1To John Adams from Richard Rush, 2 May 1818 (Adams Papers)
An old Scotch woman, in North-Shields, signing herself Ann Hewison, has sent me a manuscript Quarto of what she calls extracts from the diary of William Langborn, an American officer, kept during his travels through several parts of Europe. I copy, word for word, the following passages. London July 18. 1786. “Saturday—Did myself the pleasure, agreeably to yesterdays invitation, of dining with...
2To John Adams from Richard Rush, 4 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
Out of the circle of your own family, there are none who can feel more sorrow at the heavy affliction that has fallen upon you than we do here. We heard the melancholy news two days ago. “What exalted and long-tried excellence, exclaimed my wife, has gone to the tomb.” “As soon as my confinement was over,” she continued, “I had intended that my first letter, after one to my own mother, should...
3To John Adams from Richard Rush, 9 February 1821 (Adams Papers)
Since I read in the newspapers the address which you delivered in November to the convention of Massachusetts, as President of that body, the scene has been so often before my eyes, that I can no longer remain silent. As a political incident, its character is memorable. If I could forget the scene of general Washington surrendering up his sword at Annapolis, I should say that it was the finest...
4To John Adams from Richard Rush, 30 September 1821 (Adams Papers)
Your life will never cease to be useful to your country. In spite of yourself, in spite of your years, you will always belong to it. The incident, from alluding to which I could not refrain in my letter of February, has been followed up by another scarcely of less interest, and which perhaps may one day produce effects still more worthy to be noted. I mean, Sir, the address to the cadets,...
5To John Adams from Richard Rush, 26 February 1822 (Adams Papers)
I must insist upon it, notwithstanding the authority of your veto, that the subject is truly a noble one for the painter. A great patriarch, one of the chief founders of his country’s liberties, the steady advocate of her rights at the courts of foreign potentates as well as in all departments at home, is permitted by a kind Providence to live as it were into posterity, beholding the vast...
6From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 2 April 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am to thank you for the kind wishes contained in your favor of the 24. of last month. You have often, indeed, gratified and flattered me by similar ones, and I feel how much I owe to your over partiality. The appointment of Mr Adams gives, as far as I can ascertain, the highest satisfaction. If ever a citizen of our country owed his elevation to the solid merits of his own character, your...
7From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
Some time in the early part of last month, I had the pleasure to write you a letter in answer to your favor of the 24th of March. The mail is so true that it never occurs to us to doubt the safe arrival of a letter when we know that it has been safely lodged in the post office; nor did that which I wrote leave any thing suspended leading me to look for an answer. My only reason for thus...
8From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
I am very happy that you have favored me with a letter respecting Mr Smith. It increases the interest that I before took in his situation. I will not permit myself to believe that any recollections are cherished to his disadvantage, on account of that portion of his conduct as a youth to which you have alluded. It would not be simply unkind, but unjust. It would be cruel. I took great pleasure...
9From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 May 1817 (Adams Papers)
The President yesterday received a letter from Mr Adams, in which he mentions his acceptance of his late appointment, and that he expected to embark in the course of the present month. The letter is dated on the 19th of April. In the possible event of this information not having reached you by the same vessel, I hasten to communicate it, offering my renewed congratulations to yourself and Mr...
10From Richard Rush to Abigail Smith Adams, 29 July 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your kind favor of the 14th of this month, was very gratifying to me. Nothing can be more interesting then the account which it gives of the Presidents visit to Boston and the vicinity. The letter from Mr Adams which you were so good as to enclose, I have to apologize for not returning sooner. I desire to thank you for the opportunity afforded me of perusing it. There is an impressive wisdom...
11To James Madison from Richard Rush, 18 April 1817 (Madison Papers)
I beg leave to send you, enclosed, a few English newspapers. I have not been able to look over them myself, but perhaps you may be able to glean an hours amusement from them. They are the latest we have in the office. I shall have great pleasure in sending you others that arrive. Our last letters from Mr Adams are to the 29th of January. He takes no notice of the report of 19 ships of war...
12To James Madison from Richard Rush, 18 June 1817 (Madison Papers)
When it became my lot to superintend for a short time, the business of the department of state, I little imagined, that among the foreign ministers, the Abbe Correa was the one with whom my official relations were to be the least smooth. Having imbibed a veneration for his character and genius, struck with the engaging simplicity of his manners and liberality of his principles, I had, on the...
13To James Madison from Richard Rush, 20 June 1817 (Madison Papers)
We have latterly had no papers from abroad. Mr Adams seems to have ceased sending them, probably from his preparations to come home. His last letter to the department stated his expectation to embark before the first of June. As to the French papers they come to us but seldom, and amount to but little when they do come. With Russia, France and Spain, our relations continue, I believe, just as...
14To James Madison from Richard Rush, 6 September 1817 (Madison Papers)
Considering the struggle that is now going on in Pennsylvania, as not wholly local, I have been led to dip my pen in it. A month ago I threw together some remarks for one of the newspapers. They unexpectedly came back to me a few days since in the form of a two-penny pamphlet. I venture to enclose you one of them for the amusement of a leisure moment. Although no official promulgation has yet...
15To James Madison from Richard Rush, 14 January 1818 (Madison Papers)
I have great pleasure in sending you by a conveyance, which I hope will prove a safe one, Eustace’s tour and Malthus on population. In place of the most approved answer to the latter work, which, as yet, I have not been able to ascertain, I send the 34th number of the Quarterly review, which you will find to contain a more full notice of its doctrines than, I believe, has heretofore been taken...
