1From John Quincy Adams to Charles Francis Adams, 21 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
It is related of Augustus Caesar, that being upon his death-bed, he turned just before he expired to the friends who were standing around, and asked them what they thought of the part which he had acted on the scene of human life—They express’d their admiration as their feelings or their prudence inspired—Then said he “Plaudite”. In the article of Death, Augustus was what he had been...
On the 22d. of September, the day upon which I entered on the Execution of the duties of my Office, I received your Letter of the 16th. which the pressure of business prevented me from answering immediately—Your mother however answered it for me, and now that I am enabled to catch a moment of leisure, I take advantage of it to write to you myself. Your remarks upon Mr Gilman’s discourses which...
In your letter of 18 January to your Mama, you mentioned that you read to your Aunt Cranch a chapter in the Bible, or a Section of Dr. Doddridges annotations every evening, this information gave me great pleasure, for so great is my veneration for the Bible & so strong my belief that when duly read & meditated upon, it is of all the books in the world, that which contributes most to make men...
4From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 30 March 1825 (Adams Papers)
I have this day drawn upon you, at sight, for ten thousand Dollars, in favour of Richard Smith, Cashier of the United States Branch Bank or Order—I drew for the whole sum, because I cannot comprehend, how you should want five hundred dollars, to supply any claims upon you, on my account, while you are in the receipt of all the rents due not only on the first of January last, but on the first...
On the 5th. of last month I received your letter dated on the first & have been in expectation of receiving the statement of your account promised in it which has not yet arrived. It gives me great pleasure to learn that you are perseveringly devoting your attention to the art of regular account-keeping & I can not erase exhorting you to master it thoroughly & to apply it unintermittingly to...
6From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 4 March 1824 (Adams Papers)
I duly received your Letter of 15. January, with a Statement of your Account of Agency to the close of last year, upon which I have one remark to make, to which I wish you to pay the most pointed attention—It is that in charging yourself in the Account B. with $1139..29 for Cash received, you do not shew on the credit side, in what manner or for what purposes it has been expended—You only...
On examining my books at the Athenarum, I find there are several volumes missing; among which—Vols. 1. 2. and 32. of Voltaire—1. Volume of Racine—One Volume, from three different sets of Shakespear. 1. Vol: of the Glasgow Sophocles; and some others—part of not all of which, you have—There is danger, if you keep them out that they will get damaged, or mislaid and forgotten; and then make broken...
8From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 13 April 1826 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 1st. instt. and am expecting another with your quarterly account—From your account of the projected Railway in Quincy, I shall follow Mr Cruft’s advice, and take no part in it—of which you will at proper time notify the Gentleman who wrote to me on the subject. With respect to the woodland you must obtain more direct and precise information—both as to the...
In your letter of 18. January to your Mama, you mentioned that you read to your Aunt Cranch a Chapter in the Bible, or a Section of Dr: Doddridge’s annotations every Evening—This information gave me great pleasure, for so great is my veneration for the Bible, and so strong my belief that when duly read and meditated upon, it is of all the books in the world that which contributes most to make...
10From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
I received about a fortnight since a few lines from you so ill written that it was with difficulty that I could read them, and to my great surprize dated at Quincy, when I had expected you were assiduously pursuing your studies at Cambridge, after an interruption not less melancholy than indispensable—Your Letter barely hinted at the temporary dissolution of your Class, and by its brevity and...
11From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 28 October 1819 (Adams Papers)
Since my return to this City I have received your Letters of the 12th and 21st. instt. the former, enclosing a list of my books which you have in your possession—and the latter, six dollars in Bank Bills. It is not, nor has it been my intention to withdraw from you the permission to take out from time to time at the Athenaeum such of my Books as you may wish to peruse—but merely to caution you...
12From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 27 November 1826 (Adams Papers)
I enclose herewith the following papers 1. An Order in my favour on the U. S. Branch Bank Boston, for two thousand Dollars—This you will immediately on receiving it deposit at the Bank, and have it entered to my Credit, in my Bank Book which I lately sent you. 22. A Check on the same, Bank dated 4. December 1826. Signed by me, for three thousand Dollars, payable to Mrs Susan B. Clark, or...
13From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 4 December 1826 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your Letter of the 18th. ulto. enclosing four more copies of Mr Whitney’s funeral Discourse, and all under a cover Post marked, Boston 29 . November—This Post-mark was almost as pleasing to me as your Letter itself because it assured me that my failure to receive from you a Letter of that date was not occasioned by inability proceeding from the state of your health—I am...
14From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 April 1824 (Adams Papers)
I have duly received your Letters N.7, 8 and 9. with their enclosures; accounts and vouchers—When in my last Letter; I observed that the account which you had previously sent me, did not inform me for what , the expenditures which you had charged against me were made, it was not my intention to require of you a full settlement, and a delivery of vouchers, at the close of every quarter—It was a...
15From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 29 November 1826 (Adams Papers)
On the 18th. instt. I received and duly acknowledged your Short note of the 14th. accompanied with your Account to the 1st. of July Last and with a promise that you would the next day forward the account for the following quarter: and this day I have had the pleasure of receiving your Letter of the 6th. and 10th with four more copies of Mr Whitney’s discourse, and all under a Cover Post marked...
