41To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 1 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
Your two philosophical letters of May 4. and 6. have been too long in my Carton of “Letters to be answered.” to the question indeed on the utility of Grief, no answer remains to be given. you have exhausted the subject. I see that, with the other evils of life, it is destined to temper the cup we are to drink. Two urns by Jove’s high throne have ever stood, The source of evil one, and one of...
42To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 8 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
A month’s absence from Monticello has added to the delay of acknoleging your last letters; and indeed for a month before I left it our projected College gave me constant employment; for being the only Visitor in it’s immediate neighborhood, all it’s administrative business falls on me, and that, where building is going on, is not a little. in yours of July 15, you express a wish to see our...
43To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 25 March 1826 (Adams Papers)
My grandson Th: Jefferson Randolph, being on a visit to Boston, would think he had seen nothing were he to leave it without having seen you. altho’ I truly sympathise with you in the trouble these interruptions give, yet I must ask for him permission to pay to you his personal respects. like other young people, he wishes to be able, in the winter nights of old age, to recount to those around...
44To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 8 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have to acknolege your two favors of Feb. 16. & Mar. 2. and to join sincerely in the sentiment of mrs Adams, and regret that distance separates us so widely. an hour of conversation would be worth a volume of letters. but we must take things as they come. You ask if I would agree to live my 70. or rather 73. years over again? to which I say Yea. I think with you that it is a good world on...
45To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 20 April 1790 (Adams Papers)
Encroachments being made on the Eastern limits of the United States by Settlers under the British Government, pretending that it is the Western and not the Eastern River of the Bay of Passamaquoddy which was designated by the name of S t. Croix in the Treaty of Peace with that nation, I have to beg the favour of you to communicate any facts which your memory or papers may enable you to...
46From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 11 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Doctr. Franklin sets out this morning for Havre from whence he is to cross over to Cowes there to be taken on board Capt. Truxen’s ship bound from London to Philadelphia. The Doctor’s baggage will be contained in 150. or 200 boxes &c. We doubt that the laws of England will not permit these things to be removed from one vessel into another; and it must be attended with great difficulty, delay...
47From Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 23 February 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
The Notables met yesterday. The king opened the assembly with a short speech, wherein he expressed his inclination to consult with them on the affairs of his kingdom, to receive their opinions on the plans he had digested, and to endeavor to imitate the head of his family Henry IV. whose name is so dear to the nation. The speech was affectionate. The Guarde des sceaux spoke about 20 minutes,...
48To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 5 December 1788 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of writing to you on the 2 d. of Aug. and of adding a P.S. of Aug. 6. you will have known since that that the interposition of Denmark, as auxiliary to Russia against Sweden, has been suppressed magisterially by England and Prussia. this seemed to prove that these two powers did not mean to enter into the war; that on the contrary they wished seriously to quiet things on the...
49To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 14 January 1789 (Adams Papers)
I now do myself the pleasure to inclose to you a copy of the Arret explanatory of that of Sep. 28. on the subject of our whale oils. mr̃ Necker in a letter to me has renewed the promise of taking off the 10. sous per livre at the end of the next year. but at the same time he observes that whenever the national fishery shall be able to supply their demand for whale oil we must expect a repeal...
50Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 10 August 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
The simultaneous movements in our correspondence have been really remarkable on several occasions. it would seem as if the state of the air, or state of the times, or some other unknown cause produced a sympathetic effect on our mutual recollections. I had set down to answer your letters of June 19. 20. 22. with pen, ink, and paper before me, when I recieved from our mail that of July 30. you...