31To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 25 February 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Give me Leave to introduce to you Mr. Samuel Hartley a Relation of the late Minister at Paris. He has Business at Paris which he will explain to you, whether you can be of any Service to him in that or not, your Civilities will be very agreable to him and oblige Dear Sir your most humble Servant, RC ( DLC ). Noted in SJL as received 31 Apr. [1 May?] “by Mr. S. Hartley and Colo. Jas. Hartley.”
32From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 13 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have received a Letter from my Friend General Warren of Milton Hill near Boston, acquainting me, that Congress have it in Contemplation to appoint their Ministers Consuls General, or rather to give them Authority to appoint Consuls, and that you are to have the nomination of that Officer for Lisbon. that his son Winslow Warren, went Sometime ago And Settled at Lisbon, partly upon Some...
33From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 23 of June is come to hand, with a Copy of M r Lamb’s of 6 June from Aranjuez. There is no Intelligence from America of Armies marching to take the Posts from the English. The News was made as I Suppose against the opening of the Three Per Cents, and it had the intended Effect to beat down the Stocks a little. Altho the Posts are important, the War with the Turks is more So. I lay...
34John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 July 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
I am greatly obliged to you for your Letter of the 9 th It has entirely convinced me that the Mecklenburg Resolutions are a fiction, when I first read them in the Essex Register, I was struct with astonishment—It appears appeared to me utterly incredible that they should be genuine; but there were so many circumstances calculated to impose on the public; that I thought it my duty to take...
35To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 4 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Preston has at last found and sent me your Letter. Dr. Bancroft spoke to me, about Commodore Jones’s Demand upon Denmark: but upon looking into the Papers we found that the Commodore is recommended by Congress wholly to the Minister at the Court of Versailles, so that We were apprehensive our Powers would be disputed. The Danish Minister however was not here; I offered to go with Dr....
36From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 29 May 1813 (Adams Papers)
To leave the Pettifogger of Funivals Inn, or Cliffords Inn, his Archbishop Laud, and his Chevalier of St. Iago of Compostella Sir Christopher Gardiner, for the present; Paulo Multo majora canamus. There has been put into my hands, within a few days a gross Volume in octavo, of 544 Pages with the Title of “Memoirs of the late reverend Theophilus Lindsey. M. A.” including a brief “Analysis of...
37John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 8 December 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Letter of Nov. 13 gave me great delight not only by the divine Consolation it afforded me under my great Affliction: but as it gave me full Proof of your restoration to Health. While you live, I Seem to have a Bank at Montecello on which I can draw for a Letter of Friendship and entertainment when I please. I know not how to prove physically that We Shall meet and know each other in a...
38To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 5 November 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
The Chevalier de Pinto, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, from Portugal, after a long absence by leave of his Court is lately arrived here from Lisbon. Upon several occasions, when I met him at Court and upon visits, he told me that he had orders from his Court to confer with me upon the Project of a Treaty between the United States and Portugal, but he [nev]er descended to...
39John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 20 January 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
When Harris was returned a Member of Parliament a Friend introduced him to Chesterfield whom he had never seen—So Mr Harris said his Lordship you are a Member of the House of Commons — you have written upon Universal and scientifick Grammer! you have written upon Art, upon Musick, Painting and Poetry! and what has the House of Commons to do with Art, or Musick, or Painting, or Poetry, or...
40John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 June 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
In your Letter to D r Priestley of March 21. 1801 , you ask “What an Effort, of Bigotry in politics and religion have We gone through! The barbarians really flattered themselves, they should be able to bring back the times of Vandalism, when ignorance put every thing into the hands of power and priestcraft. All Advances in Science were proscribed as innovations; they pretended to praise and...
41To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 6 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Yesterday I received your Favour of 30. May with its Inclosures. You have Since that day no doubt received my answer to yours of the 11th., in which I agreed perfectly with you in the Propriety of Sending Mr. Lamb to Congress without Loss of time. I am content to send Mr. Randal with him but had rather he Should come to you first and then to me, and embark in London after we shall have had...
42From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 February 1821 (Adams Papers)
I have just read a sketch of the life of Swedenborg, and a larger work in two huge volumes of Memoirs of John Westley by Southey, and your kind letter of January 22d came to hand in the nick of time to furnish me with a very rational exclamation, “What a bedlamite is man!” They are histories of Galvanism and Mesmerism thrown into hotch potch they say that these men were honest and sincere, so...
43From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 1 May 1812 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday, I received from the Post Office, under an envellope inscribed with your hand, but without any letter, a very learned and ingenious Pamphlet, prepared by you for the Use of your Counsel, in the case of Edward Livingston against you: Mr Ingersol of Philadelphia, two or three Years ago Sent me two large Pamphlets upon the same Subject. Neddy is a naughty lad as well as a saucy one. I...
44From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 24 July 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have a Letter from the Baron D e Thulemeier of the 19 th. and a Copy of his Letter to you of the same date. I hope now in a few Day’s to take M r. Short by the hand in Grosvenor Square, and to put my hand to the [Tr]eaty. I think no time should be lost. We will join M r. Dumas with M r. Short in the Exchange if you please. I applyed as you desired, and obtained the interposition of the Lords...
45John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 May 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the first of this month acknowledging the receipt of your “Proceedings” &c and now repeat my thanks for it. It is as masterly a pamplet pamphlet as ever I have read; and every way worthy of the Mind that composed and the pen which commited it to writing. There is witt and fancy and delicate touches of Satyr enough in it to make it entertaining while the profusion of learning the...
