2581From John Adams to Charles Lee, 20 June 1797 (Adams Papers)
I request you take into your immediate consideration, the inclosed original Letter signed and to consult with the Attorney of the District, and such other Learned Counsel, as you shall judge proper in confidence and report to me your opinion with theirs upon these questions 1st Whether the Letter is in any and in what parts criminal— 2d. If criminal at all, under what Species of Crime it is to...
2582From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 21 April 1800 (Adams Papers)
I have considered Mr. Harrisons letter to you of the 10th. & in consequence of his opinion & the intimation of the judges, you may prepare a pardon for William Durelle, for all the sentence, except what relates to the security for future good behavior. I wish however that I had more information of the nature of the libell. You will please to write Mr. Harrison & inform him, that I leave...
2583From John Adams to Catherine Farnham Hay, 22 March 1825 (Adams Papers)
I recollect with great satisfaction the many pleasant days, that in time of my departed Consort, we passed together in France, in England, and in America. And I now receive with peculiar pleasure your kind congratulations on a late event, which I devoutly pray may be propitious to this great and growing Country. Though I am every day awaiting my Summons, I should be very happy to see you here,...
2584John Adams to Abigail Adams, 23 September 1778 (Adams Papers)
A very idle, vain Conversation, at a Dinner, has produced you this Letter from a venerable old Lady, in this Neighbourhood, the Wife of Monsr. Grand the Banker. As the Subject was introduced, and according to the turn that the Conversation really took, there was not so much Vanity and Ostentation on my Part, as you will suspect from her Account of it. But as I speak french very imperfectly and...
2585John Adams to Abigail Adams, 26 June 1795 (Adams Papers)
The Senate is to meet at Ten, this morning and I hope will finish: but it is still uncertain. I shall Sett out this Afternoon, provided the senate rises— But I shall not be able to reach New York by tomorrow night— if I am not restrained from riding on sunday I may arrive on that day: But on Sunday or Monday I think, barring accidents, you may expect me. I have been detained so long, the hot...
2586From John Adams to James Madison, 4 September 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have So often taken the Liberty to introduce Gentlemen to The President of The United States, that tho’ it might be an usurpation at first, it Seems now to be a kind of Right by Prescription. Upon no Occasion that I recollect, have I assumed this Priviledge with more pleasure than in now introducing Dr James Freeman whom I esteem one of our first litterary Characters and one of the best of...
2587From John Adams to Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 22 July 1800 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a Petition of Samuel Spring, for a Pardon, of the Crime of forging and passing Counterfeit Bills of the Bank of the United States. The Petition will be better placed among your files than mine: but the offence is of a nature so heinous that without your Advice I shall mitigate nothing of the Punishment. Col Smith writes that he has not received his Commission: I pray you to send it...
2588From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 5 July 1799 (Adams Papers)
We shall never get the constitution to sea, by any means that I know of. After much enquiry I found no body particularly accquainted with Talman, tho many knew him. All agreed that he was a man of property & respectable character. I accordingly sent on by the post your letter to him with his commission. Now I find he is not liked. I desired Talbot to make enquiry—the result you have in the...
2589From John Adams to Isaac Prince, 7 July 1813 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your polite letter of July 1st and for your splendid Prospectus. My head and heart concur in every proposal to recommend a Navy to the United States. But I apprehend that this enterprize will hurt the sale of the first Edition of Mr Clark’s sketches and diminish the public curiosity for the second. Mr Clark is an entire stranger to me. Mr Matthew Carey a very slight...
2590John Adams to Abigail Adams, 6 June 1789 (Adams Papers)
I must now most Seriously request you to come on to me as soon as conveniently you can. never did I want your assistance more than at present, as my Physician and my Nurse. my disorder of Eight years standing has encreased to such a degree as to be very troublesome and not a little alarming.— I have agreed to take Col Smith and his Family and Furniture into the House with us and they will be...
