31From John Adams to John Adams, 2 November 1823 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for two letters written at two notable periods of your life one at the happy meeting of your family at Providence and New York, the other at Washington all in health written with the vivacity, and spirit for which you are so remarkable. They gave me and the whole family a great deal of pleasure and excite an appetite for your account of the first part of your journey. We have...
32From John Adams to John Adams, 1 February 1824 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 18th of January is full of candid, temperate and accurate criticism I know not whether a more lively idea of Mr Clay’s eloquence could have been given me, by Aristotle, Longinus, Dyonisius Halicarnassus, Horace, Vida, Boileau and Pope. Mr Clay must have great powers of Oratory. Your remarks upon emphasis, are judicious and important. I have written this pedantic list of...
33To John Adams from John Adams, 21 October 1822 (Adams Papers)
In compliance with your request in your condescending favr. of the 30th. Ulto. that I should transmit the Pedigree of my family. I applied to my Father, who had taken some pains to inform himself respecting his Ancestry—being incited thereto, very much by the important circumstance, that One of the name had risen to the highest honours of our Country; and others, to very distinguished honours...
34From John Adams to John Adams, 7 March 1824 (Adams Papers)
Your kind letter of the 22d: February No 15 is as pleasing to me as the former numbers. I have not seen the Pilot. The young ladies, you speak of instead of tinkling verses and frivolous novels, had better read Dr Barrows sermons, get them by heart, and deeply impress them upon their souls. As to the Caucus I am glad you have not written me upon that, fir it si a very unedifying topic. The...
35From John Adams to John Adams, 19 February 1825 (Adams Papers)
I recieved, as usual with great delight your letter of the 12th inst. Your account of all things is satisfactory—but on this great occasion, my dear Grandson, let us all reflect on the obligations this event imposes on us. Our joys ought to be no greater than the joys of the public. We ought all of us to collect ourselves and not suffer a single unbecoming word or action to escape us. A friend...
36From John Adams to John Adams, 26 November 1821 (Adams Papers)
I also am an advocate first for universal suffrage 2dly. for universal emancipation 3dly for universal toleration & fourthly for universal education. But I must still inquire, what is meant by universal suffrage? If reading & writing were necessary, that rule would in the middle ages have excluded all mankind except the clergy and a greater part of them and even Charlemagne himself. I have...
37From John Adams to John Adams, 20 November 1824 (Adams Papers)
Your No 42 has given me pleasure like the rest. I ought to thank you for your assiduity in giving me kind entertainment in so great a number of letters. As you have all the Newspapers, you have all the news that we have and more. New England has settled down in calm satisfaction with her own vote. The circumstance you mentioned of Quincy & Braintree and their unanimnity has delighted me as...
38From John Adams to John Adams, 21 March 1817 (Adams Papers)
Nothing from your Family gives me more pleasure than to hear as I do, that you are a diligent Student and good Schollar. Do you know the meaning, of the Words, Patience of Application ? Patience of Study ? My little reading, you may well Suppose is not fresh in my head: but I remember to have somewhere read that Sir Isaac Newton used to Say that “all he had done in Science was by patient...
39From John Adams to John Adams, April 1818 (Adams Papers)
I am much pleased with your Translation The Character of Anacreon is one of the many Mysteries of Antiquity which the Researches of your whole life will not be able to unridle. He did well to renounce the Heroes for he either knows nothing of the Sons of Atreous of Cadmus the Theban King or of Hercules and his twelve Labours or if he knows any Thing he dared not tell what he knows. It is...
40From John Adams to John Adams, 30 September 1822 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for a pretty volume of Poetic effusions; for want of sight I have not read them, but in those which have been read to me, I perceive nothing inconsistent with morals, on the contrary, a social spirit of charity humanity, and benevolence, Of the Poetical merit I pretend not to be a critical judge. From your name I conjecture that you are a bee, from one of the six swarms , that...
41From John Adams to John Adams, 2 January 1820 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 27th. of December has given me great pleasure—though I shuddered at the idea of the dreadful night you discribed—The Season of the Year concealed the beauties of the Country through which you pass traveled and must have taken away most of the pleasures—But you must have been amply repaied by the joys of meeting your Parents, and Brother, and other friends—A residence in...
42From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 April 1820 (Adams Papers)
If you can obtain leave of absence I wish for the pleasure of your Company here on the twelfth of the month—and I wish you to present my Compliments to the President, and Tutors whose consent is requisite, and ask the favour of them There is not any topick of Conversation here, but the horrours of duelling—and Mail Robbers, we do not meddle with politicks— love to John—and am affectionately /...
43From John Adams to John Adams, 11 December 1825 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your kind Letter—and your Father still more for his permission in permiting you to send me a Copy of his Message, which if it had not been delay’d in Boston, would have reached me before any body else— It is every thing I could wish, or desire it to be, it cannot fail to give general, or, if not, universal satisfaction to the nation, and to all Nations—It proves so particular...
44From John Adams to John Adams, 22 April 1825 (Adams Papers)
You have been the most punctual correspondent that I ever had except your Brother—but for four weeks past I have been constantly disappointed, whenever I have enquired for a Letter from John—but I have constantly been compelled to make an apology by recollecting that you have been overwhelmed with business of more importance to the public, than soothing my curiosity— Yet I never can be easy...
