University of Virginia Library

84. ADAMS (John), Peace Commission.

—I am glad that he is of the [Peace] Commission,
and expect he will be useful in it. His
dislike of all parties and all men, by balancing
his prejudices, may give them some fair play
to his reason as would a general benevolence of
temper. At any rate honesty may be extracted
even from poisonous weeds.—
To James Madison. Ford ed., iii, 309.
(B. Feb. 1783)