1From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Baker Johnson, 28 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
In conformity to the request contained in your favour of 28. June last and to that in one of your Letters about the same time to your Sister, we have had our Portraits painted by Mr Leslie an Artist of very handsome talents, from our own Country, whose performance will I hope give you satisfaction. As there has been no vessel bound from London, directly to New Orleans; and as Mr Leslie was...
2From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Scarce a day now passes without the arrival of vessels laden with flour from the United States. I am informed from Liverpool that upwards of twenty-five thousand Barrels have already been received there since the opening of the Ports. We have had several days ago accounts from New-York, down to the 18th. of last Month; and on Saturday I received your kind Letter of 8. Jany.—There is an old...
3From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 6 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Nothing further received from you, since I wrote you last week—My boys have returned to School; and to close their holidays I went with them to Drury–Lane Theatre, and saw the Tragedy of Richard the third—The part of this amiable hero, was performed by Mr Kean, who is now the reigning favourite of the Public—They have mutilated this Play so much in their manner of getting it up, that it is...
4From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 5 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Mr Sargent who arrived in London, about ten days ago, delivered to me your Letter of 6. December; and I am now in daily expectation of receiving your annual account, and your final arrangement for making the second payment upon the Bank Shares. Your anticipation that the price of the Script would fall, as the day to make the payment drew near, was so well founded, that I hope you did not wait...
5From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 February 1817 (Adams Papers)
Mr J. Sergeant, arrived in London last week, and delivered to me Letters from you, my father and my brother. Your’s is of 5. December—At that time, you observe, the Season with you, had become very cold—Most fortunately for this Country, there has been no cold weather this Winter, and scarcely any Snow. The verdure of the fields in this neighborhood, is like that of May—There are several...
6From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Scarcely a day now passes, without the arrival of vessels from the United States; but they are principally from New York or more Southern Ports—The failure of the Harvests in this Country has much contributed to their frequency. Two years ago the British Parliament made a Law, to raise the price of Bread; having discovered that if that first necessary of life should be cheap, the Country would...
7From John Quincy Adams to John Adams Smith, 23 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
If a large packet forwarded by the mail from Mr Maury at Liverpool, but coming from Philadelphia & charged with heavy postage should be brought to the office, pray do not pay the postage, nor open the packet till I come to town on Saturday. yours. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
8To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
As you live in terror of my long Letters, and as the very last, I had the pleasure of writing you, was of that description, and not without a smack of orthodoxy, I shall content myself this time with a very few lines, to accompany the Sunday’s Observer and Saturday’s cheap Cobbett; for the Porpuicine to shoot his Quills with more effect has made himself cheap, and although you will know what...
9From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of 26. November, is yet the latest that I have received from you—But since my last to you, and since mine of the 3d. instant to my father, I have received one from him, more earnestly calling upon me, to ask my recall from this Mission, and return home—I have in my last Letters both to him and you, expressed my sentiments and intentions on this subject, and have alledged such...
10To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 3 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of 23. Septr: & 3. Octr. was brought to me by my old friend and Classmate I. M. Forbes, and that of 13. Novr. by General Boyd, who both came fellow-passengers in the same vessel. Mr Everett has since arrived, by whom I received a Letter of 26. November, from my dear Mother. I have briefly replied to my Mother upon the advice, which you and she have given me to return to the United...
11From John Quincy Adams to John Adams Smith, 1 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
I enclose herewith a draft of a Note to Lord Castlereagh on the case of the Hope, which I will thank you to copy on the sheet, with the signature and send immediately to His Lordship, as my New Years present. yours truly. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
12From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
General Boyd, Mr Stores, Mr Forbes, and Mr and Mrs. Everett, have all arrived in London within the week past; and by them, with many other Letters and despatches I have received your favours of 5. and of 26. November—There must be I think a Letter in arrear between the 30th. of September and the 5th. of Novr—You acknowledge the receipt of my Numbers 92 and 93—and 97 and 98. I hope the...
13From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 20 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
I mentioned to you in a former Letter, the visit that I had received from Mr Frend, and Mr Aspland, the Minister of the Unitarian Congregation at Hackney—Since then I have dined with Mr Frend, who is a Unitarian, and Astronomer, and Actuary , of an Insurance Company. There I met again Mr Aspland, who afterwards made me a present of several of his own publications, and from Dr Disney a copy of...