16To James Madison from Richard Rush, 2 May 1818 (Madison Papers)
I received through Mr Brent, in January, the favor of your few lines, accompanied by the letter for Mr Keilsall which was forwarded to my care. I am sorry to say that all my efforts to find him out, have, thus far, proved fruitless. I will not give them over, and hope that this instance of ill success in the beginning will not deter you from calling on me again whenever you have occasion. Your...
17To James Madison from Richard Rush, 13 December 1818 (Madison Papers)
Your esteemed favor of the 24th of July came safely to hand, with the bill which it enclosed, the amount of which was obtained from the Mess: Barings. I send by this conveyance the anecdotes of the life of bishop Watson in two volumes, and a little posthumous work of Horace Walpoles, which has lately come out. These two books, coupled with Doddington’s diary, (to which I remember you first...
18To James Madison from Richard Rush, 8 September 1819 (Madison Papers)
I beg to offer my best thanks for your acceptable favor of the tenth of May and the very interesting views which it held up of our home affairs. The enormous abuses of the banking system, seem at last to have roused our people to a just sense of the resulting dangers, and we shall henceforth, it is to be hoped, not witness so excessive a multiplication of these institutions, whilst those which...
19To James Madison from Richard Rush, 30 August 1820 (Madison Papers)
The Mr Keilsall to whom the enclosed letter is addressed, I have not, by all the inquiries which it has been in my power to make since I came to London, been able to find out. I therefore return it, not without regret at my disappointment, which however is lessened by the excuse which the act of returning it affords me of writing to you. The last time I had that pleasure, was, if I recollect...
20To James Madison from Richard Rush, 15 November 1820 (Madison Papers)
Your acceptable favor of the 12th of August, reached me about a month ago. I fear that this government will continue deaf to every expostulation that can be addressed to it on the subject of the West India trade. In the negociation of 1818, when Mr Gallatin was here, we made the attempt with all earnestness to prevail upon them to give up their narrow doctrines, but to no effect; whilst...
21To James Madison from Richard Rush, 15 March 1821 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the fourth of December came safely to hand, and with it the letter for Mr Joy, and one for Miss Wright, both of which have been delivered. Mr Smith into whose hands I put the latter, informs me that there was no difficulty in forwarding it to its destination. I have to beg, dear Sir, that you will without scruple commit to my care whatever letters you may have occasion to write...
22To James Madison from Richard Rush, 25 June 1821 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 21st of April reached me a few days ago, and I have great pleasure in sending you herewith, a copy of Hones new testament, which I hope will be in time for the return of the packet. I have no account of the price, it having been just left at my house without a bill. It is but a trifle, and can be thought of at a future day. There is no other account between us. I have also to...
23To James Madison from Richard Rush, 25 September 1821 (Madison Papers)
The last number of the Edinburgh Review having just come out, I have great pleasure, whilst making up my despatches for the October packet, in sending it to you. It may probably be the means of putting you in possession of it rather sooner than you would otherwise see it, and I know the interest you will take in casting your eye over the article on Godwin’s work. These great northern criticks,...
24To James Madison from Richard Rush, 6 March 1822 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 20th of November got to hand in January. The letters which it enclosed for Mr Keilsall and Mr Joy, were both delivered, no difficulty having occurred this time in finding the former. I had equal pleasure in procuring his book, which was sent to Liverpool in January with directions to be forwarded in the regular packet from that port on the 1st of February. I hope it will have...
25To James Madison from Richard Rush, 28 June 1823 (Madison Papers)
Not for the value of the article, but as a little token of remembrance, I beg you will allow me to ask your acceptance of, (sent by the vessel in which this letter goes,) an English cheese. Joining my wife in kind compliments to Mrs Madison, I remain, dear sir, with unalterable attachment and respect your devoted friend and servant RC ( PHi ). Enclosed in James Maury to JM , 3 July 1823 . Here...
26To James Madison from Richard Rush, [10 September 1823] (Madison Papers)
particularly proposals for abolishing all private war upon the ocean. And 6th. the Russian ukase of September 1821, relative to the North West coast of America. It is not yet ascertained if this government will consent to embark in negociation on all these points; and still less dare I promise, that she is prepared to come into our liberal views respecting them. It is with much hesitation that...
27To James Madison from Richard Rush, 28 December 1823 (Madison Papers)
Your very acceptable favor of the 13th of November reached me yesterday. I am not able at this time to do more than barely acknowledge its safe arrival, but this I do with my grateful thanks. It will be, under many views, extremely valuable to me. I remain dear sir with devoted attachment and respect Your obliged and affectionate friend P. S. Your kind acknowledgement of the cheese I also...
28To James Madison from Richard Rush, 8 September 1824 (Madison Papers)
Mr Owen, the eminent philanthropist of New Lanark, in Scotland, being about to visit the United States, I beg leave to put into his hands this letter to you. Without giving an opinion on the feasibility of all his plans for improving the condition of human society, I can only say that all agree that they are full of benevolence, and that good has already resulted from them in some places. By...
29To James Madison from Richard Rush, 20 September 1824 (Madison Papers)
I have lately got through the extensive, and I believe I must add, very difficult, negociations, in which I have been engaged with this government, without concluding any treaty or other arrangement upon any one of the many subjects which they embraced. As regards the West India and commercial intercourse between the two countries in our hemisphere, Britain refuses to give us any other terms...
30To James Madison from Richard Rush, 5 August 1825 (Madison Papers)
It afforded me the greatest pleasure to receive your kind letter of the first instant. Encompassed at present by duties equally laborious and new to me, I am unable to say when I shall be able to break from them; but a visit to Montpelier is among the highest gratifications that I have ever promised myself on getting back to our happy country, and one that I shall be sure to realize when the...