1From John Adams to John Jay, 9 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry, by William Wirt of Richmond Virginia has been Sent to me by Mr Shaw of the Atheneum. My Family are reading it to me every Evening, and though We have not finished it, We have proceeded far enough to excite an earnest desire to know your Opinion of it There is a Section fourth, page 108. a passage which no Man now living but yourself can...
2From John Adams to John Jay, 6 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
The sight of your hand writing and your name is to me a cordial for low Spirits. I wish I could give you a specimen of mine as beautifully written; but a pen will not obey the command of my paralytick nerves—The 5th Vol: of Dr. Franklin’s works, mentioned in your kind letter of 27th February, I have never seen, nor any preceding Vol: except the first. What the Editor Mr: William Temple...
3From John Adams to John Jay, 31 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your favour of the 20th. your letter to Mr Duane comprehends every thing necessary to be said upon this occasion, and I presume will remove all difficulties— I congratulate you on the firmness of your nerves fully demonstrated by your hand writing, the beauty and firmness of which is equal to the best of your former days mine are so debilitated that I can neither write—or...
4From John Adams to John Jay, 30 April 1821 (Adams Papers)
I must beg your pardon for delaying so long the acknowledgement of your kind favour—you have done all that is necessary to be done with Mr Duane—The sume of the matter is I suppose is—he has ploughed the Son of the Heifer in the Secretary of States Office—and procured copies of some of your communications to Congress—My letter to Jonathan Jackson, which was unfortunately and absurdly laid...
5From John Adams to John Jay, 13 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
I received, last night your kind favour of the 7th. Your design of writing to Mr Duane for Copies of our “very Short journals” as he calls them, is judicious, and all that is necessary. I am under no concern about Mr Duane’s Extracts or Copies, because Congress has ordered our Journals to be printed and they are in a course of publication. Although I am ashamed of mine, yet I know that Shame...
6From John Adams to John Jay, 19 June 1821 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your kind favour of the 11th. which I have this moment received, and Soon determined that an acknowledgement of it should not be So long delayed. You have done, with dignity and propriety all that can be done. A publication of your letters to Mr Duane and his Answers would place him in a ridiculous light. But Duane Cobbet and Calender are Such excentric Characters that it Seems...
7From John Adams to John Jay, 18 March 1822 (Adams Papers)
I have received with more pleasure than I can express and with something too much like envy which I detest, your well-known correct exact hand writing of the 11 of this month and with equal gratitude your noble present of the journal of Debates &ca the N.Y State convention. Although this respectable volume is printed in a so small a type that it will be impossible for me ever to read it I will...
8From John Adams to John Jay, 4 July 1823 (Adams Papers)
The excellent president, governor, ambassador and chief justice, John Jay, whose name, by accident, was not subscribed on the declaration of independence , as it ought to have been, for he was one of its ablest and faithfulest supporters. A splendid star just setting below the horizon. Printed Source--Niles’ Register..
9To John Jay from John Adams, 9 January 1818 (Jay Papers)
Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry, by William Wirt of Richmond Virginia has been Sent to me by M r Shaw of the Atheneum. My Family are reading it to me every Evening, and though We have not finished it, We have proceeded far enough to excite an earnest desire to know your Opinion of it. There is in Section fourth, page 108. a passage which no Man now living but yourself can...
10To John Jay from John Adams, 6 March 1821 (Jay Papers)
The sight of your hand writing and your name is to me a cordial for low spirits. I wish I could give you a Specimen of mine as beautifully written; but a pen will not obey the command of my paralytick nerves. The 5 th Vol: of D r . Franklin’s works, mentioned in your Kind letter of 27 th . February. I have never seen, nor any preceding Vol: except the first. What the Editor M r . William...