11To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 28 October 1813 (Adams Papers)
According to the reservation between us, of taking up one of the subjects of our correspondence at a time, I turn to your letters of Aug. 16. & Sep. 2. The passage you quote from Theognis, I think has an Ethical, rather than a political object. the whole piece is a moral exhortation , παραινεςις , and this passage particularly seems to be a reproof to man, who, while with his domestic animals...
12To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 24 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
I have great need of the indulgence so kindly extended to me in your favor of Dec. 25. of permitting me to answer your friendly letters at my leisure. my frequent and long absences from home are a first cause of tardiness in my correspondence, and a 2d the accumulation of business during my absence, some of which imperiously commands first attentions. I am now in arrear to you for your letters...
13To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 18 May 1814 (Adams Papers)
This will be handed you by mr Rives a young gentleman of this state and my neighborhood. he is an eleve of mine in law, of uncommon abilities, learning and worth. when you and I shall be at rest with our friends of 1776. he will be in the zenith of his fame and usefulness. before entering on his public career he wishes to visit our sister states and would not concieve he had seen any thing of...
14To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 5 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
Since mine of Jan. 24. your’s of Mar. 14. was recieved. it was not acknoleged in the short one of May 18. by mr Rives, the only object of that having been to enable one of our most promising young men to have the advantage of making his bow to you. I learned with great regret the serious illness mentioned in your letter: and I hope mr Rives will be able to tell me you are entirely restored....
15To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 10 June 1815 (Adams Papers)
It is long since we have exchanged a letter, and yet what volumes might have been written on the occurrences even of the last three months. in the first place, Peace, God bless it! has returned to put us all again into a course of lawful and laudable pursuits: a new trial of the Bourbons has proved to the world their incompetence to the functions of the station they have occupied: & the recall...
16To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 10 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
The simultaneous movements in our correspondence have been really remarkable on several occasions. it would seem as if the state of the air, or state of the times, or some other unknown cause produced a sympathetic effect on our mutual recollections. I had set down to answer your letters of June 19. 20. 22. with pen, ink, and paper before me, when I recieved from our mail that of July 30. you...
17To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 11 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
Of the last five months I have past four at my other domicil, for such it is in a considerable degree. no letters are forwarded to me there, because the cross post to that place is circuitous and uncertain. during my absence therefore they are accumulating here, & awaiting acknolegements. this has been the fate of your favor of Nov. 13. I agree with you in all it’s eulogies on the 18th....
18To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 8 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have to acknolege your two favors of Feb. 16. & Mar. 2. and to join sincerely in the sentiment of mrs Adams, and regret that distance separates us so widely. an hour of conversation would be worth a volume of letters. but we must take things as they come. You ask if I would agree to live my 70. or rather 73. years over again? to which I say Yea. I think with you that it is a good world on...
19To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 1 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your two philosophical letters of May 4. and 6. have been too long in my Carton of “Letters to be answered.” to the question indeed on the utility of Grief, no answer remains to be given. you have exhausted the subject. I see that, with the other evils of life, it is destined to temper the cup we are to drink. Two urns by Jove’s high throne have ever stood, The source of evil one, and one of...
20To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 14 October 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your letter; dear Sir, of May 6. had already well explained the Uses of grief, that of Sep. 3. with equal truth adduces instances of it’s abuse; and when we put into the same scale these abuses, with the afflictions of soul which even the Uses of grief cost us, we may consider it’s value in the economy of the human being, as equivocal at least. those afflictions cloud too great a portion of...