1Charles Francis Adams to James Madison, 30 September 1835 (Madison Papers)
The relation in which you stand to the Constitution of the United States has emboldened me to send an humble attempt of mine to defend it. It is with regret that I have seen in the public papers some accounts of your suffering health. This may render the controversies of the day very uninteresting to you—I have only to urge in apology for my intrusion my earnest desire to shew that even if...
2From Charles Francis Adams to James Keyte, 10 December 1826 (Adams Papers)
I take the opportunity of writing these few lines as an accompaniment to a copy of the President’s message in a documentary shape, which I beg you to accept as a token of the sense in which I held your kind civility during the short time we were together in the journey to New York, last summer. Should you require any information which it is in my power to give, I shall be very happy to afford...
3From Charles Francis Adams to Peter Force, 10 July 1826 (Adams Papers)
In answer to your note, I herewith send you a letter from my brother, George W. Adams, containing all the information which we ourselves possess on the subject. With the request that it will not be published as a letter , as I have no authority to warrant such a step. Any information which it contains you are welcome to use. And be pleased to return it as soon as you have done with it, since...
4To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 21 May 1826 (Adams Papers)
The summer has come upon us very rapidly without giving us any of our usual Spring weather. Some few days within the past week have been almost as warm as any during the last summer. This brings us at least peace and quiet. Almost all strangers have left the place and many members of Congress. Both houses adjourn tomorrow, having been excessively hurried in their business during the week....
5To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 7 May 1826 (Adams Papers)
The warm season has come again and delightful as it is to me, is no doubt also very acceptable to you, Sir. The prevailing rule I believe, is a moderate heat, and one which is perhaps better adapted to afford ease to you than extremes either way. My attachment to warm weather excludes any idea of a medium or rather of what is commonly called so. And it is for this reason that I prefer the...
6To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 23 April 1826 (Adams Papers)
My last letter I believe, evinced a degree of excitement very uncommon for me. But the transactions of that week were of a nature to act upon the blood of persons less impetuous even than myself. And the feeling was shared by almost all persons in the city. You are probably aware of what took place the day before I wrote although at that time I was ignorant of it myself. Persons will praise or...
7To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 9 April 1826 (Adams Papers)
I have even less than usual of interest to relate today, since Tuesday last, I have been entirely at home owing to a slight attack of sickness. And my time has been employed in reading the later productions of the day and thereby making up a deficiency which I have long been guilty of. Indeed it is such a waste of time generally speaking that were it not for the ugly appearance one makes in...
8To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 26 March 1826 (Adams Papers)
"Who doth time gallop withal?" Instead of answering this as Shakespeare has done, I would say that it gallops with persons in the days of youth and pleasure without any great care to oppress them. Such I deem mine to be and such is the passage of time. It is hardly possible to keep the regular count of the weeks as they go, and to notice the revolution of months, which has already brought me...
9To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 12 March 1826 (Adams Papers)
The past week has brought us summer weather and makes the city look as green as it is wont, in the month of May. This appearance is the more strange to us, as we do not associate easily with it the idea of Congress. But as we are to have a session here until June this season there will be abundant time to become reconciled to this state of things. Politics are now much the order of the day as...
10To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 26 February 1826 (Adams Papers)
Another fortnight has passed since I had the honour to address you, and the end of it has found me but little wiser than the beginning. It has in fact been spent in the lounging dissipated manner which Washington society so soon produces. My seceding from society produced so much dissatisfaction in the family, that I have again thrown myself into the middle of the stream and my law in...
11To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 12 February 1826 (Adams Papers)
A fortnight has passed over, since I last addressed you, and scarcely any thing of interest has happened. The City having considerably recovered from the severe epidemic which has been raging here, the gaity is becoming rather more extensive, and the number of Strangers who accompany the Supreme Court upon its Session here, have a tendency to enliven us. The town is always most full at this...
12To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 29 January 1826 (Adams Papers)
Since my last letter the whole family have been suffering from violent colds. I did not escape lightly, on the contrary, I was two days in greater trouble than was ever occasioned me by any cold before. My father has also been attacked and indeed every member of our family in regular order. To make the assertion more general, I might say that the whole City had been under the influence of this...
13To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 15 January 1826 (Adams Papers)
An unaccountable fit of dullness and inability to do any thing, prevented my writing to you on last Sunday, the weather is of such a nature as to create languor to an astonishing degree. It is very warm and humid which produces colds almost universally. Our family has not escaped for my brother and Elizabeth have both been affected and I although free from cold, have not been in a State to...
14To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 25 December 1825 (Adams Papers)
On this day, one which in this part of the country is considered much as Thanksgiving day is in New England, I beg leave to express my wishes for your welfare & comfort during the cold weather which accompanies the Season in which the festival comes. It is not properly speaking a festival this Year with us as it comes on a Sunday, but the family dinner which for years past hast happened at my...
15To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 11 December 1825 (Adams Papers)
I was much delighted yesterday by the receipt of the letter from you. It assured me that you was still in good health and spirits, about which things I was a little anxious, from the time I had heard of your intention to “submit” as Mr Browere not inappropriately terms it. I had been very much incommoded I must confess, in the operation, as my hair and ears were not so easily extracted from...
