To John Adams from Elbridge Gerry, 4 March 1789
From Elbridge Gerry
New York 4th March 1789
My dear Friend
I find on enquiry that you are elected Vice-president, having three or four times the number of votes of any other candidate. Maryland threw away their votes on Colo Harrison & South Carolina on Governor Rutledge, being with some other states which were not unanimous for you, apprehensive that this was a necessary step to prevent your election to the chair— in this point they were mistaken, for the president as I am informed from pretty good authority, has an unanimous vote. it is the universal wish of all that I have conferred with, & indeed their expectation, that both General Washington & yourself will accept: & should either refuse it will have a very disagreable effect. the members present met to day in the City Hall, there being about eleven Senators & thirteen Representatives, & not constituting a quorum in either house they adjourned till tomorrow.—1
Mrs Gerry & the ladies join me in sincere regards to yourself, your lady Colo & Mrs Smith & be assured / I remain with the highest respect / your friend & very huml / sert
E Gerry
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency Mr Adams.”
1. Members of the first federal Congress met on 4 March in New York’s Federal Hall, located at Wall and Nassau Streets; it served as Congress’ legislative home until Aug. 1790. Church bells rang and cannons were twice fired to salute the new era of federal government. The eight senators and thirteen representatives who entered the “superb edifice” designed by Pierre L’Enfant discovered, however, that the building was still under construction. Lacking a quorum, the congressmen left after meeting for less than an hour (Charlene Bangs Bickford and Kenneth R. Bowling, Birth of the Nation: The First Federal Congress, 1789–1791, Washington, D.C., 1989, p. 9, 10, 12; New-York Journal, 5 March 1789).