1From John Adams to William Tudor, 15 February 1791 (Adams Papers)
My good Genius this morning has thrown in my Way, by perfect Accident, your oration of the 4. July last, and although I read it with much pleasure, in its Season it now appeared to me, new and beautiful as ever. I am afraid I never thanked you for the handsome Compliment paid to me in a Note. Indeed I now and then get a Compliment, and do not always give thanks for it. I am informed, within a...
2From John Adams to William Tudor, 18 September 1789 (Adams Papers)
Yours of July 9 & 27 are unanswered. I cannot reconcile myself to the Idea of a Division of this Continent, even fifty Years hence. great Sacrifices ought to be made to Union, and an habit of Obedience to a well ordered, and judiciously limited Government, formed at this early Period. a Dissolution of the Union involves Consequences of so terrible a kind, that I think We ought to consent to an...
3From John Adams to William Tudor, 28 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
I Shall not grant the Indulgence you request in yours of the 21 st , most certainly: I mean that for hastily adopting Expressions, which are So often improperly used by Massachusetts Politicians. Our Fellow Citizens will never think alike nor act aright, untill they are habitually taught to Use the Same Words in the Same Sense. Nations are governed by Words, as well as by Actions; by Sounds as...
4From John Adams to William Tudor, 12 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters put me more and more out of Patience every Post.— Why, in that of the 6 th. do you call our national Government a federal Republick ? It is no more that, than it is Sphœrical Trigonometry. What is a federal Republic? It is an association of a Number of independent Sovereign States.— Are the Seperate States in our national Government, Sovereign and independent? If they are, We had...
5From John Adams to William Tudor, 28 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
What is there which the new Government possesses, on which to found its Authority.? Has it Honours? has it pleasures? has it profits to bestow, which may Attract the Attention, excite the Love, or alarm the Fear, of Such a Majority in every State as will compell the Minority to Obedience? Has the national Government at this moment, Attractions enough to make a Seat in it, an Object of Desire,...
6From John Adams to William Tudor, 27 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of the 18 th. but cannot agree with you that “a considerable Period must elapse before the United States can arise to Greatness.”— They are already arrived at Greatness, and their greatest Misfortune is that they know it not.— The Politicians, if such there are, who think it best We never should be great are already disappointed. They may possibly contribute to keep...
7From John Adams to William Tudor, 9 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
Thank you for your favour of 28. Ult.— There is an entire harmony, between the two Persons you Speak of, and there is no probability of its interruption. The first is modest and the Second at least Shall be unassuming. The Constitution has furnished him with a justification of a cautious conduct, and imposed it on him as a duty. Cæsar would never have been displeased, at a Compliment on his...
8From John Adams to William Tudor, 3 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
Your fav r. of 22 Ult. is rec d. — I was well aware that many of my Friends and the Well Wishers to good Gov t , would be prevented from making their Compliments to me, on my Departure, by their alienation from the House from which I Set off: but perhaps their delicacy, upon that occasion, was too great. The Duty of 6 Cents on Mollasses, appears to me to be generally reprobated at present as...
9From John Adams to William Tudor, 27 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
Aha!—exchanging the Pride, Pomp and Circumstance of Glorious War, for the soft Charms of Wedlock and domestic Felicity, I suppose—abandoning Gun, Drum, Trumpet, Blunderbuss and Thunder, for the less terrible Sounds of the Wranglers at the Bar. Well! Young Folk must have their Way. But I suppose by that Time you have laid the Foundations of a Young Tudor or two, you will be on Fire again with...
10From John Adams to William Tudor, 27 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
I had yours by Coll Palfry last night. General Green is just taking his Departure so that I can, only write you a Line. I blame you not for determining either to rise at the Bar or in the Army. I wish you to rise in both. It is a critical, and delicate Thing to give Advice to our best Friends, and therefore I hope you will pay no more Attention to any that I may give you, than just to weigh it...