Quote by John Adams
You say that at the time of the Congress, in 1765, The great mass of the people were zealous in the cause of America. The great mass of the people is an expression that deserves analysis. New York and Pennsylvania were so nearly divided, if their propensity was not against us, that if New England on one side and Virginia on the other had not kept them in awe, they would have joined the British. Marshall, in his life of Washington, tells us, that the southern States were nearly equally divided. Look into the Journals of Congress, and you will see how seditious, how near rebellion were several counties of New York, and how much trouble we had to compose them. The last contest, in the town of Boston, in 1775, between whig and tory, was decided by five against two. Upon the whole, if we allow two thirds of the people to have been with us in the revolution, is not the allowance ample? Are not two thirds of the nation now with the administration? Divided we ever have been, and ever must be. Two thirds always had and will have more difficulty to struggle with the one third than with all our foreign enemies.
Summary
In this quote, the speaker argues that the idea of the "great mass of the people" being zealous for the cause of America during the Congress in 1765 requires analysis. They point out that, in reality, certain colonies such as New York and Pennsylvania were so divided that they might have sided with the British if it wasn't for the influence of New England and Virginia. They also highlight that Southern States were nearly equally divided. The speaker suggests that if we consider two-thirds of the population as being supportive of the revolution, it is a significant number. Lastly, they assert that historic divisions exist, and it will always be more challenging to reconcile with one-third of the population rather than foreign enemies. Overall, the quote emphasizes the complexities and divisions that existed within the American population during the Revolutionary period.
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