101John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 16 October 1798 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Letter from the sec. of state will go by the Way of England. In the paragraph quoted from me I wish you not to mistake. I dont mean that I have any aversion to a Treaty with Prussia or sweeden, upon Terms consistent with your Instructions. You may agree to such a Treaty as soon as you please. But in the present State of Things, if the Neutral Powers will not go to War with France...
102From John Adams to William John Coffee, 18 November 1818 (Adams Papers)
The distress of my family must be my apology for neglecting your two letters till this time. The information in your last, is as afflictive to me, as it is new. An uninterrupted personal friendship with Mr Jefferson, notwithstanding all political conjunctions and oppositions for forty three years has endeared him to me; and your account of his danger is a great addition to my other, almost...
103From John Adams to John Adams, 18 November 1823 (Adams Papers)
Your account of the first part of your journey, is quite as entertaining and instructive as is that of the latter part, recorded in your former letter. The seventy persons on board the steam boat who were obliged to sleep in mats covered with a blanket, reminded me of my excellent friend and physician, Dr Holbrook’s account of the treatment of the small pox in Canada when our Revolutionary...
104John Adams to John Thaxter, 8 April 1777 (Adams Papers)
Your kind Favour of March 22. reached me Yesterday. I am much obliged to you for your Account of the Proceedings of the Superiour Court, and wish you to continue to give me a regular Account of their Progress. The Order, and Happiness of the State and even its Safety, depend much upon that Court, and I long to learn that they are fully employed in the Distribution of Justice, both in the civil...
105From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 18 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
It would be ridiculous in me to write you, upon public Affairs. If We have Judges as at the first; We certainly have not Counsellors or Warriors as at the beginning, except by Water. On the Ocean and on the Lakes We have no reason to blush. You have Sent a Pamphlet upon the Analogy between Russian Words and Sanscret Words. Our University and our Accademy See no importance in this Pamphlet. I...
106From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 10 August 1817 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday was one of the most uniformly happy days of my whole long life. The Morning brought Us a Letter from our Friend Crafts of your Arrival; in a few hours our Neighbour Beal brought Us a Newspaper confirming it, and the Evening presented Us your Letter to your Mother of the 6th. that you were Landed “All well”. A thousand Circumstances exalted the delight or as West used to Say upon all...
107From John Adams, 30 March 1819 (Adams Papers)
This Book, of more value than a gold Watch Sett with diamonds is presented to John Adams by his Grandfather MQA .
108From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 28 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
My perplexities are increased every day, as I fear yours have been and are still. Mine, at present are altogether on your Account. The Princes Speech, paragraphs in London and Liverpool Papers scraps of Letters from both; all convince me that you have had Severe Tryals of your Intelligence and Integrity. It is universally believed here, that a Treaty of Commerce has been Signed, but there is a...
109From John Adams to John Adams Smith, 27 April 1817 (Adams Papers)
I have received your luminous letter of 15th Feby. for which I thank you: but cannot enlarge upon it at present.— I write this to introduce to you Mr Theodore Lyman Junr. a Gentleman whose Talents Virtues and Connections deserve your Respect.—I know you can be of little Service to him, but you may be of Some—I wish you to be acquainted with him, and him with you—He is a Nephew of Mr Williams.—...
110From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 18 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
I cannot forget the loss I have sustained in the death of Dr Rush. Since your departure his correspondence has been a kind of substitute to your conversation. Had I your pen, your tongue or your fingers, I would have pronounced his Eulogium before the Academy, rejoice always in all events be thankful always for all things: is a hand precept for human nature: though in my philosophy and in my...
111John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 10 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged to you for the Copy of your Dialogue, which does you honour. I am the more pleased to learn that you are to col lect the Mathematical Theses, as the Same part fell to my Share in the Year 1755. Your Reasons for preferring Newbury Port to Boston for the Study of the Law are judicious, and discover an Attention and a Consideration, which give sure Presages of your future...
112From John Adams to John Marshall, 10 October 1800 (Adams Papers)
Enclosed is a Letter or Memorial from Mr J. Lewis late Consul at the Isle of France. I pray you to consider it in connection with that from Mr Babcock in favour of Mr Spooner. I know of no disqualification or demerit in Lewis. He has often called on me Since his return, and I think him a considerate and well informed and well behaved Man.... The great difficulty will be to permit the...