14From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
Last week I enclosed several numbers of Cobbett’s Register, as they are republished in open Sheets—Here are two additional numbers, with, an Observer where you will find an account of the late Riots in London, and an extract from a recent publication containing some interesting particulars about Napoleon at St Helena. The Ministerial daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly publications, the...
15From John Quincy Adams to Robert Selden Garnett, 5 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr. and Mrs. Adams request the Honor of Mr Garnetts Company at Dinner on the 12th of December at ———— o’Clock The Favor of an Answer is requested. DLC : John Adams Papers.
16To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 3 December 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr Cobbett whose political opinions, as you know have undergone some changes since he was battling it in favour of the British Government in Philadelphia, has become the great champion of Parliamentary reform; and in order to increase the number of his readers among the labouring classes of the People, he has lately had recourse to the expedient of reprinting particular numbers of his weekly...
17From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 26 November 1816 (Adams Papers)
Last week I sent you a number of the Monthly Theological Repository, containing some Speculations of Mr Van der Kemp and Mr Jefferson—With this Letter I enclose to my Father the numbers just published of the Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews—Presuming that you know the History and Character of those Publications from Cobbett, you will sufficiently understand them to be in the Nature of Lawyer’s...
18From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 November 1816 (Adams Papers)
Last week I sent you with a Letter from my wife the Newspaper containing the Account of the Lord Mayor’s day feast at Guildhall, where you will find again some mention made of the American Minister—The singularity of the feast did not however consist in his being there; but in the Circumstance that no other Minister, either home-bred or foreign was present; and in the phenomenon still more...
19From John Quincy Adams to John Adams Smith, 14 November 1816 (Adams Papers)
Under the circumstances stated in Coll Aspinwalls certificate (which I return) and in your Letter, I cannot reccommend John McIntosh to relief as a destitute American Seaman. I enclose the Power of Attorney with the certificate concerning the Mayor of Leeds to which the Legation Seal must be affixed. truly yours MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
20From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 November 1816 (Adams Papers)
Since I last wrote to you, I have received your kind Letters of 27. August, and of 10. June, which I mention in the order, not of their dates, but of their reception. That of June enclosed a printed Copy of Judge Story’s biographical eulogium of our late excellent friend Dexter, whose loss is a calamity to our Country, and especially to our Native State, which with all her errors and follies I...
21To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 29 October 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have acknowledged the receipt of your seven Letters, dated in July, and August, received by Mr Thacher and Mr Bigelow and also of one dated in May, but very lately delivered by Mr Brooks. It is more than time for me to reply to their contents. I never had much relish for the speculations of the first philosophy. In that respect I resemble your Eels in Vinegar, and your mites in cheese, more...
22From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 15 October 1816 (Adams Papers)
The quiet Season has at length arrived. For the last six weeks I have had no occasion to go into London, except upon business, and there is some relaxation of that—Almost all the Cabinet Ministers are absent upon excursions; and Lord Castlereagh is gone to Ireland to see his father . The Morning Chronicle gives a shrewd hint, that it is the sign that Parliament will be dissolved, and that his...
23To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 October 1816 (Adams Papers)
I am still not only to answer, but to acknowledge the receipt of your kind Letters of 3. 10. 18. 24. and 26. July; and 4. August—all of which I had the pleasure of receiving at once by Messrs Thacher and Bigelow, who came fellow Passengers in the same vessel Mr Bigelow has been out here and dined with us—His father, the Speaker, was one year before me, at the University, where I had a...
24From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 5 October 1816 (Adams Papers)
As I am not yet enabled to write the threatened long Letter to my father, I must replace it by the weekly short one to you. Last Sunday, Mr E. Brooks, Mr Bigelow, and a few others of our American Visitors, came out and dined with us—Two days afterwards Mr Brooks sent me your Letter of 2d. May enclosed, with Mr Norton’s funeral Sermon upon our venerable friend and kinsman Dr. Tufts; and a...
25From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 September 1816 (Adams Papers)
Our Sons John and Charles are come home from school this morning, to spend the Michaelmas Holidays, and have brought one of their schoolmates with them, to whom John has taken a great liking and who is nearly of his age. He was already here, part of the Summer Holidays, and is a very intelligent and well behaved boy. These Holidays come so often that I am not at all partial to them; but those...
