1[To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 10 October 1785] (Jefferson Papers)
[ London, 10 Oct. 1785 . Entry in SJL for 15 Oct. 1785 reads: “Mr. Adams. Oct. 10. Inclosing letter to Mr. Grand.” Not found. Enclosure: Evidently a copy of Willem & Jan Willink and Nicolas & Jacob van Staphorst to Ferdinand Grand, 6 Oct. 1785; another copy was sent to TJ by Grand as enclosure to his letter of 10 Oct. 1785 (see note there and TJ to Adams, 18 Oct. 1785 ).
2From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 20 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
In order to save you the trouble and expence of purchasing horses & carriages, which will not be necessary, I have to inform you that I shall leave in the stables of the United States seven horses and two carriages with harness the property of the United States. These may not be suitable for you, but they will certainly save you a considerable expence as they belong to the studd of the...
3To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 31 January 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Permit me to introduce to you my young Friend Mr. Alexander Edwards of South Carolina, a modest and amiable young Gentleman who came particularly recommended to me, and whom I have found by Several Months Acquaintance to merit every Attention and Encouragement. I am, my dear Sir yours most affectionately, RC ( DLC ).
4[To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 6 December 1787] (Jefferson Papers)
[ London, 6 Dec. 1787. Recorded in SJL as received 17 Dec. 1787, “recommending of Cerisier.” Not found. Antoine-Marie Cerisier, French historian and diplomat, was attached to the French embassy in Holland, where Adams met him in 1780 (Didot, Nouvelle biographie générale; Adams, Works , I , 330; vii , 492).]
5[To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 23 June 1783] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Paris, 23 June 1783 . There is recorded in SJL , under date of 16 Apr. 1784, the receipt of a letter from “J. Adams. Paris. June 23. by Mazzei.” Mazzei landed at Hampton, Virginia, in Nov. 1783, but he did not forward Adams’ letter for some months; see Mazzei to TJ, 4 Apr. 1784 , and Mazzei, Memoirs , p. 274. Adams’ letter to TJ has not been found.]
6Resumption of Correspondence with John Adams, followed by John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 1 January 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
As you are a Friend to American Manufactures under proper restrictions, especially Manufactures of the domestic kind, I take the Liberty of Sending you by the Post a Packett containing two Pieces of Homespun lately produced in this quarter by One who was honoured in his youth with Some of your Attention and much of your kindness. All of my Family whom you formerly knew are well. My Daughter...
7From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 6 September 1787 (Adams Papers)
I am Sorry to give you the trouble of this Commission: but I fear it will not be effectually done but by you—and therefore let me beg the favour of you to send for M r de La Blancherie and withdraw my Subscription to the Society of whose affairs he has the direction, and put a stop to his sending me the Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres et Des Arts.— he persuaded me at the Hague to...
8To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 1 December 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
I ought not to have neglected so long to write you an account of the delightful visit I received from M r and M rs Cooledge, M rs C— deserves all the high praises I have constantly heard concerning her, She entertained me with accounts of your sentiments of human life, which accorded so perfectly with mine that it gave me great delight—In one point however I could not agree—she said, she had...
9From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 23 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I am honoured with yours of the 11 th. with the enclosures from M r Lamb, M r Carmichael and M r Barclay. I am not Surprized that M r Lamb, has only discovered that our means are inadequate, without learning the Sum that would be Sufficient. Il faut marchander avec ces Gens la.— They must be beaten down as low as possible. but We shall find at last the Terms very dear. The Algerines will never...
10From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 27 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
I found that either the Duke of Dorsetts Letter to the Premier, had produced an order at Dover or that his Graces Letter to the Custom House Office had as good an Effect, for I was allowed to pass without Molestation, and indeed received Marks of particular Respect. We arrived Yesterday 26. in the Afternoon, and as Fortune would have it Coll Smith arrived the Night before 25.— We Soon met.— I...
Our Secretary of State for foreign Affairs, in a Letter of 13. Ap. informs me, that he wrote Us a Letter by Capt. Lamb dated 11. March, inclosing a Variety of Papers respecting the Treaties We are directed to negotiate and conclude with the Barbary Powers. inclosed is a Copy of a Resolution of Congress of 14. Feb. 1785, inclosed to me, in the Secretary’s Letter.— I know nothing of Capt Lambs...
12From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1814 (Adams Papers)
The Bearer of this Letter, after an Education at our Cambridge, travelled with J. Q. A. to Russia, spent two years in looking at parts of Europe, returned to Boston, read Law with one of our first Professors in Boston, is admitted to the Bar, and now Wishes to have the honour of Seeing Montecello and paying his respects to President Jefferson. His Name is Francis C. Gray a Son of our Lt...
13To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 10 March 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
The sight of your well known hand writing in your favour of 25. Feb. last, gave me great pleasure, as it proved your arm to be restored and your pen still manageable—may it continue till you shall become as perfect a calvinist as I am in one particular. Poor Calvins infirmities his rheumatism his gouts and sciatics made him frequently cry out Mon dieu Jusque au quand . Lord how long! Prat once...
14From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 28 July 1819 (Adams Papers)
I inclose you a National Register, to convince you that the Essex Register is not to blame for printing the Mecklingburg County Resolutions, on the Contrary I think it to be Commended—for if those Resolutions were genuine they ought to be published in every Gazette in the World—If they are one of those tricks which our fashionable Men in England call hoax’es and boares—they ought to be printed...
