1From John Quincy Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 21 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
It is related of Augustus Caesar, that being upon his death-bed, he turned just before he expired to the friends who were standing around, and asked them what they thought of the part which he had acted on the scene of human life—They express’d their admiration as their feelings or their prudence inspired—Then said he “Plaudite”. In the article of Death, Augustus was what he had been...
2To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 30 April 1810 (Adams Papers)
Since my departure from the United States, I have had the pleasure of receiving two letters from by brother and one from my Mother but it has not yet been my good fortune to receive one from you— I have however had the satisfaction of reading your writings in the Patriot, untill the beginning of November; and hope to have the continuation of them, by the first arrivals from Boston, which are...
3From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, May 1810 (Adams Papers)
I write to you both together, to assure you that although far distant from you, I always bear you both in my thoughts with tender affection—I hope that when you receive this letter, you will both be able to read, and understand it, and that you, George, will also be able to write me an answer to it—The greatest pleasure that you can give to you Parents, is to pursue your Studies with...
4To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 2 September 1810 (Adams Papers)
Captain Harrod, by whom you sent your very kind favour of 16. March, has only come as far as Königsberg in Prussia—From that place he has forwarded to me, by a vessel of Mr: Gray’s, the letters with which he had been charged, and a box which had been put up by Mrs: T. B. Adams for my wife—They have thus all been received, and with the box one copy of my printed Lectures, of which a set had...
5To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 9 November 1810 (Adams Papers)
One hundred and twenty American vessels have sailed from the Port of Cronstadt for the United States during the present Season—The two last of them were Captain Bainbridge, for Philadelphia, and Captain Leach for Boston, in the American Hero a vessel belonging to Lieutt: Governor Gray.—They sailed on the first of this month and both of them carried letters from us.—They were the last vessels...
6To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 30 May 1811 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of writing you last, on the 9th of November, since which I had not enjoyed that of hearing directly from you, untill this day last week when your two favours of 11 and 14 Feby: came to hand—together with Mr. Quincy’s Louisiana speech—several other letters, and a number of Books and pamphlets, and newspapers, from which almost all my attention has hitherto been diverted, by...
7From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 15 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter dated the sixth of February last, and was very much delighted to see it so well written; because I know that it was written by yourself.—I have marked it down, number one, and put it upon my file—When your next letter comes, and I hope that will be soon, I shall compare the hand-writing with that of number one, and shall see what progress you make in writing. I...
8To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 25 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
The fortieth American vessel, which has arrived at Cronstadt, since the opening of this years navigation, was the John Adams, Captain Thomas Downing from Savannah; she arrived last Saturday the 22d: instt:—and the first which sailed for America was the Laurel, Captain Burnham, belonging to Mr: Gray; by whom I sent the letter to you of which the enclosed is a press-copy—She sailed the 10th:...
9To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 30 June 1811 (Adams Papers)
“The Massachusetts election appears to agitate the Americans in Europe almost exclusively; of all the other Elections going on at the same time in many parts of the Union. I see paragraphs in the Newspapers, but hear not a syllable from any other Quarter—But American Federalists in this City have received letters from their friends in London, and in Gottenburg in high exaltation, announcing...
10To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 21 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
American vessels are now pouring upon us in floods—I wrote you less than a month since that there had then arrived at Cronstadt forty since the opening of the year’s Navigation; and already the number exceeds ninety, besides as many more at Archangel and the other Russian Ports—They have already glutted the markets untill they are forced to disgorge; but I hear that they are still coming by...
11To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 20 August 1811 (Adams Papers)
Part of the enclosed press-copy of my last Letter to you, is so faint, that unless you should have received the original, before it comes to hand, I am afraid you will be obliged to call for the assistance of younger eyes to make it out. Since it was written I have had the pleasure of receiving letters from my brother, and my wife has had one from my mother, but none from you—I remain however...
12To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 31 August 1811 (Adams Papers)
In a former letter I have thanked you, for the two pamphlet speeches of Mr: Quincy delivered at the last Session of Congress—on the admission of the Orleans Territory as a State into the Union, and on his proposed Amendment to Mr: Maçons proposed Amendment of the Constitution—But I have not yet given you the reflections which occurred to my mind upon the perusal of them. It was my opinion at...
13To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
Some time in the month of June last there was published in the Boston Patriot, a pretended State-Paper, purporting to be signed by the Duke of Cadore, addressed to His Excellency—as in extreme secrecy, and containing a common-place invective against the British Nation-Constitution, and Royal Family; mixed up with a panegyric upon the Duke of York, and the incendiary Jackson—a curse upon the...
14To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have no letter from you of a later date then 28. of April last—which I received nearly three months since—I continue to write you, at least once a month; but the season for Navigation is already closed, and henceforth I shall have only indirect occasions of Conveyance—This letter I expect will go from Gothenburg—The Navigation of the Baltic is indeed so much obstructed, even while the Summer...
15To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 31 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
In the month of June last Myers Fisher junr: of Philadelphia, who is established here as a partner of a Commercial House, called upon me with a Gentleman who had just arrived with a Vessel and Cargo of which he was the owner, and whom he introduced to me by the name of Mr David of Philadelphia—I thought this Gentleman a total stranger to me, and was a little surprized when he said to me, Sir,...
