1776 (1972)

Daniel Keyes: Dr. Josiah Bartlett (NH)

Quotes 

• Dr. Josiah Bartlett : Mr. Jefferson, I beg you to remember that we still have friends in England. I see no purpose in antagonizing them with such phrases as "unfeeling brethren" and "enemies at war." Our quarrel is with the British king, not the British people.

  John Adams : Oh, be sensible Bartlett, remove those phrases and the entire paragraph becomes meaningless! And it so happens that it's one of the most stirring and poetic of any passage in the entire document.

  Dr. Josiah Bartlett : We're a congress, Mr. Adams, not a literary society. I ask that the entire paragraph be stricken.

  Hancock : Mr. Jefferson?

  [Jefferson nods] 

  John Adams : Good God, Jefferson when are you going to speak up for your own work?

  Thomas Jefferson : I had hoped that the work would speak for itself.

• John Adams : [after the South's walkout]  Stephen, I want you to...

  Stephen Hopkins : I'm going to the tavern, Johnny. If there's anything I can do for you there, let me know.

  John Adams : [the others start to leave, too]  Chase. Bartlett!

  Dr. Josiah Bartlett : What's the use, John? The vote's tomorrow morning.

  Samuel Chase : There's left than a full day left.

  John Adams : Roger.

  Roger Sherman : Face facts, John. It's finished.

  Rev. John Witherspoon : I'm sorry, John.

• Samuel Chase : Face facts, Mr. Adams. A group of drunk and disorderly recruits against the entire British army, the finest musketmen on Earth. How can we win? How can we even hope to survive?

  John Adams : Answer me straight, Chase: if you thought we *could* beat the Redcoats, would Maryland say yea to independence?

  Samuel Chase : Well, I suppose...

  John Adams : No supposing. Would you or wouldn't you?

  Samuel Chase : Very well, Mr. Adams. Yes, we would.

  John Adams : Then come with me to New Brunswick and see for yourself.

  Col. Thomas McKean : John, are you mad?

  Dr. Josiah Bartlett : You heard what Washington said. It's a shambles.

  Stephen Hopkins : They're pushing you into it, Johnny!

  John Adams : [waving their concerns off]  What do you say, Chase?

  Dr. Josiah Bartlett : Go ahead, Sam. It sounds lively as hell up there.

  Samuel Chase : All right, why not? And maybe it'll be John Adams who comes to his senses.

• Edward Rutledge : [starts singing "Molasses to Rum to Slaves"]  Molasses to rum to sla-aves... / Oh, what a beautiful waltz... / You dance with us, we dance with you, / In molasses and rum and sla-aves... / Who'll sail the ships out of Boston, laden with Bibles and rum? / Who drinks a toast, to the Ivory Coast? / Hail, Africa, the slavers have come, / New England, with Bibles and rum...! / Then it's off with the rum and the Bibles, / Take on the slaves, clink, clink, / Then hail and farewell to the smell... / Of the African coast...

  Edward Rutledge : Molassses to rum to sla-aves... / 'Tisn't morals, 'tis money that saves... / Shall we dance to the sound, of the profitable pound, / In molasses and rum and sla-aves...?

  Edward Rutledge : Who'll sail the ships out of Guinea, laden with Bibles and slaves...? / 'Tis Boston can boast, to the West Indies coast, / "Jamaica, we brung what you craves!" / "Antigua, Barbados, we brung Bibles and sla-aves!" /

  Edward Rutledge : [spoken]  Gentlemen, you mustn't think that our Northern friends here see our black slaves as merely figures in a ledger. Oh no, they see them as figures on a block! Look at the faces at the auctions, gentlemen: white faces on African wharves, seafaring faces, New England faces. Put them in the ships, cram them in the ships! Stuff them in the ships! Hurry, gentlemen, let the auction begin!

  Edward Rutledge : [sung]  Yo-ho, yo ho-maa kundah!

  Edward Rutledge : Gentlemen, can you hear? That's the cry of the auctioneer!

  Edward Rutledge : [sung]  Yo-ho, yo ho-maa kundah! Slaves, gentlemen, black go-old! Living gold! Gold from Angola, guinea, guinea, guinea! Blackbirds for sale! Ashanti! Ibo, ibo, ibo! Blackbirds for sale! Ha-andle them! Fondle them! But don't finger them! They're fine, they're prime! Yo-ho, yo ho-maa kundah!

  Dr. Josiah Bartlett : [stands up in outrage]  For the love of God, Mr. Rutledge, please!