Adams Papers
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Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 27 April 1800

Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams

Philadelphia April 27th 1800

my dear Son

By a vessel going to Liverpool I write You a few line’s with the hope that the communication may be now open, for no Letters have been received from You of a later date than Nov’br I have written to You several times since I came to this city, and Your Brother oftner—1 I have the pleasure to acquaint You that we have all enjoyd our Healths this winter. my own is better than for several years past. our Friends in Boston Quincy, and Weymouth, thank God have not had any breach made upon them. they were all well when I last heard from them, as was your sister, who with her little Daughter Spent the Winter with me. tell Your Louissa, I have had the pleasure of her Mothers & Brothers company for these last three weeks, that her Mamma looks quite Youthfull, for a Grandmamma. her spirits are sometimes lively: we sit together and talk of our Children with all the Delight of fond Parents— we anticipate the pleasure of meeting them Some Day in this our Dear Country; and Your Father Some times breaks out into this exclamation, “I must call him home. it is not right that he should be thus shut up. he will do more good here than he can where he is”2

Congress are still in Session; they have gone on with more harmony than at some former period’s. Mr Levingston of Nyork as the Head of a party, brought forward a string of Resolutions, with a design to criminate the conduct of the President, for delivering up to the British Government, Jonathan Robbins, alias Thomas Nash, for Murder and Piracy on Board the British frigate, the Hermonie, tho in conformity with an article in the Treaty; the resolutions were couched in very artfull language tending to Mislead the People: the subject was amply discussd, and very ably by the friends of Government, and very artfully by its opponents— I wish I could send you all the debates. they took up 14 or 15 days. the resolutions were then rejected by a Majority of 60 to 32—3 Mr Marshals Speech I venture to send You by this conveyance.

The Supreem Court of the united States is now sitting in this city before which Cooper, the Friend of dr Preistly, and the Hot headed Democrat of Norththumberland County was indited for publishing a false scandelous and Malicious libel against the President of the united States. after a fair trial, Cooper being his own counsel, and as the judge Chase observed, being, no Lawyer, much to Coopers mortification; he should permit and allow him, to read News papers, and to cite authorityes which would not have been allowd to Counsel; the judge treated him with so Much candour So Much lenity; and so Much of the dignified Majestrate, that Cooper shrunk into nothing before him; one of his allegations was that the President had borrowd Money at 8 pr cent, that he was desirious of establishing a standing Army. this he attempted to prove by an answer to an address from the Young Men of Boston, “in which he said to Arms My Young Friends, to Arms—[”] that he had said in replie to an other address, “that a Republican Goverment Might be Made to mean any thing” therefore he was an enemy to a Republican Government, that he had given up to the British Government to be murderd by them, Jonathan Robbins, an American Citizen with a dozen more such like lies and falshoods— the Jury however not agreeing with Mr Cooper, after ten minuts absence, found him Guilty— his circumstances being inquired into, he was fined four hundred Dollors & Six Months imprisonment—4 Duane the Editor of the Aurora, has a warrent against him for publishing a libel against the senate of the united States, he therefore hides himself & Sculks— The trial of Fries for Treason has been, this last week before the Court; he is found Guilty this is his second trial, in both of which he has received the same verdict

There has been in our native state a close run for the Election of Govenour between mr Strong & mr Gerry the last returns were for mr strong 17165, for mr Gerry 15892 more votes than were ever given at any former Election, and tho mr Strong will undoubtedly be elected; yet we are not a little surprized that mr Gerry should run so high. we know that mr Gerry is a fast friend to his Country, that he is a Man of a fair Character, no Jacobin certainly, tho as we think, not correct in his Politicks— the Mission to France obtaind him all the antifederal votes, united to those were many very many good federalists— the Jacobins despaired of carrying any of their Party, and as they love mischief, they were determined to divide the federal interest; and they have succeeded Yet no abuse or Scurility has been adopted by either party. all has proceeded amicably— Much use would have been made, of mr Gerrys Election, both in Virgina & this state, to strengthen the anti Party— in our own state I did not apprehend the same danger

