1To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 17 November 1795 (Adams Papers)
After a detention of twenty days at Helvoetsluys, and a pleasant passage of twenty four hours from thence to Margate I arrived here on the morning of the 11th: instt: The state of the business on which I came, will be known to you before the receipt of this Letter. An English paper that I saw at Rotterdam on the day of my departure from the Hague gave me the first information of Mr: Randolph’s...
2To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 6 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
At length I have been released from a situation, equally remote from all public utility and all personal satisfaction. After a detention which I could not avoid, but which was at least unnecessary, of several months I left London on the 28th: of last month, and arrived here on the 31st: The People there were in the midst of the Saturnalian electioneering holidays. The writs issued for the New...
3To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 4 February 1792 (Adams Papers)
A variety of circumstances have occurred since you left this part of the Country, which have combined to change in some measure the state of our parties in this State; you have probably heard of them from other Quarters, and ought to have heard of them before this from me. I will endeavour however to retrieve as far as possibly my former deficiency, and to give you an account of the present...
4John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 21 September 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have received within a few days three Letters with which you have favoured me, and shall pay to their contents all the attention which I can command. The scheme which you have traced out in the last of them is so extensive, that I am apprehensive it will require much time, as well as very constant enquiries, to obtain the information of the several kinds which you mention. I shall endeavour...
5To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 4 May 1795 (Adams Papers)
Mr: Wilcox has not yet been here but sent me from Hamburg your favour of February 11. which was the first letter I have been happy enough to receive from you since we left America. When he comes here, I shall be happy to shew him every civility in my power. It is extremely pleasing to hear that the elections for the ensuing completion of the Senate have been so favourable. I believe the time...
6To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 24 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
The french Directory have refused to receive Mr: Pinckney as Minister from the United States, and have taken a resolution, that all communication between them and the American Government shall be suspended untill the wrongs of which the French Republic has a right to complain, shall be repaired. The motives alledged for this proceeding are said to be that the Treaty between the United States...
7John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 27 July 1794 (Adams Papers)
I expected to have been on my way to Boston before this; but M r: Hamilton is gone into the Country, and I cannot be supplied with my instructions untill he returns. He has been expected every hour these four days, and it is very possible that four days hence he may still be hourly expected. In the mean while I am here lolling away my time, and sweating away my person, with nothing to do, and...
8To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 22 May 1795 (Adams Papers)
My last Letter acknowledged the receipt of your favour of February 11. That of December 2. has since reached me. By the same opportunity, I have Letters from my brother Charles of March 12. And I have seen Boston papers to the 1st of April. Our information from America, is yet generally indirect, and our means of conveyance few, difficult and uncertain. The appointment, which places me here is...
9To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 20 March 1796 (Adams Papers)
In the situation which has already detained me here between four and five months, and from which I am waiting with anxiety not unmingled with impatience to be relieved, I have very few opportunities to obtain any intelligence of importance other than what is contained in the daily newspapers, one complete sett of which I have regularly forwarded to you by every opportunity that has been known...
10John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 19 October 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have a Letter from you which has called forth the few remaining sparks of my attenion to politics— Were my own mind at ease, I should at the present time enter more than ever into the spirit of speculation upon public affairs. The prospect is really glorious; but it is perhaps impossible, at least for a man whose patriotism is not tinctured with more heroism than mine, to consider the...
11To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 30 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
The enclosed extract of a Letter from Paris, which has been communicated to me, contains certain paragraphs from the Rédacteur a newspaper used by the French Directory for their official and non-official publications. It explicitly denies as you will observe that the Directory have determined to suspend their intercourse with the Government of the United States. It is among those paragraphs...
12John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 31 October 1795 (Adams Papers)
I have been detained about ten days in this place, waiting for a wind, and am very like to be detained as many more; the westerly winds prevailing in the channel at this Season of the year almost without intermission. Since my arrival here I have received your favour of August 25. transmitted to me by my Brother, who remains at the Hague, with the care of our affairs during my absence.—...
13John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 12 April 1794 (Adams Papers)
I received this morning your favour of the 3 d: inst t: We still hold tolerably firm to the text of neutrality; though we have our partialities for the french, and are much irritated against the british.— This is natural enough, and indeed, although we have some grounds of complaint against both with respect to their treatment of our commerce, in their present contest; yet it is not to be...
14To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 14 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your favour of October 23 and it is by several weeks the latest Letter that I have from America.—It tells me that the Elections were going on with as little bitterness as could be expected, and this in the present circumstances is grateful intelligence. But all my American correspondents public and private as they appear to care nothing about the affairs of Europe, seem...
15To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 7 January 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have a few papers to send you, and cannot omit the occasion to say a few words, though I have but very few to say. Our own affairs are at a stand. Mr: Pinckney will be here in the course of this week, and I have not chosen to do any thing conclusive before his return.—I believe there are people here, who like Publicola much better than they think of its reputed author. You have long known,...