16To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 27 November 1825 (Adams Papers)
In the present dearth of news, and of every thing to make a letter interesting, I am afraid I shall only be very stupid in my attempt to amuse. But since it is the day on which I am bound to write and you expect it from me, I hope this will be sufficient apology for any want of animation which you may perceive. The monotonous course of life so very secluded as the one in which I now live gives...
17To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 13 November 1825 (Adams Papers)
Time has slipped by most unaccountably during my resolutions constantly expressed of writing to you. And I can give little or no account of it. The arrival of the family safe and sound at home again was matter of so much gratification after my anxieties that I have scarcely been sufficiently composed since to do any thing. And each day has closed with the consciousness on my part of much left...
You will by this time (I hope), have obtained some days of rest after the fatigue of your journey. I have been extremely afraid of the effect of it upon you before you started but am in hopes now that the change once obtained will be of some service. How long you will remain under the present circumstances, I am unable to guess but I should scarcely imagine that a sudden return however...
19To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 4 September 1825 (Adams Papers)
It was an unexpected pleasure which I received in your letter of the 17th. of last month, as I had not calculated upon your making such an exertion merely for me. If by writing I can do aught to amuse you a moment I shall think that I am well repaid but my vanity was not so great as to desire an answer, however gratified I may have been at receiving one. The General La Fayette is near on his...
20To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 21 August 1825 (Adams Papers)
The past week has scarcely been marked by any occurrence worth relating in a letter, the weather after having been intensely warm on Sunday and Monday cooled off and we have had an Easterly storm ever since. This makes me quite dull as I prefer the Sun with all his fires. General La Fayette after having thrust his benign countenance among us; has gone to other places to make them happy for a...
21To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 8 August 1825 (Adams Papers)
One week has passed already since my arrival here and to us by no means a quiet one. General La Fayette arrived two days after me and has since engrossed almost all our attention. Dinner has succeeded to dinner and party to party, although the weather has been warm constantly. We now enjoy a few days of quiet as my Father and John have accompanied the General and suite and will not return for...
22From Charles Francis Adams to John Adams, 7 November 1819 (Adams Papers)
I am glad to find you so happy at college and I myself assure you I feel as much so here there is one thing I regret and that is the loss of Mr Gould for certainly let Ironside be himself whatever genius he may yet he does not know the right way of keeping school nor will he till he keeps order; but as it is now every boy in the school is talking from the minute he goes in till he comes out. I...
23From Charles Francis Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 July 1816 (Adams Papers)
I am now come home for the holidays and I hope to receive a great many letters but too I must mind to write to you as many times as you do to me There has been a latin play acted at Ealing called the Andrian one of Terences it was acted three times this year that is to say three times running as to the Actors I can not tell, I suppose you will soon hear Who they are; all I know is that George...
24To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 23 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter dated May 15th. 1816 which I was very much interested with, and pleased me very much. As to your question of what country man I am, I think you ought to know that I never would desert my own country not for any thing Where I was born I do not remember nor I think never knew till you told me, that was in your last letter and so I take the liberty to fill my letter up...
25To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 7 March 1816 (Adams Papers)
I am very glad you like my letter of the third October, 1815 and hope you will like all of, them, as they come. I have lived in, la rue de Richelieu &, I have been to Passy and Au teuil, and to the place de Carousal, and from there I came here to visit Grosvenor Square, with my Father, and Mother; but as to Amsterdam, Leyden, and the Hague, I dont know where they are. I hope some time or other...
I must beg of you to tell the Doctor to give me and my brother our pay they are going to arrest me of Breaking down the door of Number one and I and my brother say we did not do that I think we ought to have our pay Mr Stradway wont give it to me I am your affectionate Son MBAt .
27To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 15 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved your letter dated the 17 November 1815 and I was very happy to have got it or that is to say to have recieved your letter and hope to recieve a couple more before the end of the holidays I have not recieved as many letters from you as I want. I think you are right I think too that General Scott is a very good General and he has done the Americans and America a great deal of...
28From Charles Francis Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 13 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your idea of Osterley park being near our house is correct it now belongs to the Countess of Jersey the grand daughter of Mrs: Childs whose daughter married the Earl of Westmoreland. Papa is so bysy he cannot take us any where not even to the play these holidays. I am afraid not but I hope so because I have not seen the Theatre Covent Garden or Drury lane but I hope in the Summer that Papa...
29To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 26 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
All the things are arrived from Russia among them are a great many of my books Berquin, Lafontaine, & Boisards fables Conte ama fille, French Bible six or 7—English Grammars a German Book and an arithmetic book. The arithmetic book has got a nail driven through it. I am very happy to see the boys play at School and I in the middle of them but I only play in my play hours so I only have 3 ac :...
30To John Adams from Charles Francis Adams, 3 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have recieved your Letter of the fourth July. I will write you what I have seen at Paris. I have been to the Theatre des Variété. Feydeau l’Odéon. Francais. l’Opérá, l’Ambigu, la Porte de Saint Martin, Cirque Olympique, Robertsons & les Funambules. J’ai aussi vue le Musée Napoléon le tableau de Raphaêl étoit le plus beau, et la bataille de Marengo qui etoit superbe. J’ai ainsi été a la...