16From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 15 September 1811 (Adams Papers)
The first point of view, in which I have invited you to consider the Bible, is in the light of a Divine Revelation . And what are we to understand by these terms?—I intend as much as possible to avoid the field of controversy, with which I am not well acquainted, and for which I have little respect, and still less inclination—My idea of the Bible as a Divine Revelation , is founded upon its...
17From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 7 December 1826 (Adams Papers)
On the 8th. of last month, I wrote you a Letter enclosing three orders from W. S. Smith, and just before receiving this morning your Letter of the 2d. instt. I had written to remind you of it, as well as of my subsequent Letters to you—I am now relieved from the apprehension that you had not received my former Letters, by your acknowledgment of the receipt of those of the 8th. 19th. and 27th....
18From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 February 1821 (Adams Papers)
With this Letter I commit to you a power of Attorney to receive for me any dividends, due or which may hereafter become due to me on Stock belonging to me in the State Bank at Boston There is now standing in my name of the Stock of that Bank 227 Shares at 60 Dollars a Share $13620. And the dividends due to me there, as appears on my books are Octr. 1819—on five Shares at 3 per Cent $9 April...
19From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 December 1823 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 14th. ulto. N. 4. came duly to hand, but I have not before found time for replying to it—The House in Hancock Street must wait its appointed time; that is for the expiration of the lease. I have invited your brother Charles to come and spend the winter vacation with us, and have informed him that I should direct you to furnish him with the money necessary for the journey—You...
20From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 July 1824 (Adams Papers)
I have not replied to your Letter of the 24th. of June, having been in expectation of receiving your statement of Account, of the first of this Month—I shall this day give a Check on the U.S. Branch Bank, Boston, payable to R. Smith, Cashier of the Branch here or Order, for one thousand Dollars—You will on receiving this Letter, take care that it shall be duly paid—I have drawn it directly on...
21From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 25 June 1825 (Adams Papers)
I enclose here with the two Policies of Insurance on my two Houses in Nassau Street Boston, which will expire on the first of next Month; and which you will take care to have renewed. Keep the new Policies in your own custody, till further order from me— I hear a pleasing account of your industry and attention to your profession—Send me a list of the Law Books that you have, and I will...
22From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 21 October 1825 (Adams Papers)
We had a boisterous passage of 47 hours from Providence to this place—After reaching Newport in 2 hours and a quarter from the time when you left us, it blew so fresh a gale, and the aspect of the sky was so threatening that Captain Bunker concluded to remain the Night there.—We sailed again the next morning at 9 but a strong and steady head wind slackened our progress so that we only arrived...
23From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 4 October 1823 (Adams Papers)
I leave with you one thousand Dollars to be deposited in the Bank, and applied to the payment of a subscription which I have promised, for the Establishment of a Professorship of Astronomy, and the erection of an observatory at Cambridge—I authorize you to make the subscription in my name as my Agent, and to pay the money for me in such manner as may be directed by the subscribers. You will...
24From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 10 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of 14. October N. 2. but Post-marked on the Superscription, “Cambridge 21 Octr. was received by me on the 25th: of the same month—my engagements as you suppose absorb so much of my time, that I am seldom able to snatch a moment for writing private Letters to my family and friends. Yet I shall always endeavour to be as punctual a correspondent as possible, and shall particularly...
25From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 November 1824 (Adams Papers)
I duly received your Letter N. 14. dated the 15th. ulto. with the enclosed account, which appears to be regular and correct. I now enclose you a note for fifteen dollars from Richard Johnson, residing he says at N. 68 Hanover Street—He promised to pay it to you—I Lent him the money, on a Story of his own that he had had his pocked picked at Richmond, of more than 1300 dollars, and that he was...
26From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 14 December 1826 (Adams Papers)
The last Letter I have from you is of the 2d. instn. but I have also received Mrs Clark’s receipt upon my note to her, which was enclosed in your Letter to your brother John of the 6th.—My latest Letters to you, are of the 19th. 27th. and 29th. ulto. and 4th. and 7th. instn.—I expect answers to them all. I now enclose, 1. an order from W. S. Smith, upon the Executors of my father’s Will, for...
27From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 31 December 1826 (Adams Papers)
May the blessing of God, whose justice is remembered at the close of your last Letter rest upon you through the year about to commence, and many more, as long as it shall be his pleasure that you live upon earth, and then follow you to a better world. Your Letter and scrap of the 22d. and 23d. have brought up tolerably well the arrears of your correspondence with me, excepting that I am still...
28From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
Upon looking back on the list of my Letters sent to America, I am surprized to find that the last I wrote you was dated so long ago, as the 13th: of September; but the causes of this long silence have not been from any abatement of my affection for you. During the whole of the last Winter, and untill I left St: Petersburg to come upon my present Journey I did not receive a line from you—There...
29From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 May 1824 (Adams Papers)
Abby S. Adams returns home in company with Mr Fuller. I have requested him to pay her expenses on the road, and upon his arrival, to give you a minute of them, informing him that you will discharge it—I now write merely to request you to do so, and to charge the same, in account, to me. your affectionate father MHi : Adams Papers.
30From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 21 October 1823 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your Letter N 1. dated the 15th. instt. with its enclosure, and am much pleased with the attention you are paying to my Affairs and your own—In entering upon a new Scene of life, it is important to begin well; to commence the formation of good habits, and to form a system for the employment of time which will obviate the formation of bad ones. At your Season of life, it is...