“And must I break the chain of my thoughts, to go down and gnaw a morsel of a damn’d hogs arse”?

From Founders Online My own paragraphing.

In 1775 Franklin made a morning Visit, at Mrs Yards to Sam. Adams and John. He was unusually loquacious. “Man, a rational Creature”! said Franklin. “Come; Let us suppose a rational man. Strip him of all his appetites, especially of his hunger and thirst. He is in his chamber, engaged in making experiments, or in pursuing some problem. He is highly entertained. At this moment a servant knocks, “Sir dinner is on table.” “Dinner”! Pox! Pough! But what have you for dinner?” Ham and chickens. “Ham”! “And must I break the chain of my thoughts, to go down and gnaw a morsel of a damn’d hogs arse”? “Put aside your ham.” “I will dine tomorrow.”

Take away appetite and the present generation would not live a month and no future generation would ever exist. Thus the exalted dignity of human nature would be annihilated and lost. And in my opinion, the whole loss would be of no more importance, than putting out a candle, quenching a torch, or crushing a firefly, if in this world only we have hope.

Your distinction between natural and artificial aristocracy does not appear to me well founded. Birth and wealth are conferred on some men, as imperiously by nature, as genius, strength or beauty. The Heir to honors and riches, and power has often no more merit in procuring these advantages, than he has in obtaining an handsome face or an elegant figure. When aristocracies, are established by human laws and honor, wealth, and power are made hereditary by municipal laws and political institutions, then I acknowledge artificial aristocracy to commence. But this never commences, till corruption in elections becomes dominant and uncontrollable. But this artificial aristocracy can never last. The everlasting envys, jealousies, rivalries and quarrels among them, their cruel rapacities upon the poor ignorant people their followers, compel these to set up Cæsar, a demagogue to be a monarch and master, pour mettre chacun a sa place. Here you have the origin of all artificial aristocracy, which is the origin of all monarchy. And both artificial aristocracy, and monarchy, and civil, military, political and hierarchical despotism, have all grown out of the natural aristocracy of virtues and talents.

We, to be sure, are far remote from this. Many hundred years must roll away before we shall be corrupted. Our pure, virtuous, public spirited federative republic will last for ever, govern the globe and introduce the perfection of man, his perfectibility being already proved by Price, Priestly, Condorcet, Rousseau, Diderot, and Godwin.

Mischief has been done by the Senate of the United States. I have known and felt more of this mischief, than Washington, Jefferson, and Madison altogether. But this has been all caused by the constitutional power of the Senate, in executive business, which ought to be immediately, totally and eternally abolished.

Your distinction between the αριστοι and pseudo αριστοι, will not help the matter. I would trust one as soon as the other with unlimited power. The law wisely refuses an oath as a witness in his own cause to the saint as well as to the sinner.

No Romance would be more amusing, than the history of your Virginian and our new England aristocratical families. Yet even in Rhode Island, where there has been no clergy, no church, and I had almost said, no state, and some people say no religion, there has been a constant respect for certain old families. Fifty-seven or fifty-eight years ago, in company with Colonel, Counsellor, Judge, John Chandler, whom I have quoted before, a newspaper was brought in. The old sage asked me to look for the news from Rhode Island and see how the elections had gone there. I read the list of Wantons, Watsons, Greens, Whipples, Malbones &c. “I expected as much,” said the aged Gentleman, “for I have always been of opinion, that in the most popular governments, the elections will generally go in favor of the most ancient families.” To this day when any of these tribes - and we may add Ellerys, Channings, Champlins, &c - are pleased to fall in with the popular current, they are sure to carry all before them.

You suppose a difference of opinion between you and me, on this subject of aristocracy. I can find none. I dislike and detest hereditary honors, offices emoluments established by law. So do you. I am for excluding legal hereditary distinctions from the U.S. as long as possible. So are you. I only say that mankind have not yet discovered any remedy against irresistible corruption in elections to offices of great power and profit, but making them hereditary.

But will you say our elections are pure? Be it so; upon the whole. But do you recollect in history, a more corrupt election than that of Aaron Burr to be President, or that of De Witt Clinton last year. By corruption, here I mean a sacrifice of every national interest and honor, to private and party objects.

I see the same spirit in Virginia, that you and I see in Rhode Island and the rest of New England. In New York it is a struggle of family feuds. A feudal aristocracy. Pennsylvania is a contest between German, Irish and old English families.
When Germans and Irish unite, they give 30,000 majorities. There is virtually a White Rose and a Red Rose, a Cæsar and a Pompey in every State in this Union and contests and dissensions will be as lasting. The rivalry of Bourbons and Noailleses produced the French Revolution, and a similar competition for consideration and influence, exists and prevails in every village in the World.

Where will terminate, the rabies agri? The continent will be scattered over with manors, much larger than Livingston's, Van Ranselaer's, or Phillips’s. Even our Deacon Strong will have a principality among you Southern folk. What inequality of talents will be produced by these land jobbers?

Where tends the mania for banks? At my table in Philadelphia, I once proposed to you to unite in endeavors to obtain an amendment of the constitution, prohibiting to the seperate States, the Power of creating Banks; but giving Congress authority to establish one bank, with a branch in each State; the whole limited to ten millions of dollars.

Whether this project was wise or unwise, I know not, for I had deliberated little on it then and have never thought it worth thinking much of since. But you spurned the proposition from you with disdain.

This system of banks begotten, hatched and brooded by Duer, Robert and Gouverneur Morris, Hamilton and Washington, I have always considered as a system of national injustice. A sacrifice of public and private interest to a few aristocratical friends and favorites. My scheme could have had no such effect.

Verres plundered temples and robbed a few rich men: but he never made such ravages among private property in general, nor swindled so much out of the pockets of the poor and the middle class of people as these banks have done. No people but this would have borne the imposition so long. The people of Ireland would not bear Woods half pence. What inequalities of talent, have been introduced into this country by these aristocratical banks!

Our Winthrops, Winslows, Bradfords, Saltonstalls, Quincys, Chandlers, Leonards, Hutchinsons, Olivers, Sewalls &c are precisely in the situation of your Randolphs, Carters and Burwells, and Harrisons. Some of them unpopular for the part they took in the late revolution, but all respected for their names and connections and whenever they fall in with the popular sentiments, are preferred, ceteris paribus to all others. When I was young, the Summum Bonum in Massachusetts, was to be worth ten thousand pounds sterling, ride in a chariot, be Colonel of a regiment of militia and hold a seat in his Majesty’s council. No man's imagination aspired to any thing higher, beneath the skies. But these Plumbs, Chariots, Colonelships and Counsellorships are recorded and will never be forgotten. No great accumulations of land were made by our early settlers. Mr Baudoin a French refugee, made the first great purchases and your General Dearborne, born under a fortunate Star is now enjoying a large portion of the aristocratical sweets of them.

As I have no amanuenses but females, and there is so much about generation in this letter that I dare not ask any one of them to copy it, and I cannot copy it my self I must beg of you to return it to me.

your old Friend

John Adams.