Adams Papers
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John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 28 October 1796

John Adams to John Quincy Adams

Quincy October 28. 1796

My Dear son

I have this Morning, filed in order your Letters and have now in one bundle before me from No. 6 to No. 23 inclusively and will take care they shall not be again Seperated.1

The Western Posts are all delivered, and the Commissions in a good Way.— Mr King and Mr Gore in England and I hope Mr Pinkney in France, will be your Friends bothe Personally and Politically.

You are destined to Portugal and will take with you, I presume an help meet, and may God grant you and her a double Portion of his choicest Blessings

I am Still delighted with your Facts, your Opinions, your Principles and your Feelings. I believe them just.

Electioneering goes on, with as little Bitterness as can be expected, but exactly as you would anticipate.

If the President should direct you to charge your Brother with our affairs, I hope he will Stay at the Hague till he hears farther from me.2

I do not approve of your Projects of quitting the Diplomatic Career at present; much less of your Thoughts of settling in the Southern States.

You need not be anxious about the Succession to The Presidency, for whoever shall be chosen I dare answer for it, he will not disgust you, either by promoting others over you, or by any other ill treatment. No Man who has been mentioned or thought of, but has a just Value for your Merits. Even if your Father should be the Person he will not so far affect a Disinterest as to injure you. If Jefferson if Henry if Jay, Hamilton or Pinckney, should be elected your Honour and Promotion will be in no hazard

But you know, I do not allow myself to write you upon Public Affairs at present. I hope to be a better Correspondent, e’er long,— I am always / with a tender Affection your

John Adams

I have sent by this ship a Packet for Mr Tegelaar of Amsterdam containing his new Certificates. I shall wish to know if he has recd them

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “J. Q. Adams.” Tr (Adams Papers); filmed at 7 Aug. 1796.

1These letters span the period 12 Feb. 1795 to 21 July 1796 (all Adams Papers).

2In a letter of 29 Aug., which has not been found, JA may have asked Timothy Pickering if TBA was being considered as a replacement for JQA at The Hague. In his reply of 5 Sept. (Adams Papers), Pickering expressed his confidence in TBA’s abilities, for which see the excerpt AA included in her letter to TBA of 25 Sept., and note 5, above.

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