201From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 5 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since your favour of the 19. January, and thank you for the information it contains, and for the trouble you have taken in my individual concerns; I should have been happy to hear frequently from you; but I have been sensible that the multiplicity of your usual occupations, and the extraordinary call upon your time and attention, by the illness and decease of your...
Your letter of 26. Jany: enclosing one to your Mamma, reached me the same day that I wrote you last—I have myself no objection to the publication of my lines in the Anthology; but as they were address’d to your Sister, they belonged to her more than to me, you must answer for the printing to her—I know not that she would take any displeasure from it, and suppose you had reason for presuming on...
Since I wrote you last, when we were in the midst of a hurricane from the Northwest, untill this moment, we have had the coldest spell of weather I ever knew in this place—On that day as I wrote you, the windows were blown in and broken down here at the capitol—Houses or at least one House was unroofed—Carriages were overset; and Mr: Quincy undertaking to walk home was so much overpowered by...
204From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 10 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have two letters from you of the 18th: and 28th: of last Month to answer—And since the receipt of the last have also received from Shaw, a copy of Selfridge’s trial—It corresponds very accurately with your abridgement, excepting only the Article of Mr. Dexter’s argument with which I confess I have been much disappointed—It is professedly much compress’d in the printed trial, from what it was...
I yesterday enclosed you a letter from Adelaide, under a blank cover, because I was all the morning writing to my brother, and when I came to enclose the letter to you, it was so late that I had not time to add a line with it—I now send a letter from Kitty for Caroline, and must tell you that we are well; excepting Mrs: Boyd’s child which continues in the same State of illness from time to...
206From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 13 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind letter of January; and shall particularly attend to your directions at Philadelphia, respecting the flour—It is at present my intention to leave this place the 4th: of next month; but the winter and the roads are now breaking up; so that I know not whether the roads will at that time be passable The termination of this Congress will leave our public affairs in a...
The enclosed lines were written as a tribute of my affectionate remembrance, of your birth-day—But though begun upon that day they were not finished untill the next, and the necessity of copying them fair, has delayed their transmission, untill this time. I have not heard from you of a later date than the 1st: of this month; nor have I later letters from any of my friends at Quincy—We have had...
208From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 17 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I received in proper time from you, a copy of Selfridge’s trial, and also the Anthology for January, for which you have my best thanks; and in return for which I now send you a blossom for the next month’s basket—I hope your council of Literary botanists will not be of opinion that some of its petals are too rank for the sense; however it is entirely at your and their disposal.—You must shew...
Since I wrote you last I have been a little affected with the rhumatism in my shoulder, so that I did not attend at Mrs: Erskine’s Ball—I had also something of a cold, and was disinclined to be out so late at Night as a Ball necessarily imports—Your Mamma and the Girls were there: the company was numerous and the party very agreeable. We have this day received a Message from the President,...
I received yesterday your letter of the 15th: and this morning that of the 17th: enclosing in the former a letter from to your Mamma, and in the latter, one to Mrs: Boyd—We are now at the last days of the Session, and you know how much we are oppress’d with public business at such times—This will give you my excuse for the shortness of this letter—It is not yet certain whether the members of...
211From John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 8 March 1807 (Adams Papers)
My project of coming from Washington to this place, by the way of Annapolis was disappointed, by the badness of the roads, which prevented the arrival of the Stage from Annapolis in Season for us to take it the 4th:—so I took my passage on the usual way to Baltimore, Thursday and arrived here by the new line of Packets last Evening—To-morrow, I shall pursue my journey to New-York, where I...
212To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 18 June 1807 (Adams Papers)
The Fire and Marine Insurance Office are now repaying the third part of their capital, to which they were authorized by an Act of the Legislature; and issuing new Certificates to the Stockholders—The old Certificates must therefore be returned into the Office—I will thank you to send me, by the earliest opportunity, your Certificate for the forty shares, which stand in my name, but of which...
213From John Quincy Adams to Catherine Nuth Johnson, 18 August 1807 (Adams Papers)
I take the first moment of self-possession that I have to inform you that my dear wife at half-past eight this morning presented me a third son.—The labour which commenced about 2 O’Clock this morning was extremely severe, and the child and mother both suffered so much in the birth as to give us great concern—We had at first little hopes of the child’s life; but it is now and Mrs: Adams also...
214From John Quincy Adams to Catherine Nuth Johnson, 20 August 1807 (Adams Papers)
As the account I gave you the day before yesterday may occasion you some anxiety on my wife’s account, it gives me the most cordial pleasure now to inform you that she is as well as under the Circumstances could possibly be expected, and the infant remarkably hearty and Strong—My Sister Smith came in from Quincy the morning of the child’s birth and has been with Mrs: Adams constantly since. I...
215From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 17 October 1807 (Adams Papers)
We arrived safe at Providence on the Evening of the day when we took leave of you in Boston; and the next morning embarked in a Packet which was ready to sail. We were however detained at anchor just below Providence the whole of that day, and the next Night—On Monday we effected with much difficulty our passage to Newport, and sailed from thence on Tuesday Morning—We had every possible...
