1From John Adams to John Trumbull, 10 September 1800 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your favour of the 4th. Porcupines Gazette and Fenno’s Gazette, from the moment of the Mission to France, aided, countenanced and encouraged by Soidisant fœderalists in Boston New York and Phyladelphia, have done more to Shuffle the Cards into the hands of the Jacobin Leaders than all the Acts of Administration and all the Policy of opposition from the Commencement of the...
2From John Adams to John Trumbull, 28 April 1785 (Adams Papers)
It was with much Pleasure that I received your Letter by M r Humphreys, in whom I have found all those valuable qualities, you led me to expect. from him too I received a Copy of M c Fingal, a Poem which will live as long as Hudibras. if I Speak freely of this Piece I can truely Say, that altho it is not equal to itself throughout and where is the Poem that is so? yet there are many Parts of...
3From John Adams to John Trumbull, 18 March 1817 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your favour of the 3d. and congratulate you on your success; which I hope and believe will be an honourable and a noble Establishment, though it may not be so lucrative as I wish it, for Life There is a coincidence of circumstances which affects me very sensibly. A son of Governor Trumbull so meritorious and so conspicuous a character in the Revolution; an Officer of Rank and...
4From John Adams to John Trumbull, 25 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of March 30. and Ap. 17. came to hand last night. By the “attack in Metre” you mean I suppose, that written by Ned. Church, a Cockfighting Cousin and Companion of Charles Jarvis a devoted Instrument of M r H.— Jarvis’s Mother was a Church.— This Fellow, this Ned Church, I know nothing of— I scarcely ever spoke to him in my Life.— His Traitorous Brother, I knew very well: and the...
5From John Adams to John Trumbull, 31 December 1793 (Adams Papers)
As I had promised myself much Pleasure, in a few hours Conversation with you in my Way to Philadelphia, I was greatly disappointed when I found you were absent, and Still more pained with I found heard you had been out of Health. Your Journey has I hope been of service to you. I lived in constant hope that We should have the Pleasure to See you in the Course of the last Summer at Braintree:...
6From John Adams to John Trumbull, 6 February 1805 (Adams Papers)
Colonel Humphreys and Col Tudor did me the honor of a Visit on Saturday and We had much Conversation about you, which made me feel as if I was Sitting at my Fire Side among my Children whom I had not found together for many Years. I was highly rejoiced to hear of your health, and the honor Esteem and respect which the Men of Connecticutt, which the Men of Connecticutt, have at length the Sense...
7From John Adams to John Trumbull, 9 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
Coll Humphreys; at the Levee, this morning, delivered me Your kind Letter of Feb. 6, for the favour of which you cannot imagine how much I am obliged to you.— not less delighted with Your frank communications respecting your own affairs, than Satisfyed with your friendly cautions to me, I shall make a kind of Commentary, or at least some marginal Notes upon both. I rejoice in your health, and...
8From John Adams to John Trumbull, 18 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
I had indeed no doubt of the Truth of the Letter relative to the Capture of Cornwallis. My Confidence in the honor of the Writer was such, that the violent Philippic against it only convinced me of the Malevolence and Prejudice of the orator. But as I had heard it not only called in question but vehemently contradicted, I thought it might be well to hear some testimony in corroboration of it....
9From John Adams to John Trumbull, 10 March 1793 (Adams Papers)
Mr Adams’s regards to Mr Trumbull and asks the favour of his Company to Spend the Evening at Mr David Bulls. As Mr A. must go out in the Morning with the stage he cannot have any other opportunity of seeing Mr Trumbull and he should long regret the necessity of passing through Hartford without it. NjP : DeCoppet Collection.
10From John Adams to John Trumbull, 31 March 1791 (Adams Papers)
The Secy. of the Treasury is so able and has done so well that I have Scarcely permitted myself to think very closely whether he could or could not have done better. I may venture however to Say to you, that I have always been of your Opinion, that a System a little bolder would have been more Safe: and that it would have been better to have begun at once with a small direct Tax, a pretty...
11From John Adams to John Trumbull, 24 January 1795 (Adams Papers)
In one of your Letters you once expressed a Wish to know Some Circumstances of the Negotiation of Peace, which might serve to shew whether Mr Jay brought me over to his opinion that We ought not to treat with Mr Oswald, without a Commission to treat with The United States, or whether I brought him over to mine. The inclosed Copies of Letters to Congress, to Vergennes and to Mr Jay himself will...
12From John Adams to John Trumbull, 13 February 1776 (Adams Papers)
I take this opportunity by Mr. Romain to write you one Line more for the sake of reminding you of my Existence, and requesting that you would favour me with authentic Evidence under your Hand of yours, than any Thing I have to Say. Politicks are a Labyrinth, without a Clue—to write you on that subject would be endless. N. York I think is now in critical state, but I hope We shall Save it. Mr....
13From John Adams to John Trumbull, 12 August 1800 (Adams Papers)
A Letter from my old Friend Trumbull is always So cheering a cordial to my Spirits, that I could almost rejoice in the Cause which produced yours of the 6th. The Gentleman, you allude to, did, it is true make me a Visit at New Haven. It was not unexpected for it is was not the first or Second mark of Attention that I have recd from him at the Same place. On this Occasion his deportment was...
14From John Adams to John Trumbull, 12 January 1818 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of 26 of Decr and request you to insert my Name among the Subscribers for your Print of the declaration of Independence. In great / haste I am your Friend PWcS .