26To James Madison from John Quincy Adams, 28 September 1816 (Madison Papers)
I have lately had the honour of receiving your favour of 10th May last, accompanied, by Letters for Sir John Sinclair, which I immediately delivered in person, to him for Mr Bentham, which I left at his house; and for Dr Eustis which was forwarded by Post, to the Hague. Sir John Sinclair then put into my hands the printed paper which I now enclose, requesting me to forward it to you; and Mr...
27From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 20 September 1816 (Adams Papers)
My wife’s brother J. B. Johnson has written from New Orleans, to his sister and me, requesting us to send him our Portraits, and we are accordingly sitting for them to a young American named Locke, who is working hard to make a reputation as a Painter.—This is the second time that according to a melancholy yoke of poor Sheridan’s, I have undergone the operation of sitting for my Picture,...
28From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
George says that his writing master has forbidden him to write letters for the present, because it will retard the improvement of his hand writing. I do not understand this theory, and suspect it will not meet the approbation of George’s correspondents at home. The consequence of it is, that I am called to write the weekly letter that is to go with the newspaper almost every week myself. The...
29From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
I shall send you by the earliest opportunity the newly published numbers of the Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews; but unless you read Cobbett’s New-York Register, you will not have the key to the secret History of those works—There are now three very distinct parties in this Country—Tories, or the Ministerial party—Whigs—and Reformers—The Quarterly Review is the Literary instrument of the...
30From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
The receipt of all your Letters to that of 30. June has been acknowledged. To answer them, I must have time to think—a privilege which I so seldom enjoy that I cannot even anticipate when I may be indulged with it—Mr Tuckerman brought your last Letter—I saw him and his Lady once. But they were only three or four days in London, and are gone upon a tour into the Country. Mr Tuckerman says his...
31From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have received Letters from you, of 22. March, 7. April, 9. and 20 May, and 29. and 30 June. every one of which, had it been possible, I would have answered by a long Letter—But even now, I can do little more than express my joy at perceiving the recovery of your health and Spirits, in the cheerfulness and gaiety returning to your Style. I had flattered myself that after the rising of...
32To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 1 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
The multiplicity of business, and of things that consume more time than business, have in spite of all my efforts, broken down to such a degree the regularity of my private Correspondence that I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your favours of 20. and 28. March of 10. and 20. May—and of 16. and 25 June; every one of which contains matter, upon which if I had the time and the talents I...
33From John Quincy Adams to John Adams Smith, 30 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
I consider Mr Temple Franklin a Citizen of the United States, and entitled to a Passport accordingly. yours faithfully. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
34From John Quincy Adams to Charlotte Sophia, 29 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
The American Minister and Mrs Adams will do themselves the honour of attending upon her Majesty, at the Queen’s House on Monday the 12th of August, at 9 o clock, conformally to the invitation which by her Majesty’s Command they have received from Mr Disbrowe. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
35From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 23 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
As the week comes round, the Sunday Newspaper reminds me of the despatch to be made up for Quincy; but the pressure of business and of dissipation equally indispensable has not for many weeks left me an hour, for writing to you. I have now scarcely a moment to acknowledge the receipt of your favours of 5. and of 20. May. which I have had more than a Month; and to which I hope to be at some...
36From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 12 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr Tarbell informs me that he and his Lady have determined to return to the United States, and that they expect to sail next Monday for from Liverpool. I have now barely time to tell you that we are all well, and to send you a Newspaper, and the last number of the Quarterly Review—We have received Letters from my father and brother, and from you, to the 27th. of May—If the intervals between my...
37From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 6 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I went to London, to the anniversary dinner of the Society of Friends of foreigners in distress; of which Society our old friend Mr William Vaughan is Treasurer; and being in Town, I found at my Office, in Craven Street, three Letters Post-marked “Liverpool ship-Letter,” and superscribed to me, in one of the Quincy hand-writings; but on opening them I found myself accosted first as...
