Adams Papers
Documents filtered by: Author="Adams, John Quincy" AND Period="Adams Presidency" AND Period="Adams Presidency"
sorted by: relevance
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-12-02-0084

John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson, 31 May 1797

John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson

The Hague 31. May. 1797.

I have received my kind friend’s letters of 3d, 16th: and 19th: of May, and am impatiently waiting to hear from you and your father again.1 I am going this day on a tour to Amsterdam, where I shall make the arrangements for my immediate departure; so that I shall probably not remain here long enough to receive your reply to this Letter.2 There are many difficulties in the way of any arrangement that I can take.— The situation of the Country to which I am going is not the least of them.— It is extremely precarious, as Portugal [ha]s every prospect of becoming the seat of War.

My brother has returned from Paris after passing a month there, very agreeably. I have been in the mean time very much engaged, and am so still. It is a poor apology to you for writing you so shortly but it is the best, and the only one I have.— You make frequent use of the appellation “my Adams”.— I do not like it.— It is a stile of address that looks too much like that of novels. A bare proper Name does not sound or look well for a Man, in real life.— I have endeavoured to habituate myself to it, because you appear fond of using it; but it looks to me more and more uncouth and aukward.

Remember me kindly to all the family, and believe me ever affectionately / yours

A.

RC (Adams Papers). Some loss of text due to placement of the seal.

1For a summary of LCA to JQA, 16 May, see her letter of 3 May, note 3, above.

2JQA remained in Amsterdam until 14 June. In addition to making travel arrangements, JQA also met with the Dutch bankers regarding the Dutch-American loan. He returned to The Hague on 15 June (D/JQA/24, 2, 6, 7, 14, 15 June, APM Reel 27).

Index Entries