Whipple, William, Signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Hampshire

Whipple seems to endorse the persecution of Quakers as necessary to "distinguish our Friends from our Enemies." Whipple's letter to his brother-in-law begins in a light tone, as he chides Brackett about his failings as a correspondent. "I hoped the last post would have brout me a letter from you giving a particular acct. of the flagg that arrived from New York the day I set out, with any other matters that might have arrived since I left you, but I find the old (adage out of sight out of mind) every day verified.—Experience has taught me that Friendship alone is not sufficient to induce a correspondence, and when I consider my inability to render a correspondence with me profitable to any one, I despair of enjoying that satisfaction ... and after giving up all thots of a voluntary correspondence with you I have concluded to endeavor to force one, for I do not see you you can with, common decency avoid answering my letter, ... & when you have your pen in your hand and the paper before you I flatter myself you will go a little farther & give any intelligence that may be passing amongst you, more especially any such as I may, in my present situation, improve to the public advantage." For his own part, however, Whipple admits that he has no recent news from Europe to share: "Whether the Enemy will leave New York or not is a mere matter of Opinion in which people are much divided, some are very confident they will evacuate their posts others will have it that Garrison will be left at New York & Newport which opinion is right time only can determine."

Whipple grows more serious as he surveys the current scene in Philadelphia. After deprecating the activities of speculators ("I hope the plan of Finance now under consideration will cause those pests to society to burn their fingers ... I wish some law could be devised to end their existence"), Whipple provides an unusual insight on the plight of Quakers in Pennsylvania, whose pacifism made them suspect to patriots and loyalists alike. "The Laws of this State are exercised with vigor, two old Quakes died by the halter the day I arrived they were both men of much consideration in that Society & one of them of very large property some others are under sentence of death, & many more under confinement for tryal I wish Laws were made to support the like spirited measures in some other States I shod then be in hopes that the proper lines would be drawn by which we might distinguish our Friends from our Enemies."