21From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 22 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
WHEN I had received that authentic act of the sovereign authority of France, a copy of which is inserted in my last letter to you, communicated by their Secretary of State, through their Secretary of Legation and Charge des Affaires and our Minister at the Hague, fully complying with all my requisitions, upon mature deliberation I determined to nominate a Minister to France. Some of the...
22From John Adams to William Cunningham, 24 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
I received your favour of March 31 in due time: But I am become all at once and very unexpectedly a man of business and of so much importance in the world that I have not found time to acknowledge it till now. You say your sensibilities were exquisately touched by my last letter to you and my Letter to Wright and Lyman which you received at the same time. The word Sensibilities has a very...
23From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 25 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
A few words more on the subject of pressing. In strictness, we have nothing to do with the question, whether impressments of seamen in England are legal or illegal. Whatever iniquity or inhumanity that government may inflict on their own subjects, we have no authority to call them to an account for it. But when they extend that power to us, a foreign nation, it is natural for us, and it is our...
24From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 26 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
THE gentlemen of the Senate informed me, that they came to confer with me on the subject of the nomination of Mr. Murray to France; that there was a considerable dissatisfaction with it, and they desired to know for what reasons I had preferred Mr. Murray to so many others abroad and at home. My answer to the gentlemen was, that I thought Mr. Murray a gentleman of talents, address and...
25From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 29 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
Please to convey the three inclosed Sheets to the Printers. I beg of you to come up in the Stage. I cannot come to Town as I intended to bring you and your dear Boy. Your Brother is Sick at Dedham. We have been obliged to Send for him and I have neither Horses nor Horse MHi : Adams Papers.
26From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 2 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
THE message mentioned in my last letter, was in these words: Gentlemen of the Senate , The proposition of a fresh negociation with France, in consequence of advances made by the French government, has excited so general an attention and so much conversation, as to have given occasion to many manifestations of the public opinion, from which it appears to me, that a new modification of the...
27From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 9 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
At first I intended to encumber your paper with no Documents but such as were absolutely necessary for my own vindication. But as the peace with France in eighteen hundred was not only an event of great importance in itself, but produced demonstrations of the prejudices, passions, views, designs and systems of parties, more perhaps than any other; I hope you will allow me room for such other...
28From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 9 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Hamilton, in his famous pamphlet, page 23, says, “the conduct pursued bore sufficient marks of courage and elevation to raise the national character to an exalted height throughout Europe.” “Much it is to be deplored that we should have been precipitated from this proud eminence, without necessity, without temptation.” It is the habitual practice of our parties, to affirm or deny, as they...
29From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 10 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
On the 6th of March a letter was written by the Secretary of State by my order, in the following words, to Mr. Murray : Philadelphia, March 6, 1799. Sir, I enclose a commission constituting you, in conjunction with the Chief Justice Elsworth and Patrick Henry , Esq. of Virginia, Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary to the French Republic.—By the President’s direction, I enclose...
30From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 12 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
In a A Letter from Alexander Hamilton concerning the Public Conduct and Character of John Adams Esq. President of the United States printed at New York for John Lang, by George F. Hopkins, 1800. Copy right Secured; the Subject of the Negotiation with France in that year is considered. In the twenty fourth page it is Said that “The Session which ensued the Promulgation of the Dispatches of our...
31From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 17 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
Another of my crimes, according to my great accuser, page 28, was nominating Mr. Murray, without previous consultation with any of my ministers. To this charge I shall say but little at present. In England the first magistrate is responsible for nothing; his ministers for every thing: Here according to the practice, if not the constitution, the ministers are responsible for nothing; the...
32From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 18 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Hamilton, in his pamphlet, page 28, speaking of Talleyrand’s dispatches, says, “overtures so circuitous and informal, through a person who was not the regular organ of the French government for making them, to a person who was not the regular organ of the French government for receiving them, &c. were a very inadequate basis for the institution of a new mission.” Here, again, Mr....
33From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 26 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
In pamphlet , page 27, it is said that the great alteration in public opinion had put it completely in the power of our executive to control the machinations of any future public agent, of France. Therefore Philadelphia was a safer scene of negotiation than Paris. Mr. Hamilton’s erroneous conceptions of the public opinion may be excused by the considerations that he was not a native of the...
34From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 29 May 1809 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Hamilton , in his pamphlet, page 21, speaks of the anterior mission of Messieurs Pinckney, Marshall and Gerry, and says, “it was resolved to make another, and a more solemn experiment in the form of a commission of three.” When I first read this sentence, I am not certain whether it excited most of astonishment, indignation, contempt, or ridicule. By whom was this Measure resolved ? By...
35From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 5 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
IN page 25, is a strain of flimsy rant, as silly as it is indecent. “The supplement to the declaration was a blameable excess.” It waved the point of honor, which after two rejections of our ministers, required that the next mission, should proceed from France. Where did he find this point of honor? If any such point had existed, it had its full force against the second mission: and its...
36From John Adams to Joseph Ward, 6 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
I recd in Season your interesting favor of the 10th of May: but have not had Opportunity to acknowledge it till now. There appears to me, to be a very extraordinary and unaccountable Inattention in our Countrymen to the History of their own Country. While every kind of Trifle from Europe is printed and Scattered profusely in America our own Original Historians are very much neglected. A Copy...
