Litchfield enquirer., 1852-01-15
From the Boston Evening Transcript.
Diary of John Adams.

the tuiug'eu DidFY aiM AUTOBIOGRAPHY
relative to the Congressional movement
Immediately subsequent TO the Declara-
ton of Independence. Of these, one Of
the most striking personal interest is the
interview of the delegation of Congress
with Lord Howe, at The latte's solicita-
ton, on Staten Island. in Sepl'r. 1870.
The object was negotiation of the exit.
ing difficulties but. being found to be
based on the now impossible condition of
allegiance to Britain, the interview which
took place was brought to an immediate
conclusion. Franklin, Edward Rutledge
and John Adams were the committee OF
Congress. They travelled across the
State of New Jersey to Amboy. On the
way a scene occurred highly character
istic of the philosopher, which we are
grateful to John Adams for preserving.
1t is, too, a good political precedent for
the man who slept with John Tyler:
JOHN ADAMS AND DIR. FRANKLIN IN ONE BED
"The taverns were SO full we could
witt, difficu lty obtain entertainment. AT
Brunswick but one bed could be procu-
red for Dr.. Franklin and me, in cham
Der little larger than tue bed, without
a chimney, and with only one small win
dow. The window was open. and I, who
was an invalid and afraid of the air in the
night. shut il down. 'Ohr says Franks
lin, don't shut the window. we shall be
sufocated. | answered | was afraid Of
the evening air. Dr.. Franklin replied:
The air within this chamber will soon be
and indeed now is. worse than that with.
out doors. Come, open the window, and
come to bed, and l will convince you. l
believe You are not acquainted with my
theory of colds Opening the window,
d Ieaping into bed, l said had read
his letters to DR.. Cooper, in which he
had advanced that nobody ever got cold
by going into cold church or any other
cold air, but the theoty was so htt'e con
sisteut with my experience that tho't
il paradox. However, had so much
curiosity to hear his reasons that would
run the risk of a cold.
The doctor then began ha r ngue up
on air and cold, and respiration and per-
spiration, with which l was so amused
that / soon fell asleep. ard left him and
his philosophy together. but believe
they were equally sound and insenslble
within a few u,simutvs after me, for the
last words / heard were pronounced as
if he was more than half asleep. | re-
member little Of the lecture, except that
the human body by respiration and per-
spiration, destroys Il gallon Of air in a
minute so that two such persons as were
now in that chamber would consume all
the air in it in an hour or two that by
breathing over again the matter thlown
off by the lungs and the skin, we should
imbibe the real cause of colds, not from
abroad, but within. l am not inclined
to introduce here dissertation on this
subject. There is much truth in some
things he advanced. believe, but they
warrant not the assertion that cold Is
never taken from cold mir. l have often
conversed with him since on the same
subject, and believe with him that colds
are often taken in foul air in close rooms,
but they are often taken from cold ail
abroad. too. have often asked him
whether person heated with exercise
going suddenly into cold air. or standing
still in current of it, might not have biz
pores suddenly contracted. his perspila
lion stopped. and that matter thrown in
to the circulation. or cast upon the lungs
which he acknowledged was the cause 0
. colds. TO this he never could give me I
satisfactory answer, and have heard tina
in the opinion of his own able physician
DR.. Jones, he fell q sacrifice at last, no
to the stone, but to his own theory, ha'
wing caught the violent cold which 6nal'
ly choksd him. by sitting for some hours
at window with the cold air blowing
upon him." ~
A stone house at Wards Point. oppo
site Am5oy. where we suppose the in
terview with Howe to have taken place
is still standing. The quiet bank, OF
which there is now nothing more pungen
than calamus, then bristled with military
equipments. I'VE walked up to Oh,
house, (says Adams) between two line
Of guards Of grenadiers, locking fierce a
ten Fures. and making all the grimace
and gestures, and motions Of their mus
kets, with haYonets fixed. which | sup
pose military etiquette requires, but which
we neither understood nor regarded. =
The interior was in. better taste. /" Tin
house had been the habitation OF mil
itary guards, and was as dirty as stable
but his lordship had prepared a large
handsome room. by spreading a carpe
of moss and green sp,igs, from bnshe
and Shrubs in the neislborhood. till h
had made II not only wholesome, but 70
manticilly elegant. and he entertained u
with g"od cllre.. good bread, cod ham
tongues and mutton"
The occasion did not pass over with
oat reply from franklin. Lord Howe
was profuse in bis expressions Of gf'sti'
/. tude TO the State Of Massachusetts, TO
, erecting amar5le monamcnti in Westniin