216From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 27 October 1807 (Adams Papers)
I wrote a line to my father, from New-York, enclosing a letter for Mr: Shaw, and informing you of our safe arrival thus far, upon our Journey.—We stopp’d at New-York two days, and then proceeded with as much expedition as we found practicable, untill we reached Baltimore. We stopp’d only one Night at Philadelphia, and had no opportunity to visit any of our acquaintance there—We came on in the...
217From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 28 October 1807 (Adams Papers)
I enclosed to you by last Evening’s Mail a Copy of the President’s Message, as first printed by Smith—I now send you a copy together with the documents that accompanied it—You will see that the H.R. have a new Speaker and Clerk—They have this day determined to appoint the standing Committees by ballot instead of leaving their appointment to the Speaker as heretofore—The Washington Races...
218From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 November 1807 (Adams Papers)
Last Evening I had the pleasure of receiving your favour of 25th: ulto: which contained the first information we had received from you or from our children since we left Boston—and for which we began to be very anxious. I am glad to hear that George is so well satisfied with his situation and promises so well—If the french Gentleman will allow him to chatter with him according to his own...
219From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 7 November 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have not yet had the pleasure of receiving a line from you, which I presume is owing to the multiplicity of your occupations—I have had one letter from my Mother containing the information concerning which we were so anxious, of our children’s health. The Good-Intent has not yet arrived though I observe by a Newspaper that she cleared out from Boston about the 24th: of October—We are in...
220To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 30 November 1807 (Adams Papers)
I received a few days since your very kind letter which I am ashamed of answering by a few lines; but by some accident I have fallen from a state of almost total idleness into an overwhelming flood of business, which leaves me scarcely a quarter of an hour of the day or of the Night—I sent you last week a copy of a volume in the form of a bill which I reported upon the Aggression business and...
221From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 14 December 1807 (Adams Papers)
Your’s of the 3d: instt: came to hand the night before last; I am perfectly satisfied with your sales of my wood—I had a little kindness for the grove in the rear of the brook, and if circumstances should carry me back to the house of our nativity, shall miss the prospect which it furnished; but your reasons for disposing of it are substantial, and I suppose a young growth will come up,...
222From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 18 December 1807 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since, your letter of the 18th: of last Month—But it was longer in coming than the time usually taken by the mail—and I have left it longer without reply than I could have wished— I am much obliged to you for your attention to my personal affairs, and much gratified that my obligations at the Bank have all been taken up—You will recollect my wish that you would pay to my...
223To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 27 December 1807 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 14th: instt: came to my hands just at a moment to renew and to strengthen impressions which had been weighing heavily upon my mind for near a month—The general questions relative to the powers and the process of expulsion under our Constitution had been forced upon me by the situation in which I was placed as Chairman of the Committee on the present Inquiry—My own...
224From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 8 January 1808 (Adams Papers)
I send you occasionally, the public documents of the most interesting nature, but I have not the opportunity of writing to you so frequently as I could wish—My time is so much engross’d by business equally unpleasant and important that I can very seldom catch a moment for my private affairs, or the more agreeable communications of friendship—I believe I have repeatedly told you as much,...
225To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 27 January 1808 (Adams Papers)
I have already written you a very long letter in answer to your favour of the 8th: instt:—and after writing it, upon reading it over concluded the best disposition I could make of it would be to burn it—Accordingly the flames have consumed it, and I must begin again. Your answers and observations upon my inquiries respecting the impressment of our seamen by the British are of the highest...
226From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 6 February 1808 (Adams Papers)
I am indebted to you, I believe for two letters; but there is so much in the last, of what parson Gardner in one of his Sermons said was called in the barbarous jargon of modern times quizzing , that I hardly know how to answer it at-all—For the use or abuse of my name in the newspapers, whether from friend or foe, in good or in evil I hope I shall not be held accountable—Neither do I suppose...
227From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 18 February 1808 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you some time since and enclosed an order on the Branch Bank at Boston, to be placed to my credit; since which I have not heard from you. I have now only time to request you to pay to my father two hundred and ninety dollars, on my account—being $250. Divd: on ten Shares in N. E. Mc Insurance Company & $40. for do: on ten Shares in Boston Bank.—I expect in a few days to give you an...
228From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 24 February 1808 (Adams Papers)
I have just received your affectionate letter of the 15th:— and do not a moment delay to answer your question— I did attend the meeting of members at the Capitol on the 23d: of last Month— but not without invitation— I received the same invitation, which was given to the other members— And besides that I was also personally urged to attend, by another member of the Senate— I did not attend...
229From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 7 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
I will thank you to pay to my father, for me, on or before the 22d: of this month eleven hundred and seventy two dollars and forty-nine cents—being $1081.27. for part principal of a debt due from me to him and $91.22. for a quarter’s interest on the same debt—As you have probably not funds sufficient in your hands to make this payment I enclose you an order to receive the money due to me at...
230From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 12 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
I begin by congratulating you upon the birth of your daughter Elizabeth, of which I had never heard, untill I received your letter of 19th: ulto: although we had been three or four weeks in daily expectation of receiving the news, and as this is intelligence of peculiar interest to the Ladies, there was scarcely a day pass’d, but upon my return home, my wife’s enquiries were, of advices from...