15To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 6 December 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
The Project of a new Constitution, has Objections against it, to which I find it difficult to reconcile my self, but I am so unfortunate as to differ somewhat from you in the Articles, according to your last kind Letter. You are afraid of the one—I, of the few. We agree perfectly that the many should have a full fair and perfect Representation.—You are Apprehensive of Monarchy; I, of...
16To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 11 September 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
In answer to your enquiry in your letter of the 4th. inst. I can only say that I knew Mr. Matzei at Paris and that he made long journeys. But in what stile he lived and at what expence he travelled I know not. He always made a genteel appearance without any unnecessary show, and kept good Company wherever he went. I observed this in Paris and heard of it in Holland. In Italy it could not be...
17From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 14 January 1826 (Adams Papers)
Permit me to introduce to your acquaintance, a young Lawyer by the name of Josiah Quincy, and with the title of Coll. being an Aid to our Governor. The name of Coll. Quincy has never I believe been extinct for two hundred years. He is a Son of our excellent Mayor of the City of Boston and possesses a character unstained and irreproachable. I applaud his ambition to visit Monticello and its...
18From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 29 January 1819 (Adams Papers)
If I am not humble I ought to be, when I find myself under the necessity of borrowing a juvenile hand to acknowledge your kind favour of the 19.th: I have read your university report throughout with great pleasure, and hearty approbation; Of Tracy’s report I have read as much as I could, the translation appears to me an original written with all the purity, accuracy, and elegance, of its...
19To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 15 November 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Your friend Professor Ticknor is bound upon a Tour in Virginia, though he needs no introduction to you he has requested a letter from me, and I cannot deny him,—he carries his Lady with him; who is rich enough, and handsome enough, & amiable enough; And what can we say more— Is the present calm in the Political World to continue long or not? Our controversy will be settled in a short time, and...
20To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 25 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Give me Leave to introduce to you Mr. Samuel Hartley a Relation of the late Minister at Paris. He has Business at Paris which he will explain to you, whether you can be of any Service to him in that or not, your Civilities will be very agreable to him and oblige Dear Sir your most humble Servant, RC ( DLC ). Noted in SJL as received 31 Apr. [1 May?] “by Mr. S. Hartley and Colo. Jas. Hartley.”
21To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 4 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Preston has at last found and sent me your Letter. Dr. Bancroft spoke to me, about Commodore Jones’s Demand upon Denmark: but upon looking into the Papers we found that the Commodore is recommended by Congress wholly to the Minister at the Court of Versailles, so that We were apprehensive our Powers would be disputed. The Danish Minister however was not here; I offered to go with Dr....
22From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 February 1821 (Adams Papers)
I have just read a sketch of the life of Swedenborg, and a larger work in two huge volumes of Memoirs of John Westley by Southey, and your kind letter of January 22d came to hand in the nick of time to furnish me with a very rational exclamation, “What a bedlamite is man!” They are histories of Galvanism and Mesmerism thrown into hotch potch they say that these men were honest and sincere, so...
23To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 3 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the Honour to inform you, that having shewn my Commission to the Right Honourable the Marquis of Carmarthen, and left an authenticated Copy together with a Copy of my Letter of Credence to the King according to the usage, I had the Honour on the first of this Month to be introduced by his Lordship to his Majesty, in his Closet with all the Ceremonies and Formalities, practised on...
24To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 16 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Give me Leave to introduce to you Mr. John Brown Cutting, who will need no other Recommendation, than his own Genius. Let me beg your acceptance, too of a Sett of my Defence &c. and let me know your Opinion of the Second volume, and whether it is worth my while to write a third upon Confederations &c. Yours most Sincerely, RC ( DLC ); endorsed. Recorded in SJL as received 23 Sep. 1787. My...
25From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 November 1823 (Adams Papers)
Your last letter was brought to me from the Post office when at breakfast with my family. I bade one of the misses open the budget, she reported a letter from Mr. Jefferson and two or three newspapers. A letter from Mr. Jefferson says I, I know what the substance is before I open it; There is no secrets between Mr. Jefferson and me, And I cannot read it, therefore you may open and read it—When...
26From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 19 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
Must We, before We take our departure from this grand and beautiful World, Surrender all our pleasing hopes of the progres of Society? Of improvement of the intellectual and moral condition of the World? Of the reformation of mankind? The Piemontese Revolution Scarcely assumed a form; and the Neapolitan bubble is burst. And what Should hinder the Spanish and Portuguese Constitutions from...
27To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 12 October 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
By a resolution of the Citizens of Richmond we are authorised to make arrangement s for the reception of General La Fayette “in such manner, as may best comport with his convenience and testify the veneration of the Citizens for his character, their sense of his services and their affection for his person.” It will certainly be highly gartifying as well to the General as to our fellow Citizens...
28To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 6 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I am Sorry to give you the trouble of this Commission: but I fear it will not be effectually done but by you, and therefore let me beg the favour of you to send for Mr. de La Blancherie and withdraw my Subscription to the Society of whose affairs he has the direction, and put a stop to his sending me the Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres et Des Arts. He persuaded me at the Hague to...
29From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
I received with great Pleasure your favour of the first.— Your Excursion I dare answer for it, will be advantageous in many respects to our Country.— The Object of mine to Holland was to procure Money, and I had the good fortune to obtain as much as was necessary for the then present Purpose: but it was not in Consequence of any orders from Congress, and therefore I am under Some Apprehension...
30To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 10 November 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
Your last letter was brought to me from the Post office when at breakfast with my family. I bade one of the misses open the budget, she reported a letter from M r Jefferson and two or three newspapers. A letter from M r Jefferson says I. I know what the substance is before I open it; There is no secrets between M r Jefferson and me, and I cannot read it, therefore you may open and read it—when...