31To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 9 January 1777 (Adams Papers)
I have every Day for a Month past been anxiously expecting the Pleasure of seeing you here, but now begin to suspect you do not intend to give us your Assistance in Person. I shall therefore do all that lies in my Power to engage your epistolary Aid. You will by every Opportunity receive my Letters, and, I dare say, you will be so civil to me as to answer at least some of them. I have given...
32Massachusetts Delegates to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 21 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Gorham and Mr. Russel, Agents of the Town of Charlestown, have presented to Congress a Petition from the unfortunate Inhabitants of that Place, praying for a Compensation for their Losses. The Petition was drawn in very decent and handsome Terms, containing a lively Description of the Distresses to which the unhappy Petitioners are reduced, from a State of Ease and Affluence; and the...
33New England Delegates to George Washington, 2 August 1777 (Adams Papers)
As Congress have authorized your Excellency to send a proper Officer to take the Command in the northern Department; We take the Liberty to signifie to your Excellency that in our Opinion, no Man will be more likely; to restore, Harmony, Order and Discipline, and retrieve our Affairs in that Quarter, than Majr. Genll. Gates. He has on Experience acquired the Confidence, and stands high in the...
34To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 21 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
Although we are exceedingly pressd with publick Business at this Juncture, I cannot omit the Opportunity that now offers of writing to you. The general Scituation of Affairs, and the particular Transactions between the British Commissioners and the Congress will be transmited to you by this Conveyance, by the Committee for foreign Affairs. Since I last came to this Place from Boston, several...
35To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 25 October 1778 (Adams Papers)
Your Favor of the 24th of May did not reach my hand till yesterday. The Gentleman who brought it, Mr. Archer, tells me he had a Passage of Eleven Weeks. I will show him the Respect due to the Character you give him, and properly regard such future Recommendations as may come from you. I suppose you have been fully and officially informd of the State of our military Affairs since the Enemy...
36To George Washington from Samuel Adams, 26 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellencys Letter of the 25th instant to this Committee together with an extract from another of the 17th instant to the President of Congress has been duely considered by the Committee. Unfortunately the situation of our Frigates is such, as to afford no reason to expect that they can possibly be collected in Season to execute the plan proposed. The Providence of 32 Guns & the Ranger of...
37Samuel Adams to Abigail Adams, 31 July 1779 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Saml. Adams and Mrs. Adams present their most friendly Regards to Mrs. Adams of Braintree. In Answer to her Message to Mr. A, he informs her, that in a Letter he receivd a few days ago from Arthur Lee dated the 6th of March, Mr. Lee acquaints him in these Words,“Our Friend my late Colleague means to embark soon, and from him you will learn the State of our Affairs here.” The Letter was...
38To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 13 January 1780 (Adams Papers)
I gladly embrace the first opportunity I have had of writing to you since you left this Country. Mr. Jona. Loring Austin is the Bearer of this Letter. He is appoint ed by the General Assembly to negociate an Affair in Europe which will be communicated to you by a Letter written to you by the President of the Council and signd in their Name. The Measure is the favorite offspring of the House of...
39To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 10 July 1780 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to you several Times when I was at Boston, and receivd your Favor by the Marquis de la Fayette. Another, to which you referrd me, has not yet come to hand. This Letter will be deliverd to you by Mr. Searl, a Member of Congress for the State of Pennsylvania. He will be better able to inform you of the State of things here, than I can, who after twelve Months Absence from this City,...
40To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 18 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
The Marquis de la Fayette is so obliging as to take the Care of this Letter, which, for the Sake of him, the Count de Noailles and others our french Friends, who take Passage with him in the Alliance, I hope will arrive safely. In the same Conveyance, there is a Packett intended for you from Congress, by which you will doubtless be informd of what has been doing there. It is six Months since I...
41To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 18 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have already written to you this Day by the Marquis de Lafayatte. This passes thro the Hands of Count de Noailles whom you did me the Honor to introduce to me. I duly acknowledgd the Receipt of your Favor which he brought me; but the Loss of my Letter was attended with an infinitely greater, that of Collo Palfrey. I wrote to you largely by him. The Son in Law of one of our good Friends has...
42To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 4 November 1783 (Adams Papers)
Col o John Trumbull, the Son of the worthy Governor of Connecticutt is the Bearer of this Letter. I give the Governor this Epithet, because I think his faithful Services to our Country intitle him to it. Yet even he has undergone the Suspicions of some, unsupported by any solid Reasons that I have heard of. We live in an Age of Jealousy, and it is well enough. I was led to beleive in early...
