He makes a twofold calculation, and provides for failure as well. Ten years of struggling he hopes will end his labors. Then he proposes to spend the remainder of his years in a delightful quietude, which, alas! he was not destined to enjoy. Death found John Fenno still at work.
New York, April 5, 1789.
Dear Sir: I had the pleasure to hear last evening that you were recruiting after an attack of your old complaint. You must take care. There is a season in our lives when we reel off our years two threads at a time. I am now come to a point, and the appearance of the paper will determine its fate. We shall, as you observe, have many good men in Congress, and some so-so. You will perceive the House has chosen a Speaker from Phila. and a Clerk from Virginia. Mr. Otis was a candidate for the last, and is now pushing for Clerk to Senate, but has powerful competitors. There are applicants from all parts—a dozen for an office. As soon as I begin, which will be in eight or ten days, I shall offer my services, and hope for a slice from the printing loaf, if no more. Should I fail, the paper shall be prosecuted under every advantage that will produce the ready. Among other projects that have occupied my mind, should I fail of publick patronage as a printer, I have thought of advertising myself as a residuary agent at the seat of the National Government, and in that character offer my services to those individuals, through the Union, who may have business to transact with Congress that may be done by an agent. What think you of the idea as a Corps de reserve? I think the features of Mr. L. are strongly impressed upon several recent publications. If our men of sense, property, and principle would unite, they would be like a whirlwind that would sweep the chaff of antifederalism, juntoism, idolatry, and nonsense into nonentity. Thank you for all your great and unmerited favours to me and mine. My love to your love and to your children; and pray, take care of yourself, for I hope to come and spend many happy years with you, after the necessary is done here—and that will be in less than ten years, I hope. However lightly we may have thought of laying our bones among the dust of our ancestors, I think differently now. The very dust of New England is dear to me; therefore take care of yourself, and do not think of quitting us this twenty or thirty years, that to all the good advice you have given one profitable to live by, I may (should Providence so ordain) have my education finished by being taught how to die. Adieu, my dear Sir, and accept the ardent wishes, for the happiness of you and yours, of
your old friend and servant,
John Fenno.
The printer has been getting deeper and deeper into debt. His creditors are coming upon him for payment. It is the old story, and need not be detailed. He here sets in a very clear light the troubles then existing among the common schools.
New York, July 5, 1789.
Dear Sir: Your inestimable favour of the 30th ult. I reed, last evening. I perceive you began, "also some queries from ." Why did you not continue the sentence? There are not many things which I am not prepared for. If it respects the debt I owe him, please tell him that, when by the dint of a course of labour and application, the severity of which he can form no conception of, I shall be in such a situation as to get bread for my children, I shall then think of him,—although there is something sometimes found in the heart of a stranger which would preclude an application for a debt circumstanced as this is. This demand certainly ought to be absorbed in the enormous rent which was paid for nearly three years; the demand, however, is legal, and must be paid. * * * * Your account of the poor schoolmaster's fate anticipates an answer upon this subject to some queries I wrote to . "It is astonishing to me that the great mass of the citizens should suffer their dearest interests to be destroyed by a few men, who themselves would not suffer if every free school in the town was annihilated. Do the middling and poorer classes of citizens realize the advantages they enjoy? The expense that my parents were put to for the education I obtained in the Town-school was not two dollars a year, exclusive of the very small tax upon that account. So good a chance for learning cannot be had out of New England under twenty dollars a year, and equal taxes into the bargain. I look to the institution, independent of the masters. Good men certainly ought to be employed; and if the institutions are not supported properly, they will fall to the ground, or, which is as bad, you will have none but the refuse of the world for the preceptors of your children. Whether sufficient attention has been paid to this point I will not determine. Discouraging the free schools is encouraging private, and shutting the door to learning in the face of the poor. The encrease of private schools has diminished the emoluments of the public masters of late years, which renders it necessary that their salaries should be higher than formerly. The whole expense of the public schools does not amount to so great a sum as the town pays to certain hungry creditors (who urge the reduction of the salaries) for interest upon interest upon paper-money debts." These observations may be made a paragraph if you think proper. I perceive by some of your papers that the leaven of iniquity is beginning to work. The publishing of Gerry's speech, solus, is a bare-faced violation of impartiality, and is evidently designed to make an impression that shall forestall the public sentiment. The printer that can be made the tool of a party in so flagrant a manner merits universal contempt. I should equally reprobate similar conduct on the other side. May confusion cover the restless sons of discord and anarchy. I hope you will properly notice this We yesterday celebrated independence, I mean the