15From John Adams to John Trumbull, 4 October 1805 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for the Information and conjecture, in your favour of the 16th which I received yesterday duly, concerning the origin of the Letter. It is probable enough and I have pleasure in believing it. The Generals Secretaries were first Col. Reed, afterwards Governor of Pensylvania then Harrison, afterwards, Edmund Randolph, Hamilton Humphries, Pinckney I believe, but in what order of time...
16From John Adams to John Trumbull, 12 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of Feb. 6. has made So deep an Impression that it may not be amiss to make a few more Observations on it as it respects both of Us. Your Friends have been very indiscreat and certainly have not done You Justice.— Fluency and Animation are Talents of a public Speaker which alone will go a great Way. I have known Several rise to Fame and extensive Practice, at the Bar, and afterwards...
17From John Adams to John Trumbull, 19 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
Col. Wadsworth, upon my inquiring after your health gave me the most agreable and favourable account of it, I have heard for a long time. It rejoiced me very much: and the Information he gave me of your present occupation, in preparing for the Press a new Edition of your Writings, gave me more pleasure than any thing I could have heard of you next to the perfect restoration of your health and...
18From John Adams to John Trumbull, 5 November 1775 (Adams Papers)
I take an opportunity by this Express, to thank you for Me Fingal, a Poem which has been shewn me within a few days. It is excellent, and perhaps the more so for being misterious. It wants explanatory Notes as much as Hudibrass. I cant conjecture the Characters either of Honorius or Mc Fingal. Am Sorry to learn that We are likely to loose some of our best Men. We may have better in their stead...
19From John Adams to John Trumbull, 13 January 1790 (Adams Papers)
I am at length determined to omit no longer to write to you.— You read yourself to death. this let me tell you, is a Sin and a crime. Whether it is not of a deeper die, than, intemperate Indulgences of the Bottle or the Girl, is a Case of Casuistry. You know best whether You are guilty of it, or not. if you are I enjoin upon You, Pennance, either of a Walk of five miles a day, all at one time...
20From John Adams to John Trumbull, 11 March 1793 (Adams Papers)
I am indebted to Mr. Frederick Bull for keeping a pair of Horses last fall and for storing a Chaise, Harness, Saddle and Bridle for me, through the winter. Inclosed are twenty Dollars, in a Bank Bill which I must beg the favour of you to apply to the payment of his demand. And will you be so good as to Subscribe The Vice President for the Hartford Paper, and get the Printer to address it to...
21From John Adams to John Trumbull, 8 July 1805 (Adams Papers)
I must humbly beg pardon of the Right Honorable Gideon Granger and all his Satelites in the Post Office, for an ungrounded Suspicion, which I began to entertain of Some one of them, without conjecturing which of them. This extraordinary Exordium ought to have an explanation. On the dear day of Independence, Col. Humphreys came out to make me the Compliments of the Season, and of course the...
22From John Adams to John Trumbull, 5 August 1805 (Adams Papers)
In the ninth Volume of Matthew Carey’s American Museum page 282 there is a letter from George Washington, dated Mount Vernon July 31 1788, which has excited more of my attention and indeed anxiety perhaps than was necessary. If you have it not at hand, I will send you a Copy of it. When I first read it, I confess it made a disagreable impression on my mind. But as I thought it then of little...
23From John Adams to John Trumbull, 23 January 1791 (Adams Papers)
I have been So much of an Antiœconomist as to leave your Letter of June the fifth unanswered to this day. The Defence of the American Constitutions, is not I apprehend a “Misnomer.” Had the Patriots of Amsterdam repulsed the Duke of Brunswick from the Haerlem Gate, an History of the Action, might have properly been called an Account of the Defence of Amsterdam: although the City, on the Side...
24From John Adams to John Trumbull, 18 March 1793 (Adams Papers)
On Saturday night, Mr. John Quincy Adams my Son, and no doubt your friend, brought me from Boston your letter of the 25th. of Feb. returned by the Pact. from Philadelphia. I thank you Sir for your friendly congratulations, which with Some others contribute, not a little to animate me, under the dull Aspect of jolting journeys and tedious sessions which in my old Age would otherwise be rather...
25From John Adams to John Trumbull, 25 November 1796 (Adams Papers)
Mr John Adams asks the favour of Mr Trumbulls Company for an hour this Evening at Mr David Bulls. Mr A. would not ask Such a favour on such a Snowy night, but would wait on Mr Trumbull at his house, if he was not much chilled with the cold and much fatigud with a Journey all day NjP : DeCoppet Collection.
26From John Adams to John Trumbull, 27 July 1805 (Adams Papers)
Two or three days ago I received your invaluable letter of the 21st. by the Post, very much to the Credit of that office for its fidelity. Has not the knowledge of natural history and Entomology arrived at Sufficient Perfection in Connecticut to exterminate those jacobinical inhabitants of the bedstead, which are in reality as formidable enemies to the Independence of the Judges as any in...
27From John Adams to John Trumbull, 1 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your kind Letter of the 26th. of Decr has given me more pleasure than it would be prudent or decent for me to express. Your design has my cordial Approbation and best Wishes. But you will please to remember that the Burin and the Pencil, the Chisel and the Trowell, have in all Ages and Countries of which We have any Information, been enlisted on the Side of Despotism and Superstition. I Should...
28From John Adams to John Trumbull, 31 January 1793 (Adams Papers)
Are you acquainted with the natural History of Mother Careys Chickens ? I know not the Latin Name of these chattering Birds, having never consulted the Dictionaire D’Histoire naturelle, nor Buffon nor Tournefort for information concerning this important Subject: but as a Mariner I have had frequent Occasion to curse the rascally Species of Mischief makers. In the calmest Moments at Sea, they...