16To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 27 July 1795 (Adams Papers)
The public affairs of the Country where I now reside, afford at this time but an indifferent topic of correspondence. In the general scale of Europe, it is of so little comparative importance, that nothing less than a conquest or a Revolution, can make its current events interesting enough to be an object of communication beyond the atlantic. Both these great political changes have taken place...
17To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 17 April 1796 (Adams Papers)
Mr: Robert Bird, the bearer of this letter, is a respectable merchant of this place, a brother of the Gentleman with whom you had the pleasure of an acquaintance some years since, at New-York. He proposes making a tour in the United States, during the ensuing Season, and I am happy to have this opportunity of introducing him to your acquaintance, and recommending him to your attentions. I am,...
18To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 February 1795 (Adams Papers)
Since the date of my last Letter, (December 25: 1794.) a revolution has taken place, the substance of which had been for some time expected, but the forms of which have been infinitely milder, than had ever entered the imagination of any man. The french Army of the North, after a brilliant and successful campaign from March till December, had at length reached the banks of the Waal, and was...
19To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 27 August 1795 (Adams Papers)
The bearer of this Letter Mr: Montfort is a clergyman who being compelled to leave his Country, has for some time past found a refuge in this; but is at present obliged also to retire from hence. He has some expectation of going to America; and being unacquainted with the Language and altogether unknown there, he has requested some Letter that should bear testimony in his behalf. Without...
20To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 5 January 1793 (Adams Papers)
The bearer of this Letter, Mr. D’Hauteval, is a french Gentleman from the Island of St. Domingo, where he had lately the misfortune to lose a plantation of great value, by the devastation of the insurgent negroes. He has been about two months in this town, where I have frequently had the pleasure of meeting him in Company, and where his amiable manners have entitled him to as much esteem, ás...
21John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 21 November 1795 (Adams Papers)
Since my last Letter (15.) nothing very material has occurred. The newspapers enclosed will shew you the degree of opposition that is made against the Convention bills as they are called. The City of London has instructed its members to vote against them. They will however pass. I know not whether you have seen the review of the new Edition of your book, and therefore send the monthly Review...
22To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 1 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
Mr: Pinckney has returned, and of course my business here ceases. I am yet waiting however for orders enabling me to return to the Hague. I expect them with a little impatience, having many reasons to wish myself away from hence. The newspapers sent herewith contain intelligence of two important Events. The armistice concluded between the french and Austrian armies on the Rhine; and the return...
23John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 10 February 1793 (Adams Papers)
As I was going to meeting this afternoon a Gentleman met me in the street, and desired me to fill him a writ immediately which he intends to have served as early as possible in the morning. I accordingly did it, and as it is now too late to attend the afternoon service, I think I cannot employ the leisure time thus thrown on my hands better than in giving you an account of the commercial...
24To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 September 1795 (Adams Papers)
I received two days ago your letter from New-York of June 29. It gratified my highest ambition as it testifies the approbation of the President and the Secretaries, upon my conduct and correspondence, and my strongest affections as it informed me of the health of my dearest friends. At the same time I received a letter from my brother Charles, and papers, with accounts of popular movements in...
25To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 May 1796 (Adams Papers)
In addition to the letters and Packets which I have already sent by the present conveyance, I now enclose the newspapers up to this day. This contains intelligence of very considerable importance, which proves that the king of Sardinia has been compelled to enter into negotiations for Peace with the French Republic, and to surrender two strong fortresses as a preliminary to obtain a suspension...
26To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 1 April 1795 (Adams Papers)
Since the date of my last Letter, February 12, nothing very material has taken place in this Country. The customary tranquility has been uninterrupted, and the Patriots of the present day have been proceeding with moderation towards their first object the annihilation of the Government that has hitherto existed. I say the Patriots of the present day because the party is not exactly the same,...
27To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 10 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
Mr: Hall arrived a few days ago, and delivered to me a few days ago your favours of Novr: 17. and Decr: 12. The first acknowledges the receipt of my N. 11. July 27. But I feel somewhat concerned lest my next number to that, written very soon after it may have miscarried, as it should regularly have reached you before the date of your last. Mr. Randolph’s pamphlet had arrived before Mr. Hall,...
28To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 25 November 1796 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your favour of August 7. The first time I have had the pleasure of a letter from you since the same date. I have also to acknowledge an unusual interval since my last to you was written. I shall not plead in excuse that a very considerable American correspondence, which I find myself obliged to furnish altogether on my part, with few returns of any kind, and those few...
29John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 19 March 1790 (Adams Papers)
I have to acknowledge the receipt of two Letters from you, of the 9 th. and of the 19 th: of last month; the former of which I received, about three weeks ago, while I was at Boston, attending upon the Session of our Supreme Court; and the latter came to hand, but two days since. I hope I shall ever feel suitably grateful, for the tender solicitude, which you express with respect to my future...
30To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 3 February 1797 (Adams Papers)
A few days ago, I received at once your Letters of Novr: 11. from Quincy and of Decr: 5. from Philadelphia. In the course of three or four days indeed, I had a flood of American Letters pouring upon me, and can no longer complain of that inattention and neglect which an interval of three or four months had occasioned me to mention in my last Letter. Very soon after you wrote, the Elections of...