1From John Adams to William Plumer, 4 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have received with much pleasure your kind letter of the 28th of October. My Son has often mentioned to me the Friendship between you and him, as one that he most highly valued: and he has remembered you with affection in his letters from the banks of New Foundland the 16th of August. I hope with you that his friendship will not terminate but with Life. I know of no more direct and certain...
2From John Adams to William Plumer, 9 January 1810 (Adams Papers)
The fugitive Trifles I have written in the Course of Fifty or Sixty Years are of little Consequence in point of intrinsic Merit. If they are of any Value and any of them deserve to be preserved, it is on Account of the Dates and Circumstances of the Times in which they were written and if I give you a List of them, it will be more for the sake of disavowing all other Writings than for the any...
3From John Adams to William Plumer, 10 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
For your kind Congratulations and benevolent Wishes Accept my best Thanks. My health is much better and more constant than could be reasonably expected by a Man, who, after a Life of care Toil and Storms has entered his Sixteenth Lustre. The American Minister in Russia, in the Extremity of the cold about the middle of last Winter, was Slightly indisposed So as to keep House for a few days, but...
4From John Adams to William Plumer, 7 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
Since my Letter to you of the fifteenth in answer to yours of the fi f th of September, We have received undoubted intelligence, that my Son has declined his appointment as Judge, and that he will not return to America this year, You may therefore write with confidence that if your Letters reach St Petersburg, they will there find him. The condition of his family rendered it impossible to...
5From John Adams to William Plumer, 13 June 1812 (Adams Papers)
In the first place, permit me to congratulate you on your Election to the first Magistracy of New Hampshire. In the second place to rejoice with you, that each Branch of your Government harmonizes with you in political Sentiments. In the third that your State is likely to cooperate with the national Government. For though We may not perfectly approve all the measures of Congress or...
6From John Adams to William Plumer, 6 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your eloquent and Masterly Speech which I read with much Satisfaction.— There appears nevertheless, by the late Elections, to be a great change in the Sentiments of all the five States of New England, of New york and New Jersey; to go a no farther; which I am not able to explain. Has it been produced by dissatisfaction with the Principles of the War? By disgust at the conduct...
7From John Adams to William Plumer, 16 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your eloquent and masterly Speech which I read with much Satisfaction. There appears nevertheless, by the late Elections, to be a great change in the Sentiments of all the five States of New England, of New York and New Jersey; to go no farther, which I am not able to explain. Has it been produced by dissatisfaction with the Principle of the War? By disgust at the conduct of...
8From John Adams to William Plumer, 10 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
I know not when or where I have ever received a more luminous letter, than yours of the 2nd of this month. It is a Misfortune to an Old Man to receive a good letter: because it Springs a mine in his memory, and disposes him to write a Volume, which his life would not be long enough to finish. Hence the proverbial Garrulity of Age. I find nothing So difficult as to abridge and compress. You...
9From John Adams to William Plumer, 28 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
You enquire, in your kind Letter of the 19th. Whether, “every Member of Congress did, on the 4th of July 1776, in fact cordially approve of the declaration of Independence”? They who were then Members all Signed it, and as I could not See their hearts, it would be hard for me to Say that they did not approve it: but as far as I could penetrate, the intricate internal foldings of their Souls, I...
10From John Adams to William Plumer, 25 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have lately turned over our Historians, Ramsay Gordon, Mrs Warren, Marshall, to search for a Statistical devellopement of that most powerful Instrument and most efficacious cause of Success, in our revolutionary War; a maritime and naval Force. I beg of you to do the same, and see, what a miserable lame meagre appearance it makes. As you are writing a History of the same period I wish you...
11From John Adams to William Plumer, 27 October 1814 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your pamphlet, which I read with great Satisfaction It is written with admirable temper, and carries demonstration with it, to every mind that is not rendered by party prejudice and passion, insensible to evidence. Too Many of our Clergy are going the Way of the Magi, the Druids the Mandarines, the Mufti, the Bramins, the Pontiffs of antient and modern times; by making...
12From John Adams to William Plumer, 4 December 1814 (Adams Papers)
Chicanery has been So often concerted in nocturnal caucusses in this Country by both parties, that there is nothing very novel, however surprising and disgusting it ought to be, in the corrupt Election of one of your Councillors. A fortunate Scruple of Conscience which finally turned the Majority in favour of him whose right it was, may have important Consequences. Many a Nation has been Saved...