121From John Adams to William Cranch, 14 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your favours of Decr 15. Jan. 24. and Feb. 17 are before me, and I thank for your Attention, and hope for a continuance of it, though I am not a punctual Correspondent to You. To the original of the Bar Meetings I was a Witness, as I was also to their excellent Effects in the Progress of them. They introduced a Candor and Liberal[ity] in the Practice at the Bar that were never before known in...
122From John Adams to Stephen Higginson, 14 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged by your favor of the first instant with the report of the Committee: and glad to find that the bench has been filled with Characters to your satisfaction. The report of the Committee gives me concern, as it evidence of an unquiet restless spirit as it tends to encourage Rhode Island in their obstinacy: but most of all as I fear there is too much probability that it originated...
123From John Adams to Jabez Bowen, 20 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
If your state would as you hint in your letter of the 9 th all turn tories and go back to Britain openly; I should not be obliged to rack my invention to point out the advantages which would result to the United States. For as this would oblige us to chastise the treachery, insolence and ingratitude of your people, it would be an exemplary vengeance to all others whose hearts are no better...
124From John Adams to Joseph Mandrillon, 20 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
The letter you did me the honor to write me, the 15 th of June last did not arrive till yesterday. The memory of the time I passed in Holland, and of the esteem I conceived for several meritorious characters, and among others for M r Mandrillon will I hope never be effaced. The elegant compliments you are pleased to make me, on my election to the dignity of Vice President of the United States...
125From John Adams to Henry Marchant, 20 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your favours of 19. Dec r. 18. Jan. and 7. March are all before me.— I am much obliged to you for the accurate and useful Information, in all of them. It is a mortifying Thing to be obliged to take so much Pains with a Man to prevent him from Setting Fire to his own House, when he knows that he must burn the whole Town with it. I can give you no other Advice my Friend than to persevere, with...
126From John Adams to Charles Storer, 20 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
There is nothing improper in your application of the 23 d of Feb y nor should I find fault with your seeking honor or emolument. Every man has a right to seek both. M r Remsen has been many years in the office of foreign affairs and has qualifications and merits which preclude all competition: M r Alden is another in a similar predicament, so that there is not a possibility of your success in...
127From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 27 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of March 17. is rec d. — The French Revolution will, I hope produce Effects in favour of Liberty Equity and Humanity, as extensive as this whole Globe and as lasting as all time.— But I will candidly own that the Form of Government they have adopted, can, in my humble opinion, be nothing more than a transient Experiment. an obstinate Adhærence to it, must involve France in great...
128John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 1 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have this morning received your agreable Letter of the 19. Ult. and am pleased with your prudent deliberation and judicious decision, upon the Place of your future residence. The Promotion of M r Sullivan, will lead him out of Town upon the Circuits and give room to others to take his Place upon occasions. You are not however to expect a run of Business at first. Your Project of boarding...
129From John Adams to Thomas Crafts, Jr., 4 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of the 31 st of January I received in its season. I have at two or three several times had conversation with General Knox upon the subject of M r Martin Brimmer Sohier; and have the General’s promise to give particular attention to M r Sohier’s merit and pretensions. As the Secretary at War appeared to be well acquainted with the candidate, and to have the best disposition to serve...
130From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 4 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
The Tories as you observe in your friendly Letter of 24 Feb. are more attached to each other; they are also, We must candidly confess, more of real Politicians.— They make to themselves more merit with the People, for the smallest services, than the Whigs are able to do for the greatest. The Arts, the Trumpetts the Puffs, are their old Instruments and they know how to employ them. The History...
131From John Adams to James Lovell, 5 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged by your favor of March 20 th and very apprehensive that this is not the only letter of yours unanswered. To leave your letters unanswered is in me very bad œconomy. The General is arrived here; but has as yet said nothing to me of his business. Doctor Craigie shall have all the aid in my power to give him, in his pursuit of justice in your affair: but I do not at present see...
132From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 18 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of April 13, soars above the visible diurnal Sphære.— I own to you that avarice Ambition the Love of Fame &c are all mysterious Passions. They are the greatest Absurdities, Delusions and Follies that can be imagined, if in this Life only We had hope. In the Boat on our Return from Point no Point, the principal Topick of Conversation was Independence. — an intercepted Letter early...
133From John Adams to Richard Price, 19 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
Accept of my best Thanks for your favour of Feb. 1 st. and the excellent Discourse that came with it. I love the Zeal and the Spirit which dictated this Discourse, and admire the general Sentiments of it. From the year 1760 to this hour, the whole Scope of my Life has been to Support Such Principles and propagate Such Sentiments. No Sacrifices of myself or my family. No dangers, no labours,...
134From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 21 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
I am not willing you should want Information from the Seat of Gov t: but I can do little more than send you a Newspaper. This Day twelve months I first took the Seat in which I now sett, and I have not been absent one Moment, when the senate has been sitting, excepting one Day when my own Salary was under Consideration. This Confinement will injure my health, if I cannot soon take a Journey. M...
135Dialogues of the Dead, [ca. 22 April 1790] (Adams Papers)
Dialogues of the dead. Charlemain Frederick, Rousseau Otis. Rousseau. have you Seen Franklin, Since he passed the River? or has the Boat been too full of Passengers to bring him over? Otis. I know not.— I have very little Curiosity to know.— I care nothing have no solicitude for Steel Rods nor Iron Points— I am very glad his Points were not over my head: They might have detained me in the...
