1From John Adams to James Sullivan, 26 May 1776 (Adams Papers)
Your Favours of May 9th. and 17th. are now before me; and I consider them as the Commencement of a Correspondence, which will not only give me Pleasure, but may be of Service to the public, as, in my present Station I Stand in need of the best Intelligence, and the Advice of every Gentleman of Abilities and public Principles, in the Colony which has seen fit to place me here. Our worthy...
2From John Adams to James Sullivan, 6 September 1782 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with your Letter of the 24. of July and feel myself under Obligations to you for it, So much the greater as it contains freer Sentiments than most of my Friends ever write me, and as it is almost the only Letter, I received by that Conveyance, except from my Family. My Friends Sir have almost forgotten me, by Way of Retaliation I Suppose for my Apparent Neglect of them. I have...
3John Adams to James Sullivan, 20 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
I am very much obliged by your Favour of the 21. of December. it is a great Pleasure to learn that the Treaty of Peace gives Satisfaction. The Preservation of the Fishery, is the more prescious, as it appeared for Several Years together to be in great danger. In danger I mean of being given up, by the United States themselves, for the Sake of Peace.— it is not in our Power to do any Thing...
4John Adams to James Sullivan, 11 March 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have received within a few days your obliging Favour of Nov: 22. The Removal of Congress to New York, where their residence will probably be uninterrupted for sometime will I hope have a good Effect, towards raising the Respect to that august Assembly, and reconciling the People, to such general Measures as are indispensable. The People will be less jealous, if Mr: Gerry’s aversion to an...
5From John Adams to James Sullivan, 26 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday at the Marquis de la Fayette’s, he told me, that he had received a Letter from M r: Gerry, in which he was surprized to be informed that the French Chargé des Affaires had demanded M r: Longchamps to be given up. This was unexpected to him, he said, as he had understood at Court that the Ministry were pretty well contented with the Sentence against M r: Longchamps. He thought too...
6From John Adams to James Sullivan, 16 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I received your favor of June. 7 th. and the day before I received from Boston the Navigation-Act of Massachusetts. It is probable that our People flatter themselves that this act, and other measures tending to the same end in other States will intimidate the English Nation & force them into an advantageous treaty of Commerce. If such are their views they will be disappointed, as far...
7From John Adams to James Sullivan, 18 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of the 10 th. and am obliged to you for a free Communication of Your sentiments upon some important points. The situation of Rhode-Island, North Carolina and Vermont, must be disagreable to themselves as well as to their neighbours. Congress is not inattentive to either. What measures they may think proper to take is as yet to be determined— It is reported here that...
8From John Adams to James Sullivan, 14 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the second of this month. The report I mentioned to you in a former letter, was spoken of to me by gentle n: from Rhode Island, who are good citizens. One of these assured me of the fact as of his own knowledge, that there was an intimate intercourse between some of the leading antifederalists in their State and some of the same character in Massachusetts,...
9From John Adams to James Sullivan, 17 September 1789 (Adams Papers)
In your letter of the 18 th of August, you ask why we may not have as much paper in circulation in proportion to our circulating silver and gold, as Great Britain has in proportion to hers? Give me leave to answer you without hesitation. We may as soon as we shall have any credit.— We have none. No man of common sense will trust us. As soon as an unlimited democracy tyrannized over the rich,...
10From John Adams to James Sullivan, 21 September 1789 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 23 of July remains unanswered. There is in the United States and the regions to the southward of it a body of people, possesed of too much of the public confidence who are desperately in debt, and therefore determined all or any government, which shall have power to compel them to pay. Untill the property possesed by some of these men shall change hands, no government will...