1From John Adams to William Cunningham, 22 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
I most sincerely thank you for your excellent letter of the 14th.—It contains an abundance of matter that deserves, and shall have my most serious consideration. But at present I have not time to be serious. I had a delicious laugh with my family. I said nothing till we were all at table at dinner: My wife, my two daughters in law, my niece, Miss Louisa Smith, and my two grand daughters,...
2From John Adams to William Cunningham, 22 February 1809 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed you will find a phillipic of our angry, pevish, fretful Prophet Jonah. His anger is his talent. When he gives a loose to that passion which he always does in every thing he produces something smart, pert, and malignant, which pleases the malignaty of the vulgar. But Phillipics are not the highest style of politicks. I cannot think Demosthenes and Cicero in the highest grade of...
3From John Adams to William Cunningham, 4 March 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have yours of Feb. 20 and 23. The inclosed five sheets are the rough draught, which I have requested and you have promised to return. I shall burn it because I have made another Copy more correct in which I have left out the Name and much of the trumpery. In strictness, we have nothing to do with the question whether impressments of seamen are legal or illegal in England. Whatever Iniquity...
4From John Adams to William Cunningham, 24 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
I received your favour of March 31 in due time: But I am become all at once and very unexpectedly a man of business and of so much importance in the world that I have not found time to acknowledge it till now. You say your sensibilities were exquisately touched by my last letter to you and my Letter to Wright and Lyman which you received at the same time. The word Sensibilities has a very...
5From John Adams to William Cunningham, 28 November 1803 (Adams Papers)
I received on Saturday your favor of the 25—had before received the copy of your oration, which you mention in it and since that have received the other that you sent first—for all these favors I thank you. The brochure which contains much valuable matter I have read with a lively interest and high pleasure—I wish I had patience and leisure however to make a few friendly remarks—But as I have...
6From John Adams to William Cunningham, 15 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of Oct. 28.—I am very unexpectedly involved in Occupations and Correspondences very dispropotioned to the feeble Forces remaining to a Man of Seventy Four, and which make it impossible for me to reply to the various important subjects of your Letter. There is one however that my Feelings will not allow me to pass by. It is no fault to “Covet honor” any more than it...
7From John Adams to William Cunningham, 24 February 1804 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of the 15th: with its inclosures. I thank you for the outline as well as the eulogy. I am sorry you had the trouble of transcribing the former, which I see was written as the Italians speak con amore . Speaking of the classification of Scholars in our Colledge, before the Revolution, you consider rank & wealth as anti-republican principles of precedence; Is this...
8From John Adams to William Cunningham, 27 September 1808 (Adams Papers)
The papers to No. 6, which you mention in your kind letter of the 19th I have never seen nor heard. In what paper or pamphlet were they published? The federalists, I think, might suffer my old lamp to go out without administering their nauseous oil, merely to excite a momentary flash before it expires. Do you think the federalists believe themselves when they say that I am on the side of the...
9From John Adams to William Cunningham, 14 February 1809 (Adams Papers)
The complaint in your favour of the 11th, of the refusal to publish your Chathams, is no suprise to me. I have seen nothing in the four federal papers of Boston, for the last year, but such another prostitution, of genius, learning, and eloquence, as We read in Madam Drapers, Fleets, and mien, and Flemmings Papers in 1773 and 1774. A blind devotion to England and a disposition to sacrifice to...
10From John Adams to William Cunningham, 15 October 1808 (Adams Papers)
The information in your last letter, to look in the Palladium for certain speculations, is very agreeable. As I have never subscribed for that paper, I have never read them. Indeed I seldom see it. Your friendship for J. Q. Adams, encourages me to say, that Washington was indeed under obligations to him, for turning the tide of sentiment against Genet, and he was sensible of it and grateful...
11From John Adams to William Cunningham, 25 November 1808 (Adams Papers)
I have your favour’s of the 12th and 16th: of the month. The letter of President Washington concerning J Q A. is at your discretion to make what use of it you please. All the communications concerning the other Gentleman made or to be made I confide to your sacred confidence. The great regard I had for your Grandfather and for your Grandmother, who was a beloved Sister of my Mother, and for...
12From John Adams to William Cunningham, 23 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your favour of the 17th.—I know the integrity, talents and intelligence of great numbers of the Federalists: and have no doubt of the good intentions of the great body of that party: but of a great number of their leaders, and the most active of them especially, I have no better opinion than I have of some of the leaders of the Republicans. By their writings they have deceived...
13From John Adams to William Cunningham, 13 December 1808 (Adams Papers)
I laughed when I read your Expectation, that what you had written on J. Q. A. would be printed. I found that you was not acquainted with the World, as it exists in Boston. The four federal Papers are under the Imprimatur of an Oligarchy of Purse, proud Speculators as despotic as the thirty Tyrants of Athens. Tryals enough have been made, as I have been informed to insert many Things on the...
14From John Adams to William Cunningham, 16 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
I ought to acknowledge my fault in having two of your kind letters to answer at once. I return you with thanks, Mr: Thomas’s Spy in which my poor "Thoughts on government," are wickedly and libellously imputed to "the greatest man in America." This was received in your letter of Dec 2d: I thank you for the trouble you have taken to ascertain that Mr: Zabdiel Adams’s Sermon on the validity of...