43Samuel Adams to John Adams, 16 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have not receivd a Letter from you of a later Date than the 10 th of Sept r. last. Extracts of yours to D G of the same Date have been handed about, with a View, as I conceivd, of giving the Sanction of your opinion to that of others respecting the Tories. It is often inconvenient, perhaps unsafe, to trust ones Confidential Letters to indiscrete, however honest, Friends. Detachd Parts of...
44Samuel Adams to John Adams, 2 December 1784 (Adams Papers)
I received several of your Letters with Pleasure, particularly that of May, which I will answer at a Time of more Leisure— Capt n Dashwood of this Town is going to London, to sollicit Payment of the British Crown, for Goods taken from him when the Troops left the Town, not as forfeited, but under the Apprehension that they would be of Use to our Army, & with an Express Promise that they should...
45To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 2 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
I cannot omit the Opportunity of writing by Monsr de le Etombe who is going to France & will take the Care of this Letter. You must not expect it will be a long one. There are many Things which I wish to say to you, but the Tremor of my Hand is so increasd that I am put to Difficulty to guide my Pen. Our Merchants are complaing bitterly that Great Britain is ruining their Trade, and there is...
46To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 16 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
The Governour of this Commonwealth will transmit to you Copies of Letters which lately passed between him and Capt Stanhope Commander of the British Ship of War Mercury. This is the same Person, as I am told, who, when a Prisoner here in the early time of the War, was not too delicate in Point of Honor to break his Parole. The Governor however had treated him from the Time of his Arrival with...
47To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 13 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Doctor Gordon is to deliver you this Letter. He is going to the Land of his Nativity, wishing for the best Happiness of his own Country & ours and hoping that mutual Affection will be at length restored, as the only Means of the Prosperity of both. As he determines to spend the Remainder of his Days in the Country where he was born, what rational Man who considers the Ties of human Nature will...
48To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 21 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
There are two great Objects which I think should engage the Attention of Patriots here, & which appear to me to involve every thing else—to preserve entire our political Liberties, & to support our National Faith. To effect either of these Capital Ends, we must counterwork the Designs of Great Britan, who to say the least does not appear to be our most cordial Friend, by her Emissaries amongst...
49To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 4 October 1790 (Adams Papers)
With pleasure I received your Letter of Sept r. 12 th ; and as our good friend, to whom I dictated my last is yet in Town; I have requested of him a second favour— You ask what the World is about to become? and, Is the Millenium commencing? I have not studied the Prophesies, and cannot even conjecture. The Golden Age so finely pictured by Poets, I beleive has never yet existed; but in their...
50To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 25 November 1790 (Adams Papers)
I lately received your Letter of the 18 th: of October.— The Sentiment, and observations contained in it demand my attention. A Republic, you tell me, is a Government in which “the People have an essential share in the Sovereignty”; Is not the whole sovereignty, my friend, essentially in the People? Is not Government designed for the Welfare, and happiness of all the People? and is it not the...
51To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 21 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
Or may it plese your Excellency, I imbrace this oppertunety to address your Excellency: it is from a kinsman tho a little remote I am the oldest son of Ebenezer Adams grand son to the Reverend Joseph Adams of Newington your Uncle decest; may these lines find your Excellency and family: in helth and happiness injoying the blessings that divine providence has bestowed upon you in placeing your...
52To Thomas Jefferson from Samuel Adams, 11 December [1799] (Jefferson Papers)
I am very loth to trespass upon your precious time; but shall be happy with your leave to introduce to your notice the young Gentleman who takes the charge of this letter. It is his own request. He descended from that illustrious man Governor Winthrop the leader of our first rennoned ancestors; leaving what was called in those days a handsome fortune that he might plant the seeds of religion...
53To Thomas Jefferson from Samuel Adams, 31 January 1800 (Jefferson Papers)
I have very lately written to you recommending a Young Gentleman by the name of Winthrop. I pray you not to apprehend that I design to trouble you with frequent Letters: your time will not admit of it.—But, when I meet with a Youth of good natural, and acquired abilities—of an accurate knowledge of the World, and a firm attachment to the elective representative System of Government; I cannot...
54To Thomas Jefferson from Samuel Adams, 24 April 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Letter of the 29th. of March came duly to my hand. I sincerely congratulate our Country on the arrival of the day of Glory, which has called you to the first office in the administration of our federal Government. Your warm feelings of friendship must certainly have carried you to a higher tone of expression, than my utmost merrits will bear: If I have at any time been avoided, or frowned...
55To Thomas Jefferson from Samuel Adams, 18 November 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
Doctr: Eustis will be so kind as to deliver you this Letter.—I am perswaded, you will find him a man of a candid and fair Mind and liberal sentiments.— I congratulate you on the return of Peace. The War both in America and Europe was designed by Tyrant Kings to exterminate those rights and liberties which the Gracious Creator has granted to Man, and to sink the happiness resulting therefrom in...