re
its toleration leads to public ruin. As, for the safety of society,
we commit honest maniacs to Bedlam, so judges should be withdrawn from
their bench, whose erroneous biases are leading us to dissolution.
It may, indeed, injure them in fame or in fortune; but it saves the
Republic, which is the first and supreme law.

* In the impeachment of Judge Pickering, of New Hampshire, a
habitual and maniac drunkard, no defence was made. Had there
been, the party vote of more than one third of the Senate
would have acquitted him.

Among the debilities of the government of the Confederation, no one was
more distinguished or more distressing, than the utter impossibility
of obtaining, from the States, the monies necessary for the payment
of debts, or even for the ordinary expenses of the government. Some
contributed a little, some less, and some nothing; and the last,
furnished at length an excuse for the first, to do nothing also. Mr.
Adams, while residing at the Hague, had a general authority to borrow
what sums might be requisite, for ordinary and necessary expenses.
Interest on the public debt, and the maintenance of the diplomatic
establishment in Europe, had been habitually provided in this way. He
was now elected Vice-President of the United States, was soon to return
to America, and had referred our bankers to me for future counsel, on
our affairs in their hands. But I had no powers, no instructions,
no means, and no familiarity with the subject. It had always been
exclusively under his management, except as to occasional and partial
deposites in the hands of Mr. Grand, banker in Paris, for special and
local purposes. These last had been exhausted for some time, and I
had fervently pressed the Treasury board to replenish this particular
deposite, as Mr. Grand now refused to make further advances. They
answered candidly, that no funds could be obtained until the
new government should get into action, and have time to make its
arrangements. Mr. Adams had received his appointment to the court of
London, while engaged at Paris, with Dr. Franklin and myself, in the
negotiations under our joint commissions. He had repaired thence
to London, without returning to the Hague, to take leave of that
government. He thought it necessary, however, to do so now, before he
should leave Europe, and accordingly went there. I learned his departure
from London, by a letter from Mrs. Adams, received on the very day on