is it to be expected, when the Love of many is waxen cold, & their Minds are distracted with the Pursuit of Pleasure & exorbitant Riches.  We cannot be perswaded to believe that bad Men have been sent by their States with a View of giving a fatal Stab to our Cause in its Infancy; but is it unreasonable to suppose that their Elections were secretly influencd by artful Men, with that Design.  Our most dangerous Enemies may be in our Bosoms.

Mr Lee will inform you how Matters go on here.

I must let you know that when your Kinsman Mr William Lee was in Boston in Sept 1779 he borrowed five hundred Dollars of Moses Gill Esqr, and drew his Bill on his Brother Mr George Lee of Westmoreland County.  I wish it may be paid on Sight, for it was advancd on my Application.

My Regards to Mrs Lee &c.  Adieu & believe me to be

Your Friend

TO JOHN PITTS.

[Ms., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

PHILAD.  Jany 17 1781