136From John Adams to John Trumbull, 25 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of March 30. and Ap. 17. came to hand last night. By the “attack in Metre” you mean I suppose, that written by Ned. Church, a Cockfighting Cousin and Companion of Charles Jarvis a devoted Instrument of M r H.— Jarvis’s Mother was a Church.— This Fellow, this Ned Church, I know nothing of— I scarcely ever spoke to him in my Life.— His Traitorous Brother, I knew very well: and the...
137From John Adams to Oliver Whipple, 18 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
With much pleasure I received your favour of the 26. of April: it brought fresh to my Memory the many hours We Spent together, in the Chamber where I first saw the Light of the sun. I believe there are few Persons, who run through a public Career, especially one that interests the Passions of the People; without finding Persons to recollect Prophecies that great Things would one day be his...
138From John Adams to William Ellery, 19 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 13 th , as I did that of march in due season— One wishes to be informed of all facts in which the public is interested: but the detail of Rhode Island manœuvres is distressing. The Senate yesterday passed a bill, which cutts off all communication with Rhode Island, if she chooses such a solitary selfish and unsocial system. The bill passed by a great majority,...
139From John Adams to Benjamin Lincoln, 19 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have duly received but not duly answered your favor of April 3 d . It is a misfortune that a man can never be spoken to by a projectors without being misunderstood or misrepresented I told M r. Forbisher that if he expected any thing from the general government, he must apply to it by petition. But I never told him, that I had the least suspicion that the general government would ever do...
140From John Adams to William Smith, 20 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your agreable favour of the 24 th of April, was brought to me in season and I thank you for it; though my thanks are not in good season.—Your sentiments concerning the assumption of the State debts, the encouragement of American navigation and the establishment of a national bank, are conformable to those of about one half The Continent and contrary to those of the other half. How shall we...
141From John Adams to Thomas Crafts, Jr., 25 [May] 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have received with a mixture of pleasure and gloomy melancholy your favour of the 17 th. What motives the eastern members can have to support the silly petition of Franklin and his Quakers, I never could conceive: but it was not that conduct which sowered the minds of the Southern members against an assumption of the State debts. The seat of government is more likely to have had such an...
142From John Adams to Thomas Brand Hollis, 1 June 1790 (Adams Papers)
Nothing mortifies me more than the difficulty I find to maintain that correspondence with you which when I left England I thought would be some consolation to me for the loss of your conversation. We proceed by degrees to introduce a little order into this Country, and my public duties require so much of my time, that I have little left for private friendships however dear to me. By General...
143From John Adams to Alexander Jardine, 1 June 1790 (Adams Papers)
I take the opportunity by General Mansell to acknowledge the receipt of your polite letter of the 29 of May 1789 and to present you my thanks for the valuable present of your entertaining travels. Your compliments upon so hasty a production as my book are very flattering. It would give me pleasure to pursue the subject through all the known governments, and to correct or rather new make the...
144From John Adams to Henry Marchant, 1 June 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your obliging Letter of the 29. Ult. was brought to me Yesterday at my house, and as there happened to be a few Freinds with me, we joined in Wishing Happiness and Prosperity to Rhode Island with great Cordiality. This morning the President did me the honour of a Visit and I had the Pleasure of congratulating him on this pleasing Event and presenting to him your affectionate Respects. Congress...
145From John Adams to Thomas Brand Hollis, 11 June 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind letter of March 29 th and the packet of pamphlets, and I pray you to accept of my best thanks for both— I sent you lately by Gen l Mansel, some of our rough matters. The boxes of books you sent by Captain Bernard arrived safely, I know.— You seem to suppose our coast in danger from African pyrates; in this I presume you are deceived by the Artifices of the London...
146From John Adams to Eliphalet Fitch, 18 July 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have received the polite and obliging Letter, you did me the honour to write me, on the Seventh of May.— Although an intimate and frequent Correspondence with you, considering the relation between Us, and the agreable Acquaintance, I had with you in France and England would have been always agreable to me; Yet considering the different Countries and Governments in which We live, and the...
147From John Adams to Richard Varick, 22 July 1790 (Adams Papers)
I received Yesterday the Letter you did me the honour to write me, Soliciting Permission for M r Trumbul, to paint the Portrait of the President in that room of the City Hall, in which the Portraits of the King and Queen of France are placed. This morning I took the Liberty to read your Letter, Sir, in Senate, and have the orders of the members to inform you, that they consent with Pleasure to...
148From John Adams to Henry Marchant, 25 July 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have rec d your favour of the 19 th — I presume your answer to M r Jefferson will be sufficient: but If you write to the President, it will do no harm— Your letter to the President came to me after your appointment, so that I have never delivered nor mentioned it to any one; and shall keep it and all that came with it till your farther orders.— It is best it should not now be conveyed to the...
149From John Adams to Richard Varick, 12 August 1790 (Adams Papers)
It is with great pleasure, that, in obedience to an order of the Senate of the United States, I have the honor to enclose their Resolution of this date, which was unanimously agreed to; and in behalf of the Senate, I request that you will be pleased to communicate the same to the Corporation of this city, and at the same time signify to them, that it is the wish of the Senate, that the...
Mr. Ducher, a French gentleman, whom you did me the Honor to introduce to me formerly by letter, and who is well esteemed in this country, will have the honour to deliver you this. The news of the death of my worthy friend Count Sarsefield has afflicted me the more as I have never been able to learn the circumstances of it or of his last sickness, or in what situation he has left his affairs,...