37From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 6 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
In page 28, Mr. Hamilton acknowledges that "the President had pledged himself in his speech, (he should have said in his message) to send a minister, if satisfactory assurances of a proper reception were given." Notwithstanding this, Mr. Hamilton, and all his confidential friends, exerted their utmost art and most strenuous endeavors to prevail on the President to violate this pledge. What can...
38From John Adams to William Cunningham, 7 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
Yours of May 6th, I have not acknowledged, and cannot particularly consider the abundance of matter in it at present. If you see the Patriot, you will see that I am scribbling, twice a week. I am hammering out a brass farthing into an acre of leaf brass. But I was determined that posterity should know the facts relative to my peace with France in 1800. I expect “angry surges” enough. Let them...
39From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 7 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters are not apt to lie a month unacknowledged. That of May 5th. is before me since which I have recd. an Aurora under your envellope. I thank you for both. Thanks too for your sons inaugural Dissertation. I wish him success in his studies Travels and Practice. May he become as eminent, as skilful, as humane, as virtuous and as successful as his father. I rejoice that your son Richard...
40From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 7 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
In page 26, Mr. Hamilton says, that the mission “could hardly fail to injure our interests with other countries.” This is another of those phantoms which he had conjured up to terrify minds and nerves as weak as his own. It was a common place theme of discourse, which, no doubt, the British faction very efficaciously assisted him in propagating. I know it made impression on some, from whose...
41From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 8 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
IN page 20, Mr. Hamilton says, my "conduct in the office of President was a heterogeneous compound of right and wrong, of wisdom and error." As at that time, in my opinion, his principal rule of right and wrong, of wisdom and error, was his own ambition and indelicate pleasures, I despise his censure, and should consider his approbation as a satire on my administration. “The outset," he says,...
42From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 10 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
IN page 29. Mr. Hamilton says, "when an ordinary man dreams himself to be a Frederick," &c. To this I shall make but a short answer. When a Miss of the street shall print a pamphlet in London, and call the Queen of England an ordinary woman, who dreams herself a Catharine of Russia, no Englishman will have the less esteem for his queen for that impudent libel. There is something in the 24th...
43From John Adams to Samuel Perley, 19 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
I received your favour of the 12th. You propose to me an abridgement of my works. Some fifty five years ago I learned from Lord Coke that Abridgements were chiefly useful to the makers of them. It would be of no use to me to abridge my poor productions. Besides I had rather write as many new ones than undertake to abridge the old ones. You say that our ungovernable News-Papers have published...
44From John Adams to William Cunningham, 22 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
I most sincerely thank you for your excellent letter of the 14th.—It contains an abundance of matter that deserves, and shall have my most serious consideration. But at present I have not time to be serious. I had a delicious laugh with my family. I said nothing till we were all at table at dinner: My wife, my two daughters in law, my niece, Miss Louisa Smith, and my two grand daughters,...
45From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 22 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
A thousand thanks to Richard for his Auroras and ten thousand to you for your Letter of the 14th. I am not subject to low spirits, but if I was one of your Letters would cure me at any time for a Month. Voltaires Brain I shall never get out of mine. It will make me laugh whenever I think of it. The Jews and Nonotte have pickled his Brain in a more durable Manner and kept it in a more perfect...
46From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 22 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
In a former letter, it was suggested that I found myself obliged to say something of the peace of 1783. Mr. Hamilton, in his pamphlet, page 7, says, "The principal merit of the negociation with Great Britain, in some quarters, has been bestowed on Mr. Adams; but it is certainly the right of Mr. Jay, who took a lead in the several steps of the transaction, no less honorable to his talents than...
47From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 23 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
On the 17th day of November, 1779, I embarked for Europe, with the hon. Francis Dana, Esq. and Mr. John Thaxter. The former was appointed by Congress, secretary of legation to my two commissions.—There could not have been found in the United States a gentleman in whose education, connections, talents, integrity and personal friendship, I had more entire confidence. The latter I had taken from...
48From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 3 July 1809 (Adams Papers)
On the 13th of July I wrote to the Comte De Vergennes the following letter: Paris July 13, 1781. Sir, I have the honor to inclose to your excellency, some remarks upon the articles to serve as a basis of the negociation for the re-establishment of peace, which you did me the honor to communicate to me. As I am unacquainted, whether you desired my sentiments upon these articles, merely for your...
49From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 10 July 1809 (Adams Papers)
DESIROUS to inform Congress of every step of my proceedings, I wrote a letter, on the 15th in these words, to the President: Paris, July 15, 1781. Sir, I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter to the Comte De Vergennes, and of certain articles and their answers. The British Court proposed to the Imperial Courts, a congress, upon two preliminary conditions, the rupture of the treaty with...
50From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 12 July 1809 (Adams Papers)
THE next day I wrote another letter to the Comte. Paris, July 19, 1781. In my letter, sir, of the 18th, I had the honor to mention some things that lay upon my mind; but still I am apprehensive that in a former letter I have not conveyed my full meaning to your excellency. In my letter of the 16th, I submitted to your excellency’s opinion and advice, whether an American minister could appear...