與約翰的通信
Correspondence with John

(American Memory Collection, Library of Congress)

不要讓丈夫們掌握如此無限制的權力。要記住，所有的男人只要可能都會成為暴君的。

艾碧琪‧亞當斯(1744－1818)生於麻塞諸塞，主要通過自學閱讀了大量歷史書籍。1764年嫁給約翰‧亞當斯，他當時還是一位年輕的波士頓律師。在亞當斯常年離家忙於公務的歲月裏，這對夫婦保持經常通信。在許多年裏──當約翰‧亞當斯出席大陸議會，或到國外當外交官，或當副總統和總統時──艾碧琪‧亞當斯常給家人和朋友寫信描述她自己的生活。她不僅捍衛婦女的權利，而且反對奴隸制。

1776年3月31日，當大陸議會正在認真考慮獨立時，艾碧琪‧亞當斯寫信給她丈夫。在描述了麻塞諸塞春天到來的情景後，她提醒她丈夫在制定新法典時要「記住女士們」。在亞當斯1776年4月14日給他妻子的回信中，他把她的「特別法典」視作他愛妻的一個小小玩笑。

艾碧琪給約翰的信

……我盼著聽到你們宣佈獨立的消息。順便說一下，我想你們將需要立個新法典，在這個新的法典裏，我們希望你們能記住女士們，而且要比你們的先輩們對她們更寬大，更好。不要讓丈夫們掌握如此無限制的權力。要記住，所有的男人只要可能都會成為暴君的。如果對女士沒有給予特別的照顧和重視，我們就決心煽動大家造反，我們不會讓那些我們沒有發言權或代表參加制定的法律來約束我們。

你們男人天生霸道，這是確定無疑的事實，毋庸爭辯。但是，像你這樣希望得到幸福的人，是很願意放棄「主人」這個刺耳的稱號而換上「朋友」這個更溫柔親切的稱號。那麼，你們為什麼不使那些邪惡之徒和目無法紀的人無法以殘忍的手段和侮辱來對待我們時逍遙法外。任何時代，通情達理的人都憎惡那些只把我們當作你們男人的花瓶的習俗。請把我們當作是上帝置於你們保護之下的生靈，傚法上帝，使用那種權力，僅僅是為了給我們造福。

約翰給艾碧琪的信

……至於你的特別法典，我只能一笑置之。人家已經對我們說，我們的鬥爭已經使各地都放鬆了政府的管束。孩子和學徒都變得違拗不順，中小學和大學滋生騷亂，印地安人蔑視監護人，黑奴對主人粗暴無禮。但是，你的信第一次正式宣告又有一個族群滋生不滿，而且這群人比其他所有族群人數更多，力量更大。你這是給我提出了一個相當棘手的建議，但你既然這麼孟浪地提出來了，我是不會忘掉的。

可以肯定地說，除了廢除我們的男性制度外，我們知道做什麼更好。雖然這些男性制度現在正全面實施。但你知道它們只不過是理論而已。我們並不敢全面行使我們的權力。我們必須公正溫和，實際上你知道我們都是庶民。我們僅有主人之名，而且寧可放棄這個名分，這樣就使我們完全服從 於婦女的專制。我希望華盛頓將軍以及我們所有勇敢的英雄都來戰鬥，我肯定每一個好的政治家都會終身謀劃反對專制、帝國、君權、貴族、寡頭政治或暴民政治。這的確是個動聽的故事。我開始認為內閣既深謀遠慮又邪惡。在煽起托利黨人、土地投機商、騎牆派、盲信者、加拿大人、印地安人、黑人、漢諾威人、赫斯州人、俄國人、愛爾蘭羅馬天主教徒、蘇格蘭叛教者之後，最後他們又激起女士們來要求新的特權，而且威脅要造反。

ABIGAIL to JOHN

I long to hear that you have declared an Independency--and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.

    That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the more lender and endearing one of Friend. Why then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and the Lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity with impunity. Men of Sense in all Ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the vassals of your Sex. Regard us then as Beings placed by providence under your protection and in immitation of the Supreem Being make use of that power only for our happiness.

JOHN to ABIGAIL

. . . As to your extraordinary Code of Laws, cannot but laugh. We have been told that our Struggle has loosened the bands of Government every where. That Children and Apprentices were disobedient--that schools and Colledges were grown turbulent--that Indians slighted Their Guardians and Negroes grew insolent to Their Masters. But your Letter was the first Intimation that another Tribe more numerous and powerfull than all the rest were grown discontented.--This is rather too coarse a Compliment but you are so saucy, I wont blot it out.

    Depend upon it, We know better than to repeal our Masculine systems. Altho they are in full Force, you know they are little more than Theory. We dare not exert our Power in its full Latitude. We are obliged to go fair, and softly, and in Practice you know We are the subjects. We have only the Name of Masters, and rather than give up this, which would compleatly subject Us to the Despotism of the Peticoat, I hope General Washington, and all our brave Heroes would fight. I am sure every good Politician would plot, as long as he would against Despotism, Empire, Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, or Ochlocracy.--A fine Story indeed. I begin to think the Ministry as deep as they are wicked.

    After stirring up Tories, Landjobbers, Trimmers, Bigots, Canadians, Indians, Negroes, Hanoverians, Hessians, Russians, Irish Roman Catholicks, Scotch Renegadoes, at last they have stimulated the [Ladies] to demand new Priviledges and threaten to rebell.