571Decr. 26th. 1765 Thursday. (Adams Papers)
At Home by the Fireside viewing with Pleasure, the falling Snow and the Prospect of a large one. The gallant Struggle in America, is founded in Principles so indisputable, in the moral Law, in the revealed Law of God, in the true Constitution of great Britain, and in the most apparent Welfare of the Nation as well as the People in America, that I must confess it rejoices my very Soul. For you...
572A Dissertation upon Office-Seekers, 26 December 1765 (Adams Papers)
26 December 1765. Printed: JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 1:277 . Fragment of an unpublished newspaper letter warning Massachusetts freeholders to beware of politicians who openly solicit their votes on election day and, even more reprehensible, seek employment from the Crown. Printed ( JA, Diary...
573Decr. 27th. 1765. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
In unforeseen Cases, i.e. when the State of things is found such as the Author of the Disposition has not foreseen, and could not have thought of, we should rather follow his Intention than his Words, and interpret the Act as he himself would have interpreted it, had he been present, or conformably to what he would have done if he had foreseen the Things that happened. This Rule is of great...
574Decr. 28th. 1765. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Went to Weymouth with my Wife. Dined at Father Smiths. Heard much of the Uneasiness among the People of Hingham, at a sermon preached by Mr. Gay, on the Day of Thanksgiving, from a Text in James, “Out of the same Mouth proceedeth Blessing and Cursing,” in which he said that the ancient Weapons of the Church, were Prayers and Tears, not Clubbs, and inculcated Submission to Authority, in pretty...
575Decr. 29th. 1765. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Heard Parson Wibird. Hear O Heavens and give Ear O Earth, “I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me.”—I began to suspect a Tory Sermon on the Times from this Text. But the Preacher confined himself to Spirituals. But I expect, if the Tories should become the strongest, We shall hear many Sermons against the Ingratitude, Injustice, Disloyalty, Treason,...
5761765. Decr. 30th. Monday. (Adams Papers)
We are now concluding the Year 1765, tomorrow is the last day, of a Year in which America has shewn such Magnanimity and Spirit, as never before appeared, in any Country for such a Tract of Country. And Wednesday will open upon Us a new Year 1766, which I hope will procure Us, innumerable Testimonies from Europe in our favour and Applause, and which we all hope will produce the greatest and...
5771765. Tuesday. Decr. 31st. (Adams Papers)
Went to Mr. Jo. Bass’s and there read Yesterdays Paper. Walked in the Afternoon into the Common and quite thro my Hemlock Swamp. I find many fine Bunches of young Maples, and nothing else but Alders. Spent the Evening at Home with Neighbour Field. The national Attention is fixed upon the Colonies. The Religion, Administration of Justice, Geography, Numbers, &c. of the Colonies are a...
578[1766?] (Adams Papers)
Q uery . The Service done by Tommy Hutchinson, for the Province, for which he had a Grant of 40£. and his fathers application for Pay, for the same Service and saying, he never had any Pay for it. The Bill drawn by Mr. Hutchinson, and carried in Council and sent down to the House, to enlarge the Power of the Judges of Probate, and empower them to appoint a few freeholders to set off Widows...
579[January 1766] (Adams Papers)
Severe cold, and a Prospect of Snow. We are now upon the Beginning of a Year of greater Expectation than any, that has passed before it. This Year brings Ruin or Salvation to the British Colonies. The Eyes of all America, are fixed on the B ritish Parliament. In short Britain and America are staring at each other.—And they will probably stare more and more for sometime. At Home all day. Mr....
580Anno Domini 1766: 1766. January 1st. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Severe cold, and a Prospect of Snow. We are now upon the Beginning of a Year of greater Expectation than any, that has passed before it. This Year brings Ruin or Salvation to the British Colonies. The Eyes of all America, are fixed on the B ritish Parliament. In short Britain and America are staring at each other.—And they will probably stare more and more for sometime. At Home all day. Mr....
5811766. Jany. 2d. Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A great Storm of Snow last night. Weather tempestuous all Day. Waddled thro the Snow, driving my Cattle to water at Dr. Savils. A fine Piece of glowing Exercise.—Brother spent the Evening here in chearful Chat. At Phyladelphia, the Heart and Hand fire Company has expelled Mr. Hewes Hughes the Stamp Man for that Colony. The Freemen of Talbot County in Maryland have erected a Jibbet before the...
5821766. Jany. 3d. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Fair Weather and Snow enough. Major Miller, Dr. Savil and Mr. Joseph Penniman spent the Evening, with me. Agriculture, Commerce, Fishery, Arts, Manufactures, Town, Provincial, American, and national Politicks the Subject.—Anecdote, in the Beginning of the Year, Deacon Penniman was for reducing the Salary of the School Master from 330 to 300£. The Master Penniman insisted on keeping half the...
5831766. Jany. 4. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Edes & Gill’s Gazette brought in. I find that Somebody has published the very scene in Shakespears H enry 8, which I have put into Ld. Clarendons Letter to Pym. This brings to my Mind again Ld. Bacons Doctrine of secret, invisible Connections and communications, and unknown undiscovered Laws of Nature. Hampden writes to Pym on the Failure of Justice in America, on the shutting up of the Courts...
