Adams Papers

John Adams to Abigail Adams, 18 June 1795

John Adams to Abigail Adams

Philadelphia June 18. 1795

My Dearest Friend

Mr Adet was presented to The President on Tuesday and accompanied by The Secretary of State made me a Visit immediately after his Audience. I was not at Home but in Senate. On Wednesday Morning I returned his Visit at Oellers Hotel.1 He is about the Size of Mr shaw, Charitys Husband and looks a little like him: not quite so rosy coloured.

He is not a Friend to Clubbs—announced to The President the entire annihilation of Factions in France. &c

His Excellency Governor Jay returned Yesterday to N. York— He has been very sociable and in fine Spirits. His Health is improving. We have no C. J. as yet nominated.2 It is happy that Mr J. Election was over before the Treaty was published: for the Parties against him would have quarrelled with the Treaty right or wrong that they might give a Colour to their animosity against him.

Some Think We shall rise this Week: but I fear We shall be obliged to sitt some days next Week.

I hope We shall not have many of these Supernumerary sessions.

one of our Senators yesterday, Mr Ross of Pensilvania after walking a great deal about Town went imprudently to a Pump and drank too freely of cold Water in Consequence of which he Was taken very ill at Mr Binghams where he was at Dinner and obliged to go home & be bled and vomited. I hope he will be able to go out to day: but he had a nice risque of his Life.

Mr Bingham lives in great Splender and his Lady shines among the Senators as with all the rest of the World.

Mr Morris lives at Lansdown— seeing Mrs Morris in the House in Town I went in and made my Compliments. she made the usual Enquiries about you.

Kid, has bought the Land at 100£ a foot between the Presidents House and Mr Morris’s House and is building a new House there.3

My Love to all

J. A

Mr Otis’s family goes to their old Lodings in Dorchester after the senate rises

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs A.”; endorsed: “June 18 1795.”

1In 1791 Francophile James Oeller opened a hotel on Chestnut Street that was decorated in the French style, employed a French staff, and became the headquarters for Philadelphia’s Democratic-Republican community (Peter Thompson, Rum Punch & Revolution: Taverngoing & Public Life in Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia, Phila., 1999. p. 190, 199).

2John Jay resigned his post as chief justice effective 29 June 1795 to assume his duties as the new governor of New York. On 1 July George Washington appointed John Rutledge of South Carolina to the interim post; however, Rutledge’s outspoken opposition to the Jay Treaty irked the pro-treaty press and prevented his confirmation by the Senate in December. Another chief justice was not selected until 1796 (Doc. Hist. Supreme Court, description begins The Documentary History of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1789–1800, ed. Maeva Marcus, James R. Perry, and others, New York, 1985–2007; 8 vols. description ends 1:13, 17, 96–99, 118).

3Robert Kid, a perfumer, lived next to the president’s house on Market Street in 1796 and 1797. By 1799 he had become a copper merchant and relocated to a different Market Street location (Philadelphia Directory, description begins Philadelphia Directory [title varies], issued annually with varying imprints. description ends 1796, Evans, description begins Charles Evans and others, American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America [1639–1800], Chicago and Worcester, 1903–1959; 14 vols. description ends No. 30571; 1797, Evans, description begins Charles Evans and others, American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America [1639–1800], Chicago and Worcester, 1903–1959; 14 vols. description ends No. 32868; 1799, Evans, description begins Charles Evans and others, American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America [1639–1800], Chicago and Worcester, 1903–1959; 14 vols. description ends No. 36353).

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