The Leiut Govenour is very sick in a decline. it is not expected that he will ever go abroad again—5

Mr Gore arrived here from England last week. when he returns which will be in a few weeks I will send you Papers and pamphlets as many as I can collect—

The Prussian Consul carried out Letters for you in abundance—mr sitgreaves also—

when Congress meet again it will be at the City of Washington—

My Love to my daughter whose Health is much restored as I hope. I would write to her, for tho I Love her, and know that I shall more & more when I personally become acquainted, there is something very much like affectation in to expressing sent warm regard and affection towards a person whom we know but by reputation. I will Love her by Proxy, and depute you as my representitive:

I inclose a Letter from her Brother and an other from her Mother,6 and am my Dear son / Your truly affectionate

A A—

RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “My Mother. 27. April 1800. / 6. July recd: / 12 d°: Ansd:.”

1JQA wrote to TBA on 7 and 17 Nov. 1799, for which see TBA to JQA, 1 April 1800, and note 1, above. AA’s letters were of 30 Dec. 1799, above; 5 Jan. 1800, for which see note 2 of her 8 Feb. letter, above; and 28 Feb., for which see JQA’s reply of 12 June, and note 2, below. TBA also wrote to his brother letters of 29 Dec. 1799, 1 Feb. 1800 and 1 April, all above. The ship Amiable, Capt. Tillinghast, departed Philadelphia for Liverpool on 28 April (Philadelphia Gazette, 28 April).

2For JA’s recall of JQA, see AA to TBA, 3 Feb. 1801, and note 3, below.

3AA wrote 68, then amended it to 60. The actual vote defeating Edward Livingston’s resolution to censure JA was 61 to 35 (Annals of Congress description begins The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States [1789–1824], Washington, D.C., 1834–1856; 42 vols. description ends , 6th Cong., 1st sess., p. 619).

4Dr. Thomas Cooper was indicted for sedition on 9 April 1800 after attacking JA in the Sunbury and Northumberland Gazette, 2 Nov. 1799, for which see AA to William Smith, 19 Nov., and note 2, above. The trial took place on 19 April 1800 in U.S. Circuit Court before U.S. Supreme Court justice Samuel Chase. Cooper, who represented himself, claimed that his allegations were based on JA’s 1798 answers to memorials from constituents. AA’s first reference was from JA’s answer to an address from “the Young Men of Boston” (Patriotic Addresses description begins A Selection of the Patriotic Addresses, to the President of the United States. Together with the President’s Answers, Boston, 1798, Evans, No. 33345. description ends , p. 38) and the second is from his 25 June 1798 answer to the militia of Rutland, Vt. (Adams Papers). Sentenced on 24 April 1800, Cooper served six months in prison and was released on 8 Oct., the same day the $400 fine was paid on his behalf. While in prison Cooper published an account of his trial (Wil Verhoeven, Americomania and the French Revolution Debate in Britain, 1789–1802, N.Y., 2013, p. 301–302; James Morton Smith, “President John Adams, Thomas Cooper, and Sedition: A Case Study in Suppression,” MVHR description begins Mississippi Valley Historical Review. description ends , 42:451, 461, 462–463 [Dec. 1955]; Thomas Cooper, An Account of the Trial of Thomas Cooper, of Northumberland, Phila., 1800, p. 6–7, 23, 55–56, 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, Mass., 1903–1959; 14 vols.; rev. edn., www.readex.com. description ends No. 37249).

5Caleb Strong was elected governor of Massachusetts with a final tally of 19,864 votes, with Elbridge Gerry receiving 17,181 and Moses Gill 2,019. Gill served as acting governor from 7 June 1799 until his death on 20 May 1800, after which the governor’s council served as the commonwealth’s executive until Strong was sworn in on 30 May (A New Nation Votes; William T. Davis, History of the Judiciary of Massachusetts, Boston, 1900, p. 161).

6Not found.

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