231From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 25 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 5th: instt: never came to my hands untill yesterday—I have long noticed the characters of the factions which were excited among all the antient nations, in their relations with the Romans—It has been particularly remarked by Montesquieu, and its application to our own Affairs is no new thing in my mind—Modern History is full of the same phenomenon—The English and French...
232From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 30 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your kind attention to my affairs, as detailed in your last Letter which I have received within these two days— I confide entirely in your judgment and discretion, and shall approve of any arrangements you shall make for the present disposal of my farm— R. Dexter holds or held a note from me of a little more than three hundred dollars—I left a request with Shaw to pay it as...
233From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 31 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
I will thank you to give the enclosed manuscript to Oliver and Munro, to be published immediately —If they do not chuse to print it you may get any other printer to do it whom you please—It is not meant for electioneering, but for self-defence; and to give the public my views of public affairs—The printers will give perhaps a few copies, for the manuscript—I want only half a dozen—One of which...
234From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 20 April 1808 (Adams Papers)
My wife received a few days since a letter from you, and I had the happiness of receiving one also from you, yesterday or the day before—In the former there seems to be an intimation that on our part, we had not been so punctual in our correspondence with you, as our duty and affection justly requires—My wife had written you not long before—As for myself I have not indeed written you so often...
235From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 23 April 1808 (Adams Papers)
I have received your two letters of last Week, with a dozen copies of my letter to Mr: Otis—And Mr: Gardiner’s fast Sermon—But the copies which you mention as forwarding with your’s of the 15th: instt: have not come to hand. I thank you most cordially for the promptitude with which you executed the charge of publication—I find the federal newspapers in Boston, which began with a system of...
236To James Madison from John Quincy Adams, 4 June 1808 (Madison Papers)
I take the liberty of enclosing to you two certificates, respecting William Parker, a native Citizen of the United States, impress’d into the British Service, about fourteen months since, and whose liberation it has been impossible to obtain. He is the eldest Son of a widow of very respectable character, with a family of ten children, and in circumstances to depend in some measure upon him for...
237To James Madison from John Quincy Adams, 6 September 1808 (Madison Papers)
About two months since I transmitted to you certain papers respecting a native citizen of this town, named William Parker, laboring under British impressment and whose liberation had been repeatedly and fruitlessly solicited. His mother had recently received two letters from him, by which it appears, that he is on the station at Halifax, on board of the banterer, sloop of war, the vessel into...
I write you a line from the Stage–Office: having just this moment arrived, and intending in half an hour to start in the Mail–Stage for Philadelphia—The weather is so fine, and the roads are so good, that I am afraid of losing the advantages they offer, and recollect the admonition to take time by the forelock—I hope to be in Philadelphia, to–morrow morning before day light; and shall pass the...
On leaving Boston I had formed the Resolution of travelling only in the day-time, but at the close of the second day, arriving at Hartford, I found I should be four days more in getting to New York, unless I proceeded that same Evening, about forty miles to New-Haven—The roads were excellent for sleighing; I was alone in the Stage, and there was a moon bright almost as the morning—I therefore...
The day after I wrote you from Baltimore, that is to say on Thursday, I came to this place; though in the Night at Baltimore I was taken so ill, that I was afraid I should be obliged to postpone for a day or two the completion of my journey—I am however now as well as usual. The expedition with which I travell’d has given me two days more here than I expected when I left you—But they have been...
I thank you for your letter, and Kitty for her watch paper— I had like to have had no watch-case to put it in—For at Baltimore I lost my watch for several hours, I need not tell you how—for thereby hangs a tail.—Suffice it to say that having occasion for my seal, on closing my letter to you from that place, I found my watch was missing—I immediately recollected where I had last left it; but it...
I have received but one letter from you since I left Boston, and that was written only two days after my departure—So long an interval during which I have not heard a word from you, and neither your mother, nor any other of the families here have received a line, begins to make me uneasy; and the state of our Charles when I came away, and of Kitty’s health when you wrote tends to increase that...
I have not received a line from you since I wrote you on Monday—Your mother however has had a letter from Catherine, mentioning that you had on the day she wrote, given Charles an Emetic for his cough—I endeavour to controul my anxiety as much as possible. I now write you a line merely to tell you that your sister Hellen’s youngest child is better—They have now great hopes of its recovery—And...
It is sometimes said that suspense is worse than the certainty of evil—But it is a hard relief from suspense to be informed of evils worse than were apprehended. From the length of time which had pass’d without bringing me a letter from you, I felt great anxiety; but it was principally for the dear child, whom I had left so unwell—Your letter when it came, announced to me not only the child...
Your letter of the 16th: brought me consolation and hope in the information that you were all getting well—My anxiety on account of my mother has been extreme; having heard through Mr: Cranch & Mr: Quincy, that she had been very dangerously ill—I learn also that George is at Mr. Cranch’s I am still waiting for my Cause to be called in Court—It was called again the day before yesterday; but Mr:...