2591From John Adams to C. W. F. Dumas, 8 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
I Send you the Letters. If any Thing is necessary to be added to the Memorial before the Signature, you will be So good as to add it. I should be obliged to you for a Line by the Bearer, in Return, and the News, if any. My first Demarch you See, is on the Princes Birth day, which is no doubt a good omen both to his Highness and your servant. You will please to put a Wafer under the Seals. LbC...
2592From John Adams to François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 3 April 1814 (Adams Papers)
I have recd Condorcet, in good order and your favour of 20th. Ult. Enfields History of Philosophy, is worth many Condorcets. This great Work is drawn up from Brucker’s “Historia critica Philosophiæ”; an immense Work in half a dozen folio Volumes of Greek and Latin. Can you give me the Sketch of this Brucker? Who was he? Neither Brucker nor his Abridger, had Seen the Asiatic Researches; nor...
2593From John Adams to William Vaughan, 13 July 1810 (Adams Papers)
My Friend Mr Thaddeus Mason Harris who has for many years been Ordained Minister of Dorchester the next Town to me, and is every Way worthy of the Friendship of all Men of Letters and of Virtue, is bound to England upon interisting Business And as I wish him to be known I have taken the Liberty to give him this line of Introduction to you recollecting as I do with Pleasure many agreeable hours...
2594From John Adams to Jeremiah Allen, 2 January 1783 (Adams Papers)
Your favor of 26. Dec r. is come safe to hand, & I thank you for your Care of my dispatches. M r. Storer will write to M r. Williams to pay You the ten Louis for the Expence of the Express which You sent, and I shall pay the Money to M r. Storer. It is not in my Power to give you any Information, whether there will be Peace or War.— I am afraid the English will be again overseen, so far as to...
2595From John Adams to the President of Congress, 10 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Amsterdam, 10 July 1781. RC and signature in John Thaxter’s hand PCC , No. 84, III, f. 268–269. printed : Wharton, ed., Dipl. Corr. Amer. Rev. Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States , Washington, 1889; 6 vols. , 4:556–557. John Thaxter wrote this letter during John Adams’ absence at Paris. It contains an English translation of an article that...
2596From John Adams to Richard Rush, 10 April 1815 (Adams Papers)
It does not Signify, to grow old. You never can get rid of worldly Affairs. I never was more distracted with Business. It pours in upon me from all quarters. I want to write you every day, and two or three times a day. I have read your speculations with pleasure, but with Some grains of reserve. I Send you a Richelieu, upon the Fisheries, Said to be from Connecticut. That State is a rich bed...
2597John Adams to Baron von Thulemeier, 19 November 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter which you, did me the Honour to write me the twelfth of this Month: We also received the Honour of your Letter to M r: Franklin, Jefferson, and me, and agreed readily upon an answer, which I hope will be satisfactory, although M r: Humphreys our Secretary of Legation has not yet transmitted it. We have been cautious of sending it by the Post, in these inquisitive...
2598From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 31 October 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received your favour of the 28th. Inclosed are Some Papers I received from the City of Washington. They are Duplicates of Such as I received Several Weeks ago. I have delayed an Answer because I was not Satisfied and wished to take Advice.—After you have examined them I wish for your Opinion, 1st. whether I ought to Sign the Warrant of Attorney without limitation of time. 2d. Whether the...
2599John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 May 1780 (Adams Papers)
I inclose for your Amusement, a Publication, made here within a few days. Somebody has inserted in the Amsterdam Gazette, that this Gentleman lodges with me. This is done with a political design, but whether it was intended to do honour to me, or him or both, I dont know.—It is not true.—However there is a good Understanding between him and me, and therefore I did not trouble myself to enquire...
2600From John Adams to Timothy Pickering, 15 October 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have received yours of the 6th & thank you for the intelligence from the Southward. The effervescence at Madrid as well as the news from Naples coincides with Mr. King’s letter & the news from Trieste confirms or rather favors the account that Buonaparte’s destination was the Adriatick not Egypt. But we must wait for further eclaireissement. Mr. Sullivans letter gives me apprehension that...