16To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 13 December 1811 (Adams Papers)
The extract contained in one of your last Winter’s letters to me from the Astronomics of Manilius, excited my attention to that writer, of whom I had previously known nothing more than the name—I have not been able to purchase it here, but General Pardo da Figueroa the Spanish Minister at this Court, one of the most learned classical scholars in Europe has had the goodness to lend me this...
17To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 13 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
On the New-Year’s day of our own Style, I wrote to my Mother, to testify my good-wishes and prayers, for the welfare of herself and you, and of all those dearest of my friends with you, and from whom we have been separated by so irksome, and now so long an absence—On the new year of the Russian Style, the same friends recurring, and always with the same tender and anxious affection to my...
18To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 June 1812 (Adams Papers)
Within a few days I have received your kind favours of 19. Feby: and 10. Decr: last; the first of which was forwarded to me by Mr Hall, from Gothenburg, and the last by Mr Russell from London—Mr Hall came from Boston to Gothenburg, and has since arrived here in the Minerva, a vessel belonging to Mr W. R. Gray—he brought your letter of 19 Feby. and although from thence he transmitted it by the...
19From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 23 June 1812 (Adams Papers)
It is several months since your Mama and I have received a letter from you, or since I wrote one to you, but the last that we did receive was so handsomely written that we were much pleased to observe your progress in that part of your studies. We hope that you have been and will be not less attentive to all the others. I suppose that before this time you have begun to learn Latin and...
20To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 29 June 1812 (Adams Papers)
I enclose you a press-copy of my last Letter, thought it is more than ever uncertain whether either the original or the Copy will be suffered to reach you—We have lived in eventful times, but in the course of my life I have no recollection of a moment so full of portent as the present.—We have accounts here from the United States to 9. May, by the way of England—They are more immediately...
21To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 13 July 1812 (Adams Papers)
I was closing up a letter, which I wrote yesterday to my dear Mother when I received, from Archangel, your favour of 7. April—hers of 12. of the same Month, and that of my brother of 18. March—A former letter from him, had already excited our anxiety for his infant Child—A subsequent paragraph in a Boston Newspaper, had apprized me of its decease—My Heart bleeds again with his, at this Event;...
22To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 16 August 1812 (Adams Papers)
The flames of War, which are again spreading universally over Europe, have at length caught across the Atlantic, and involved our Country in the Conflagration—Numerous as the obstacles to a safe and speedy Communication of Correspondence between us and our friends in the United States have heretofore been they are now greatly aggravated and multiplied—We received on the 5th: of this Month, the...
23From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 28 September 1812 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you last, which was on the 23d: of June, we have received your letter to your mother, dated 2. March, in which you express the wish that we should come home: that you might have the pleasure of knowing, and loving, and paying every attention of an affectionate brother to your little Sister—These were good and laudable wishes, but it has pleased God, to determine that they should...
24To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 4 October 1812 (Adams Papers)
“Why was that fair flower blasted so soon”?—The last letter which I have had the consolation of receiving from you, in mentioning to me the misfortune which had befallen my brother in the loss of his Child, forewarned me that this is a question that we are not permitted to ask—I knew not when that letter came, how shortly my own trial of bereavement was to take place, how deeply my own heart...
25To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 5 November 1812 (Adams Papers)
Having not received directly from you, or from any of my friends at Quincy, a line later than the 10th: of April, it was with no small pleasure, that a few days since, I met in an English Newspaper, an extract of a letter from you to Mr E. Watson, dated the 6th: of July—It relates to the War, and expenses your opinion that this was both just and necessary—Although I am unable to maintain by...
26From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have not had the pleasure of hearing from you since I wrote you last; but having an opportunity, which now seldom happens, of sending letters to America, I will not let it pass, without writing you to inform you that your Mamma, and brother Charles, with myself are in as good health as the excessive cold weather of this Country and Season will admit—But I shall not have time at present to...
27To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
In enclosing to you a letter for my Mother, and one for my Son George, I feel the duty of adding at least a few lines to yourself; to wish you joy in the course of the new year, and to offer my prayers to the giver of all Good, that you may have in store for you this and many more years of comfort, and of happiness, such as earth can bestow In one of your last Letters you observed to me that I...
28To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 15 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
Although the Wars, which broke out in the course of one Week, last Summer, both in Europe and America, appear to have deprived our friends in the United States, totally of the few opportunities which they had before, of writing to us, so that we still remain without a line from any of them bearing a later date than last April, we have hitherto had the means of Communication to them,...
29To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 22 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
Towards the close of the last summer arrived here as a sort of a semi official appendage to the British embassy an old acquaintance of yours Sir Francis D’Ivernois who as you know has been for many years a distinguishd political writer in the French language and in the Interest of the British Government. He came not I believe with but very soon after the Embassador Lord Cathcart Just at the...
30From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 5 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
A few days ago I received letters from your Grandmama, and your Uncle, which rejoyced me very much, for I had not before heard from them nor you for many Months; and now these letters which were dated in December last, informed us that they and you were well, which is the most delightful news we can receive—But I looked among the letters for one from your brother George or you, and was...