1Benjamin Waterhouse to Thomas Jefferson, 21 June 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I ought perhaps to apologize for breaking in upon the tranquility of your retirement with this Letter—I have tried to avoid it, but find that I cannot, because it relates to a Stab at my Character, which, from the poison of the Weapon, would, without some Exertion on my part, have left behind it an “ immedicabile vulnus .”— Among several charges transmitted to me by the Secretary of the...
2To John Adams from Benjamin Waterhouse, 12 March 1811 (Adams Papers)
I here send for your Perusal The Preface to the Botanist. The Publisher has printed off a few Copies dozen by Way of Sample of type, and to give Some general Idea of the Work, as well as a Short History of its origin. I thought there might be another Service in it, viz, if any thing appeared to egotistical, or too assuming in it, my Friends would probably give me the hint. I mean it as an...
3To John Adams from Benjamin Waterhouse, 8 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
I recvd. your letter of the 5th, with pleasure & read it with satisfaction, as I always do, because I understand your politics, and because I see in them one uniform & everlasting principle that does not bend to the fashions & caprices of the day—Foolish people have cried out—“Mr Adams has changed his politics; he is no longer a federalist, but is changed to a republican.” I have as constantly...
4Benjamin Waterhouse to Thomas Jefferson, 17 February 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
I take this opportunity, by my friend M r Gerry of sending a small volume for your acceptance No part of Natural history was ever taught, in this quarter of the Union untill I commenced the subject, about 25 years ago. It being a new study, I was obliged to give it a popular form. The Essex Junto had got such an entire possesion of our University , & had made it a fort, or strong hold, whence...
5Benjamin Waterhouse to Thomas Jefferson, 26 March 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 9 th ins t opened to my mind such a train of interesting ideas, that I could not resist writing you this, & enclosing you one of our Boston newspapers, containing a peice under the signature of an “ Independent Whig .” It will tend to confirm your opinion of our pretended fautores of science. More than a dozen numbers have preceeded this, some of them calculated to expose...
6To James Madison from Benjamin Waterhouse, 29 April 1813 (Madison Papers)
I have taken the liberty of transmitting to you the narrative accompanying this, in hopes that you may find fifteen minutes leisure for its perusal. It is the only step I could take in lieu of a journey to Washington. To what I have said there, I will only add here, that when I began to reform that very disorderly Marine-hospital, I was embarrassed at the very threshhold, for want of rules &...
7To James Madison from Benjamin Waterhouse, 1 May 1813 (Madison Papers)
By the advice of some of my most revered friends, coinciding with my own inclination, I am induced to petition the President of the United-States for the place of Treasurer of the Mint, made vacant by the death of Dr. Benjamin Rush. The attention which I have paid to Mineralogy, and to the Docimastic Art, may be considered as a desirable qualification for such an office; and the wish which I...
8Benjamin Waterhouse to Thomas Jefferson, 1 May 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
If you will excuse my breaking in again upon your philosophical retirement, I think I may venture to promise that it shall be the last time. I little thought, when I wrote to you last , that I should have so soon to lament the loss of my revered friend & brother D r Rush ! By his death I feel as if one strand of the thread of my life was cut. It is a heavy, very heavy stroke to his old friend...
9From Benjamin Waterhouse to Abigail Smith Adams, 31 May 1813 (Adams Papers)
It is with some degree of mortification that I have to inform you, that I have not been able to get that extract of a letter from your son inserted in the Patriot, without submitting it to certain curtailments, & alterations, to suit with the notions of the party; and without omitting entirely that last paragraph which speaks of the disasters of the French army.— I yesterday withdrew the...
10To James Madison from Benjamin Waterhouse, 18 March 1815 (Madison Papers)
Duty, and the consideration of a large family impel me to address the President of the United-States at this period of the reduction of the army. It is pretty well known that from the time of “ the affair of the Chesepeake frigate ,” that I, with my friend J. Q. Adams, (who was then on a visit in my family) abandoned the ranks of the Federalists; and have ever since steadily supported the...