Falmouth March 18th 1775
Sir
A sacred regard to american association on the one hand and an earnest desire not to injure my fellow subjects in Great Britain on the other is the reason of my writing you at this time to request your advice for my future conduct and also to confirm or set me right in my judgment in a late affair that has happend in this Port the case is as follows a Vessell arivd here from Bristol the 2d inst with rigging and sails for a new Ship owned by a Mercht in Bristol in order to carry his Ship home ー The question was whether the puting said rigging and sails on board said Ship which had been ready to receive them ever since Last fall and go immediately back with them to England would be a breach of the association ー I was of opinion that it would not being one of the Committee of Inspection. your answer will very much Oblige
Sir [&c.]
John Waite
P:S: the mercht that owned said rigging and sails did not know of the american association when he shipd them John Adams Esqr
1. Adams Family Papers, MassHS. Materials drawn from the Adams Papers in the Massachusetts Historical Society are copyrighted and are printed by special permission of the Society. Waite was a selectman of Falmouth.