45From John Adams to John Adams, 24 January 1825 (Adams Papers)
Your account of the Death and Character of General R. G. Harper gave me a great deal of pain, he was a man indeed of eminent character and great talents, he made a great figure in Congress and was considered a rival to Mr. Smith, till he was sent to Portugal; I am not able to give you any account of his Parentage, or the place of his birth, or that of his Education; The first that I ever heard...
46To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 November 1822 (Adams Papers)
I take pleasure in introducing to your acquaintance the Revd. Mr Barber, who has been some years attached to the Catholic Seminary at this place and to the College at Georgetown, and is now going to reside at Claremont in New Hampshire. In passing through Boston he proposes to pay you a visit, from which I am persuaded you will derive equal satisfaction with him. I am, Dear Sir, your faithful...
47To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 September 1822 (Adams Papers)
You have been made acquainted with the controversy in which I have been for some Months engaged in relation to transactions at the Negotiation of Ghent. As the subject is one in which the defence of my own character and that of two of my Colleagues was inseparably connected with principles of deep concernment to this Union, I have thought it necessary to collect in one publication the papers...
48To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 9 February 1825 (Adams Papers)
The enclosed note from Mr King, will inform you of the Event of this day, upon which I can only offer you , my congratulations, and ask your blessing and prayers. Your affectionate and dutiful Son P.S. Have the goodness to cause the Note from Mr King, to be sent back to me. MHi : Adams Papers.
49From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 28 March 1822 (Adams Papers)
It has given me great satisfaction to learn that a part has be assigned to you to perform at the exhibition, fixed for the 30th. of April—and should be well pleased if it if it were in my power to be present at the performance—But as that will not be practicable, I wish you to let me know what dialogue it is that you are to speak—I feel also some anxiety for your performance, and quite...
50From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 19 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
I received with much pleasure you new year’s Letter, with the copy of the Lamp–lighter’s address, and the hint from the fount of the Centinal about a Present; which your uncle Thomas will tell you I have not forgotten. Your Parents were very highly gratified with what Mr Gould gave you leave to write to me concerning your promotion to the second Class, in which you will no doubt take care to...
51To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 June 1824 (Adams Papers)
In pursuance of a joint Resolution, of the two Houses of Congress, a copy of which is hereto annexed, and by direction of the President of the United States, I have the honour of transmitting two fac simile copies of the original Declaration of Independence, engrossed on parchment, conformably to a secret Resolution of Congress 19 July 1776, to be signed by every member of Congress, and...
52To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 February 1819 (Adams Papers)
I have received you kind Letter of the 3d: instant, full of good counsel, of which I hope at the proper time to make a suitable improvement. It is a great satisfaction to me, that my Son George has mentioned your approbation, and made himself in any manner useful to you during the vacation at the University. My affection for him induces me to hope that his time has been spent most...
53To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 15 June 1818 (Adams Papers)
If your Letter of 20. May were the only one from you upon my files yet unanswered, every look at its date would give me a pang of self-reproach—How then shall I acknowledge at the same time the receipt of those of 31. Decbr. and of 2. 8. 13. 29. January, and apologize for not having replied to them sooner—During the Session of Congress, your indulgence would readily account for my...
54From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 12 December 1822 (Adams Papers)
I have written to my brother this day, informing him that I have consented that you and Charles should leave Cambridge, for your journey hither on the 23d. of this month, and requesting him to furnish each of you with 80 dollars, for the expenses of your Journey; an account of which expenses you will each of you keep to be exhibited to me. Take good care of yourselves on the road—We shall all...
55To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 17 July 1819 (Adams Papers)
I take great pleasure in introducing to your acquaintance, Mr. David Hoffman, a distinguished Member of the Bar at Baltimore, who makes with his Lady a Summer excursion to our Section of the Union and will deliver you this Letter. I am dear Sir ever faithfully your Son MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
56To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 10 January 1826 (Adams Papers)
The enclosed papers numbered 1. and 2. are copies 1 Of a Letter from Mr Bassett, Chairman of a Committee of the House of Representatives of the United States to me. 2 Of a Letter from Mr G. W. P. Custis to him, enclosed by him in his own Letter to me, and referred to in it. I am to request you to have the goodness to state, whether your recollection coincides with that of Mr Custis, with...
57To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 30 June 1818 (Adams Papers)
Mr G. W. Campbell is going out as Envoy Extraordinary, and Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States to the Court of Russia. He is to embark at Boston in the frigate Guerriére, and I hope will find an opportunity to go out and see you, with Mrs Campbell, and their family at Quincy—You and my dear Mother will I am well assured take the more satisfaction in seeing them with the...
58From John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 18 September 1826 (Adams Papers)
I hereby authorise John Adams in my name and behalf to make proposals for renewing the Insurance, at the Massachusetts Mutual Fire Insurance Company, at the expiration of my Policies No 3592. and 3593. MHi : Adams Family Papers, Letterbooks.
59To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 25 April 1824 (Adams Papers)
I take great pleasure in presenting to you the bearer of this letter, Mr Juli u s de Wallenstein, a Secretary of the legation of his Majesty the Emperor of Russia—He visits Boston & other parts of our Country for the improvement of his health, & with purposes of enlightened curiosity. Upon the most transient conversation with him, no testimonial will be needed to mark him in your estimation as...
60To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 9 May 1819 (Adams Papers)
The three papers written by me, recommending the system of neutrality , as the duty and policy of the United States, were published, with the signature of Marcellus , in the Boston Centinel, in the Month of April 1793.—President Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality was issued the 22d. of that Month. Marcellus was republished in some newspaper at New–York, and perhaps at Philadelphia; but...