1From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 28 August 1818 (Adams Papers)
your kind Letter of July 4th. ought to have been answered sooner. my apology would be long and tedious.— I highly applaud your design of Writing the Life of Mr Otis, a man whom none who ever knew him, can ever forget.— In what I have written of Mr Otis, I have not written to Sagadahock and the Provence of Maine; to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucked; to Hampshire and Birkshire; to Barnstable...
2From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 5 November 1819 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your congratulations and kind wishes, the accomplishment of them is on high where I rejoice that it is— Dennis de Brett was a Merchant in London and a dessenter Esteemed among the Protestant Dessenters for which reason I suppose he was appointed Agent - he never gave any proofs of talents or influence - indeed he had none of the latter at Court, nor with the public, nor any...
3From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 9 September 1818 (Adams Papers)
The Charters were quoted or alluded to by Mr Otis frequently in the whole Course of his Argument: but he made them also a more destinct and more Solemn head of his discourse. And here, these Charters ought to be Copied Verbatim.—But an immense Verbiage renders it impossible. Bishop Butler some where Complains of this enormous Abuse of Words in publick Transactions, and John Reed and Theophilus...
4From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 12 August 1819 (Adams Papers)
you have my full consent to publish all my letters. I only wish request that you would print them, verbatim, literatim and punctuation—They were written at a time when I had not yet learned the necessity of keeping Copies of my letters, These have burst upon me, therefore, with real surprise. I had totally forgotten them, but my own hand writing I never can deny. The essence of them is as...
5From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 17 November 1819 (Adams Papers)
I inclose you a letter from Judge Sewall-and an anecdote of your Hero—He had intervals of Sound reason, and strong memory—his Paroxysm’s of Insanity appeared principally at the full, and change of the Moon—at least so it appeared to me and many others—and if we were not deceived by a Book of Dr Mead’s upon the Influence of those luminary’s upon the human mind and body which were then...
6From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 1 February 1823 (Adams Papers)
From the moment when I received the your Life of James Otis, I have held in requisition my readers till they have finished the Volume, I am afraid to trust myself to express my opinion of it, or my feelings in hearing it, I could wish to read the North American review of it, before I say anything myself that I might shelter myself in some degree under their authority, but I cannot wait; And...
7From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 30 June 1822 (Adams Papers)
In answer to yours, of the 15. June and to the first question in it, I am not able from memory to satisfy your curiosity, but if you can ascertain the time when Coll. Otis was appointed chief Justice of the inferior court for the county of Barnstable, a few months before that was the period you seek, and if I remember right Hutchinsons choice to the agency of the Province was during the same...
8From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 25 July 1820 (Adams Papers)
Liberty Tree in Boston, was a very aged and a very large Elm—in the front yard of Deacon Elliot at the South End—he lived at the Corner of between the Maine Street—and the street that lead down to John Rowes House—It was very near to the Mansion of the Ancient and Honble. Samuell Wells—which was the spot on which the Boylston Market now stands—The Tree stood directly opposite to the House of...
9From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 16 February 1823 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your favour of the 10 feb 1823 I have the satisfaction to find that every body gives as good a character to of your book as I have done in my letter to you. Judge Quincy our friend Shaw & all, who have read it, speak of it as I do—And to my little surprize the daily advertizer speaks of it as it ought and let me add one circumstance more I am well informed that it sells...
10From John Adams to William Tudor, Jr., 20 November 1819 (Adams Papers)
I Shall not pause to consider whether my Opinion will be popular or unpopular with the Slave Holders, or Slave Traders, in the Northern the Middle, the Southern, or the Western, States—I respect all those who are necessarily subjected to this Evil.—But Negro Slavery is an evil of Colossal Magnitude.—Mr Walsh in his late Scourge of the British Reviewers, has given such a picture of the Guilt,...