113From John Adams to John Hancock, 26 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
M r De Hogendorp a Lieutenant in the Dutch Guards, in the Service of the Republick of Holland, is going to America in the Suite of M r Vanberckel the Dutch Minister and I am requested by Some respectable Gentlemen to give him Letters of Introduction to Some Persons in America. any Civilities you may please to Shew him, will be gratefully acknowledged, by / Sir your most obedient and / most...
114From John Adams to John Bondfield, 30 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yours of 13 is duely recd: I congratulate you, on Gillons Success and hope that his Prizes, and those he may make hereafter will defray the enormous Expence of that outfit. All his Patience Activity and Perseverance, were necessary, to carry that affair through: and the Cost was immense. I am not able to answer your Question, concerning the fate of a Vessell of yours, which should be carried...
115From John Adams to John Adams, 16 October 1824 (Adams Papers)
Your frolicsome letter of the 10th of October has come to hand this morning and amidst the sinking and fainting infirmities of age has given me a temporary flash of spirits and has tirminated in the solid comfort of the arrival of your father and Mother and Miss Mary at Washington after tot et tanta discrimina rerum. The ladies must have had a severe trial your Mother is so much in the habit...
116From John Adams to John Jay, 1 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
In my Letter of the 29 th. Ult o. I inclosed Copies of the Letters which had passed between the secretary of State and myself—wherin this Day was fixed upon for my introduction to His Majesty—agreable to that arrangement the Master of Ceremonies waited on me at one and accompanied me to the secretary’s Office, from whence Lord Carmarthen accompanied me to the Palace— I was in a very short time...
117From John Adams to John Stoughton, 29 August 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have received the letter you did me the honor to write me on the 28th & am very sorry to find inform you that upon a more particular examination of the law, it appears that the president is authorized to grant permits in two cases only, viz: when a vessell shall be employed in any purpose of political or national intercourse, and to aid the departure of French persons with their goods &...
118From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 13 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
The young Gentlemen are all flying to Europe, and apply to me for Introductions to our Ambassador in London. You must Shake hands with them all, invite them to a dinner on Mutton and Brockoli, with your Wife and yourself; but Entertainments a la mode you cannot give. The Corps diplomatique, will say “Adams lives “dans le plus infame Œconomy” their Coachmen and Footmen will look down on yours...
119From John Adams to John Bondfield, 25 April 1780 (Adams Papers)
I am very much obliged by your kind Attention, in your Letter of 22d. April. Clinton has then arrived at Georgia, where he is destined to be as well watched and guarded and finally as compleatly ruined as Burgoyne was at Saratoga or Preston at Rhode Island, and that favorite Child of Fortune Gates is to have the Glory of it all. I am quite easy since I know, he commands. There is an Affection...
120From 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...
121John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 August 1794 (Adams Papers)
In its due time, I received your Letter from Philadelphia of the 27. of July. Although, in the Opinion of The Secretary of State, the Mission to Holland may be “almost exclusively reduced to a pecuniary Negotiation,” yet, in the Opinion of others among whom your father is one, the Post at the Hague is an important Diplomatick Station, which may afford many opportunities of acquiring political...
122From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 1 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate you on the new acquaintences you have made. Madam de Stael and Sir Francis D’Ivernois are illustrious personages who will make a figure in history; a more splendid figure, that I can expect; or even than you can hope. Madam I never had the honor to see. With her handsome Lord I have enjoyed many a diplomatic dinner sometimes at his own hotel, and if I was not mistaken he had...
123From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 8 February 1819 (Adams Papers)
I have been employed for a month or six weeks in hard labour to save you trouble. I have ransacked chests, trunks, boxes, bureaus, chests of drawers, escritouirs, or in fewer words, every hole & corner, from the basement story to the cockloft, in search of manuscript books & papers, and in course I have been obliged to break open locks whose key’s were lost and destroy every thing that lay in...
124From John Adams to John Jay, 24 November 1800 (Adams Papers)
I received, last week your friendly private Letter of the tenth—The assurance of the continuance of your friendship was unnecessary for me, because I have never had a doubt of it—But others invent and report as they please. They have preserved hitherto, however more delicacy to wards the friendship between you and me than any other. The last Mission to France, and the consequent dismission of...
125From John Adams to John Marshall, 27 September 1800 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I received the enclosed letter of J Cox Barnet at Bourdeaux of 27 July. This letter being addressed to the Secretary of State, I ventured to open & found in it only a private letter to you. This, I did not think myself warranted to open, though it may contain intelligence of a public nature, and now transmit it to you in the same enclosure, which first covered it. I have received...