2601From John Adams to Edward Rutledge, 4 July 1782 (Adams Papers)
I do my self the Honour to inclose these Papers relative to the Chester, to you, and to beg the Favour of your Attention and Advice, to the Gentleman who bears them. The owners are very confident that Injustice has been done them. There was no Claim; and they say that the Privateers, contrary to their Bonds, Sent away the Master, and other Persons who could have claimed for them. That no...
2602From John Adams to David Sewall, 23 October 1799 (Adams Papers)
I beg pardon for postponeing to this time an answer to your favor of the 30th. Sept. I have run over all the names, Hooper Lee, Orne, Gerry, Sewal, Otis and twenty others & if you prefer any of them you may give the name. But upon the whole, I have thought that Fort Fisherman would be better than any other. The twelve apostles were fishermen and Marblehead is chiefly inhabited by fishermen....
2603From John Adams to Caesar Augustus Rodney, 4 April 1819 (Adams Papers)
I thank you Sir for your Condolence in my great affliction.— And for the Copies of the two letters from your Uncle to you Father—the first in 65. and the last in 76. Cæsar Rodney your Uncle was in my opinion a judicious and Sagacious Judge of men and things—I knew only three of the Delegates to the Congress of 65.—General Timothy Ruggles was a Man of a strong mind—but devoted to great...
2604John Adams to Abigail Adams, 24 January 1793 (Adams Papers)
Our good Friend General Lincoln gave me this morning your favour of the 7 th which compensated in Part of my Disappointment by Mondays Post. I sett my heart on one Letter a Week and as many more as you please. I cannot say that my desire of Fame increases. It has been Strong in some Parts of my Life but never so strong as my Love of honesty. I never in my Life that I know of sacrificed my...
2605From John Adams to Joseph Gardoqui & Sons, 24 January 1780 (Adams Papers)
I have but just Time to inform you by the Return of our Guide, that We all arrived in safety and in rather better Health than When We took our Leave of you, at this Place, last night. After 8 or 9 Leagues of bad Way, We found the Roads excellent, and the Accommodations at the Taverns all the Way, very comfortable. I assure you We discovered two or three fine Chimneys, besides that which you...
2606John Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 January 1795 (Adams Papers)
Last Week I received through M r Izard a kind Invitation to dine with M rs Powell, whom I had not before seen Since her Loss of M r Powell. Yesterday I had the Pleasure of dining with her and her Brother & sister Francis with their Children and M r & M rs Harrison among the rest—M r & M rs Morris & M r Izard— M rs Powell sends many Compliments to you and regrets that she cannot enjoy your...
2607From John Adams to Martinus Van Marum, 24 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
I have received the letter you did me the honor to write me in July 1805 inclosing a Diploma by which I have the honor to be constituted a member of the very respectable Society of the Sciences at Harlem, signed by Teding van Berkhout as President and yourself as Secretary. As this distinction conferred by a learned Society in that Country where I formerly received so many kindnesses is not...
2608John Adams to Abigail Adams, 4 February 1799 (Adams Papers)
Yours of 25 Ult. is rec d. — Thomas is to Sett off from N. York to day for Quincy and I wish him a pleasant Journey, which the fine Weather and convenient Snow promises. An happy Sight of his Friends, will come of course, without Accidents. He found his Father, forty Years Older than when he left him, and if he finds his Mother advanced only ten, it may be an agreable disappointment to him.—...
2609From John Adams to James Madison, 5 May 1813 (Adams Papers)
I ought to make an apology to you for the trouble I give you to read so many of my letters upon subjects with which perhaps I should have nothing to do. but as I am requested to give a simple letter of introduction to a gentleman going to Washington, I could not refuse it. Mr Andrew Eliot a respectable Merchant of Boston has a petition to present to the Administration or to the legislature or...
2610From John Adams to Benjamin Stoddert, 8 August 1799 (Adams Papers)
I received last night your favor of the 2d of this month. I am sincerely sorry for the resignation of Capt Truxton. Although you have not explained to me his motives, I presume the decision which gave rise to them, was founded in principles of sound policy and eternal justice, as it was made upon honor & with conscientious deliberation. If it were now to be made, it would be the same, tho my...