15From John Adams to William Cunningham, 17 August 1798 (Adams Papers)
I received your friendly letter of the 30 July a few days ago. The People of America in general have been attached to the French, much more warmly than they deserved. They have been deceived. And when Mankind once open their Eyes upon an Error they have been in, they commonly are astonished that they did not see it, sooner. I am glad to hear of the Company of Lunnenburg Musketeers.—Please to...
16From John Adams to William Cunningham, 20 March 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favours of March 11 and 14th. In answer to the first I wish to know whether you remember General Washington’s answer to Adet the successor of Genet. It was written by the gentleman in question and by the spirit of it represented the President almost as ardent a Jacobin as himself. He had not yet been converted from his Gallicism and Jacobinism. You remember the thing “Born...
17From John Adams to William Cunningham, 16 January 1810 (Adams Papers)
I have received your three last Letters. The Correspondence and Conversations which have passed between Us have been under the confidential Seal of Secrecy and Friendship. Any Violation of it will be a breach of Honor and plighted Faith. I Shall never release you from it; if it were in my Power: but it is not. After all the Permission that I could give, your Conscience ought to restrain you. I...
18From John Adams to William Cunningham, 3 January 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have your favours of December 17, and 21st. I hope you will not insinuate a comparison between John Q. Adams and Coriolanus. Whatever injustice or ingratitude may be done him, he has none of the Roman’s revenge, much less his treachery. Of Mrs. Warren’s History I have nothing to say. The Count De Vergennes was an accomplished gentleman and scholar, and a statesman of great experience in...
19From John Adams to William Cunningham, 15 March 1804 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of the 9th. is received. I beg you would not say a word about me in relation to the subject, which you say now engages the public attention. I am no match for these times, nor for the Actors, who now tread the Stage. You say this awful spirit of Democracy is in great progress. I believe it and I know something of the nature of it. It is a young rake, who thinks himself handsome and...
20From John Adams to William Cunningham, 29 November 1809 (Adams Papers)
I return you the inclosed Letter, according to your desire.—No Eye but mine has seen it: and no Copy of it, or any Part of it has been taken. I See So many difficulties and objections in the Way, that I despair of Success and therefore think it would be imprudent to commit myself. What ever my Son Said to you, he said it by guess.—He knows nothing of my Plan.—You need be under no concern.—If I...
21From John Adams to William Cunningham, 31 July 1809 (Adams Papers)
I received in season your favour of the 30th June as well as that of July 24th, and thank you for both. The first is full of the candour and frankness of true friendship, and deserves my mature consideration. I have not been able to answer it, for I have been very busy, and my son’s destination and preparations for departure, have claimed all my attention. It is an heartrending stroke to me. I...
22From John Adams to William Cunningham, 27 September 1809 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I received your favour of the 23d and had before in its season received that of the 9th in good order, its enclosure unviolated. My boyish letter to Dr. Nathan Webb appeared with more propriety in a Worcester paper than any where else. It is demonstrative evidence that John Adams’ Declaration Of Independence was one and twenty years older than Thomas Jefferson’s . To understand my...
23From John Adams to William Cunningham, 7 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
Yours of May 6th, I have not acknowledged, and cannot particularly consider the abundance of matter in it at present. If you see the Patriot, you will see that I am scribbling, twice a week. I am hammering out a brass farthing into an acre of leaf brass. But I was determined that posterity should know the facts relative to my peace with France in 1800. I expect “angry surges” enough. Let them...
24From John Adams to William Cunningham, 11 February 1809 (Adams Papers)
I have your favour of 14 ult. The Mirror was never read—and if it ever should be it will be willfully misunderstood—Seventeen Wheels within one wheel. Seventeen Empires within one empire Seventeen sovereignties within one sovereignty. Seventeen Imperia in one Emperio will tell in time we have had a Chaise’s disturbance: a Gallatin’s disturbance a Fries’s disturbance; and why may we not have a...
25From John Adams to David Payson, 10 December 1798 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your unanimous Address adopted at Wiscassett in the County of Lincoln at a Regimental Review on the fifteenth of October. A Spirit like yours Seems in a remarkable manner to animate the Militia throughout the Union and will be sufficient to discourage all disorganizing Factions and foreign Influence. Your Spirited Resolutions are not the last in point of time, nor are they...
26From John Adams to William Cunningham, 25 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
Last night I received your favor of the 23d and I hasten to give you an answer. The paper addressed to me last year which you allude to, has been communicated to no one, and will never give the least uneasiness to the lady who wrote it. She may make herself very tranquil on that subject. We should have been very glad to have received the visit you intended us and am sorry your engagements...
27From John Adams to William Cunningham, 7 November 1808 (Adams Papers)
The letter of General Washington would have remained in obscurity forever, as far as I know, as it has been for twelve years past, had not a mean vengeance been hurled on the subject of it, for no other offence than his sterling integrity. You are the first person except one who ever asked me a question concerning the reasons for releasing, a certain Gentleman from the burthen of public...