126From John Adams to John Adams, 25 October 1822 (Adams Papers)
In the reign of Charles 1st of England, Henry Adams came to America from Devonshire and settled at Mount Wollaston with eight sons, one of whom returned to England. Four removed to Medfield, Medway, Bellingham and the neighbouring towns—two to Chelmsford Thomas and Samuel by name; Joseph only, my great grandfather, and the great grandfather of Samuel Adams of Boston, remained in this place...
127From John Adams to John Adams, April 1815 (Adams Papers)
I am much pleased with your Translation. The Character of Anacreon is one of the many Mysteries of Antiquity which the Researches of your whole Life will not be able to unridle. He did well to renounce the Heroes, for he either know nothing of the Sons of Atreus, of Cadmus the Theban King, or of Hercules and his twelve Labours; or if he knew any Thing, he dared not till what he know. It is...
128From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 30 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
I feel so uneasy, on your account, that I want to write to you, every hour. But I am become so great a Coward, that I dare not write any thing to you. I never take my Pen, but with the utmost Anxiety, last I should hurt your Feelings, embarrass your Employments, give you unnecesary solicitude for your Country or excite a useless gloom on the prospect before Mankind. Shall I give you a History...
129From John Adams to John Jay, 24 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
I rejoice in the incident, which has called me, to give you a certificate under my hand, that I am yet alive. The Reverend, Mr Henry Colman, an ordained minister of a Congregational Church in Hingham (General Lincolns town,) six miles only from me, has requested of me an introduction, to you as one of the most interesting characters, our Country has produced. Mr Colman is beloved by his people...
130From John Adams to John Adams, 2 February 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have received two pretty Letters from you, and know not how to account for my own delay in answering either of them till this Time. That of the 21st of January is now before me, and is dated. Give my Love to your Brother, and tell him, he forgot to give any date to his. For your Comfort and Georges too, I can tell you, that you write as well as your Father did at your Age. But what a Writer...
131From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 26 June 1815 (Adams Papers)
To Shew the pretty, little, easy task you have undertaken, let me give you a Schematic Picture of the publick and private Courses in a German University, for Six months. 1. Encylopedy, and Method of Studies. An encyclopedick course of general Litterature, of the divisions and Subdivisions, and of the relations of Sciences among themselves. A course on the method to be pursued, in Academick...
132From John Adams to John Marshall, 17 July 1806 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I received from the Post Office your obliging Letter of the Sixth of this month. It is not necessary for me to recurr to my Letter Books, and examine the few Letters I wrote to General Washington, before I assure you, that I Shalt take no offence at your inserting in your History, parts or the whole of them. They were written under great Agitation of Mind, at a time when a cruel...
133From John Adams to John Farrar, 4 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of May 17th, notifying a Meeting of The Accademy on the 20th. did not arrive till the 21st. The other Letter with which you honoured me, Subsequent to the last Meeting of The American Accademy of Arts and Sciences, has Sensibly affected me. An Election to the Chair of that learned and Reverend and Honourable and every Way respectable Society, I have ever esteemed, the highest...
134From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 March 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not whether you are acquainted with the Bearer of this Letter Samuel G. Perkins Esqr, or his Lady a Daughter of the aged and Honourable Stephen Higginson Esqr. Mr Perkins was one of my Associates in the Board of Trustees and Visitors. We have thought it, a fortunate Opportunity, Politicks apart, to Send your Sons with Mr and Mrs. Perkins, and their Son about Johns age, and especially as...
135From John Adams to John Rogers, 6 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your kind letter of Jan 31st. If the judiciary bill should pass, as I hope it will, it will cost me much anxiety and dilligence, to select characters such as you describe to fill the offices & I am obliged to you & to all other friends of their Country, who favor me with their advice & assistance in discharging that important duty. I have a personal regard for Mr. Bayard & his...
136From John Adams to John Stockdale, 12 May 1793 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday, I had the Pleasure of receiving our letter of the 16th of March. My Son’s name is John Quincy Adams which you knew very well, so that by ushering the Pamphlet into the world in the Name of John Adams Esq. it still might pass for mine. I understand all this very well. Booksellers Policy! All I have to Say is that I did not write Publicola nor any Part of it: if you wish to know...