584Sunday. Jany. 5th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Heard Mr. Wibird all Day. A Sacramental Sermon on “It is finished.—”
585Monday [6 January]. (Adams Papers)
At Home. Mr. Smith and Mr. Penniman dined here.
586Tuesday [7 January]. (Adams Papers)
At Boston. Hampden has given us in Yesterdays Gazette, a long Letter to Pym upon shutting up the Courts, in which he proves from Holts and Pollexfens Arguments at the Revolution Conference, from Grotius De Jure Belli, B. 1. C. 3. §. 2. that shutting up the Courts is an Abdication of the Throne, a Discharge of the Subjects from their Allegiance, and a total Dissolution of Government and...
587Wednesday Jany. 8th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
At Home. Wrote &c.
588Thurdsday Jany. 9th. 1765 [i.e. 1766]. (Adams Papers)
At Home. Must such a Number of new Crimes be committed, to decide which of these two, Caesar or Pompey, shall be master in Rome? One would hardly purchase at that Price, the good Fortune of having Neither of them for Master. Grotius De Jure Belli et Pacis B. 2 C. 16. §. 22. N. 1. The Interpretation that restrains the Import of Words is taken either from an original Defect in the Will of the...
589Thurdsday. Jany. 9th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
At Home all day. Mr. Smith, Dr. Tufts, Dr. Savil, Mr. Bass &c. here.
590Fryday. Jany. 10th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Humphry Ploughjogger received a Letter from a Friend, thanking him for his good Advice and presenting him with a Crimson, Homespun Cap to wear with his Hide, as a Reward. —Mr. Etter came in before Dinner, about his Petition to the General Court for Assistance in his stocking Weaving Business.—Went in the afternoon with my Wife to her Grandfathers.—Mr. Cleverly here in the Evening. He says he...
591Saturday Jany. 11th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
A Rain. In one particular, I must confess the Americans have not acted with their usual Acuteness of Understanding, and Firmness of Spirit. I mean in that very strange Piece of Conduct of their shutting the Courts of Justice. I call it their Conduct, tho it is apparently against the general Judgment of the People, and it ought to be charged on a few Individuals, who have Other Things in View...
592Sunday Jany. 12th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Heard Mr. Wibird all day, at Evening Mr. Etter, here.
593Monday Jany. 13th. 1766 (Adams Papers)
At Boston, the Inferiour Court of Common Pleas opened. Present Mr. Wells, Mr. Watts and Mr. Foster Hutchinson. More than 100 new Entries. The Actions all called over and many defaulted and some continued. So that The Court has rushed upon the thick Bosses of the Buckler and into the thickest of the Penalties and Forfeitures. — Dined at Brother Dudleys, with Gridley, Swift, Lowell and Mr....
594I. The Earl of Clarendon to William Pym, 13 January 1766 (Adams Papers)
The revolution which one century has produced in your opinions and principles, is not quite so surprizing to me, as it seems to be to many others. You know, very well, I had always a jealousy, that your humanity was counterfeited, your ardor for liberty canker’d with simulation, and your integrity problematical at least. I confess however, that so sudden a transition from licentiousness to...
595Tuesday Jany. 14th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Mr. William Coopers with Messrs. Cushing, Story, and John Boylstone. Cushing, silent and sly as usual. Story I dont know what. Cooper and Boylstone principal Talkers. Boylstone, affecting a Phylosophical Indifference about Dress, Furniture, Entertainments &c., laughed at the affectation of nicely distinguishing Tastes, such as the several Degrees of Sweet till you come up to the first...
596Wednesday. Jany. 15th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Mr. Isaac Smiths. No Company, no Conversation. Spent the Evening with the Sons of Liberty, at their own Apartment in Hanover Square, near the Tree of Liberty. It is a Compting Room in Chase & Speakmans Distillery. A very small Room it is. John Avery Distiller or Merchant, of a liberal Education, John Smith the Brazier, Thomas Crafts the Painter, Edes the Printer, Stephen Cleverly the...
597Thurdsday. Jany. 16th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Mr. Nick Boylstones, with the two Mr. Boylstones, two Mr. Smiths, Mr. Hallowel and the Ladies. An elegant Dinner indeed! Went over the House to view the Furniture, which alone cost a thousand Pounds sterling. A Seat it is for a noble Man, a Prince. The Turkey Carpets, the painted Hangings, the Marble Tables, the rich Beds with crimson Damask Curtains and Counterpins, the beautiful...
598Fryday [17 January]. (Adams Papers)
Came home, and dined, and there stayed.
599Saturday. Jany. 18th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
At Home. The Dr. dined here. There has been a great Inquiry, in some Parts of America, after a Diffinition of the british Constitution. Some have defined the Constitution to be the Practice of Parliament. Some have called it, Custom, some have call’d it the most perfect Combination of human Powers in society, that finite Wisdom has yet contrived and reduced to Practice, for the Preservation of...
600Sunday. Jany. 19th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Heard Mr. Robbins of Milton.