38To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 29 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
It was only three days since, that Mr Prescott called out here, and left your kind favour, of 2. and 11. September last, enclosing one, from Mr Richard Sears of Chatham, concerning the subject of the fisheries—I happened at the time when Mr Prescott came, to be in London, and have not yet had the pleasure of seeing him. The question relating to the fisheries has been largely discussed between...
39From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 20 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
Mr: William Cranck Bond, a relation of ours, with whom you are no doubt acquainted has been some months in this Country; and is now upon his return to America—I shall endeavour to send you by him the last number of the Edinburgh Review; and the Newspaper now enclosed will give you a copious account of the Nuptial Drawing Room, which was almost as crowded as the Lord Mayor’s Easter Monday...
40From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 13 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have had the pleasure of receiving your kind Letters of 22. March. and 7. April; and at the same time my wife and children all received the like tokens of your affectionate remembrance. The last is to Mr J. A. Smith of 13 April.—They ought all, and I hope will answer you more at length, than it is in my power to do. For the last six weeks, besides the pressure of my correspondence, which is...
41To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 6 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
I keep a constant search on foot for the books which in any of your Letters, you have expressed the desire of procuring; but the excessive prices at which all books are held, deters me sometimes from taking those that I find, and I am not always successful in finding those for which I am on the lookout.—The Translation of the New Testament by Beausobre and L’Enfant is in two Quarto Volumes,...
42From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 23 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you last week by Captain Bronson, and sent you a Volume of Letters from the Continent, about the Battle of Waterloo and the like, by the Poet Walter Scott—I now send you a Newspaper in which you will find certain effusions of another personage, who is not only a Poet but a Lord—He has been married little more than a year, and is already separated from his wife—Partly, as his verses...
43From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
We are waiting with great anxiety to hear again from Quincy, and pray that they may bring us favourable accounts of your health—We have none later than of 19. February, which came by the New Packet, and which were received nearly a Month since. Mr and Mrs Tarbell are gone with Mr: and Mrs O. Everett, and Captain Stuart to France. We have a constant succession of our Countrymen coming and...
44To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 8 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your indifference, as to the result of the Elections to the Presidency of the United States, and to the office of Governor of your own Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which I find avoided in your favour of 7. February is the best of all possible political symptoms—It proves, first that you consider all the Candidates as men likely to fill the respective Stations, if elected to them, with credit...
45From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 7 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
During my present Residence in Europe, I have had the pleasure of receiving one Letter from you, dated the 4th. of April 1815. which was delivered to me, on my first arrival in this Country last Summer, by Mr N. A. Haven, of whom it was introductory. I have attributed to the multitude of your occupations my not having heard oftener from you directly, and it has been a satisfaction to me, under...
46From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
To acknowledge in their order the Letters that I have received from you, since my last of 22. January, I am first to mention a short one of 1. December, which was delivered to me, by Mr Tarbell—And I mention it particularly, because it contains an erroneous position, that the Aliens and Post–Office Laws of this Country, do not allow the conveyance of Letters by private hands—There have been...
47From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 March 1816 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last on the 4th. instant we have been in a continual state of anxious concern on account of your health; and it is scarcely less now that by the arrival of the New-Packet at Liverpool, I have received your kind favour of 10. February, and further accounts of you from obliging friends at Quincy and at Boston to the 19th. They all encourage hopes that you were recovering, which...
48From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 March 1816 (Adams Papers)
A Month has very nearly past away, since I wrote you last—It was a very short Letter, and contained a promise, to write you very soon a longer one—And thus it is that on our firm Resolves, the inaudible and noiseless foot of Time, is wont to steal.—I have since then had the pleasure of receiving your Letter of 24. December, and George has one from you, the conclusion of which was written so...
49To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 29 February 1816 (Adams Papers)
Major Swett, being about to embark for Boston, in the Galen, has been good enough to take charge of this Letter, and of two packages, addressed to you; one containing Tucker’s Light of Nature, and the other a piece of Cloth, for my brother. I have not been able to wade through the Book: but I plunged about half way into it—An inflamation of the eyes then seized me, which compelled me to...
50To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 February 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have for many Months made it a rule, to enclose to you a Newspaper, every week, and I have intended that it never should be without at least one Letter, from myself or some one of the family, to you or my Mother—I believe this intention has never entirely failed; but it has not always been possible for me to write, myself—The reasons of this are so well known to you, that I hope they will...