46From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, February 1814 to 3 March 1814 (Adams Papers)
I was nibbling my pen and brushing my Faculties, to write a polite Letter of Thanks to Mr Counsellor Barton for his valuable Memoirs of Dr Rittenhouse though I could not account for his Sending it to me; when I received your favour of Jan. 24th. I now most cordially indorse my Thanks over to you. The Book is in the modern American Style an able imitation of Marshalls Washington, though far...
47To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 3 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the Honour to inform you, that having shewn my Commission to the Right Honourable the Marquis of Carmarthen, and left an authenticated Copy together with a Copy of my Letter of Credence to the King according to the usage, I had the Honour on the first of this Month to be introduced by his Lordship to his Majesty, in his Closet with all the Ceremonies and Formalities, practised on...
48To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 16 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Give me Leave to introduce to you Mr. John Brown Cutting, who will need no other Recommendation, than his own Genius. Let me beg your acceptance, too of a Sett of my Defence &c. and let me know your Opinion of the Second volume, and whether it is worth my while to write a third upon Confederations &c. Yours most Sincerely, RC ( DLC ); endorsed. Recorded in SJL as received 23 Sep. 1787. My...
49From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 November 1823 (Adams Papers)
Your last letter was brought to me from the Post office when at breakfast with my family. I bade one of the misses open the budget, she reported a letter from Mr. Jefferson and two or three newspapers. A letter from Mr. Jefferson says I, I know what the substance is before I open it; There is no secrets between Mr. Jefferson and me, And I cannot read it, therefore you may open and read it—When...
50From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 19 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
Must We, before We take our departure from this grand and beautiful World, Surrender all our pleasing hopes of the progres of Society? Of improvement of the intellectual and moral condition of the World? Of the reformation of mankind? The Piemontese Revolution Scarcely assumed a form; and the Neapolitan bubble is burst. And what Should hinder the Spanish and Portuguese Constitutions from...
51From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 15 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
My last Sheet, would not admit an Observation that was material to my design. Dr Price was “inclined to think” that infinite Wisdom and Goodness, could not permit infinite Power, to be inactive, from Eternity: but that, an infinite and eternal Universe, must have necessarily flowed from these Attributes. Plato’s System was “ Αγαθος ” was eternal, Self existent &c. His Ideas, his Word, his...
52To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 11 May 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favour of the 25th. of last month, came to my hands Yesterday and I am glad to find you so well pleased with your Retirement. I felt the Same delightful Satisfaction after my Return from Europe, and I feel Still every Summer upon my little farm all the Ardour, and more than all the Ardor of youth: to such a Degree that I cannot bear the thought of writing or reading, unless it be some...
53To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 6 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I am Sorry to give you the trouble of this Commission: but I fear it will not be effectually done but by you, and therefore let me beg the favour of you to send for Mr. de La Blancherie and withdraw my Subscription to the Society of whose affairs he has the direction, and put a stop to his sending me the Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres et Des Arts. He persuaded me at the Hague to...
54From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 10 July 1787 (Adams Papers)
I received with great Pleasure your favour of the first.— Your Excursion I dare answer for it, will be advantageous in many respects to our Country.— The Object of mine to Holland was to procure Money, and I had the good fortune to obtain as much as was necessary for the then present Purpose: but it was not in Consequence of any orders from Congress, and therefore I am under Some Apprehension...
55To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 10 November 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
Your last letter was brought to me from the Post office when at breakfast with my family. I bade one of the misses open the budget, she reported a letter from M r Jefferson and two or three newspapers. A letter from M r Jefferson says I. I know what the substance is before I open it; There is no secrets between M r Jefferson and me, and I cannot read it, therefore you may open and read it—when...
56To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 29 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
Inclosed is a Letter to Mr. Lamb and another to Mr. Randall: if you approve them please to Sign them and send them on. Why those Gentlemen have lingered in Spain I know not. I have long expected to hear of their Arrival in Paris. Possibly they wait for orders. If so, the inclosed will answer the End. The Chev. De Pinto told me on Wednesday that he had orders from his Court to inform me, that...
57John Adams to Franklin and Jefferson, 20 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Let me request of you, to turn your Attention as soon as possible to the Subject of a Treaty of Commerce between the United States of America and Great Britain, and transmit to me, a Project that you would advise me to propose in the first Instance. For my own Part I like the Plan agreed on with Prussia so well, that I must request you to send me a Copy of it, and with such Changes as you may...
58From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 21 May 1819 (Adams Papers)
All the Literary Gentlemen of this part of the Country have an Ambitious Curiosity to see the Philosopher and Statesmen of Monticello—and they all apply to me for Introductions— and if I had ever received one introduction from you, I should have less scruple of Conscience in granting their requests—in the Stile of our New-England—the Reverend Mr Greenwood the Successor of Mr Thatcher and Dr...
59From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 2 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
Coll Franks arrived Yesterday afternoon, with your Favour of Sept r. 24.— I have Signed all the Papers as you Sent them, not perceiving any Alteration necessary.— I am afraid, that our Agent to Algiers going without any military Power will not Succeed: as the Danger of having their Town bombarded, or their Vessells taken, is the Principal Argument which the Dey has to use with the People, to...
60John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 3 December 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
The Proverbs of the old greek Poets, are as Short and pithy as any of Solomon or Franklin . Hesiod has Several. His Αθανατους μεν πρωτα θεους νομω, ως δiακeitai Τiμα. Honour the Gods established by Law. I know not how We can escape Martyrdom, without a discreet Attention to this præcept. you have Suffered, and I have Suffered more than you, for want of a Strict if not a due observance of this...