137From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 16 March 1810 (Adams Papers)
The Opportunity by Captain Benjamin Harrod is so unexpected and the time allowed me is So Short, that I can only Say We are all Well and your Son very good as well as very healthy. We hear and read Such Accounts of unavoidable Expenses where you are, that our frugal Country We fear will not enable you to do your Errand. Our Reading has been all about Russia Life of The Empress Porters Travels...
138From John Adams to John Marshall, 25 September 1800 (Adams Papers)
Enclosed is a letter from Elias Backman, Consul in Sweden with an account, which you will please to consider. If he took upon himself the office of Ambassador without orders, commission or instructions and spent money to obtain advantages to American commerce, the Executive authority cannot reimburse him. Enclosed also is a letter from C. Blackberd. You may take notice of it or not at your...
139From John Adams to John Peter De Windt, 22 November 1814 (Adams Papers)
Had I known where to direct my aim, I should have shot at you long ago: but hit or miss I will now hazard a . But to quit this nude figure, for which nothing but my connections with Sportsmen, or perhaps the military fashions of the times, could apologize, let me return to simple style. And tell you plainly that I have nothing to write, but what you already know, except as hereafter excepted....
140From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 18 February 1825 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of the 9th: Never did I feel so much solemnity as upon this occasion—the multitude of my thoughts and the intensity of my feelings are too much for a mind like mine in its ninetieth year—May the blessing of God Almighty continue to protect you to the end of your life as it has heretofore protected you in so remarkable a manner from your cradle. I offer the same...
141From John Adams to John Jenks, 15 July 1789 (Adams Papers)
I received your letter of the first of this month and thank you for you kind congratulations. The application in favor of Joseph Hiller to be naval officer for the port of Salem must be made by himself or friends to the President. The indispensible duties of my office render it impossible for me to give much attention to nominations and appointments in the executive departments: but if this...
142From 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:...
143From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 24 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 14th. found me deeply immersed in researches, not astromical or mineralogical or metaphisical; but after old Papers, Trunks Boxes Desks Drawers locked up for thirty Years have been broken open because the Keys are lost. Nothing Stands in my Way. Every Scrap Shall be found and preserved for Your Affliction for your good. I am now employed very anxiously and laboriously,...
144From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 4 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
This Letter is to be honoured by the Reverend Samuel Cooper Thatcher, the Son of The Reverend Dr Peter Thatcher of Brattle Street and the Grandson of Oxenbridge Thatcher Esqr Barister at Law One of the most intimate confidential and beloved Friends I ever had one of the four first rate Lawyers, Gridley, Pratt, Otis and Thatcher who recommended me to the Court in Boston in 1758 when I was Sworn...
145From John Adams to John M. Gill, 12 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
Your Address to the President Senate and House of Representatives has been presented to me Foreign Governments will always have grounds to believe, that there are divisions Diversities of Opinion, if not divisions into Parties in every Republican Government. Those whose Knowledge of free Governments, is Superficial, and whose Experience is young, will be very apt to Mistake these Diversities...
146John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 12 February 1781 (Adams Papers)
I received to day, your Favour of 11. You may purchase L’Art Dramatique, alone if you please. But I know nothing of the Dramatick Character of Mercier. He is not very famous, as I remember, and therefore, I think it is Scarcely worth while to go to the Expence of all his Works. I shall make you a present of Some Volumes of Pope soon.—I have seen a Terence, in three Volumes, with the Latin on...
147John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 18 April 1776 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your agreable Letter of the Twenty fourth of March. I rejoice with you that our Friends are once more in Possession of the Town of Boston, and am glad to hear that so little damage is done to our House. I hope you and your Sister and Brothers will take proper Notice of these great Events, and remember under whose wise and kind Providence they are all conducted. Not a Sparrow...
148From 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...
149From John Adams to John Marshall, 13 August 1800 (Adams Papers)
In answer to yours of the 2d I have agreed to the appointment of Major David Hopkins to be Marshall of Maryland, according to the advice of Mr Stoddert, although it was a great disappointment & mortification to me to loose the only opportunity I shall ever have of testifying to the world, the high opinion I have of the merits of a great majistrate, by the appointment of his son to an office...
150From John Adams to John Vaughan, 25 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not by what right or colour of right, I address you: but as the World agrees that you are Benevolence personified I presume upon that principle to introduce to you Mr Samuel Gilman, whose Accademical Education was in the Family of my beloved Sister, whose University Education was at Harvard Colledge, whose Genius has already exhibited very promising productions in verse and prose from...