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Kinna to John Quincy Adams, Jan.4, 1841. Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical
Society.
Westville Jan. 4th 1841
Dear Friend,
I want to write you a few lines my dear friend because you love us, and because you
talk to the great court, and tell America people to make us free. We want to go home
to Mendi and see our fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters. When we in ship
we have no waters; we came on shore for waters. We see American people. American
people say we have no slaves and we make you free. They promise us to make us free.
Mr. Tappan comes from New York and gives us Bible. He brings good tidings; he say
we make you free. Then the court no let us go; then call Mendi people come to New
Haven and Judge Judson say you be free, but Government say Kinne tell you manfriend
no believe wicked people. Some White people, good, not all, some bad. Wicked people
say Mendi people lie, steal, Mendi people drink wine, Mendi people swear, Mendi people
all bad. Dear friend, bad people say so. Mendi people no lie, not steal, no swear,
no drink rum, no fight. What Mendi fight for? Mendi people love one another. Mendi
people pray every evening and every night and every morning. Mendi people pray God
forgive their sins and make them good. Mendi people pray God bless their teachers
and you, Dear Friend, and Mr. Baldwin, and help you talk to the great court. Mendi
people pray God give success, a good heart that they let us go free, dear friend.
May you have heart to see Mendi people. You thought Mendi people bad people. No.
Bad people say Mendi people murderers because we kill Captain and cook. If we have
knife and come to America people and say I kill and eat, what America people do?
Mendi people no kill Captain and cook; they no kill us. Mendi people no hurt any
body. Dear Friend Mr. Adams. We love you very much & beg you to tell court let
Mendi people be free. We beg you to talk hard. You make us free and we thank you
very much and we pray for you every day and when we go home to Mendi we tell our
fathers and Mothers and brothers and sisters to pray for Mr. Adams, and they all
will thank you very much my dear friend.
Your friend Kinna
